ROSTER / QUICK FACTS

BROOKLYN, NY - The Wagner College women's basketball team has been selected to finish in 10th place in the 2013-14 Northeast Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced Tuesday at its second annual NEC "Social" Media Day at the Barclays Center.

I am surprised we were picked 10^th but because of our youth and our record last season, I understand from the outside why we're picked there" said Seahawk second-year head coach Lisa Cermignano. "When you look at a roster that includes six freshmen (five true freshmen, one redshirt freshman), a redshirt-sophomore, two sophomores, one junior and one senior, I can see where the perception comes from.

"But the team I coach in practice every day does not look like a 10^th-place team to me," she added. "Preseason polls are interesting sometimes, so we'll see where it all leads to at the end of the season.

Robert Morris was tabbed by the coaches to claim this year's title after picking up five out of a possible 10 first-place votes. Sacred Heart (three first-place votes) and Mount St. Mary's (one first-place vote) were projected to round out the top three. Saint Francis University, which received the final first-place vote, was selected fourth, while Central Connecticut and St. Francis Brooklyn filled out slots five and six, respectively. Rounding out the poll in spots seven through 10 were Bryant, LIU Brooklyn, FDU and Wagner.

The Seahawks were 3-26 (2-16 NEC) a year ago and return two of their top three leading scorers in junior forward Stephanie Blais (Sherbrooke, Quebec/ Montmorency) and sophomore guard Jordyn Peck (Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights), who burst on to scene by averaging 10. 2 points per game while earning All-NEC Freshman Team honors.

Senior forward Laura Amorosa (Kirkland, Quebec/Phillips Academy) will serve as co-captain along with her roommate and senior manager, Melanie Williamson. A top-rated guard out of Baltimore, MD, Williamson's playing career ended prior to her freshman season in 2010-2011 due to a heart ailment, but she has remained an integral member of the program during her time at Wagner.

Redshirt sophomore center Ugo Nwaigwe (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South) has performed well throughout the preseason, while redshirt freshman Jazmine Hamlet (Queens, NY/Francis Lewis) and sophomore Tessa Wade (Penn Valley, PA/Lower Merion) each enter their second year in the program.

The Seahawk roster has been injected by an infusion of talent in the form of a highly-regarded five-person recruiting class. This crop of talent includes 6-1 forward Taylor Butigian (Rockaway, NY/ Christ the King), 5-9 guard Maria Conyers-Jordan (Philadelphia, PA/ Friends' Central), 5-11 forward Jackie Dluhi (Middletown, NJ/ Middletown South), along with 5-8 guards Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/ Murry Bergtraum) and Lyndsay Rowe (South River, NJ/ St. John Vianney).

The Class of 2017 has gained the attention of many in the local basketball community, including several talent evaluators, among them Mike Flynn, the Director of Blue Star Media.

"This is a change-the-program type of class in terms of attitude and direction," said Flynn. "This class is a great start to the Lisa Cermignano Era."

Wagner opens the 2013-2014 season at the Spiro Center when Kentucky of the SEC comes to town for a 1:00 pm contest. All Seahawk NEC games, home and away, can be seen via a free live videostream on NECfrontrow.com as well as all non-conference home games. Check wagnerathletics.com for potential web or audio streams of non-conference road games.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department, @WagSwagg_WBB for news and updates on the women's basketball program and @CERMIGNANO for news on the second-year coach.