Ewing, NJ – The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team will have to wait just under a month before they play their first game, but the Lions will enter that game ranked among the nation's elite. TCNJ is ranked second in both the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association and Lacrosse Magazine preseason polls.
 
The Lions open the 2012 season on March 3 heading to FDU-Florham to take on the Devils. TCNJ plays four straight road games to start the season, before playing Kean University on March 13 in its home opener.
 
Defending champion Gettysburg College is ranked ahead of the Lions in both polls. The Bullets are one of five ranked programs TCNJ will face this spring with Gettysburg visiting Lions' Stadium on Friday, March 30 for a 6 p.m. start. The Lions will also host fifth-ranked Franklin & Marshall College (April 6) and sixth-ranked Salisbury University (April 13), while facing to more ranked foes on the road. The Lions are at third-ranked SUNY Cortland on March 17 and at 12^th-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology on April 24.
 
This year's team will led by senior Leigh Mitchell (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape), who was honored last spring as the IWLCA Midfielder of the Year. She was also an IWLCA First Team All-American. Mitchell set a single-season record with 123 points, which included a program mark 68 assists. She is already the program leader in career assists with 138.  Mitchell enters the 2012 season only four points shy of becoming the second player in program history to record 300 career points.
 
TCJN also returns senior midfielder Kathleen Notos (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic), who was a second team All-American last season. She led the Lions in goals with 74 and was one of only eight players in program history to record at least 70 goals in a season and her total is tied for fifth best. The midfielder added nine assists for a career-high 83 points and also topped TCNJ with 83 draw controls, 43 ground balls, and 25 caused turnovers.
 
Another key returner for the Lions is 2011 New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year Lauren Pigott (Jobstown, NJ/Northern Burlington). Pigott was a valuable player at both ends of the field scoring 22 goals and 36 points, while securing 50 draw controls and collecting 35 ground balls.
 
On defense, junior Becky Gilman (West Allenhurst, NJ/Ocean Township) returns after starting all 21 games a season ago.
 
The Lions finished the 2011 campaign with a record of 20-1 and advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals.