Men's Lacrosse | 12/5/2011 3:42:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT men's lacrosse team has been selected in the top-10 in three national Div. III preseason polls. The Tigers are ranked tenth in the Inside Lacrosse Magazine Division III preseason poll, fifth in the Lacrosse Magazine preseason poll and eighth in the United States Lacrosse Association Div. III preseason poll.
The Tigers, who won the Empire 8 Tournament in 2011, finished the season with a school record 19-1 record and made the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time overall, making it to the national semifinals. RIT was defeated by Tufts University in the national semifinals 16-12.
2011 USILA and two-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year
Jake Coon returns
Tyler Russell (Livonia, NY/Livonia), an Inside Lacrosse Magazine pre-season second team All-American selection and honorable mention pick
Jordan Collins-Hartwig (Buffalo, NY/Clarence). Russell finished second on the team in scoring in 2011 with 73 points on a school record 69 goals and four assists. Collins-Hartwig had a break out season in 2011, finishing sixth on the team in scoring with 47 points on 34 goals and 13 assists.
Defensively, RIT returns all three starting close defensemen in juniors
Evan Burley (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) and
Elliott Cowburn (Oakville, ON/Holy Trinity) and senior
Eric Horeth (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder). Senior long-stick mdifielder
Avery Hallett (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Ludden) saw plenty of action in 2011 scooping up 19 ground balls and causing seven turnovers.
RIT, who move to the Liberty League in 2012, kicks off the season in Massachusetts with a game versus #14 Endicott on March 3 at Harvard University. The Tigers return home to face SUNY Brockport on March 7 and Keuka College on March 10. In all, the Tigers will face five teams ranked in the preseason top 20 this season. The others being #6 SUNY Cortland (3/28), #18 Rensselaer (4/7), #12 Union (4/18) an#19 Skidmore (4/28) .
Inside Lacrosse Magazine Div. III Pre-season Poll Lacrosse Magazine Div. III Preseason Poll USILA Div. III Preseason Poll
1) Salisbury 1) Salisbury 1) Salisbury
2) Amherst 2) Tufts 2) Roanoke
3) Dickinson 3) Roanoke 3t) Dickinson
4) Roanoke 4) Dickinson 3t) Tufts
5) Tufts
5) RIT 5) Cortland
6) SUNY Cortland 6) SUNY Cortland 6) Amherst
7) Stevenson 7) Stevenson 7) Stevenson
8) Lynchburg 8) Amherst
8) RIT
9) Middlebur 9) Stevens 9) Stevens
10) RIT 10) Middlebury 10) Middlebury
11) Stevens 11) Denison 11) Lynchburg
12) Union 12) Gettysburg 12) Gettysburg
13) Denison 13) Union 13) Endicott
14) Endicott 14) Endicott 14) Union
15) Trinity (Conn.) 15) Lynchburg 15) Dension
16) Gettysburg 16) Cabrini 16) Trinity
17) Bowdoin 17) Nazareth 17) Haverford
18) Rensselaer 18) Haverford 18) Bowdoin
19) Skidmore 19) Rensselaer 19) RPI
20) Cabrini 20) Trinity (Conn.) 20) Skidmore
