Orange Ranked No. 1 In Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Poll

BALTIMORE – The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team sits atop this year's Lacrosse Magazine preseason rankings. It is the second No. 1 preseason ranking for the Orange. Syracuse also claimed the top spot in the 2011 Face-Off Yearbook rankings compiled by Inside Lacrosse.

Virginia is second in the Lacrosse Magazine poll, followed by North Carolina, Stony Brook and Maryland to make up the preseason top five. Stony Brook midfielder Kevin Crowley, last year's Enners Award winner as the USILA Player of the Year, is Lacrosse Magazine's 2011 Preseason Player of the Year.

Syracuse returns six starters and seven All-Americans from a team that went 13-2 last season. The Orange is led on the defensive end by senior captains John Galloway and Joel White.Galloway is the reigning Division I Goalkeeper of the Year and White became the first defensive specialist to win the Lt. Donald C. MacLaughlin Jr. Award as the country's best midfielder.

Senior Stephen Keogh is the team's top returning scorer. He led the Orange with 31 goals in 2010 on his way to honorable mention All-America status.

The Orange begins the 2011 campaign on Feb. 5 with a three-way scrimmage against Le Moyne and Hofstra at the Carrier Dome. It opens the regular season at home against Denver on Feb. 20.

2011 Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Rankings

1. Syracuse

2. Virginia

3. North Carolina

4. Stony Brook

5. Maryland

6. Princeton

7. Notre Dame

8. Duke

9. Hofstra

10. Cornell

11. Army