2017 USILA/Nike Preseason Coaches Poll (Division II)

INDIANAPOLIS – A trio of Great Midwest Athletic Conference associate members made an appearance in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/Nike Preseason Division II Coaches Poll.
 
Mercyhurst will start the 2017 season ranked sixth, Seton Hill will begin ninth and Lake Erie will open the year at 12th in the nation.
 
Mercyhurst received 266 points in the voting process, Seton Hill had 216 and Lake Erie collected 139.
 
Each school in the USILA/Nike Preseason Coaches Poll was ranked in the order of their projected finish for the inaugural G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour. 
 
All three institutions will battle top 10 nationally-ranked programs to start the 2017 campaign.
 
The Lakers of Mercyhurst finished 2016 with a 15-3 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the former ECAC league formation. Mercyhurst won the ECAC postseason tournament and advanced in the opening round of the NCAA DII National Tournament.
 
Mercyhurst opens the spring season on Feb. 18 playing host to No. 10 Belmont Abbey.
 
Seton Hill opens this season on the road with a big test at No. 2 Limestone on Feb. 18. The Griffins were 11-4 a year ago while going 5-3 in the ECAC, including a 7-1 record while on the road.
 
Lake Erie will travel to No. 10 Belmont Abbey to start the spring while No. 10 Mount Olive and No. 2 Limestone await in the non-conference portion of the schedule. The Storm, set to join the G-MAC as a full member for the 2017-18 academic year, were 9-6 overall and 6-2 in the ECAC last season.

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, while seven preseason All-Americans from the new league were also released. 
 
The G-MAC will release its first men’s lacrosse season preview tomorrow with interviews from coaches and student-athletes available for viewing.