University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Ranked Sixth In Two Preseason Polls
December 2, 2011 | Men's Lacrosse
Dec. 2, 2011
BALTIMORE, MD. - The University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team has been ranked sixth in the preseason polls conducted in conjunction with the 20122 Face-Off Yearbook and Inside Lacrosse Magazine.
The Tar Heels are ranked No. 6 in both the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook rating which was conducted by magazine and yearbook staff as well as a poll of NCAA Division I coaches that was organized by Inside Lacrosse/Yearbook.
The polls have similar standings for Carolina and many of the Top 10 teams but there are slight differences. Carolina returns a large contingent of players from last year's team which finished 10-6 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. The Tar Heels were seeded No. 8 in last year's NCAA Tournament but fell in first round play.
Key losses for the Tar Heels included All-America attackman Billy Bitter and All-America defenseman Ryan Flanagan as well as defensive midfielders Michael Burns and Chris Hunt and goalkeeper Chris Madalon. The rest of the Tar Heel team returns and UNC's added the nation's No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the fall. Several key players will also return after missing 2011 with injuries and Carolina has also added a pair of outstanding transfers.
How all this shakes out on the field is yet to be determined. Defending NCAA champion Virginia tops both polls and is followed by Duke whcih won the 2011 ACC regular season championship. 2011 NCAA finalist and ACC Tournament champion Maryland was given less respect by the voters as the Terrapins clock in at No. 8.
The 2012 Tar Heels' schedule includes much of the preseason Top 20 with matches slated against No. 1 Virginia, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Johns Hopkins, No. 8 Maryland, No. 12 Hofstra, No. 16 Penn, No. 17 Princeton and No. 19 Penn State.
Face-Off Yearbook Top 20: 1. Virginia 2. Duke 3. Cornell 4. Johns Hopkins 5. Denver 6. North Carolina 7. Syracuse 8. Maryland 9. Notre Dame 10. Villanova 11. Hofstra 12. UMass 13. Yale 14. Penn 15. Bucknell 16. Princeton 17. Drexel 18. Colgate 19. Harvard 20. Penn State.
Coaches' Top 20: 1. Virginia 2. Duke 3. Johns Hopkins 4. Syracuse 5. Cornell 6. North Carolina 7. Denver 8. Maryland 9. Notre Dame 10. Bucknell 11. Villanova 12. Hofstra 13. Harvard 14. UMass 15. Delaware 16. Penn 17. Princeton 18. Yale 19. Penn State 20. Colgate.
