WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army lacrosse team was selected to finish fourth in the Patriot League, according to a preseason poll of the head coaches and sports information directors in the conference released Wednesday.
Four of the eight teams in the conference enter the season ranked in the preseason Inside Lacrosse national poll, including defending conference Champion Navy, which enters the season with a No. 9 national ranking and was picked to defend last season’s Patriot League title, No. 21 Colgate, No. 17 Bucknell and the No. 23 Black Knights.
“I think when you look at the preseason conference standings and you put them into context of the national rankings with four teams in the top-25, it says a lot about the conference,” said third-year head coach Joe Alberici. “It is going to be an extremely competitive year in the league.”
Navy received 72 points and 12 first-place votes, while last year’s tournament runner-up Colgate received 60 points and one first-place vote. Bucknell was awarded 51 points and the final first-place vote, while Army was credited with 45 points. Lehigh (31), Holy Cross (20) and Lafayette (15) rounded out the predicted eight-team league finish.
Alberici will look to build upon last season’s 6-9 record with a strong corps of returners at his disposal. Senior preseason honorable mention All-American Adam Fullerton, who was recently ranked the nation’s fifth-best goalie for the 2008 season by Inside Lacrosse, and senior Jay Larson, ranked the 17-best defenseman, head the list of a solid defensive unit that finished the 2007 season ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense with a 7.8 goals against average.
After a scrimmage at Fairfield this Saturday (Feb. 2) at 1:00 p.m. and at home with Massachusetts next Saturday (Feb. 9) at 1:00 p.m., the Black Knights will kick off the regular season against visiting VMI on Feb. 16 at 1:00 p.m.
Four of the eight teams in the conference enter the season ranked in the preseason Inside Lacrosse national poll, including defending conference Champion Navy, which enters the season with a No. 9 national ranking and was picked to defend last season’s Patriot League title, No. 21 Colgate, No. 17 Bucknell and the No. 23 Black Knights.
“I think when you look at the preseason conference standings and you put them into context of the national rankings with four teams in the top-25, it says a lot about the conference,” said third-year head coach Joe Alberici. “It is going to be an extremely competitive year in the league.”
Navy received 72 points and 12 first-place votes, while last year’s tournament runner-up Colgate received 60 points and one first-place vote. Bucknell was awarded 51 points and the final first-place vote, while Army was credited with 45 points. Lehigh (31), Holy Cross (20) and Lafayette (15) rounded out the predicted eight-team league finish.
Alberici will look to build upon last season’s 6-9 record with a strong corps of returners at his disposal. Senior preseason honorable mention All-American Adam Fullerton, who was recently ranked the nation’s fifth-best goalie for the 2008 season by Inside Lacrosse, and senior Jay Larson, ranked the 17-best defenseman, head the list of a solid defensive unit that finished the 2007 season ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense with a 7.8 goals against average.
After a scrimmage at Fairfield this Saturday (Feb. 2) at 1:00 p.m. and at home with Massachusetts next Saturday (Feb. 9) at 1:00 p.m., the Black Knights will kick off the regular season against visiting VMI on Feb. 16 at 1:00 p.m.
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