SAINT LEO, Fla. – The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) named the Saint Leo Lions among the top 20 in the 2018 Men's Lacrosse Division II Preseason Coaches Poll.
Saint Leo is predicted to be 19
th in the nation, returning seven SSC all-conference members;
Jake Bye,
Jake Gilmour,
Kyle Pauwels,
Anthony Visintin,
Thomas Tatarian,
Devin Sparks and
Matt Shand.
The Lions will face five other nationally ranked programs, two out of the Sunshine State Conference; Tampa, NYIT, Mount Olive, Lindenwood, and Florida Tech.
Head Coach
Brad Jorgensen commented, "It is always an honor to be considered one of the best teams in the country. Obviously, we have to go out and prove it and that is what we are really concerned about right now. It does show that we did a good job in putting together a good schedule that can get us to the NCAA tournament when you see five opponents ranked in that preseason top 20."
The Lions open their season on the road at Alabama Huntsville on Saturday, February 3 at 3:00 p.m. Saint Leo will feature its 2018 home opener against Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, February 10 at 1:00 p.m.