CALDWELL, N.J.- The Caldwell University Women's Lacrosse Team opens their 2017 season this week and looks to build on last season's success under second year Head Coach Casey Petrusic. Caldwell will play fifteen regular season games and nine Central Atlantic Collegiate conference matches. The Cougars travel to Queens College on Wednesday, March 8 to take on the Knights in their season opener at 3 pm.
 
Caldwell was picked to finish in fifth place this season in the CACC Preseason Coach Poll. Philadelphia University was picked to repeat conference champions with 94 points and five first place votes. Chestnut Hill College was picked to take second place with 89 points and four first place votes. Georgian Court University (77 points) and Holy Family (67- one first place vote) round out the top-four. The Cougars earned 62 points to take fifth place.
 
The Cougars look to return to the CACC Tournament after reaching the postseason for the first time in program history in 2016. Caldwell set a program record with five wins last season and finished in fifth place in the CACC with a 5-4 conference record. The Cougars fell in the opening round of the CACC Championship to #4 seed Holy Family University.
 
Caldwell looks to build on last season's accomplishments as they return a pair of all-conference selections. Sophomore Rachel Lucia (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) earned the program's first major award winner as she was the 2016 CACC Rookie of the Year. She was third on the team with 23 points and 19 goals. Lucia led the team with 42 groundballs and was second om the team with 30 draw controls.
 
Senior Amanda Timmes (Pine Beach, N.J.) was the first all-conference selection last season as she earned CACC Second Team Defense honors. She was a second on the team with 17 caused turnovers and was fifth on the team with 22 groundballs. Timmes added 10 draw controls along with four points on three goals and one assist. Junior Pamela Schenck (East Moriches, N.Y.) is also back for the Cougars after she led the team in points with 33 and was second in goals with 23. She topped the Cougars with 44 draw controls and three game-winning goals. Schenck finished the season second in groundballs with 30.
 
The Cougars start out their season with four away games starting on March 8, as they travel to Queens in their season opener at 3 pm. Caldwell travels to Molloy College on Sunday, March 9 at 12 pm and then Mercy College at 3 pm on Wednesday, March 15. On Saturday, March 18, the Cougars open CACC play and travel to Chestnut Hill College on Saturday, March 18 at 3 pm.
 
The Cougars home opener will take place on Tuesday, March 21 at 4 pm facing off against Georgian Court University. Caldwell plays a total of six home games, four in conference play. The CACC home contests include Wilmington University on March 29, Dominican College on April 4 and Holy Family on April 19. The remaining two home games are non-conference and include University of District of Columbia on March 23 and St. Thomas Aquinas on April 20. The Cougars will play their home games this season at Essex Valley School Athletic Complex in West Caldwell and all home games start at 4 pm.
 
2017 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Philadelphia University 94 (5)
2. Chestnut Hill College 89 (4)
3. Georgian Court University 77
4. Holy Family University 67 (1)
5. Caldwell University 62
6. Wilmington University 51
7. Dominican College 40
8. Nyack College 33
9. Post University 25
10. Felician University 12
() - First-Place Votes