Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Boston College lands at No. 1 in the IWLCA Division I coaches preseason poll, which was announced Monday.
Maryland and North Carolina tied for second, while James Madison and Stony Brook round out the top five. The poll extends to 25 teams with Notre Dame at No. 20 and Dartmouth at No. 25.
Le Moyne and Gettysburg are No. 1 in the Division II and III polls, respectively. Check out the full lists here.
2. Reigning NCAA champion Yale nabbed the top spot in the USILA Division I coaches preseason poll, which was also announced Monday.
Duke, Maryland, Loyola and Cornell also sit in the top five, chronologically, while Marquette makes the cut at No. 20.
Merrimack and Wesleyan, defending Division II and III NCAA champions respectively, lead their respective preseason rankings. Check out all rankings here.
3. HEADstrong founder Nicholas Colleluori will be inducted posthumously to the US Lacrosse Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter Hall of Fame on Feb. 9. Before Colleluori became a philanthropic pioneer, he played at Ridley High School and then at Hofstra.
“On behalf of the Colleluori family, we wish to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the selection committee for their induction of our Nicholas into the US Lacrosse Eastern Pennsylvania Hall of Fame,” said Cheryl Colleluori, HEADstrong president and Nick’s mom.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 years since his untimely passing and since then we have had the privilege of seeing his vision into fruition. As a family, we are truly looking forward to accepting this honor in his name. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
4. The MCLA announced its inaugural Hall of Fame class Monday, featuring a groups of founders, as well as one coach and five players.
MCLA Hall of Fame Class of 2019
Mickey-Miles Felton – Western Collegiate Lacrosse League*
Bob Korba – Lone Star Alliance*
Jason Lamb – Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League*
Brian Mosher – Big Ten Lacrosse League*
Sonny Pieper – SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference*
Sam Sadtler – Pacific Northwestern Collegiate Lacrosse League*
M.J. Crickmore, Midfielder – Sonoma State University
Rex Hardy, Attackman – Brigham Young University
Flip Naumburg, Coach – Colorado State University
Will Patton, Midfielder – University of California at Santa Barbara
Mark Plonkey, Long-stick Midfielder – Colorado State
Rob Warner, Goalie – University of California at Berkeley
*“The Founders”
They will be inducted May 10 at the 2019 MCLA National Championships and then recognized between the Division II and Division I championship games on May 11.
5. Johns Hopkins, coming in at No. 7 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20, shifts its focus from flowing its game through the midfield to the attack leading the way.
Senior Kyle Marr and junior Cole Williams will look to touch the ball early and often.
“This might be the first time we’ve gone into a season committed to run everything through the attack,” coachDave Pietramala said.
6. For Penn women’s lacrosse, the junior class will be relied on as it enters the season at No. 7 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20.
The Quakers only have two senior starters, both on defense, so juniors Gabby Rosenzweig and Erin Barry will lead offensively.
“It’s very young, and we’re going to have several freshmen out there,” coach Karin Corbett said. “There’s a lot of growth that has to happen.”
7. Logan Schuss’ overtime goal handed the Vancouver Warriors their first home win since 2017, lifting pressure off both his and the team’s backs. He hadn’t scored a goal in two games, and his tally gave them an 11-10 comeback victory over Colorado.
“[The coaching staff] challenged the boys,” head coach Chris Gill said. “We said, ‘Are you happy losing? Is this what we’re going to do the rest of the year: be content with losing?’ We challenged them and they stepped up.”
Check out more notes and quotes from Week 7 action and a preview of Week 8.