Jan. 30, 2014

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Senior Marlee Paton was named the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and the Loyola University Maryland women's lacrosse team was picked to win the Patriot League, as announced by the League office Thursday. In addition, four other Greyhounds - juniors Hannah Schmitt, Annie Thomas, Taryn VanThof and sophomore Maddy Lesher - were all named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team.

Loyola led all conference schools with five selections to the 12-member preseason team, while defending champion Navy and Lafayette had two honorees each. American, Colgate and Holy Cross also had one member voted to the preseason team, while Navy's Annie Foky was voted the league's preseason defensive player of the year.

The Greyhounds topped the preseason poll with 127 points, garnering 15 of the 16 possible first-place votes. Navy checked in second with 113 points and three first-place votes, while fellow-newcomer Boston University was third with 94 points. Holy Cross narrowly edged American out of fourth place, 76-72, while Lafayette was sixth (61 points), Colgate was seventh (47), Lehigh was eighth (38) and Bucknell was ninth (20).

Loyola, BIG EAST Champions in two of the last three seasons, is coming off its third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. All five of the Greyhounds selected to the preseason team were All-BIG EAST honorees a year ago, as Paton and VanThof earned first-team accolades and Lesher, Schmitt and Thomas were included on the second team. Paton is one of five seniors on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, while Lesher is the lone sophomore.

The Patriot League Preseason Poll and all-League team were determined by a vote of the league's 18 women's lacrosse head coaches and sports information directors, who were not permitted to vote for their own team or student-athletes.