Defense reigned supreme in NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse a year ago, as national champion Gettysburg and finalist TCNJ each shut down opponents with frequency on the way to a matchup in the NCAA final — a 6-5 win by the Bullets.

Defense again may highlight play nationally this season, as two of four finalists for the US Lacrosse Magazine Warrior Preseason Player of the Year patrol the backfield. They’re now on our Twitter feed for open voting by fans.

Narrowing it down to four, US Lacrosse Magazine has named Nicole Clauter (York), Paige Moriarty (Franklin and Marshall), Elizabeth Morrison (TCNJ) and Hollis Perticone (Middlebury) as finalists for Warrior Division III Women’s Preseason Player of the Year.

We've named the four finalists for @warriorlax Division III Women's Preseason Player of the Year. Vote and read more https://t.co/py6jd9E0E0

CC: @YCPathletics, @FandMWomensLax, @tcnjathletics, @MiddAthletics

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) January 4, 2018

The magazine’s staff will select a winner to be published in its February NCAA preview edition. Fans are encouraged to vote on Twitter, but the results will not determine the preseason player of the year.

More on the finalists for Warrior Division III Women’s Preseason Player of the Year:

Nicole Clauter
York

The junior defender earned IWLCA first-team All-American honors and was named Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year in leading the Spartans to a program-record 16 wins. One of the better one-on-one defenders in the nation, Clauter topped York with 71 draw controls and 18 caused turnovers. The Spartans forced 9.9 turnovers per game, second only to TCNJ, while reaching the NCAA quarterfinals for a second time in three season.

Paige Moriarty
Franklin and Marshall

The attacker last season nearly equaled her output from her sophomore year despite the Diplomats’ season ending with two fewer games. An IWLCA first-team All-American as a junior, she paced F&M with 56 goals and 45 assists (101 points, good for 13th nationally). Moriarity is a proven scorer with either hand and capable of operating in traffic. She had five goals and an assist in a 13-12 loss at Trinity in the NCAA round of 16.

Elizabeth Morrison
TCNJ

The senior defender last season anchored a Lions’ unit that led the nation by allowing just 3.24 goals per game and forcing 9.76 turnovers per game. Morrison caused 59 turnovers (2.81 per game, good for 20th nationally) and led national runner-up TCNJ with 61 ground balls and 61 draw controls. The IWLCA named her a first-team All-American.

Hollis Perticone
Middlebury

The IWLCA named Perticone its Midfielder of the Year and a first-team All-American after leading the Panthers to the NCAA quarterfinals for a third straight season. Perticone, a senior, led Middlebury with 78 draw controls, adding 33 goals, 11 assists and 29 caused turnovers as a do-it-all force. She earned NESCAC Player of the Year honors.