MANSFIELD, Mass. – For the second-straight season, Pace has been selected as the preseason favorite according to the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll, which was announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon.
Pace, the reigning NE10 champion, edged Adelphi by the tightest of margins to claim the top spot in the poll. The Setters tallied 95 points and six first-place votes, while the Panthers recorded 94 points and four first-place votes. New Haven ranked third with 82 points and one first-place vote, while Bentley (67 points) and Assumption (61 points) rounded-out the top five.
Coming off a national championship two years ago, Pace went 21-1 during the 2024 season - losing its only game to Adelphi in the NCAA Division II East Region Championship. The Setters bested the Panthers one week earlier in the NE10 Championship final, 16-14, to win the program's first-ever conference title. Head coach Tricia Molfetta enters her eighth season at Pace in 2025.
Adelphi went 19-4 in the 2024 season and advanced to the Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship game, where it lost 13-8 to the University of Tampa at Showalter Stadium in Winter Park, Fla. It was Adelphi's 11th appearance in a national title game - and only its second loss. Head coach Pat McCabe enters his 11th season with the program.
Bentley and New Haven also qualified for the 2024 NCAA Division II Championship, making it a clean sweep for NE10 teams in the East Regional as its programs claimed all four of the qualifying spots.
Saint Anselm placed sixth in the Coaches' Poll (58 points), while Southern New Hampshire was seventh (51 points), Southern Connecticut was eighth (36 points), Franklin Pierce was ninth (30 points), Saint Michael's was 10th (20 points) and American International was 11th (11 points).
The NE10 continues its national dominance in women's lacrosse, as six programs finished the 2024 season in the Top 25 of the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association (IWLCA) rankings. Highlighting the group was Adelphi at No. 2 and Pace at No. 3.
Women's lacrosse begins its season on February 13, with Saint Michael's playing in non-conference action. To view the full 2025 schedule, click HERE.
COACHES' POLL
1. Pace - 95 (6)
2. Adelphi - 94 (4)
3. New Haven - 82 (1)
4. Bentley - 67
5. Assumption - 61
6. Saint Anselm - 58
7. Southern New Hampshire - 51
8. Southern Connecticut - 36
9. Franklin Pierce - 30
10. Saint Michael's - 20
11. American International - 11
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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