SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference (SSC) released the 2020 men's lacrosse preseason poll on Tuesday, Jan. 21 selecting the Saint Leo Lions to finish second of eight. Saint Leo drew 40 points right under the preseason favorite, Tampa, with 48 points and six first place votes.
 
Saint Leo edged third polled, Lynn, with 36 points. Neither Saint Leo nor Lynn pulled in first place votes. The remaining two first place tallies where given to Rollins with 34 points. Florida Tech, Palm Beach Atlantic, and Embry-Riddle rounded out the poll with 22, 13, and 8 points, respectively.
 
Last season, Saint Leo (10-7, 4-3 SSC) advanced to the SSC postseason finishing fourth in the regular season standings. No. 4 Saint Leo upset No. 1 Lynn, 9-7, in the SSC Semifinals in Boca Raton, Fla. The No. 4 Lions then visited No. 2 Tampa, where the Spartans captured their sixth consecutive tournament title in a 13-10 decision in Tampa, Fla.
 
Head Coach Brad Jorgensen enters his 15^th year at the helm, returning five of eight 2019 All-SSC members: senior attackman Philip Buque, senior long stick middle Ethan Ticehurst, senior long stick middle Collin Beck, sophomore attackman Tyler Eames, and sophomore short-stick defensive middle Peyton Tyson. The 46-man squad welcomes back 31 players while featuring 16 newcomers.  
 
Saint Leo enters the season ranked No. 16 according to the US Lacrosse Magazine's Nike Division II Preseason Poll. The Lions are set to open the 2020 season on Saturday, Feb. 8 against No. 20 Colorado Mesa in Jacksonville, Fla. at 2 p.m.
 
 For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's lacrosse, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.