HUDSONVILLE, Mich. -- The MIAA released the Men's Lacrosse preseason coaches poll on Thursday morning, with the Adrian College Bulldogs tabbed as the No. 3 prediction with 26 voting points, behind only Albion and Hope.
In a preseason poll of seven Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) men's lacrosse coaches, Hope College was predicted to finish first in the league after receiving all six possible first-place votes and a total of 36 points.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the 2023 campaign with a league record of 4-2 and an overall record of 9-8. Adrian welcomes back midfielder Jake Coakley and two-time All-MIAA junior defender Cameron Reed after both earning First Team All-MIAA recognition in 2023. Coakley contributed two man-up goals, eleven goals, and six assists last season, while Reed totaled seventeen caused turnovers and 28 ground balls. The returning 2023 Second Team All-MIAA honorees include junior attacker Michael Jonas, sophomore midfielder Alec Winegar, and two-time All-MIAA junior goalkeeper Sam Spangler.
The 2024 MIAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament will begin with the semifinals on Wednesday, May 1, followed by the championship contest on Saturday, May 4. The winner will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship which will begin May 8.
|
Rank
|
Team
|
Points
|
First-Place Votes
|
| 1. |
Hope |
36 |
6 |
| 2. |
Albion |
31 |
1 |
| 3. |
Adrian |
26 |
0 |
| 4. |
Kalamazoo |
20 |
0 |
| 5. |
Calvin |
17 |
0 |
| 6. |
Trine |
11 |
0 |
| 7. |
Alma |
6 |
0 |
*Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.*
The Bulldogs will open their season on Wednesday, February 21 at 4:00 PM at Docking Stadium against Ohio Northern University and then follow it up with eight more non-conference games before MIAA play begins. Adrian's first MIAA conference game will be on April 6 at Calvin University.
Head Coach, Brett Wetzel, is eager for his team to kick-start the 2024 season and expressed his thoughts on today's preseason predictions:
"We are excited to be voted No. 3 by the other coaches in the league, but far from satisfied. We return 91% of scoring from last season and expect to have an even stouter defensive unit this season. This team cannot wait to get started on February 21."
Catch the Men's Lacrosse team on their quest to an MIAA Championship this season by following their social media pages, @ACMensLax, and staying up to date on their page of the Adrian College Athletics website.
