CMS Women's Lacrosse Picked to Repeat as SCIAC Champions

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's lacrosse team was picked to win its fourth straight SCIAC Championship in a vote of the conference's coaches, the league office announced today.

The Athenas earned 48 points in the poll, including six of seven first-place votes. Pomona-Pitzer was second with 43 points and the seventh first-place vote, while Chapman (33) and Occidental (29) were also picked to finish in the top four and make the conference tournament. Redlands (22), Whittier (14), and Cal Lutheran (7), which is in its first year sponsoring women's lacrosse, rounded out the poll. 

It is no surprise that CMS is the odds-on favorite to win the SCIAC this season, as nobody on the current roster has ever suffered a defeat to a conference team. The Athenas have won their last 36 games against SCIAC opponents, including three straight 10-0 regular seasons and three straight SCIAC Tournament titles. The last loss CMS has suffered in SCIAC play came in the 2016 SCIAC Semifinals to Chapman, while the current seniors on this year's squad were still in high school. 

CMS has also earned respect nationally, as it was ranked in the top 25 in both preseason polls. Inside Lacrosse ranked the Athenas No. 16 in the nation while the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association picked CMS No. 25.  The Athenas were also ranked most of last season, before eventually falling to No. 11 Amherst in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. 

CMS gets iys 2020 season started in two weeks when it travels to Chapman for a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Athenas will have their first home contest when they welcome Occidental to Zinda Field on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 1 p.m.