University of Richmond Athletics
No. 10 Women’s Lacrosse Selected as Preseason A10 Favorites
02/04/2021 | Women's Lacrosse
RICHMOND, Va. – The No. 10 University of Richmond women's lacrosse program has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship as voted by league's head coaches.
The Spiders collected received six of the 10 first-place votes, while second-place Massachusetts picked up the remaining 4 votes. Saint Joseph's was selected to finish third.
Richmond was also selected as the 2020 league favorites and built a 7-0 record before the season ended due to COVID-19. After defeating No. 6 Virginia 13-12 in overtime (Feb. 26), the Spiders jumped into all three national polls.
Already this preseason, the Spiders are garnering attention as over 90 percent of their offense, as well as all but one starting defender returns to the line-up. Richmond was ranked in all three national 2021 preseason polls, landing at No 10 in the Nike/US Lacrosse, No. 12 in the IL Women Media and No. 14 in the IWLCA Coaches polls.
The Richmond offense returns 2020 Tewaaraton Award Watch List honoree Sam Geiersbach (West Babylon, N.Y.) who paced the squad with 45 points with 22 goals and 23 assists. Attack Arden Tierney (Port Washington, N.Y.), led the team with 60 draw controls and was second in the nation among goal-scoring freshmen with a team high 24 goals. Transfer Nicole Concannon (Syosset, N.Y.) made an immediate impact with 15 goals and seven assists.
The Spiders' midfielder corps sees the return of Madison Ostrick (Medford, N.Y.), Sophia DiCenso (Foxboro, Mass.), Lindsey Frank (Ganesvoort, N.Y.) and Marina Miller (Wexford, P.A.). Frank paced the group with 26 draw controls, 14 assists and 10 goals while fellow sophomore DiCenso chipped in 16 draw controls, 13 ground balls and seven goals. Ostrick tallied 13 points with 10 goals and three assists and Miller tallied 11 goals and five assists with nine ground balls.
Richmond's defense is again led by goalkeeper Megan Gianforte (Brielle, N.J.), 2020 Preseason All-Atlantic 10 honoree Brittney Wright (Moorestown, N.J.) and junior Caroline Atkinson (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y). Gianforte held opponents to a goal against average of 7.57, the sixth-best in the country. Gianforte finished fourth in the nation with a 7.69 goals-against average, corralled 45 saves while causing seven turnovers and picked up a team-leading 24 ground balls. Wright tallied nine ground balls while Atkinson picked up two.
Preseason Poll - Total Points (First Place Votes)
1. Richmond 96 (6)
2. Massachusetts 93 (4)
3. Saint Joseph's 77
4. George Mason 68
5. Duquesne 62
6. Davidson 40
7. VCU 39
8. La Salle 34
9. George Washington 26
10. St. Bonaventure 15
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The Spiders collected received six of the 10 first-place votes, while second-place Massachusetts picked up the remaining 4 votes. Saint Joseph's was selected to finish third.
Richmond was also selected as the 2020 league favorites and built a 7-0 record before the season ended due to COVID-19. After defeating No. 6 Virginia 13-12 in overtime (Feb. 26), the Spiders jumped into all three national polls.
Already this preseason, the Spiders are garnering attention as over 90 percent of their offense, as well as all but one starting defender returns to the line-up. Richmond was ranked in all three national 2021 preseason polls, landing at No 10 in the Nike/US Lacrosse, No. 12 in the IL Women Media and No. 14 in the IWLCA Coaches polls.
The Richmond offense returns 2020 Tewaaraton Award Watch List honoree Sam Geiersbach (West Babylon, N.Y.) who paced the squad with 45 points with 22 goals and 23 assists. Attack Arden Tierney (Port Washington, N.Y.), led the team with 60 draw controls and was second in the nation among goal-scoring freshmen with a team high 24 goals. Transfer Nicole Concannon (Syosset, N.Y.) made an immediate impact with 15 goals and seven assists.
The Spiders' midfielder corps sees the return of Madison Ostrick (Medford, N.Y.), Sophia DiCenso (Foxboro, Mass.), Lindsey Frank (Ganesvoort, N.Y.) and Marina Miller (Wexford, P.A.). Frank paced the group with 26 draw controls, 14 assists and 10 goals while fellow sophomore DiCenso chipped in 16 draw controls, 13 ground balls and seven goals. Ostrick tallied 13 points with 10 goals and three assists and Miller tallied 11 goals and five assists with nine ground balls.
Richmond's defense is again led by goalkeeper Megan Gianforte (Brielle, N.J.), 2020 Preseason All-Atlantic 10 honoree Brittney Wright (Moorestown, N.J.) and junior Caroline Atkinson (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y). Gianforte held opponents to a goal against average of 7.57, the sixth-best in the country. Gianforte finished fourth in the nation with a 7.69 goals-against average, corralled 45 saves while causing seven turnovers and picked up a team-leading 24 ground balls. Wright tallied nine ground balls while Atkinson picked up two.
Preseason Poll - Total Points (First Place Votes)
1. Richmond 96 (6)
2. Massachusetts 93 (4)
3. Saint Joseph's 77
4. George Mason 68
5. Duquesne 62
6. Davidson 40
7. VCU 39
8. La Salle 34
9. George Washington 26
10. St. Bonaventure 15
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