Coaches Tab Men’s Lacrosse to Win First Empire 8 Title
Sunday, February 26, 2012
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (February 22, 2012) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s lacrosse team, ranked No. 9 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Preseason Top-20 Poll, has been chosen by the coaches for the Empire 8 Conference to claim their first ever Empire 8 Championship. Stevens received half of the possible eight first place votes from the coaches.
Stevens earned a total of 46 points to claim the top spot, edging out Ithaca College, who received 43 points and two first place votes. Also receiving two votes was Nazareth College, who was chosen to finish third in the conference. The Golden Flyers were followed by St. John Fisher College in the fourth position, while Alfred University and Hartwick College tied for fifth. Elmira College and Utica College rounded out the preseason poll in seventh and eighth, respectively.
On the 2012 schedule for Stevens, the Ducks have 16 regular season games slated with Empire 8 action beginning on March 31. Alfred will travel to Castle Point on the 31st for a 12 p.m. start time. From there, Stevens will travel to Utica and Fisher on April 7 and 14, respectively, before coming back to Hoboken for showdowns with Elmira and Nazareth on the 18th and 21st. Conference play will wrap up two away contests at Hartwick on the 25th, and Ithaca on the 28th. The Empire 8 Championship will take place on May 4 and 6 at a location to still be determined.
The Ducks begin their season tonight on the DeBaun Athletic Complex turf in a non-conference game against the United States Merchant Marine Academy at 7 p.m. Stevens has won the last five matchups against the Mariners, dating back to 2007 – the last time they both met. The Ducks have outscored USMMA, 68-27, in those games.
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2012 Empire 8 Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Stevens Institute of Technology (4) 46 points
2. Ithaca College (2) 43
3. Nazareth College (2) 37
4. St. John Fisher College 31
5. Alfred University 22
Hartwick College 22
7. Elmira College 12
8. Utica College 11