WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 8, 2018) – With their 2018 season on the horizon, the Rollins women’s lacrosse team has set their sights on a challenging slate ahead.  Entering into their 11^th season of action, the Tars will take on both long standing rivals, as well as a handful of new teams, with the hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament. The Tars are set to square up against 17 different opponents throughout the regular season, with eight home, seven away, and two neutral site competitions set to take place throughout the season.     In total, five games will be against teams ranked on this year’s Nike/US Lacrosse DII Preseason Poll, with three opponents falling in the top five.  On the IWLCA DII Preseason Poll, six opponents appear in the Top-25 rankings, led by Adelphi and Florida Southern in first and second, Florida Tech at sixth, Queens in seventh, Limestone checking in at No. 13, and Lock Haven getting the nod at No. 23. Of the 17 regular season games on the docket, Tars will square up against one team from the Northeast 10 Conference, five teams from the South Atlantic Conference, two from the PSAC, two from the Gulf South Conference, one from the Conference Carolinas, and six hailing from the Sunshine State Conference.  With the new regional breakdown, the Tars will face one opponent from the new East Region (Adelphi), two from the new Atlantic Region (Seton Hill and Lock Haven), at 14 from the South Region. The Tars, who concluded their 2017 season ranked 14^th on the final IWLCA Division II Coaches Poll of the season, have advanced to the NCAA tournament four out of the last six seasons, and expectations to return to the tournament this season are high.  Rollins had earned back-to-back bids to the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2016, but found themselves edged out of the tournament in 2017 after compiling an overall record of 12-5. With plenty of tough competition on the slate in 2018, the Tars will be looking to once again earn an elusive and coveted nod to join the post-season crusade. Rollins opens its 2018 slate against Sunshine State Conference opponent Tampa on Saturday, February 10.  The Tars take on the Spartans on the road, matching up against UT in their season opener for the fifth straight season.  The Tars hold onto a 5-0 series record against the Spartans, with their last matchup resulting in a commanding 24-6 win over the Spartans in Winter Park on February 8, 2017. Following their season and conference opener, Rollins focuses on the latter half of the month, which will see them play four games in eight days.  The Tars kick off the run on Sunday, February 18, when they open their home slate against Lincoln Memorial.  The matchup in Winter Park will mark the first time the two teams have met on the field.  The Rail Splitters enter into their fourth season as a program, and are coming off of a 2017 season that saw them compile an overall record of 6-9 and 2-5 against South Atlantic Conference opponents. After their home opener, Rollins will face one of its toughest opponents of the season when they welcome top-ranked and reigning National Champion Adelphi to Cahall-Sandspur Field on Tuesday, February 20.  The showdown will mark the fifth time in program history the two teams have met in official competition, with Adelphi owning the series, 4-0.  Last time out against the Panthers, the Tars fell by a final score of 15-6 on February 22, 2015.  The Panthers wrapped up 2017 with a record of 21-1 overall, defeating Florida Southern in the National Championship game by a score of 6-4. Rollins closes out the month of February with two road game, kicking off on Friday, February 23 at Catawba, and wrapping up with a matchup on Sunday, February 25 at Wingate.  Rollins is 1-0 against Catawba, with their lone matchup happening on February 19, 2012 where Rollins won, 22-2.  The Indians finished 2017 with a record of 13-5, and earned a trip to the South Atlantic Conference Tournament First Round where they fell to Lenoir-Rhyne by a score of 14-10. The Tars will face Wingate for the second straight season, with their first matchup in program history resulting in the Tars earning a 9-3 victory over the Bulldogs on February 26, 2017.  Wingate wrapped up their fourth season of action with a record of 13-5 and 6-2 against South Atlantic teams.  The Bulldogs advanced to the SAC Tournament Championship, where they fell to the No. 8 Queens (N.C.) by a final score of 16-0. The month of March sees the Tars take on eight opponents, beginning with a Tuesday, March 6 matchup against Queens University of Charlotte.  The Tars hold onto the series lead, 6-3, with their last matchup resulting in the Tars falling to the Royals by a score of 6-3 on February 24, 2017.  Queens was picked as the preseason favorite to win it all in the South Atlantic Conference this season, and are ranked at No. 7 on the IWLCA Preseason standings.  The Royals won the 2017 SAC Tournament Championship last season, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals where they fell to Lindenwood by a score of 11-5. After their south region clash with the Royals, Rollins welcomes Seton Hill to Winter Park three days later on March 9.  The Tars and tied at 1-1 in the overall series, with Rollins owning the last matchup with a 9-7 win back on March 14, 2017.  The Griffins finished last season with a record of 10-8, and 7-5 against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opponents.  Seton Hill made an appearance in the PSAC Tournament, falling to Mercyhurst in the opening round of the tournament. The Tars stay within the PSAC when they welcome Lock Haven to Cahall-Sandspur Field on Monday, March 12.  The Bald Eagles checked in at No. 23 on the IWLCA Preseason Poll, coming off of a 2017 season that saw the finish with a record of 9-8 and 6-6 in PSAC competition.  Both teams are tied at two wins and two losses on the all-time series, with the Tars falling by a final score of 12-3 in their last matchup on May 9, 2015 where Rollins and Lock Haven matched up in the NCAA Tournament. Rollins then squares up in two straight games against Gulf South opponents, beginning with a matchup against Young Harris on March 15 in Cumming, Georgia.  The Tars and Mountain Lions have squared off one other time in program history, resulting in Rollins defeating YHC by a score of 16-5 on March 4, 2016.  The Mountain Lions wrapped up their fifth season in 2017 as the Gulf South Invitational Champions, winning their second straight title and finishing the year with a record of 12-7 and 7-1 against GSC opponents. Following their game against Young Harris, the Tars square up against GSC Invitational Runners-Up Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday, March 17 at North Forsyth High School in Cumming, Ga.  Entering into their third season, the Chargers were chosen as the GSC Preseason favorites after wrapping up 2017 with a record of 14-5 and 7-1 in the GSC. The Tars then set their sights on a big South Region rivalry when they travel to take on Limestone, who sits at No. 13 on the IWLCA Preseason Poll.  The Saints and Tars have matched up 10 times over the years, with Limestone holding onto the series edge over Rollins, 6-4.  Last time out, the Tars picked up a 13-9 victory over the Saints on March 9, 2017.  The Saints finished with a record of 17-3 in 2017, and were unbeaten against Conference Carolinas opponents, 10-0.  The 2017 CC Tournament Champions earned their title by defeating Mount Olive by a score of 16-5 in the championship game on April 30, 2017, but were not able to earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament. Two more games away in the Tars in March, beginning with a Sunday, March 25 matchup at Lenoir-Rhyne.  The Bears were selected to finish second on this year’s South Atlantic Conference preseason standings after a 2017 season that saw them compile a record of 11-8 and 5-3 against SAC opponents.  Lenoir-Rhyne advanced to the SAC Tournament Championship Semifinals last season, where they were bounced out by Queens by a score of 18-8. Rollins concludes the month of March returning home after a four game road stretch, welcoming first year program Palm Beach Atlantic to Winter Park on Saturday, March 31.  The Sailfish were selected to finish seventh on this year’s Sunshine Stat Conference preseason poll, as well as on the Nike/US Lacrosse Preseason Top-20. The Tars enter into April squaring up against 2017 NCAA DII Runners Up, Florida Southern on Wednesday, April 4.  The Mocs, who were selected to finish first on the SSC Preseason Poll, finished 2017 as the SSC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, finishing with a record of 21-3 and a perfect 4-0 against SSC opponents.  The 2016 National Champions faced off against Adelphi in the 2017 Tournament Championship game, where they fell to the Panthers by a score of 6-4.  Florida Southern has been selected as the No. 2 team on the IWLCA Preseason Poll.  The Tars and Mocs have faced off nine times since 2012, with the Tars trailing the series record 5-4, and Florida Southern winning the last four matchups. After their matchup against the Mocs, Rollins travels to Florida Tech, who checked in at No. 6 on the IWLCA Preseason Poll.  The Panthers were selected to finish second by SSC coaches on this season’s preseason conference poll after a 2017 season that saw them advance to the SSC Tournament Championship game, as well as earn an NCAA Tournament berth.  Florida Tech defeated East Stroudsburg by a final score of 17-10 in the NCAA Tournament First Round, and progressed to the Quarterfinal round where they fell to Florida Southern by a final score of 16-6 on May 13, 2017.  The Panthers wrapped up the season with a record of 14-4 and 3-1 against SSC opponents.  Since their first meeting in 2015, the Tars and Panthers have matched up five times, with Rollins holding onto the series record, 3-2. The Tars then have two more regular season matchups to go, beginning with their final home game of the regular season on Saturday, April 14, when they welcome Saint Leo to Winter Park.  Since their first meeting in 2012, the two teams have matched up eight times, with Rollins holding onto the all-time series, 7-1.  Last time out against the Lions, the Tars picked up a 17-7 win on April 5 in Saint Leo, Fla.  Saint Leo, who was selected to finish sixth on the SSC Preseason Poll, is under the guidance of new head coach Cailtlin Hansen.  The Lions finished 2017 with a record of 6-11 and 0-4 against SSC opponents. Rollins concludes their 2018 regular season on Wednesday, April 18, when they travel to Embry-Riddle to take on the first year Eagles.  The Eagles are led by familiar faces in former Rollins standouts Marissa Giannerini and Elyse DeLisle, and enter into their first season picked fifth on the SSC Preseason Poll. The Rollins women’s lacrosse team has a challenge ahead of them in their 11th season of action as they look to improve upon their 2017 campaign and return to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. The Tars have plenty of veteran strength to lead the way with four seniors and seven juniors.  A total of nine returning sophomores are expected to step up to make a big impact, while 12 freshmen and two transfers bring in plenty of new talent to help elevate the team.  With plenty of diversity, depth, and ability on this year’s roster, hopes are high for a thrilling 2018 campaign. For the latest news, updates, and information on the Rollins women’s lacrosse team, be sure to visit RollinsSports.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest #TARnation news by following Rollins Sports on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.