Navy Lacrosse (NAVYLAX)

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01/27/2010

Navy Picked To Finish Atop The Patriot League by the Coaches !!

The finest Sports Information Person in the country, our very own, Stacie Michaud, recently published the latest report about the Coaches projections for this season.

With 7 coaches voting, and a maximum of 12 points available (a coach could not vote for his own team), Navy received 11 out of 12 points. Bucknell received the remaining 3 points.

Also, Jaren Woeppel '10 (a West Genessee Wildcat !!) was named the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. That's a great start.

============ Stacie's Article Begins Below ==============
Navy Voted Preseason Patriot League Favorite

Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Navy Men's Lax Picked to Win Patriot League, Woeppel Named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Based on a vote by the Patriot League's coaches and sports information directors, the 12th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the league crown it was announced Wednesday on the Patriot League preseason men's lacrosse conference call.

The Mids have won at least a share of the regular-season Patriot League title in five of the six seasons (2004-05-06-07-08) as a member of the conference, while they have compiled a 10-1 record in the Patriot League Tournament to earn five Patriot League Tournament titles (2004-05-06-07-09).

Navy secured 11 of the 14 first-place votes (eligible for only 12 due to not being able to vote for yourself) to pace the standings, while Bucknell accounted the remaining three first-place votes.

The Mids have amassed a 32-5 regular-season record in the Patriot League since joining what is now a seven-member lacrosse conference in 2004 (Hobart left following the '04 campaign), and includes two undefeated seasons (2004, '07).

"You could have taken everybody and thrown them against the wall like spaghetti and we happened to stick," said Meade regarding the coaches" pick for Navy to capture the 2010 league title.

"The league is very competitive and all of the teams have done a great job of recruiting" continued Coach Meade.

"Terry Mangan (Lafayette head coach) pointed this out earlier and I concur that everybody in this league is prepared, believes they are going to win and the competition is very fierce. Nice to be picked to win the conference, but when it comes down to it the only thing that is going to mean anything is what happens on the day that you play another league team."

But as the most successful team in terms of Patriot League titles, regular season and tournament since 2004, Navy is the logical pick.

It's something that when asked about, Bucknell head coach Frank Fedorjaka agreed with. "Until you knock them (Navy) off, that's probably where they belong."

Navy, who returns the bulk of its offense including 2009 Honorable Mention All-American attack Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.), is the only team in the league who reached the 10-win marker a year ago (11-5), while each of the top three schools in the 2010 preseason poll finished the season with a winning record.

The Mids have won 10 or more games in each of the last six seasons and have made appearances in six consecutive NCAA Tournaments, the third-longest consecutive streak in the country behind Johns Hopkins (38) and Maryland (7).

While Paul, who paced the Mids with 32 points a year ago, will be flanked by last season's top goal scorer in Brendan Connors (Bellmore, N.Y.), Navy also returns the core of its No. 1-ranked man-down defense that gave up just six goals in 40 attempts.

Picked to finish second in the preseason poll is Bucknell, which finished the 2009 Patriot League season with a perfect 6-0 mark and dropped a dramatic 9-8 championship game against Navy in last season's Patriot League Tournament.

The Bison, who turned in a 9-7 overall record in '09, return the majority of their offensive arsenal which is anchored by 2010 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Austin Winter. A Preseason Honorable Mention All-American, he has been named to the All-Patriot League First Team three times and heading into his senior ranks third on Bucknell's career assists list with 94.

Colgate was picked third after finishing the 2009 campaign with a 5-1 mark in Patriot League play and a 9-6 overall mark. The Raiders were edged by eventual champion Navy in the Patriot League semifinals.

Colgate must replace three-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Brandon Corp, but will have the services of short stick defensive midfielder Mike Crown and goalkeeper Tim Harrington to anchor the Raiders.

Army, which closed 2010 with a 6-10 overall record and a 2-4 mark in Patriot League play, was picked fourth. Head coach Joe Alberici will rest upon the laurels of junior goalkeeper Tom Palesky who averaged a league-best 12.75 saves per game a year ago.

Rounding out the poll are Lehigh in fifth, followed by Lafayette and Holy Cross. Lehigh and Lafayette finished in a three-way tie for fourth last year, however Army earn the Patriot League Tournament spot by way of goal differential.

Had Lafayette beaten Lehigh in its regular-season finale by two goals instead of one, the Leopards would have made their first appearance in the postseason conference tournament.

In addition to the preseason poll, the Patriot League unveiled its Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year for the first time. Based on past awards, Winter was all but a lock for the league's offensive award.

Meanwhile defensive honors went to two-time All-Patriot League honoree Jaren Woeppel (Camillus, N.Y.), who has been a four-year starting long stick defensive midfielder for the Midshipmen.

"Jaren has had an outstanding career," said Richie Meade, who is in his 20th season as a collegiate head coach and 16th at Navy.

"He's an outstanding defenseman at the Div. I level. There are a lot of good defensive players in the Patriot League, so I think for Jaren to be picked as the Preseason Patriot League Defensive Player is a great credit to him and I do think it is warranted. He has a huge impact on the game playing where he plays and he seems more comfortable up in the middle of the field."

Navy is on tap to play the first of two preseason scrimmages when it battles UMBC on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (11:00 am). However, the Mids will officially open the 2010 campaign on Feb. 13 when they play host to VMI.

Game time is set for 12:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Single-game tickets for Navy home lacrosse games may be purchased by stopping by the Navy Ticket Office at Ricketts Hall, by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY, via the internet at www.navysports.com or at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on game day. Tickets prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students, while groups of 20 or more will be offered a discounted ticket.

2010 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll

Rk. Team Pts. 2009 Record 2009 PL Record 1. Navy 71 (11) 11-5 4-2
2. Bucknell 63 (3) 9-7 6-0
3. Colgate 48 9-6 5-1
4. Army 45 6-10 2-4
5. Lehigh 33 4-11 2-4
6. Lafayette 22 6-7 2-4
7. Holy Cross 12 3-12 0-6

Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Austin Winter, Bucknell

Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Jaren Woeppel, Navy