WINTHROP, Mass. – Following an 8-0 league mark in regular-season play last spring, the Lasell College men's lacrosse program captured its first-ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship en route to an NCAA Division III Tournament berth. Fresh off the historic seasons, the Lasers have topped the 2018 GNAC Preseason Poll with seven of a possible 10 first-place votes, as voted upon by the conference's head coaches.
Saint Joseph's College placed sixth in the poll with 53 points after going 6-9 overall with 3-5 record in conference play under first-year Head Coach Bill Cosentino last spring.
The Monks return all 10 starters from last season including 2017 All-Conference defender Liam Skinner (Irving, Texas) and leading scorer Michael Finn (Quincy, Mass.), who netted 41 goals with eight assists for 49 total points as a sophomore last spring. With a talented group of newcomers, the Monks will look to improve on their forecasted finish.
The Monks open the 2018 campaign on Saturday, February 24 at Nichols College. Opening face-off is slated for 12:00 PM.
For the complete poll results, as voted upon by the league's 10 head coaches, please see below.
Lasell will open up the 2018 campaign on Wednesday, February 28 at Roger Williams. The Lasers' season concluded last spring with a hard-fought 9-7 loss against Misericordia in the NCAA Tournament down in Maryland.
Johnson & Wales University (RI) finished second in the poll with 83 points , followed by Norwich University in third with 79 points, and Mount Ida College taking the fourth position with 77 points. All three programs garnered one first-place vote apiece. For the complete poll results, please see below.
Norwich fell to Lasell in last year's GNAC Tournament Semifinals, while Mount Ida defeated JWU in the semis as the Mustangs advanced to their second GNAC title game in three years before falling to the Lasers in a 13-12 thriller.
Longtime GNAC powerhouse Emmanuel College checked in at No. 5 in the preseason poll with 54 points, followed by Saint Joseph's College of Maine with 53 points, newest conference member Regis (Mass.) with 39 points, Rivier University with 39 points, while Albertus Magnus College and Anna Maria College tied with 15 points apiece.
The 2018 GNAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament will have a true quarterfinal on Saturday, April 28, hosted by the top-four seeds (recent years had featured a first-round with six teams qualifying for the postseason), while the GNAC Semifinals and GNAC Championship are scheduled for Wednesday, May 2 and Saturday, May 5. Be sure to catch all of the action live on thegnac.tv or watch your favorite GNAC teams on one of our four custom digital streaming apps.
2018 GNAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
1. Lasell (7) - 97
2. Johnson & Wales (1) - 83
3. Norwich (1) - 79
4. Mount Ida (1) - 77
5. Emmanuel - 54
6. Saint Joseph's Maine - 53
7. Regis (Mass.) - 39
8. Rivier - 38
9. Albertus Magnus - 15
10. Anna Maria - 15
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Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.