CAMBRIDGE, Mass. ? UMBC, winners of two of the last three America East men’s lacrosse titles, is the preseason choice of the coaches to again claim the crown in 2009. The Retrievers received a total of 24 points and four first-place votes (coaches were not permitted to vote for their team), just ahead of University at Albany, the 2007 champion, which received 22 points and a pair of first-place votes.
Stony Brook University was chosen third with 16 points, while Binghamton University was tabbed fourth with 14. University of Vermont and University of Hartford rounded out the six-team poll with nine and five points, respectively.
The top four teams in the conference will qualify for the America East Championship with the winner of the tournament receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship.
UMBC (12-4, 5-0 America East in 2008) finished 2008 ranked 6th in the USILA Coaches’ Poll after winning a school-record 12 games and claiming both the America East regular-season and tournament titles. The Retrievers, led by 2008 America East Coach of the Year Don Zimmerman, rallied from an 11-2 deficit midway through the second quarter to defeat Albany 14-13 in the league championship game last season. Zimmerman’s squad returns 31 players from that squad, which made the NCAA tournament for the third straight season. Ryan Smith a first-team all-conference selection a year ago, is the team’s top returning scorer after tallying 29 goals and 43 points in 2008, good for fifth and seventh in America East, respectively. Smith, along with midfielder Kyle Wimer were tabbed preseason honorable mention All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse Magazine in December. Ohio State transfer Peet Poillon, a second-team preseason All-American, will be asked to replace the production of America East Player of the Year Terry Kimener. UMBC, who faces several top programs this season, including Johns Hopkins, Maryland and Princeton, will open the 2009 campaign against Delaware on Saturday in Newark.
Albany (8-8, 4-1) reached the America East championship game for the seventh consecutive season a year ago and brings back 28 letterwinners from a team that was ranked nationally a year ago. While all-league standouts Jordan Levine and Brett Queener have moved onto the professional ranks, the Great Danes return three all-conference performers, including first-team standout attack Brian Caufield, who ranked second in the conference with 3.69 points per game as a rookie. Second-team selections Corey Small (45 points, 34 goals) and Chris Schongar (46 ground balls) also return. Ninth-year head coach Scott Marr’s will face four teams that reached the NCAA tournament last year, including national champion Syracuse on April 17 and Denver in its season opener on February 21.
Stony Brook (7-7, 3-2) earned the No. 3 seed for last season’s America East championship and has qualified for the league tournament in each of its seven years as a member. The Seawolves, who cracked the national rankings at No. 20 last year, features one the most potent attacks in the league with preseason All-Americans Jordan McBride and Kevin Crowley. McBride, the reigning America East Rookie of the Year, ranked third in the nation and led all freshman with 3.93 goals per game, including 10 in the Seawolves’ upset win over No. 7 Delaware on March 15. Crowley, who along with McBride were first-team all-America East choices last season tallied 22 goals and 26 assists, which ranked 10th in the country in helpers per game (1.96 apg). Rick Sowell, who starts his third season as head coach, will lead his squad against Final Four participant Virginia in their season opener on February 21 at La Valle Stadium.
Binghamton (4-8, 2-3) reached the America East Championship as the No. 4 seed last season and nearly upset UMBC in the semifinals before falling 6-5 in overtime. Ed Stephenson, who enters his eighth season as head coach, returns 28 players and eight starters from last year’s squad, including all-rookie selection Derrick Danieu and 2007 Rookie of the Year Steve Carlson. The Bearcats, who open the season at home against NCAA participant Cornell on February 21, will face defending national champion Syracuse on March 21.
Vermont (5-11, 1-4) looks to get back to the conference tournament for the first time since the 2003 season. Third-year head coach Ryan Curtis will welcome back 28 players from last year’s squad, including second-team all-league honoree Michael Watson and leading scorer Derek Lichtfuss (22 goals), an all-rookie selection last year. The Catamounts will endure a tough non-conference schedule including matchups against Final Four participant Virginia and NCAA squad Notre Dame at the Patriot Cup in Dallas.
Fourth-year head coach Peter Lawrence will look to lead Hartford (0-13, 0-5) to its first conference tournament since 2003. All-rookie selection Michael Cudmore, who had a team-high 13 assists and 18 points as a freshman, will lead the Hawks, who open their season at home against Dartmouth on February 21.
The 2009 America East Championship will kick off on Wednesday, April 29 with semifinal contests at the top two seeds. The title game will take place Saturday, May 2 at the highest remaining seed for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.