Castleton State College has been chosen to win the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) East Division Championship in a preseason poll of the conference coaches. The Spartans received four first-place votes and 42 total points, narrowly edging Colby-Sawyer College (40) and Husson University (39).

The Spartans last played in the NAC during the 2009 season, winning the inaugural conference championship. Castleton returns eight starters from last year's team which went 12-5, and finished runner-up in the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA). 2011 NEWLA Rookie of the Year Amanda Flodstrom returns to lead the attack, while all-conference honorees Angelica Mazzola and Julia Lesure bolster the midfield and defense respectively.

Colby-Sawyer is slated to finish second in the NAC East after competing in the Commonwealth Coast Conference last season. The Chargers return three of their top four scorers among seven starters from last season, led by all-conference attack Brittany Murphy.

Defending NAC East champion Husson, garnered the remaining three first place votes and finished just behind Colby-Sawyer with 39 total points. Six starters return from last year's championship team, including a pair of first-team all-conference honorees in Kim Gambon and Steph Eaton.

North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) members Cazenovia, College of St. Elizabeth, Keuka, Medaille, Penn State - Abington, SUNY Morrisville, Wells, and Wilson play as associate members of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) in a West Division. Each division holds a championship and the two divisional champions meet to determine the conference champion.

2012 NAC East Division Women's Lacrosse Coaches Poll

Note: Points are awarded in descending order with first-place votes (in parentheses) earning 7 points through seventh-place votes which are worth one point.