Lacrosse Picked Third in America East

Looking to build off a successful 2010 season when it recorded the most wins since 2003, the University of Hartford lacrosse team was picked to finish third in the America East preseason coaches’ poll. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the poll.

Stony Brook University is the unanimous preseason pick to win its second-straight conference crown in 2011 after coming off its best season in program history. The Seawolves, who rank in the top 10 nationally in a pair of preseason polls, received all five first-place votes and 25 points.

University at Albany, last season’s runner-up, was tabbed second with 20 points while Hartford followed in third with 16 points, receiving the remaining first-place tally. UMBC was picked to finish fourth with 13 points while University of Vermont (11 points) and Binghamton University (five points) rounded out the poll.
The top four regular season finishers will qualify for the America East Tournament, which kicks-off on May 5. The conference champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

The Hawks, who dropped six contests by two goals or less, including five by a single tally last year, return all but one starter and a league-best seven all-conference honorees from that squad. In addition, Hartford returns almost 90-percent of its scoring – and four of its top five scorers – from a team that ranked second in America East scoring with 10 goals per game.

The 2011 edition of the Hawks consists of an All-American in senior faceoff specialist Tim Fallon. Also a preseason Inside Lacrosse All-American choice, Fallon led the nation in face-off percentage (.622) and ground balls (131) last season. The Hawks’ line-up boasts five coaches’ preseason all-conference selections, a conference-high, including Fallon and junior Aidan Genik, a second-team choice last year, who ranked fourth amount conference leaders with 36 goals.

The Hawks’ roster also boasts an all-conference performer in the goalie position in Scott Bement. The junior earned second-team all-league honors in 2010 after recording an11.52 goals-against average. Seniors Michael Cudmore, Conor Flynn, Carter Bender, and Jared Franze round out the 2010 all-conference honorees.

Hartford’s season gets underway on Saturday, February 19, when it welcomes No. 16/17 Massachusetts to West Hartford’s Al-Marzook Field for a 1 p.m. showdown. Also highlighting the Hawks’ 15-game slate in 2011 is a pair of home games against No. 20/19 Brown and No. 6/8 Stony Brook, both 2010 NCAA Tournament teams.