BOSTON – The America East Conference unveiled its preseason coaches' poll today ahead of the 2024 season. The Catamounts collected 20 points and were picked to finish fifth in the poll. Sophia Drees and Sophia Lefranc were also selected to the preseason all-conference team.
 
RELATED LINKS
America East Release
2024 Schedule
2024 Roster
 
Voting was conducted by the league's head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes. UAlbany was voted the favorite with 34 points and four first-place votes. Reigning regular season champion UMass Lowell was selected second overall with 29 points and two first-place votes. New Hampshire was selected third overall, with 24 points, followed by Maine slated for fourth with 23 points and the remaining first-place vote.
 
Drees receives preseason all-conference honors after posting a career high six goals along with six assists. The Bremen native was named to the America East all-conference second team a year ago as well. She comes into 2024 sitting four assists away from setting the Vermont program record for assists.

Lefranc earns preseason all-conference honors following a 2023 in which she set career highs for goals (10) and assists (5) for 25 points which is the 11^th most in program history in a single season. The Munich native was named to the America East all-conference second team as well as the NFHCA all-Northeast Region second team as well.
 
Preseason Poll
Pl.       School                         Pts. (1^st)
1.         UAlbany                     34 (4)
2.         UMass Lowell            29 (2)
3.         New Hampshire          24
4.         Maine                          23 (1)
5.         Vermont                      20
6.         Bryant                         11
7.         UC Davis                    6
 
Preseason All-Conference
M Tamera Cookman (New Hampshire)
F Tasmin Cookman (New Hampshire)
B Alissia DeVries (UMass Lowell)
M Floor de Ruiter (UAlbany)
M Sophia Drees (Vermont)
B Poppy Lambert (Maine)
M Sophia Lefranc (Vermont)
F Madison Leeper (UMass Lowell)
F Nicole Poulakis (New Hampshire)
M Alison Smisdom (UAlbany)
GK Lara Behn (UAlbany)
 
The Catamounts will open the 2024 campaign traveling to face Lafayette on Saturday, August 30 at 6 p.m. Vermont's home opener will be September 15 at 12 p.m. as they face Wagner.