Lynchburg, Washington & Lee Sit Second and Third
SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke College picked up four
first place selections and 45 total votes as the Maroons headline
the tight 2008 ODAC Men's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll. Lynchburg
College sits just two votes shy of Roanoke, having earned 43 total
nods including a pair of first place considerations.
Washington & Lee University received the remaining first place
vote and 35 total tallies.
The preseason has been an active one for the ODAC with four teams
regularly appearing in various preseason polls. In the
LAXnews.com national preseason poll, Roanoke and Lynchburg
were picked to finish tied for fourth. Washington & Lee
was chosen 14th, and Hampden-Sydney College was picked
to finish 20th. According to United States
Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), Roanoke was again
selected fourth with Lynchburg in the five spot, Washington &
Lee in 15th position, and Hampden-Sydney as the
17th choice. In the Inside Lacrosse Face-off
Yearbook preseason poll, Lynchburg was selected third with
Roanoke 5th, Washington & Lee 14th and
Hampden-Sydney 16th.
Roanoke (15-5, 5-1 ODAC) won its league-best 14th
conference championship, its second straight with both wins coming
against Lynchburg College. The Maroons must replace the
talents of all-time leading scorer and former national and ODAC
player of the year, Jon Mason, to make a run at a third straight
league crown. Zach Thomas and Chaz Carlson return from
All-ODAC first team campaigns a year ago. The duo combined
for 138 points on 62 goals and 76 assists. ODAC Rookie of the
Year, Pat March, looks to continue his strong run after posting 49
points on 34 goals and 15 assists last year. Also back is
sophomore goalkeeper Jake Dorsey, who finished the 2007 season with
an 11-2 record. Billy Cameron will handle face-off duties
after winning 182-of-314 opportunities. He also tied for the
league lead in ground balls with 112.
Lynchburg (13-4, 4-2 ODAC) fell just short of winning its third
ODAC championship after having won the 2003 and 2005 titles.
Tyler Tolson and Ryan Cranston return to the attack and midfield of
the Hornets' line-up after enjoying All-ODAC first team success
last season. Tolson finished fifth in the league with 61
points on 57 goals and four assists, and Cranston wasn't far back
in seventh with 31 scores and 19 helpers for 50 points.
Stephen Weiss and Johnny Black return from All-ODAC second team
campaigns and bring an extra 80 points combined (44 goals, 36
assists) to the table for the Hornets. Grant Curran is back
for his senior season between the pipes after posting a 7.96
goals-against-average in 2007.
Washington & Lee (9-6, 2-2 ODAC), winner of eight ODAC crowns
in its history, has a pair of All-ODAC first team selections to
replace in defenseman Peter Goodwin and goalkeeper Chris
Lalli. Three of the Generals top four scorers are back in
action in hopes of adding a little more scoring punch while the
defense adjusts to its newcomers. Juniors Harry St. John and
Tim Skeen (both All-ODAC second team choices in 2007) are joined by
sophomore Will Keigler to form a trio that notched 91 points on 49
goals and 42 assists. Junior Seldon Clarke was excellent on
face-offs, converting 62.7-percent of his chances
(160-of-255). He also tied for the ODAC lead in ground balls
with 112.
Listed below you'll find the entire 2008 ODAC Men's Lacrosse
Coaches' Poll. For more information, visit the ODAC on the
Internet at www.odaconline.com.
2008 ODAC Men's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll
(#) Denotes first place votes
School |
Votes |
1. Roanoke |
45 (4) |
2. Lynchburg |
43 (2) |
3. Washington & Lee |
35 (1) |
4. Hampden-Sydney |
29 |
5. Virginia Wesleyan |
21 |
6. Randolph-Macon |
15 |
7. Guilford |
9 |