SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – The University of New Haven women’s lacrosse team has been picked to finish fifth in the Northeast-10 Conference as voted by the conference’s 13 head coaches. The 2012 preseason poll was released Thursday by the conference office.

The Chargers are coming off a 10-8 season in 2011 when they posted a fifth place finish in the NE-10 with an 8-4 record. In 2011, New Haven made its fourth-straight postseason appearance, but fell to Merrimack College in the opening round of the NE-10 tournament.

This season UNH returns 14 athletes, including their top scorer from last year’s team, Alexis Gabbe (Malverne, N.Y./Malverne). The junior recorded 88 total points (74g, 14a) last season. Also returning in 2011 will be one of the team’s top scorers from 2011, Sarah Magnone (Yardley, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) who scored 52 total points (46g, 6a) last season.

New Haven opens its 2012 campaign on Thursday, March 8 when they travel to Molloy College in a non-conference matchup.

2012 Northeast-10 Conference Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll

t-1. Adelphi (7) – 137

t-1. Le Moyne (5) – 137

3. Stonehill – 119

4. Merrimack – 111

5. New Haven – 95

6. Bentley – 84

7. So. New Hampshire – 78

8. Saint Anselm – 62

9. Assumption – 56

10. Franklin Pierce – 45

11. American Int’l – 39

12. Saint Michael’s – 31

13. So. Connecticut – 20

( ) – Indicates number of first-place votes