Adelphi bested Florida Southern in the national title game in 2017, avenging the previous year’s upset. On the field were Emily Santoli and Michele Scannell, two standouts that return for another season in 2018.
Also back in the world of women’s Division II is the two-time goalkeeper of the year and a junior phenom at Queens (N.C.). With so many returners in Division II women's lacrosse, there were many candidates for the Warrior Division II Women’s Preseason Player of the Year..
Narrowing it down to four, US Lacrosse Magazine has named Olivia Kirk (LIU Post), Emily Santoli (Florida Southern), Michele Scannell (Adelphi) and Hanna Scott (Queens) as finalists for Warrior Division II Women’s Preseason Player of the Year.
We've named the four finalists for @warriorlax Division II Women's Preseason Player of the Year. Vote ☑️ ⬇️ and read more ➡️ https://t.co/HHQI0PnzQ8
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) January 5, 2018
CC: @LIUPWLax, @FSC_WLAX, @Adelphi_WLAX, @queenswlax
The magazine’s staff will select a winner to be published in its February NCAA preview edition. Fans are encouraged to vote on Twitter, but the results will not determine the preseason player of the year.
More on the finalists for Warrior Division II Women’s Preseason Player of the Year:
Olivia Kirk
LIU Post
The national goalkeeper of the year in 2016 and 2017, Kirk compiled a 6.42 goals-against average and a Division II-leading .543 save percentage last season. She has never allowed more than 11 goals in a game, and anchored the nation’s No. 3 ranked scoring defense in 2017. She is the two-time winner of the East Coast Conference’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Emily Santoli
Florida Southern
Santoli was last year’s national midfielder of the year after helping to lead the Moccasins back to the national championship game for the second straight season. She registered 44 goals and 21 assists on the year while adding 39 ground balls, 48 draw controls and 27 caused turnovers. Santoli was also selected as the Sunshine State Conference’s Player of the Year.
Michele Scannell
Adelphi
With key losses to graduation, Scannell is poised play a leading role for the defending champions in 2018 after earning back-to-back second team All-America honors. Coming off a season in which she scored 36 goals with 57 draw controls and 19 ground balls, she is likely to build on all of those numbers.
Hanna Scott
Queens (N.C.)
With 78 goals over her first two seasons, Scott has proven herself as a prolific scorer. The third team All-American helped lead the Royals to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 with a 77-point season, including five games with six points. Queens has a cumulative record of 35-7 over her first two seasons and will be a contender for the postseason once again.