PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Defending Little East Conference (LEC) women's lacrosse tournament champion Western Connecticut State University was named the league favorite heading into 2026, as the Wolves tallied 60 points and six first-place votes in the annual preseason coaches' poll. 

The University of Southern Maine claimed second-place in the the preseason ranking over Eastern Connecticut State University by just one point. The Huskies and Warriors earned one first-place vote each. 

Reigning LEC regular season champion and 2025 LEC tournament runner-up Plymouth State University was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll and accounted for the remaining first-place vote; the Panthers earned the LEC's first-ever at-large berth in the NCAA tournament last season. Keene State College and UMass Dartmouth were also projected to make the six-team LEC tournament field this coming season. 

The complete 2026 LEC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll is as follows. 

Institution - Points (FPV)
1. Western Connecticut - 60 (6)
2. Southern Maine - 52 (1)
3. Eastern Connecticut - 51 (1)
4. Plymouth State - 50 (1)
5. Keene State - 37
6. UMass Dartmouth - 27
7. UMass Boston - 24
8. Vermont State Castleton - 15
9. Rhode Island College - 8