Central Islip, N.Y. - The two-time defending
National Champion C.W. Post Pioneers have been tabbed the
men’s lacrosse preseason favorite for the 2011 season.
Mercyhurst follows up in the second spot, and rounding out the top
three are the Bears of NYIT.
The Pioneers accumulated 118 total points with nine first place
votes to take the top spot on the Preseason Poll. They
compiled an overall record of 16-1 in 2009 suffering their only
loss to conference rival Dowling College. The Pioneers got
revenge against the Golden Lions in their trip to the NCAA
Tournament with a win in the national semifinals. They followed
that up by defeating LeMoyne in the National Championship game for
the second straight season, downing the Dolphins 14-9.
Mercyhurst compiled 110 points with one first place vote in the
poll. They concluded the 2010 season with a record of 13-1
while going 9-1 in ECC play. NYIT claimed the final first
place vote and with a 97 points to finish third in the poll.
The ECC’s second NCAA Tournament representative from 2010,
Dowling College, was picked fourth.
The 2011 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year has been awarded to
senior Mike Messina from C.W. Post. In 2010, Messina was
tabbed as a USILA Second Team All-American and named to the ECC
All-Conference Second Team. He was a force in the Pioneers
run to a National Championship, scoring 19 goals and tallying 9
assists. Messina has also been dubbed a Pre-Season All-American in
2011 by the USILA.
Andrew Casimir has been named as the 2011 Preseason Defensive
Player of the Year. The graduate student was a 2009 ECC
All-Conference Second Team member and has been named a 2011 USILA
Preseason First Team All-American. Casimir scooped up
30 groundballs and caused 11 turnovers in the Golden Lions’
run to the national semifinals in 2010.
2011 East Coast
Conference Preseason Poll
| School | Points |
| 1. C.W. Post (9) | 118 |
| 2. Mercyhurst (1) | 110 |
| 3. NYIT (1) | 97 |
| 4. Dowling | 90 |
| 5. Seton Hill | 77 |
| 6. Molloy | 56 |
| 7. Wheeling Jesuit | 48 |
| 8. Mercy | 47 |
| 9. Dominican | 45 |
| 10. Chestnut Hill | 22 |
| 11. Lake Erie | 16 |
( ) - First place votes
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Mike
Messina, Sr., MF, C.W. Post
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Andrew
Casimir, Gr., DEF., Dowling
