Ithaca Leads Four Empire 8 Teams in Preseason National Lacrosse Polls
February 2, 2008
Four Empire 8 teams are ranked in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association preseason poll released on Wednesday with Ithaca College being ranked eighth in Division III, highest among Empire 8 teams.
The Bombers were undefeated in conference regular season play a year ago, reached the Empire 8 title game, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship. Ithaca is also ranked eighth in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Top 20 preseason poll, while earning a ranking of seventh in the LAXnews.com and Lacrosse Magazine preseason polls.
Rochester Institute of Technology, Nazareth College, and Stevens Institute of Technology are also ranked in all four of the national preseason polls in which the Bombers are ranked in the top-10.
The Tigers, ECAC Division III Upstate Championship winners last season, are ranked 13th in the USILA poll and as high as 10th in the Lacrosse Magazine rankings.
The Golden Flyers, winners of four of the past five Empire 8 titles, advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals last season. Nazareth is ranked 14th in the USILA preseason poll and as high as fourth in the Lacrosse Magazine poll.
Stevens captured the ECAC Division III Metro Championship last year and is prepared for its first season in the Empire 8. The Ducks are ranked 20th in the USILA national poll and are ranked between 17th and 20th in all four polls.