BALTIMORE, Md. – The Stony Brook women's lacrosse team enters the historic 2023 campaign as the fourth-best team in the nation, according to the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women's Preseason Top 20.
 
The 2022 national champions, North Carolina, enters the 2023 season with the No. 1 ranking while No. 2 Maryland and No. 3 Boston College round out the top four.
 
Three returning Seawolves were named to the Inside Lacrosse Top 50 Women's Players for 2023 this past November. The 2022 America East Midfielder of the Year and IWLCA First Team All-American Ellie Masera was the highest Seawolf on the list, as the junior was selected sixth overall. Senior Kailyn Hart and junior Clare Levy also joined Masera on the list, with Hart coming in at 32^nd and Levy being recognized at 37^th overall, respectively.
 
The fourth-place ranking is the highest preseason ranking Stony Brook has received by any publication since being named the No. 2 seed in the 2018 preseason polls by Inside Lacrosse and IWLCA.
 
After defeating Drexel University and Rutgers University in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, the squad battled the Tarheels of North Carolina in the quarterfinals and led by one at halftime, but ultimately fell to the eventual national champion, 8-5. Head coach Joe Spallina has led Stony Brook to four NCAA Quarterfinals in the last five seasons and has the Seawolves looking for their first CAA championship when the 2023 season gets underway.
 
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