GRANVILLE, Ohio – Denison women's lacrosse enters the 2021 season ranked No. 17 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Preseason Top-20 poll. On February 1, the Big Red also earned a top-20 preseason ranking from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) when they were ranked 20th in the country to begin the upcoming spring season.
Following a five-game shortened season in 2020, the Big Red look to build off six-straight North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championships from 2014-19 while rebounding from the loss of a six-member senior class, including All-American
Kiely Noonan.
Denison returns it's top-two leading scorers for the 2021 season in senior
Liza Farnham and junior
Casey McTague. Farnham led the Big Red in 2020 with 14 goals and 16 points while collecting six ground balls and three draw controls. McTague followed with 10 goals and 12 points and ranked top-three on the team in ground balls (16), caused turnovers (9), and draw controls (10).
On defense, the Big Red are led by a pair of seniors in
Charlotte Godfrey and
Megan Cunningham. Godfrey, who was most recently named a 2021 US Lacrosse Magazine Division III Preseason All-American, finished the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season as the team leader in draw controls (21), ground balls (19), and tied at the top with nine caused turnovers. Cunningham, who has appeared in all 46 games during her time at Denison, enters her senior season with 37 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers throughout her career, including a career-best 19 GB's and 14 CT's in 2019.
Denison will also look to get a full season of work in goal for junior
Maeve Caldwell after being named the team's starting goalie for the 2020 season. In five starts as a sophomore, Caldwell made a career-high 54 saves in 270 minutes of action while posting a save percentage of .505.
Entering her eighth season at the helm of DU, head coach
Amanda Daniels currently boasts a record of 87-33, with her 87 wins ranked as the most in program history. She has also led the Big Red to four-straight NCAC regular season championships, six-consecutive conference tournament crowns, and six-straight trips to the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament.
A schedule for the upcoming 2021 season has not been announced. Details on the upcoming season is forthcoming.
