Lacrosse Magazine has put the finishing touches on its 2010 college preview issue, which mailed US Lacrosse members the first week of February. LM canvassed rival coaches to give us their anonymous take on the top 10 preseason ranked teams for Division I men's and women's lacrosse.

MD1: 10 UND | 9 Hofstra | 8 UMD | 7 Princeton | 6 Cornell | 5 Hopkins | 4 UNC | 3 UVA | 2 SU | 1 Duke

WD1: 10 Princeton | 9 UND | 8 UVA | 7 SU | 6 Georgetown | 5 Duke | 4 Penn | 3 UNC | 2 UMD | 1 Northwestern

Scouting Report: No. 1 Northwestern

With Hannah Nielsen and Hilary Bowen moving on, Katrina Dowd gets the keys to Northwestern's high-octane offense. © John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com

HEAD COACH: Kelly Amonte Hiller
CONFERENCE: ALC
2009 RECORDS: 23-0, 6-0
2010 SCHEDULE: Click Here

WHO'S BACK

A Katrina Dowd (Sr.)
Scored an NCAA tournament-record 22 goals and led the team with 75 tallies. The offense will go through her. Said Amonte Hiller: “She’s phenomenally skilled and really coming into her own.”
A Danielle Spencer (Sr.)
A 6-foot-2 specimen who uses size to her advantage, on attack and on the draw. Scored 64 goals last year. Amonte Hiller: “She’s just so powerful and so tough to stop.”
A Shannon Smith (So.)
Anybody see how she dismantled UMass? With Hilary Bowen and Hannah Nielsen moving on, Smith is ready to become the next big thing in Evanston.
D Lacey Vigmostad (So.)
Forced 18 turnovers and scooped 30 ground balls as a freshman. In the mold of former Defender of the Year Christy Finch. Amonte Hiller: “She’s really starting to get our system. A very smart player.”
M Alexandra Frank (So.)
Ready to step up after contributing significantly as a freshman, Frank is one of Northwestern's best draw specialists, winning 63 draws last year. She also led the team in caused turnovers with 29.

WHO'S NOT

A Hannah Nielsen
Two-time Tewaaraton Trophy winner as the nation's top collegiate player and NCAA's all-time assists leader leaves a creative void. Who will initiate the Wildcats' offense? Her 398 points rank third all-time in NCAA history.
A Hilary Bowen
As couragious as she is clutch, Bowen held off surgery on her torn ACL to come back in time for Northwestern's fifth straight NCAA championship run. Two-time NCAA Championship MVP ranks third in school history in goals (219) and points (299).
G Morgan Lathrop
Never really got the credit she deserved because all of the firepower in front of her. Two-time All-American leaves a gaping hole between the pipes.

WHO'S NEW

M/D Taylor Thornton
Considered the top player out of Texas and among the top recruits nationally, the 5-foot-9 midfielder could contribute immediately in Northwestern's backfield. She started on defense in Northwestern's opener against UMass in San Diego.
M Beatrice Conley
Is she the next to emerge from the Brighton (N.Y.) High pipeline as a top talent?

X FACTOR

Goalkeeper Brianne LoManto started and played the first 38:56 against UMass before being relieved by Darby St. Clair-Barrie. Neither goalie got much of an opportunity to show her stuff in Northwestern's 18-6 blowout. They must develop the kind of confidence in the cage that made Lathrop so good when it counted -- the NCAA tournament.

RIVAL COACHES' TAKES

"(Katrina) Dowd and (Danielle) Spencer have a lot of expectations and put a lot of expectations on themselves. The (road to the) title runs through Northwestern."

"They’re going to be interesting. They lost so much. It’s going to be interesting to see where they are and where they end up in the spring."

"When you talk about teams that have it, they’ve got it."

"Dominant. Certainly the team to beat. Always solid and always tenacious."

"They lost a ton. They’ll be strong, but not the team they were the last couple of years."