Barnes and Thomas Named Preseason All-Americans

Two Georgetown University women's lacrosse players have been named to the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Division I All-American list which came out on Wednesday. Senior Kelly Barnes (St. Davids, Pa./Radnor) and junior Sophia Thomas (Lutherville, Md./Maryvale Prep) were both named to the third team and two of 36 student-athletes selected throughout the nation.
Barnes is a defender and a returning captain after leading the squad last season. She earned her second-consecutive spot on the All-BIG EAST team with a nod to the Second Team at the conference banquet in 2011. The defender started all 17 games and ranked third in ground balls with 27 as well as third in caused turnovers with 17. Barnes also had one goal to her credit this past season.
Thomas was a Third Team All-America honoree a season ago. She was a Second Team All-South Region selection after a breakout season. Earlier this year, she was honored with the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year award and a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team marking milestones in her young career. The sophomore led the team in goals with 37 and also has eight assists to her credit for 45 points. The midfielder had the most ground balls (42) and caused turnovers (33) on the squad, as well as ranking third in draw controls with 24. She was on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll three times this season.
Thomas was one of 11 players in program history to be named an All-American as a sophomore.
Georgetown finished the season with a record of 9-8 after winning the BIG EAST Regular Season Championship for the fourth-consecutive year.
This year, the team will face seven teams that finished 2011 ranked in the top 20 nationally as well as six NCAA Tournament qualifiers.


Georgetown will start off 2012 hosting the University of Delaware Blue Hens at Multi-Sport Field on Feb. 29. Delaware is new to the Hoyas' schedule this season and finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Conference a year ago.

2012 Face-Off Yearbook: Preseason Division I Women's All-Americans

Who are the 2012 Preseason Division 1 All- Americans?

Tamasitis Named Third Team All-American

Just two months before the beginning of the 2012 season, the honors have started to roll in for the Notre Dame women's lacrosse team, as the Irish rank 17^th in InsideLacrosse.com's preseason national poll, while senior attacker Maggie Tamasitis received third-team preaseason All-America honors from the publication.

The Irish, who ended the 2011 season with a 10-9 record and runner-up finish in the BIG EAST Tournament, are among a group of four conference teams ranked. Loyola (Md.), the defending BIG EAST Champion, opens the year 11^th, while Georgetown is 12^th and Syracuse 14^th.

"It's nice to get recognition as a program due to past success, but we are more interested in working hard as a team and developing throughout this season," said first year head coach Christine Halfpenny.

Tamasitis enters her senior campaign with 92 career assists, which places her just 14 from tying the school record of 106 set by former Irish standout Gina Scioscia ('10). The Boyertown, Pa., native also is 54 points away from becoming just the fifth Irish player to break the 200-point threshold.

She was just one of 36 players from around the country recognized on the All-American teams, and one of just 12 attackers.

"We are glad Maggie was recognized after she had a breakout junior year," said Halfpenny. "We are excited to see how she develops this year in her last season with the program."

Last year Tamasitis was named first team all-BIG EAST, first team Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association (IWLCA) West/Midwest all-Region and third team All-American by the IWLCA. She became the 14^th Irish player to be recognized on the postseason IWLCA All-American squad.  

Notre Dame, who will release their 2012 schedule on Friday, open the campaign with an exhibition game against Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Md., on Feb. 11.

Buckeyes Picked No. 16, Markwordt Earns Preseason Honor

The Ohio State women's lacrosse team was selected No. 16 in the preseason Top 20, released this week in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook. The placement matches the Buckeyes' final poll position in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll following the 2011 season after they went 10-7 under first-year head coach Alexis Venechanos.
Also recognized in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook was senior attacker Alayna Markwordt, who was selected a Third Team Preseason All-American. The Woodbine, Md., native earned IWLCA Second Team All-America honors in 2011 after leading Ohio State in goals (52), assists (27) and points (79) and finishing the year in the NCAA Top 10 in total and per game points and in the Top 20 in both categories of goals and assists. Markwordt holds the No. 2 position in all-time scoring at Ohio State with 224 career points as just a junior and also is third in the record books in goals (140) and assists (84). She has tallied at least one goal or assist in 48-consecutive games, dating back to March 1, 2009, and the fourth game of her freshman season.
Markwordt was an integral part of leading the Buckeyes to a 10-7 record last season and a 2-3 mark in the ALC as they advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament with the program's first ALC postseason victory.

Four Terps Named IL Preseason All-Americans

Maryland led the way with four first-team honorees on the 2012 Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America list announced Wednesday.
Seniors Brittany Dipper and Karri Ellen Johnson and juniors Iliana Sanza and Katie Schwarzmann were tabbed to the first team.
Dipper was the IWLCA, Synapse Sports, and WomensLax.com National Goalie of the Year last season. The Clarksboro, N.J., native was also an IWLCA First Team All-American and was tabbed to the ACC Championship All-Tournament Team for the third straight season.
Johnson missed the majority of last year's ACC championship campaign but is poised for a mighty return in 2012. The senior was named Lacrosse Magazine's National Preseason Player of the Year in 2011 and is a two-time IWLCA First Team All-American.
Sanza is set to take over as the anchor of a historically-tough Maryland defense. An IWLCA Second Team All-American in 2011, Sanza registered 31 ground balls, 12 draw controls and 23 caused turnovers for the nation's top ranked defense.
Schwarzmann garnered a slew of awards in 2011 including IWLCA, Synapse Sport and WomensLax.com National Midfielder of the Year. The Sykesville, Md., product was also a finalist for the Honda Award and Tewaaraton Trophy.
Maryland also ranked second in the publication's preseason poll, following 2011 national champion Northwestern. Maryland recorded the highest number of first-team members while Northwestern garnered a nation-best five players to the three-team list.