Gabriel is BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

NEW YORK – Senior Grace Gabriel is the BIG EAST Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and the Marquette University women's lacrosse team is picked third in the league's preseason coaches' poll, it was announced on Wednesday.

Gabriel, Jocelyn Miller and Cate Soccodato all earned mention on the league's all-preseason team, with Gabriel garnering unanimous consent.

The projected finish of third is the highest preseason mark for the Golden Eagles since they joined the league for the 2014 campaign. It is the first time MU has had at least three preseason individual honorees.
Marquette qualified for its first BIG EAST semifinal appearance in 2018 and finished a program-best 10-8 overall and 6-3 in league play.

Gabriel set program records with 56 goals and 107 draw controls as a junior in 2018 on her way to recognition as the BIG EAST Co-Midfielder of the Year and an IWLCA Second Team All-American. Her 67 points last season tied her with Riley Hill for the most in program history.

The Lancaster, New York native is MU's all-time leader with 116 goals and 213 draw controls and sits fourth in career points with 134, just 35 behind Claire Costanza's program record (169). She was a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection in both 2017 and 2018 and was also a preseason all-league pick last season.

Soccodato finished third on the roster in points behind Gabriel and Hill with 57 on the strength of 18 goals and a team-high 39 assists. That assist mark is the highest single-season number in MU history and she sits fourth all-time at Marquette with 46 in her career. The Huntington, New York native was an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection as a junior after earning a pair of league Attacker of the Week honors.

Miller started all 18 games for the Golden Eagles as a true freshman in 2018 and recorded 34 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers. The Manorville, New York native picked up a pair of ground balls and caused two turnovers in last year's regular season finale against UConn to help Marquette secure its first BIG EAST tournament appearance.

2019 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Denver 25 (5)
2. Georgetown 21 (1)
3. Marquette 16
4. Villanova 14
5. Old Dominion 8
6. Butler 6

2019 BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Grace Gabriel, Marquette, Sr., M

2019 BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kennedy Milburn, Denver, Sr., D

2019 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Maddie Baum, Denver, Sr., D
Julia Feiss, Denver, Sr., A*
Quintin Hoch-Bullen, Denver, So., A*
Molly Little, Denver, Jr., M
Kennedy Milburn, Denver, Sr., D*
Haelle Chomo, Georgetown, Sr., GK
Taylor Gebhardt, Georgetown, Sr., A*
Natalia Lynch, Georgetown, Jr., M*
Mollie Miller, Georgetown, So., D
Francesca Whitehurst, Georgetown, Sr., M*
Grace Gabriel, Marquette, Sr., M*
Jocelyn Miller, Marquette, So., D
Cate Soccodato, Marquette, Sr., A
Devin Hassinger, Villanova, R-Sr., M
Katie Comerford, Villanova, Jr., A*
*unanimous selection

Marquette's BIG EAST Preseason Projections (actual finish)
2019: Third
2018: T-Sixth (T-Third)
2017: Sixth (Sixth)
2016: Seventh (Fifth)
2015: Seventh (Seventh)
2014: T-Seventh (Seventh)

Marquette's BIG EAST All-Preseason Team Selections
2019 (3): Grace Gabriel, Jocelyn Miller, Cate Soccodato
2018 (1): Grace Gabriel
2017 (2): Allison Lane, Julianna Shearer
2016 (1): Elizabeth Goslee
2015 (1): Elizabeth Goslee (Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year)
2014 (0): None

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