A Look at the Preseason Rankings

by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Coyne Archive

Lacrosse Magazine Online has posted our preseason rankings and players of the year for every division. It's an annual ritual that I'll have more to say about next week when I release the kind of preseason information you can really use, but as for now, I'll provide a couple of thoughts about the rankings from the divisions I cover.

Men's Division III

Most Surprising: No. 4 Haverford
The Black Squirrels are undoubtedly talented and are coming off a strong season where they advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals, but they also lost Mike Murphy, the architect of their recent success, making No. 4 probably a bit ambitious. This is no slam on Colin Bathory, who takes over at Haverford, as Bathory is the best candidate to retain continuity, but there will still be a transition period that could take its toll.

Least Surprising: No. 2 Stevenson
The Mustangs are the darlings of Division III right now. With their attack back intact, led by our Preseason Player of the Year Steve Kazimer, and a big part of their defense returning, Stevenson is a trendy pick to be battling it out on Memorial Day. To be honest, it's tough to argue with that. Things seem to be pointing towards a huge season for Paul Cantabene's troops.

Biggest Snub: No. 5 Salisbury
Rare is the year you see the Gulls this far down in the preseason rankings. And while Salisbury showed a vulnerability we aren't accustomed to in ‘09, it's not like Jim Berkman has forgotten how to coach and recruit. Salisbury is talented at just about every position once again. On the bright side, operating as something other than a prohibitive favorite may be just what the doctor ordered.

Head-scratcher: No. 20 St. John Fisher
Don't get me wrong, I think the Cardinals could surprise some people - even more than what they did last year. Still, this is a leap of faith. However, with a relatively weak schedule outside of their Empire 8 opponents, Fisher could have a gaudy record and crack the real poll at some point.

Team likely to be in the poll at the end that's not here now: Bowdoin
Most of the usual suspects are covered, but I think you'll see a fourth NESCAC team show up at the end and it comes down between Bowdoin and Trinity. I'll give the Polar Bears the benefit of the doubt in that coin flip.

Women's Division III

Most Surprising: No. 7 Catholic
The Cardinals are moving into rarified air by getting the nod at No. 7. Yes, it's surprising, but it might be warranted. Catholic has made the quarterfinals the last two seasons and basically returns the entire starting unit from '09. Still, it's surprising than an up-and-coming program was given its propers in a preseason poll.

Least Surprising: No. 1 Franklin & Marshall
It is no surprise the Dips are penciled into the top spot - most defending national champions are afforded that respect. What people need to understand is F&M lost a lot of talent. There are still a lot of clutch players like Blake Hargest and Lidia Sanza, but I'd bet the Dips take two or three losses before the Centennial Conference tournament starts.

Biggest Snub: No. 19 Washington & Lee
The Generals weren't that bad last year. Yes, they lost to Roanoke in the ODAC championship and ended up out of the NCAA tournament, but they played one of the stiffest schedules in the country and were probably literally the last team left out. I think W&L will prove itself to be a Top 13 team before the season is over.

Head-scratcher: No. 10 Colby
The White Mules have won the last two NESCAC championships, and while they lose Kate Sheridan, they've got a lot of cogs returning this spring. As such, having the White Mules behind not one, but two other conference opponents doesn't jibe. I'd probably flip-flop them with Middlebury.

Team likely to be in the poll at the end that's not here now: Mary Washington
The Eagles play a brutal schedule this year, and should be rewarded for taking on some of the best teams in the country. Mary Wash won't be terribly high - maybe in the mid-to-high teens - as it could have a handful of losses by the time the dust settles.

MCLA Division I

Most Surprising: No. 18 Wisconsin
The Badgers are getting the benefit of the doubt about their talent level when they haven't played a game in the league. For those that don't know, after years playing in a small Midwest league (the Great Lakes Lacrosse League) where it dominated every team it played, Wisconsin is moving to the MCLA this spring. The Badgers have defeated MCLA teams in the past, but now it's for real.

Least Surprising: No. 5 Arizona State
Despite losing its entire '09 season because of a hazing incident, ASU checks back in a year later at No. 5. Why is this not surprising? Because assuming all of the top guns from last year's team return - and I understand that they will - the Sun Devils are still stacked and will be a contender.

Biggest Snub: No. 20 Texas
The Lone Star Alliance is the weakest league in the MCLA, for sure, but Texas had a decent showing against Michigan in last year's tournament, salvaging a bit of respect for the LSA. The Longhorns may very well not make it out of their league this year, but they deserved a higher spot to kick off 2010.

Head-scratcher: Eliot Grow
I should qualify this by saying this might be a head-scratcher for some people unfamiliar with the league. A former defensive midfielder, Grow doesn't look like much when he's not on the field, but he's the complete package when he steps between the lines. Ben Towner, Trevor Yealy and others were certainly in the hunt, but this was a relatively easy choice.

Team likely to be in the poll at the end that's not here now: California
The Golden Bears lose a lot of scoring, which is probably one of the reasons they didn't make the cut off the top, but Cal is a school that can regroup quickly. The WCLL should be interesting this year with the likes of Sonoma, Cal Poly, Stanford and Santa Clara all in the hunt for nationals, but I think Cal will be around in the polls when the final whistle blows.

MCLA Division II

Most Surprising: No. 4 Grand Valley State
Despite having our Preseason Player of the Year in Cam Holding racking up 75 points before transferring out, the Lakers couldn't win the big games and found themselves out of the 12-team tournament last year. So coming back in at No. 4 is somewhat surprising considering the teams - St. John's in particular - they leapfrogged. It's a good bet if GVSU fizzles again in '10, they won't be finding themselves in the same position next year.

Least Surprising: One-Two
It's only December, but it's really hard envisioning a scenario that could produce anything other than a St. Thomas-Dayton repeat in the championship game. There are some good teams who have a shot, and the expanded, 16-team field may change the dynamic somewhat, but the Tommies and Flyers are a cut above.

Biggest Snub: Biola
This was my fault. I thought the Eagles were still on probation from an earlier indiscretion and in fact they are eligible for postseason play. They should have been considered for the preseason rankings when the numbers were being compiled. There is no question Biola would have been ranked, and I'd say somewhere in the Top 16.

Head-scratcher: No. 20 Whitman
The Missionaries had a spirited run to the PNCLL finals last year, mostly on the back of since-graduated goalie Kevin Wilson. Who's to say Whitman won't shock the world this year in the division, but the Missionaries inclusion would have been a little more defensible had Sunn Kim and his team-leading 66 points not transferred to Utah over the summer.

Team likely to be in the poll at the end that's not here now: Sam Houston State
With the departure of Southwestern from the MCLA to NCAA Division III, there is a void to be filled in the Lone Star Alliance. SHS will probably step into the automatic qualifying spot. As such, they'll be there in the end.