Jan. 21, 2010

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A year after sweeping both the Atlantic 10 regular season and championship crowns, Massachusetts has been selected to repeat as the 2010 Atlantic 10 lacrosse champion in voting conducted by the league's head coaches.

Saint Joseph's, a finalist in the 2009 A-10 championship match, has been picked second, and Duquesne and Richmond tied for third in the voting.

UMass returns nine of 12 starters, including Jackie Lyons and Katie Florence, from the 2009 squad. Lyons, a junior midfielder, topped the team in scoring with 44 goals and 27 assists and was a first-team All-Conference selection. Florence, a sophomore goalkeeper, posted an 11-8 record in her first year in the nets while garnering All-Rookie team honors.

Saint Joseph's is led by 2009 A-10 Coach of the Year Denise Roessler and attacker Jenna Martino. The senior was the team leader in goals (57) and points (76) in 2009, and she'll look for offensive help from All-Rookie team selections Meghan McDevitt (32 goals, 6 assists) and Julie Mineweaser (16 goals, 10 assists).

Meghan Frederick, the 2009 A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year, spearheads the Duquesne attack. The senior set a school and Atlantic 10 single-season record with 44 assists in 2009, and she tied for the conference lead in points with 77. Richmond heads into the new season under the guidance of first-year head coach Stephy Samaras. The Spiders bring back a pair of All-Rookie team selections in Caitlin Fifield and Sam Tajirian. Fifield scored 35 goals and dished out six assists in 2009, while Tajirian chipped in with 14 goals and two assists.

George Washington is picked to finish fifth, followed by Temple, St. Bonaventure and La Salle.

The four-team A-10 Championship will be held April 23-25 at Duquesne University's Rooney Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.

2010 Predicted Order of Finish
(2009 overall/A-10 record in parentheses)
1. Massachusetts (11-8/6-1)
2. Saint Joseph's (10-8/5-2)
T-3. Duquesne (9-8/4-3)
T-3. Richmond (6-12/5-2)
5. George Washington (5-12/4-3)
6. Temple (4-12/2-5)
7. St. Bonaventure (7-10/1-6)
8. La Salle (4-12/1-6)