In a vote cast by the league's coaches and sports information directors, the Navy men's lacrosse team was picked to finish fourth in the 2021 Patriot League Preseason Poll, it was announced by the conference office Friday morning.
Breaking Down the Poll
Reigning Patriot League regular-season champion Loyola secured 13 of the 18 first-place votes (eligible for only 16 due to not being able to vote for your own team) and amassed 125 points to top the poll for an eighth-consecutive year, which coincidentally is also its eighth season as a member of the league. Loyola has won at least a share of the regular-season title every year except one (2015) since joing the Patriot League and has won the tournament crown in four of the six tournaments it has played in.
Army, the 2019 Patriot League Tournament champion, earned 111 points and four first-place votes to finish second in the balloting. Lehigh, meanwhile, accounted for the lone remaining first-place vote and posted 104 points to finish third. Navy was fourth with 77 points, followed by Boston U. (67), Bucknell (66), Holy Cross (40), Colgate (39) and Lafayette (19).
Navy in the Patriot League
The Mids have won at least a share of the regular-season Patriot League title in eight of the 16 seasons (2004-05-06-07-08-15-16-18) they have been a member of the conference, including three of the previously-played five seasons (not counting 2020). Meanwhile Navy has compiled an 11-7 record in the Patriot League Tournament to earn five conference tournament crowns (2004-05-06-07-09). Navy has amassed a 74-37 (66.7) regular-season record in the Patriot League since 2004 in joining what is now a nine-member lacrosse conference (Hobart left following the '04 campaign; Loyola and Boston U. joined in 2014), and includes two undefeated seasons (2004, '07).
The Cream of the Crop
In addition to the preseason poll, the 2021 Preseason All-Patriot League Team was also unveiled and headlining the 17-man team were the Patriot League's Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year - Army junior attackman Brendan Nichtern and long-stick midfielder Ryan McNulty, a graduate student at Loyola.
The 2021 Preseason All-Patriot League Team is comprised of five grad students, three seniors and nine juniors. Five of the nine teams placed players on the preseason team, including Loyola who has a league-best six selections. Army and Lehigh have four representatives, while Bucknell has two and Holy Cross has one.
More on the Mids
Second-year head coach
Joe Amplo leads a Navy squad that returns eight starters off a team that finished the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with a 3-2 record and a 1-1 mark in Patriot League Play. Navy returns players that were responsible for 98 of its 100 points produced a year ago and 58 of the 59 goals scored. Among those offensive threats returning is three-year starting attackman
Christian Daniel who paced the Mids in scoring last spring with 17 points on 8 goals and 9 assists. He enters his senior campaign needing just 9 points to become the 36th player in program history to reach 100-career points. Attackman
Tyler Perreten also returns for his senior campaign after leading the Mids in goals with 11.
The biggest loss from the class of 2020 comes on defense where the Mids graduated four-year starting goalkeeper
Ryan Kern, along with starting defenseman
Tom Evans and short-stick defensive midfielder
Brad Alexander. The Mids, however, have a veteran squad returning in seniors
Nick Franchuk and
Andrew McKenna at close defense,
Jeff Durden at long-stick middie and short-stick defensive middies
Tim Griffin and
Colin Meehan.
Season Opener Fast Approaching
Navy will open its 114th year of varsity lacrosse when it plays host to Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 6:00 pm. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and will also be carried on 1430 AM / 99.9 FM WNAV with Pete Medhurst and
Joe Miller on the call.
Following the guidelines set by state and local government officials, Navy will allow fans at its home men's and women's lacrosse games this spring. The current protocol allows for 25 percent capacity at outdoor venues. Fans will be required to wear a mask throughout the contest and asked to maintain social distancing.
Single-game tickets for home Navy men's lacrosse games MUST be purchased online. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under with the exception of the Army game ($15 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under). Additionally there is a $5 charge to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for all games except the Army game and that will be $10.
2021 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
1. Loyola, 125 points (13 first-place votes)
2. Army, 111 (4)
3. Lehigh, 104 (1)
4. Navy, 77
5. Boston U., 67
6. Bucknell, 66
7. Holy Cross, 40
8. Colgate, 39
9. Lafayette, 19
2021 Preseason All-Patriot League Team
A - Brendan Nichtern, Army (Jr)
A - Tommy Schelling, Lehigh (Jr)
A - Kevin Lindley, Loyola (Jr)
A - Aidan Olmstead, Loyola (Sr)
M - Bobby Abshire, Army (Jr)
M - Harry Wellford, Bucknell (Jr)
M - Andrew Eichelberger, Lehigh (Gr)
M - Peter Swindell, Loyola (Gr)
D - Marcus Hudgins, Army (Jr)
D - Bryant Boswell, Bucknell (Sr)
D - Chris Conlin, Holy Cross (Jr)
D - Teddy Leggett, Lehigh (Sr)
D - Cam Wyers, Loyola (Jr)
GK - Wyatt Schupler, Army (Jr)
FO - Conor Gaffney, Lehigh (Gr)
LSM - Ryan McNulty, Loyola (Gr)
SSM - Matt Higgins, Loyola (Gr)
Preseason Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year: Brendan Nichtern, Army (Jr, A)
Preseason Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year: Ryan McNulty, Loyola (Gr, LSM)
### Go Navy ###
