Men's Lacrosse Earns Another National Ranking

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team is ranked ninth in this year’s Lacrosse Magazine annual preseason Division I rankings, released on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The ranking comes on the heels of the Orange’s No. 11 listing by Inside Lacrosse last week.

Syracuse head coach John Desko enters his 10th season at the helm of the SU program. Desko is 102-38 with three national championships in his first nine years. The Orange returns eight starters from last year’s squad including preseason All-Americans Mike Leveille (Delmar, N.Y.), Dan Hardy (Tully, N.Y.) and Steven Brooks (Libertyville, Ill.)

Duke claimed the top spot in the Lacrosse Magazine poll followed by Virginia and defending national champion Johns Hopkins. Georgetown and Notre Dame rounded out the top five. Princeton was picked sixth followed by Cornell, Maryland and Syracuse. North Carolina grabbed the 10^th position. The Orange will play five of the top seven teams in the poll in 2008. In addition, Syracuse will face Albany (No. 12), Massachusetts (No. 14) and Colgate (No. 15).

The Orange begins the 2008 campaign on Feb. 2 with a three-way scrimmage against LeMoyne and Hofstra.

Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Rankings (Dec. 19)

1. Duke

2. Virginia

3. Johns Hopkins

4. Georgetown

5. Notre Dame

6. Princeton

7. Cornell

8. Maryland

9. Syracuse

10. North Carolina