Maroons Receive All Eight First Place Votes

SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke College earned all eight first place votes on the way to 64 total points to sit atop the 2010 ODAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll.  Lynchburg College occupies the second slot after garnering 52 tallies, and Washington and Lee University stands a close third with 51 poll points.

Those three ODAC squads find themselves ranked in the top-20 of the LaxMagazine.com preseason poll.  Roanoke, ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in 2009, opens the 2010 campaign as the seventh-rated team.  Washington and Lee sits 12^th and Lynchburg completes the ODAC contingent in 16^th position.

Roanoke (17-2 overall, 6-0 in the ODAC in 2009) returns a stable full of talented players from 2009, although the Maroons will have to replace the production of 2009 All-ODAC First Team and USILA First Team All-American attack, Zach Thomas.  Head coach Bill Pilat welcomes back eight players from last year's all-conference first or second teams, four of which earned recognition from the USILA All-America program.  Three of RC's All-ODAC First Team choices return in attack Pat March (42 goals, 26 assists, 28 ground balls), long-stick midfielder Stephen Simmons (97GB, 26 caused turnovers) and defender Sam Love (91GB, 36CT).  Simmons earned USILA All-America Second Team honors while Love was tabbed for the third team and March awarded honorable mention recognition.  All five of the Maroons All-ODAC Second Team choices return to Salem.  That group includes attack Matt Quinton (55G, 12A), midfielder Brian Foley (21G, 21A), short-stick specialist Justin Tuma (8G, 23A, 107-of-172 face-offs) and goalkeeper Jake Dorsey (199 saves, 10.58 goals-against-average).  Tuma also earned USILA All-America Honorable Mention.

Lynchburg (11-5, 5-1) looks poised to make a run at its fourth ODAC title, but the Hornets will have to do so without the production of former All-ODAC First Team and USILA All-America Honorable Mention attack, Tyler Tolson.  Back in the fold are a pair of all-conference athletes, including All-ODAC First Team defender Shane Roscher (15GB, 14 CT).  Eddie Bilinkas, an All-ODAC Second Team choice in 2009, returns to the LC midfield after recording 31 points on 22 goals and nine assists last season.  Head coach Steve Koudelka and the Hornets feature the 2009 ODAC Rookie of the Year in attack Dylan Hoff.  He notched 32 goals to go with 16 assists in his first season in the Hill City.  Goalkeeper Franc Cook also looks forward to a solid sophomore campaign.  He made 150 saves and boasted a 9.33 GAA as a rookie last year.

Washington and Lee (16-4, 4-2) won its ninth ODAC title in 2009 and looks to join Roanoke in double figures by the end of this season (RC has won 14 titles).  The Generals and reigning ODAC Coach of the Year, Gene McCabe, will be looking for new names to step to forward as WLU returns two of its eight all-conference selections and one of four USILA All-Americans.  Among those missing from this year's squad are 2009 ODAC Player of the Year and Second Team USILA All-American midfielder, Harry St. John.  Looking to pick up some of the slack will be All-ODAC First Team and USILA All-America Honorable Mention attack, Will Keigler.  The senior standout led the ODAC with 78 points and 36 assists to go with a team-best 42 goals.  He's joined by All-ODAC Second Team defender Tyler Smith (48GB, 47CT).  Holdovers Spencer Daw (22G, 20A, 25GB) and Austin Wernecke (15GB, 13CT) look to provide support on both sides of the field with Kevin Feeney (14G, 2A) set to take over full control of short-stick responsibilities after winning 105-of-140 face-offs (.750) in 2009.

Half of the 28 student-athletes from the 2009 All-ODAC First or Second Teams return in 2010.  Hampden-Sydney College (8-9, 3-3) features the remaining two all-conference returnees outside of the top three teams with both enjoying first team showings last season.  Midfielder Kyle Jett racked up 54 points on 34 goals and 20 assists for the Tigers.  Defender Dan Martin scored a goal and picked up 38 ground balls in 2009.

The ODAC welcomes a new program to the league in 2010.  Randolph College increases the league's size to eight teams as the WildCats' program, under head coach Scott Ketcham, enters its second year of collegiate competition.  Randolph's inaugural ODAC contest is set for Wednesday, February 24, at Roanoke.

Listed below is the complete 2010 ODAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll.  For more information on ODAC men's lacrosse, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.