Nov. 29th, 2001 - 2002 USL MDIA Preseason Poll has familiar look
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 30, 2001
The 2002 US Lacrosse Men's Division Intercollegiate Associates Preseason Poll features a number of familiar faces in familiar positions.
Picked to reclaim the National Crown they last held in 2000, Brigham Young University nabbed the top spot in the 2001 Preseason poll. The Cougars tallied 343 points and 9 (of the possible 14) first place votes in establishing themselves as the early team to beat.
BYU's favorite Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League rivals are close behind. The defending 2001 national champions, Colorado State University Rams, trail by only 13 points. Colorado State collected 3 first place votes. BYU and CSU staged three classic match-ups during the 2001 season, all decided by 1 goal with the Cougars winning the regular season and conference championship face-offs and the Rams gaining revenge in the semi-finals of the USLIA National Championships last May in St. Louis.
Not far behind are the Sonoma State Cossacks (California) in 3rd place with 319 points and the Michigan Wolverines (4th place, 312 points). Both programs garnered a single first place vote as well.
The 2001 USLIA championship finalist Stanford Cardinal lands 5th place in the Preseason Poll with 285 points, only 3 points ahead of the Virginia Tech Hokies of the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (282 points). The Univ. of California–Santa Barbara Gauchos are the third WCLL team in the top 7 with 255 points followed by the Lone Star Alliance standard bearers, the Texas A&M; Aggies, with 249 points.
Canada's Simon Fraser University sits at #9. The perennial PCNLL champion Clansmen tallied 242 points. Rounding out the top 10 are the defending SELC Champion Auburn Tigers with 219 points.
The focus turns west for spots 11 through 13 with the Golden Bears of California in 11th (212 points) followed by the 12th ranked Colorado Buffaloes only 5 points behind. Filling the lucky 13th position are the Arizona Wildcats (162 points).
The compass swings east as the Pioneer Champion Rams of Rhode Island are picked at #14 with 159 points followed by the Tennessee Volunteers at #15 (149 points). The #16 spot goes to Marquette University of the CCLA (117 points) followed by the Texas Longhorns at #17 with 111. 18th place is held by the Vanderbilt Commodores while making their first appearance in the USLIA poll at #19 are the Bulls of Buffalo. Previously an independent, Buffalo joins the CCLA for the 2002 spring season.
UMLL Champion Minnesota-Duluth holds down the 20th position, 7 points in front of #21 New Hampshire. The 2001 SELC Division II champion Florida Gators stand at #22, 3 points ahead of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in the 23rd position. CCLA contender Illinois lands at #24 with the California-San Diego Tritons rounding out the poll at #25.
Check out the entire 2002 Preseason Poll.
The US Lacrosse Men's Division Intercollegiate Associates Top 25 poll is conducted biweekly throughout the spring season. The USL MDIA season will conclude with the 6th annual National Championship Tournament in St. Louis, MO. May 8th-11th. Past National Champions include Colorado State (2001, 1999), BYU (2000, 1997), and Cal (1998).
The USL MDIA consists of 140+ collegiate club teams from coast to coast who compete at the virtual varsity level. These programs voluntarily adhere to NCAA regulations such as eligibility, equipment, and game rules to promote a level playing field across the country.
The USL MDIA consists of 8 conferences: Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA), Lone Star Alliance (LSA), Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL), Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL), Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League (RMILL), SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC), Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL), and the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL), and nearly 20 unaffiliated independent teams.
US Lacrosse, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse. For more information on the USL MDIA, please visit the USLIA web site at www.uslia.com.
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