NEC Release I Season Opener vs. Bucknell Postponed

Somerset, NJ – The Wagner women's lacrosse team, under the direction of first-year head coach Katie Rowan, has been chosen to finish second in the 2016 Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Poll after earning three of the eight first place votes.

Bryant, which has won two straight NEC titles, defeating the Seahawks in the championship game both times, was tabbed as the 2016 NEC preseason favorite in a vote by the league's eight head coaches.  The Bulldogs received five first-place votes.

Mount St. Mary's was selected third, while Robert Morris and Sacred Heart earned the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Central Connecticut, LIU Brooklyn and Saint Francis U rounded out the eight-team poll.
 
In 2016, the Seahawks will look to win their first-ever NEC championship under new leadership as Rowan, a former Syracuse assistant coach and the most-decorated player in school history, takes over the program.
 
The Green & White return one of the league's best in senior midfielder Shea Gegan (Belmar, NJ/Manasquan), who was the first recipient of the NEC Midfielder of the Year award last spring. The NEC Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, Gegan led the nation last season in both caused turnovers (3.64/game) and ground balls (4.26/game), while also pacing the Seahawks with 36 goals, 25 assists and 61 points.
 
Wagner also brings back junior defender Amanda Rey (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township), who earned second team All-NEC honors last season after ranking second among Seahawks with 42 ground balls on the year.

The Seahawks also return their top four scorers from a year ago. Junior attack Olivia Streilein (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) was the team's second-leading scorer in 2015 behind Gegan with 41 points, while senior midfielder Gretchen Fay (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) and senior attack Stephanie Peterson (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Township) were third and fourth in scoring a year ago with 34 and 33 points, respectively.
 
Rowan will look to bring her experience as a student-athlete to the Seahawks.  Along with being a member of the 2009 and 2013 USA World Cup gold medalist teams, Rowan is the Orange's career leader in points (396) and assists (164), and was the school's initial three-time First Team All-American selection.
 
Bryant took home its second consecutive NEC Tournament title last May after downing Wagner in the title match for the second consecutive year. The Bulldogs rallied from three goals down in the second half to post a 15-10 victory on their home turf in Smithfield, RI.

About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 35th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30).  Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google+, all @NECsports.
 
2016 Northeast Conference Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll (First place votes in parentheses)
       1. Bryant (5)
       2. Wagner (3)
       3. Mount St. Mary's
       4. Robert Morris
       5. Sacred Heart
       6. Central Connecticut
       7. LIU Brooklyn
       8. Saint Francis U

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@WagnerAthletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @WagnerWlax for information specific to the Seahawk women's lacrosse team.