MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University is ranked fourth among six women’s lacrosse teams in the GLIAC Preseason Poll announced Wednesday.

Though the Wildcats have already played one match, a 23-2 loss to NCAA Division II No. 2 Lindenwood on Saturday, the poll is just being announced this week.

This is the fifth season, including last year’s shortened campaign, for the NMU program with a team that includes 16 returnees and five new freshmen. Six of the returners are also listed as freshmen due to the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic that cut off all but the first five matches of the 2020 season.

Last year’s Wildcats showed promise with a 2-3 start before the season ended early under new head coach Lindsey LeMay. The team’s best full-season mark was in 2019 with a 4-12 record.

This year’s team includes players from seven states, including 11 from Michigan, three from Minnesota, two each from Wisconsin and Colorado and one apiece from Illinois, Maryland and Virginia.

The team has its next four matches on the road, including two next week — at Quincy, Illinois, at 2 p.m. EST Sunday and at Maryville, Missouri, at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The Wildcats open their conference season at Upper Iowa on March 19 and 21, then return home to faces Concordia-St. Paul on March 26 and 28.

In the GLIAC Preseason Poll, Grand Valley State was a unanimous choice to win the league with five first-place votes and 25 points. Concordia-St. Paul was next with one first-place vote — coaches don’t vote for their own team — and 21 points.

Davenport was third with 17 points, NMU fourth with 12, Ashland fifth with nine and Upper Iowa sixth with five.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.