By: Jonathan Glass | Director of Athletic Communications
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Coming off the best finish in program history the Sunshine State Conference women's lacrosse coaches have selected the Saint Leo University women's lacrosse team to repeat with a third place finish in 2025. The SSC coaches voted for the defending National Champion Tampa Spartans as the league's top squad entering the new season. Saint Leo garnered 31 votes for third place.
Last year's regular-season champs, Florida Southern, landed in second place with 43 points and the remaining first-place vote. Saint Leo took third place with 31 points, while Rollins (27 points) edged out Lynn (26 points) for fourth place. Embry-Riddle (23 points), Florida Tech (18 points), and Palm Beach Atlantic (7 points) rank 6-7-8 in this year's poll.
Saint Leo's 2025 season begins on Friday, February 7 as the Lions travel to North Carolina for a contest at Belmont Abbey. The Lions open SSC play on March 22 at Florida Tech.
Saint Leo's 2025 roster features an experienced core, including three of its top four scorers from 2024:
Jana Nuss,
Sophia Wood, and
Ava Valenti. The Lions will also have standout draw specialists
Maria Palomba, Brianna Bellando, and
Emma Hayhurst back in action. Both goalkeepers,
Jessica Harclerode and
Makayla Goetz, return to anchor the defense.
Adding to the team's leadership is graduate assistant coach
Fiona McLaughlin, a former Lion who led the 2024 team in goals and ranked second in points.
With a strong roster and a competitive schedule, the Lions are set to make another push for SSC and national success in 2025.
Below are the full results of the 2025 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches may not vote for their teams (points: 7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).
| 2025 SSC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll |
| Rank |
School (FPV) |
Total Points |
| 1 |
Tampa (7) |
49 |
| 2 |
Florida Southern (1) |
43 |
| 3 |
Saint Leo |
31 |
| 4 |
Rollins |
27 |
| 5 |
Lynn |
26 |
| 6 |
Embry-Riddle |
23 |
| 7 |
Florida Tech |
18 |
| 8 |
Palm Beach Atlantic |
7 |
SSC Women's Lacrosse History: National Champions |
Conference Champions | All-SSC Teams | All-Americans | Record Book
