Jan. 26, 2005

BALTIMORE - George Mason University's women's lacrosse team is ranked 16th in Lacrosse Magazine's annual preseason NCAA Division I rankings, released in the January/February issue of the magazine.

Lacrosse Magazine is an official publication of US Lacrosse, which is the national governing body of the sport.

The Patriots will play nine teams ranked in the preseason poll, including defending champion and No. 1 Virginia at George Mason Stadium. Overall, there are six teams on Mason's 2005 schedule that are ranked in the preseason top 10.

George Mason enters the 2005 season with 9 starters and 17 letterwinners returning from a team that finished 7-10 overall last season and advanced to the CAA Tournament for the 11th straight year with a 4-3 mark. The Patriots finished the season ranked 19th in the final Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and InsideLacrosse.com polls.

Lacrosse Magazine 2005 Preseason Division I Women's College Rankings
(underlined teams will face the Patriots in 2005)
1. Virginia
2. Princeton
3. Northwestern
4. Duke
5. Maryland
6. Johns Hopkins
7. North Carolina
8. James Madison
9. Georgetown
10. Loyola
11. Dartmouth
12. Notre Dame
13. Syracuse
14. Vanderbilt
15. Towson
16. George Mason
17. William and Mary
18. Yale
19. Penn State
20. Boston University