- Rams picked to finish fourth in Skyline Conference -
New York, N.Y. - The Skyline Conference announced its men's lacrosse preseason coaches poll results and seven-time defending champion Montclair State University has been tabbed to win the 2016 conference title.
The Red Hawks (13-6, 6-0 Skyline in 2015) received five out of seven first-place votes en route to 35 voting points. Head coach Michael Schambach's MSU squad returns senior midfielder and 2015 USILA NCAA Division III All-America Honorable Mention selection Zach Schreck (44 g, 11 a, 55 pts.).
In second place were the Ospreys of Stockton University (13-6, 4-2), who received the remaining two first-place votes and totaled 30 points. Kean University (9-8, 4-2) checked in at third place in the poll (25 pts.), while Farmingdale State (8-8, 3-3) is slotted in fourth (23). Maritime (6-8, 2-4) and Mount Saint Mary (5-10, 2-4) both received 14 points to tie for the fifth-place position, while Mount Saint Vincent (0-13, 0-6) placed seventh.
Farmingdale State posted an 8-8 overall record last season and were 3-3 in Skyline Conference play. The Rams earned the #4 seed for the playoffs and fell at top-seeded Montclair State in the semifinals. FSC returns senior defender Dylan Bates* (Wading River, N.Y.) who was a First Team All-Conference selection last year and senior defender Matthew Brendel (Hicksville, N.Y.) who was named to the Second Team in 2015.
The Rams open the 2016 season on March 2nd when they play host to Manhattanville in a non-conference game and play their first Skyline game on April 1st at Mount Saint Mary College.
2016 Skyline Conference Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Montclair State - 35 (5)
2. Stockton - 30 (2)
3. Kean - 25
4. Farmingdale State - 23
T5. Maritime - 14
T5. Mount Saint Mary - 14
7. Mount Saint Vincent - 6
(first-place votes in parenthesis)
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