Badger Lax Picked To Finish 4th
Mount Ida Selected as Men's Lacrosse League Favorites
Five-time defending champion Mount Ida College has been chosen as the preseason favorite of the North Atlantic Conference in a vote conducted by the league's coaches. The Mustangs received nine first place votes and 99 total points.
Mount Ida, which has yet to lose a conference game in five seasons, returns eight starters including three first team all-conference attackers from a season ago, seniors Brett Conley and Leo Shidler as well as sophomore Matt Savage.
Castleton was picked second after finishing 6-1 in league play for the third consecutive season. The Spartans, who received one first place vote and 91 points overall, return eight starters led in the midfield by junior Jake Rick and on defense by senior goalkeeper Mike Mamunes.
Four programs join the NAC in 2009. Green Mountain and Lyndon St began competing as full members of the conference beginning in 2008-09. The Saint Joseph's College of Maine joins the NAC as an associate member and full member Husson University is sponsoring men's lacrosse for the time this season. Becker and Daniel Webster, who competed as full members in 2008, will compete in the newly formed New England Collegiate Conference beginning in 2009.
2009 NAC Men's Lacrosse Poll
- Mount Ida - 99 (9)
- Castleton - 91 (1)
- Thomas - 74
- Johnson St. - 66
- Maine Maritime - 65
- Emerson - 46
- St. Joseph's (Me.) - 38
- Green Mountain - 26
- Lyndon St. - 23
- Husson - 22