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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Florida was selected as the unanimous team favorite and four Gators were named preseason major award-winners as the inaugural American Athletic Conference women’s lacrosse Preseason Poll and All-Conference Team were announced on Thursday.
The 2018 Big East Champions and 2018 NCAA Championship quarterfinalist, the Gators earned every possible first-place vote in the coaches’ poll to total 25 points. A quartet of Florida IWLCA All-Americans from last season were tabbed as preseason awardees, including seniors Haley Hicklen, Lindsey Ronbeck and Sydney Pirreca and junior Cara Trombetta.
The Gators were followed in the poll by fellow affiliate member Vanderbilt, which totaled 18 points and the remaining first-place vote. UConn and Temple were close behind in the third and fourth spots, finishing with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Cincinnati (nine points) and ECU (five points) rounded out the results. Florida led the league with seven selections to the Preseason All-Conference Team, with every other team placing at least one on the list.
Ronbeck was selected as Preseason Attacker of the Year after leading Florida in scoring in her junior season. She amassed 65 goals and 16 assists for 81 points, ranking 12th nationally with 3.61 goals per game, and was a Top 25 nominee for the Tewaaraton Award. Following the Gators’ run to the Big East title, Ronbeck was named the Tournament MVP after totaling 16 points in two games including setting the record for most goals in a tournament game with eight against Marquette.
Trombetta earned Preseason Defender of the Year accolades after starting every game as a sophomore. She set the Gators’ program record with 43 caused turnovers in 2018 and owns a total of 70 in just two seasons. In the Big East Tournament championship last season, Trombetta rose to the occasion, setting the Florida single-game record with six caused turnovers against Denver.
Pirreca enters 2019 as the Preseason Midfielder of the Year selection. Last season, she was named the Big East Midfielder of the Year as a junior and finished with 53 goals, 15 assists, 26 ground balls and 49 draw controls. She ranked third on the Gator roster in goals and points, and set career highs in three categories against No. 1 Maryland with six goals, eight points and seven draw controls.
Hicklen was named the Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year after a record-breaking season in 2018. With 178 saves, she set the Florida single-season record and sits just 25 saves away from the program’s career record. Hicklen is a two-time Big East Goalkeeper of the Year and ranked 15th nationally last season with a .492 save percentage.
The first season of American Athletic Conference women’s lacrosse is set to begin Friday, Feb. 8, with the first conference matchups scheduled for the weekend of March 30. The 2019 Women’s Lacrosse Championship, featuring the top four teams in the regular season standings, will be held May 2 and 4 at the Sheakley Athletics Center on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.
2019 American Athletic Conference
Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
| Team (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Florida (5) |
25 |
| 2. Vanderbilt (1) |
18 |
| 3. UConn |
17 |
| 4. Temple |
16 |
| 5. Cincinnati |
9 |
| 6. ECU |
5 |
Preseason Attacker of the Year
Lindsey Ronbeck, Sr., Florida*
Preseason Defender of the Year
Cara Trombetta, Jr., Florida*
Preseason Midfielder of the Year
Sydney Pirreca, Sr., Florida*
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Haley Hicklen, Sr., Florida*
Preseason All-Conference Team
Monica Borzillo, Jr., A, Cincinnati*
Amanda Donovan, Sr., M, Cincinnati
Sam Mlkvy, R-Jr., M, Cincinnati
Caitlin Leary, Sr., A, UConn
Olivia Miles, Jr., M, UConn
Sydney Watson, So., M, UConn*
Megan Pallozzi, So., M, ECU
Sabrina Cristodero, So., D, Florida
Grace Haus, So., A, Florida*
Haley Hicklen, Sr., GK, Florida*
Shannon Kavanagh, So., M, Florida*
Sydney Pirreca, Sr., M, Florida*
Lindsey Ronbeck, Sr., A, Florida*
Cara Trombetta, Jr., D, Florida*
Maddie Gebert, Jr., M, Temple*
Amber Lambeth, Sr., M, Temple
Kara Nakrasius, Jr., D, Temple*
Melanie Becker, Sr., M, Vanderbilt
Julie Blaze, Sr., M, Vanderbilt*
Emily Mathewson, Jr., A, Vanderbilt*
*denotes unanimous selection