Lacrosse Magazine 2006 Preseason Rankings Released

[Sam Atkinson]

http://www.uslacrosse.org/news/2005/lmrankings2006.phtml

BALTIMORE — Four defending national champions, including all three women's NCAA champions, will repeat as title-winners in 2006, according to Lacrosse magazine's annual preseason college rankings, released in the January/February issue.

The rankings, compiled by Lacrosse magazine staff with consultations from coaches and other members of the press, predict the women's teams of Northwestern, Stonehill and The College of New Jersey to repeat as champions of NCAA Divisions I, II and III, respectively, and Herkimer to repeat as the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) men’s champion.

Duke, an NCAA finalist in 2005, ranks atop Division I, ahead of defending champion and preseason No. 2 Johns Hopkins. Le Moyne, which qualified for the four-team Division II tournament in 2005, was picked to win the championship this season. No. 2 New York Institute of Technology won the title last season. In Division III, 2005 finalist Middlebury was picked to end No. 2 Salisbury's run of three-straight NCAA crowns. In NJCAA women's play, Anne Arundel will unseat Catonsville as national champion.

The rankings appear below and in the January/February issue of Lacrosse magazine. Expanded college previews will run in the March issue. The magazine is online at www.laxmagazine.com.

Lacrosse magazine is a publication of US Lacrosse, the sport’s national governing body. Subscriptions are available via membership in US Lacrosse. US Lacrosse is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Lacrosse Magazine's 2006 Preseason Rankings

NCAA Division I Men Preseason Top 20
1. Duke
2. Johns Hopkins
3. Virginia
4. Maryland
5. Syracuse
6. Cornell
7. Navy
8. Georgetown
9. Massachusetts
10. Notre Dame
11. Penn State
12. Towson
13. Army
14. Princeton
15. Denver
16. Hofstra
17. Delaware
18. North Carolina
19. UMBC
20t. Fairfield
20t. Stony Brook

NCAA Division I Women Preseason Top 20
1. Northwestern
2. Duke
3. Boston University
4. Virginia
5. Princeton
6. Dartmouth
7. North Carolina
8. Johns Hopkins
9. Maryland
10. Georgetown
11. Towson
12. Penn State
13. Cornell
14. Syracuse
15. Loyola
16. Vanderbilt
17. Notre Dame
18. Hofstra
19. James Madison
20. Stanford

NCAA Division II Men Preseason Top 10
1. Le Moyne
2. NYIT
3. C.W. Post
4. Limestone
5. Adelphi
6. Dowling
7. Mercyhurst
8. Molloy
9. Bryant
10. Queens

NCAA Division II Women Preseason Top 10
1. Stonehill
2. Adelphi
3. C.W. Post
4. West Chester
5. Limestone
6. Queens
7. Lock Haven
8. Pfeiffer
9. Gannon
10. Philadelphia

NCAA Division III Men Preseason Top 20
1. Middlebury
2. Salisbury
3. Roanoke
4. Nazareth
5. Cortland
6. Bowdoin
7. Gettysburg
8. Stevens Tech
9. Lynchburg
10. Wesleyan
11. Washington College
12. St. Lawrence
13. Widener
14. Ohio Wesleyan
15. RIT
16. Western New England
17. Denison
18. Hampden-Sydney
19. Geneseo
20. Connecticut College

NCAA Division III Women Preseason Top 20
1. The College of New Jersey
2. Middlebury
3. Salisbury
4. Cortland
5. Colorado College
6. Williams
7. Colby
8. Gettysburg
9. Amherst
10. Bowdoin
11. Drew
12. Skidmore
13. Washington and Lee
14. St. Mary’s (Md.)
15. William Smith
16. Franklin and Marshall
17. Ursinus
18. Trinity (Conn.)
19. Mary Washington
20. Wesleyan

NJCAA Men Preseason Top 10
1. Herkimer
2. Onondaga
3. Essex
4. Monroe
5. Nassau
6. Howard
7. Suffolk
8. Alfred State
9. Broome
10. Anne Arundel

NJCAA Women Preseason Top 10
1. Anne Arundel
2. Catonsville
3. Herkimer
4. Cayuga
5. Jefferson
6. Nassau
7. Essex
8. Morrisville State
9. Harford
10. Finger Lakes

[Gregg Pathiakis]

NCAA Division II Women Preseason Top 10
1. Stonehill
2. Adelphi
3. C.W. Post
4. West Chester
5. Limestone
6. Queens
7. Lock Haven
8. Pfeiffer
9. Gannon
10. Philadelphia

Way to go Chieftains! Uhh.. I mean Skyhawks.

[Dan Warren]

Did they really change it???

PC Police rum amok again...unbelievable. That was a great nickname.

[JW]

I have only one question to ask about this poll. Who in the world is Stony Brook?

[Tim Gray]

I have only one question to ask about this poll. Who in the world is Stony Brook?

It's a State University of New York located on Long Island. Their mascot is the seawolves. And coincidentally, they are hosting the North quarterfinals of the ncaa championships this year.

[Adam G]

Seeing these rankings, anyone have any strong predictions on how this will look come May?

[John Westfall]

Hey Dan I will send you a PM about UNM Lacrosse. You can write me at jwestfall@cableone.net .

Some good things are happening.