Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Orange Picked Third in ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll
12/14/2015 9:35:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
League-high three student-athletes selected to All-ACC Team
The defending ACC Champion Syracuse men's lacrosse team was picked third in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, while three members of the Orange were tabbed to the preseason All-ACC Team by the league's five head coaches.
Redshirt seniors Dylan Donahue and Brandon Mullins were selected as one-of-three student-athletes at attack and defense respectively, while junior midfielder Ben Williams was named the face-off specialist on the 13-player preseason team.
Syracuse's three student-athletes on the squad ties preseason favorite Notre Dame for the most representatives by school.
Donahue enters his senior season with the nation's second-longest active goal-scoring streak after earning USILA Third Team All-America honors last season. The Tewaaraton Award nominee tallied 50 goals in 2015, making him just the seventh player in program history to reach the 50 goal mark, and the first person to do so since Tom Marechek in 1991.
Williams, another Tewaaraton Award nominee last season for 'Cuse, was a USILA Second Team All-American. He finished 2015 ranking second nationally and first in the ACC in faceoff win percentage at .674, and led the nation in ground balls per game at 9.56. He collected 153 ground balls last season, which was the second-most in program history behind Sam Bassett (164) in 2000.
Mullins was another Tewaaraton Award nominee for the Orange last season and was a USILA First Team All-American, while also being selected to the All-ACC team for the second-straight season. He led the team with 14 caused turnovers last season, and enters 2016 ranked fifth in program history with 45 caused turnovers.
As a team, Syracuse was predicted to finish tied for third with Virginia, as each team received 13 points in the poll.
Notre Dame was a unanimous selection as the league's favorite following its appearance in the NCAA Championship game last season. Duke was picked second with 15 points and North Carolina rounded out the poll with nine points.
Preseason ACC Men's Lacrosse Coaches Poll
1. Notre Dame (25)
2. Duke (15)
T3 – Syracuse (13)
T3 – Virginia (13)
5. North Carolina
Attack
Luke Goldstock, Jr., North Carolina
Matt Kavanagh, Sr., Notre Dame
Dylan Donahue, R-Sr., Syracuse
Midfield
Deemer Class, Sr., Duke
Myles Jones, Sr., Duke
Sergio Perkovic, Jr., Notre Dame
Defense
Austin Pifani, Jr., North Carolina
Matt Landis, Sr., Notre Dame
Brandon Mullins, R-Sr., Syracuse
Goalkeeper – Matt Barrett, Jr., Virginia
Face-off – Ben Williams, Jr., Syracuse
Long-stick Midfielder – Michael Howard, Jr., Virginia
Short-Stick Midfielder – Tate Jozokos, Jr., North Carolina
Redshirt seniors Dylan Donahue and Brandon Mullins were selected as one-of-three student-athletes at attack and defense respectively, while junior midfielder Ben Williams was named the face-off specialist on the 13-player preseason team.
Syracuse's three student-athletes on the squad ties preseason favorite Notre Dame for the most representatives by school.
Donahue enters his senior season with the nation's second-longest active goal-scoring streak after earning USILA Third Team All-America honors last season. The Tewaaraton Award nominee tallied 50 goals in 2015, making him just the seventh player in program history to reach the 50 goal mark, and the first person to do so since Tom Marechek in 1991.
Williams, another Tewaaraton Award nominee last season for 'Cuse, was a USILA Second Team All-American. He finished 2015 ranking second nationally and first in the ACC in faceoff win percentage at .674, and led the nation in ground balls per game at 9.56. He collected 153 ground balls last season, which was the second-most in program history behind Sam Bassett (164) in 2000.
Mullins was another Tewaaraton Award nominee for the Orange last season and was a USILA First Team All-American, while also being selected to the All-ACC team for the second-straight season. He led the team with 14 caused turnovers last season, and enters 2016 ranked fifth in program history with 45 caused turnovers.
As a team, Syracuse was predicted to finish tied for third with Virginia, as each team received 13 points in the poll.
Notre Dame was a unanimous selection as the league's favorite following its appearance in the NCAA Championship game last season. Duke was picked second with 15 points and North Carolina rounded out the poll with nine points.
Preseason ACC Men's Lacrosse Coaches Poll
1. Notre Dame (25)
2. Duke (15)
T3 – Syracuse (13)
T3 – Virginia (13)
5. North Carolina
Attack
Luke Goldstock, Jr., North Carolina
Matt Kavanagh, Sr., Notre Dame
Dylan Donahue, R-Sr., Syracuse
Midfield
Deemer Class, Sr., Duke
Myles Jones, Sr., Duke
Sergio Perkovic, Jr., Notre Dame
Defense
Austin Pifani, Jr., North Carolina
Matt Landis, Sr., Notre Dame
Brandon Mullins, R-Sr., Syracuse
Goalkeeper – Matt Barrett, Jr., Virginia
Face-off – Ben Williams, Jr., Syracuse
Long-stick Midfielder – Michael Howard, Jr., Virginia
Short-Stick Midfielder – Tate Jozokos, Jr., North Carolina
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