ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – With their first game just 36 days away, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s lacrosse team and senior defender Stephanie Heffron (Bowie, Md./St. John’s College [D.C.]) are collecting preseason recognition from USA Lacrosse Magazine.
St. Mary’s College, who is under new management this season as Brittney Morris was named as the 14th head coach of the Seahawks women’s lacrosse team on December 1, received votes in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Magazine Division III Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Rankings
Additionally, Heffron was named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine Division III Women’s Lacrosse Preseason All-America Second Team on December 6.
Morris inherited a Seahawks women’s lacrosse team which posted a 7-5 (2-3 C2C) overall record, including a pair of Top 25 victories over No. 25 Shenandoah University, 9-8, and No. 21 Christopher Newport University, 11-8. St. Mary’s College advanced to the semifinals of the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C)Women’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament.
Morris and the Seahawks are scheduled to clash with five of the top-20 teams in the preseason poll during the 2022 season. St. Mary’s College will scrimmage at No. 8 Washington & Lee University on Feb. 12 before its season-opener at No. 13 The Catholic University of America on Feb. 23. The Seahawks will then face No. 9 Messiah College on Mar. 10 followed by No. 20 Christopher Newport University on Apr. 5 and No. 1 Salisbury University on Apr. 27.
The Seahawks were ranked as high as No. 20 during the 2021 campaign.
Last season, Heffron earned Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III All-America Third Team honors as well as being named a First Team IWLCA All-Chesapeake Region and First Team All-C2C selection. The 5-6 defender paced the C2C with 3.58 ground balls per game while ranking fourth with 4.42 draw controls per game. She led St. Mary’s College with 53 draw controls and 43 ground balls while coming in second with 18 caused turnovers.
The Seahawks’ season opener is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23, at Catholic. The contest is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start in Washington, D.C.
To read the complete Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Preseason Poll, click here.
To read the complete USA Lacrosse Division III Preseason All-America list, click here.