INDIANAPOLIS – The very first Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour had Mercyhurst as a slight favorite following the release on Thursday.
The G-MAC added men’s lacrosse as an official spring sport with the formation of the new seven-team league which includes associate members Lake Erie, Mercyhurst, Seton Hill and Walsh, along with current member institutions Alderson Broaddus, Davis & Elkins and Ohio Valley.
Voting for the inaugural 2017 poll was conducted by coaches from each institution.
Mercyhurst received four first-place votes for a total of 41 points. Trailing right behind in second was Seton Hill with three first-place votes for a total of 39 points.
The Storm of Lake Erie collected 34 points in the voting to earn third while the Cavaliers of Walsh was close behind in fourth with 28 points. Both LEC and Walsh are set to join the G-MAC as full-member institutions for the 2017-18 academic year.
The trio of West Virginia G-MAC schools with Alderson Broaddus, Ohio Valley and Davis & Elkins, were tabbed, fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively to begin 2017 campaign.
Men’s lacrosse is projected to leave a strong impression on the national level in the G-MAC’s first year with several teams spotted in national rankings through different media outlets.
From the Dec. 16 release of the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook rankings, Seton Hill was ranked at No. 6, Mercyhurst was forecasted at No. 7 and Lake Erie earned a No. 13 preseason billing.
Additionally, a total of seven 2017 Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-Americans include the following student-athletes: junior defender Greg Weyl (Mercyhurst - first team), senior midfielder James Crowe (Mercyhurst - second team), senior midfielder Zack Rusch (Seton Hill - second team), senior goalkeeper Matt Wells (Mercyhurst - second team), junior attacker Lucas Shafer (Lake Erie - third team), senior midfielder Bryan Crim (Walsh - third team) and senior defender Matt Mahood (Seton Hill - third team).
The USILA/Nike Coaches Poll for the preseason has not yet been announced.
An official season preview with interviews from the coaches and selected student-athletes of all seven schools is scheduled to be released next Thursday, Jan. 26.
The men’s lacrosse season officially gets underway on Feb. 18 with preseason favorite Mercyhurst and Walsh scheduled to play.
2017 G-MAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
| School |
Points |
| 1. Mercyhurst (4 first-place votes) |
41 |
| 2. Seton Hill (3 first-place votes) |
39 |
| 3. Lake Erie |
34 |
| 4. Walsh |
28 |
| 5. Alderson Broaddus |
23 |
| 6. Ohio Valley |
18 |
| 7. Davis & Elkins |
13 |