Stevens Men’s Lacrosse to Begin Season Ranked Seventh in USILA Poll
Justin Lutes
PERRY, N.Y. – The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s lacrosse team will start the 2013 season ranked seventh in the nation according to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Preseason Coaches Top 20 Poll. Throughout the 16-game regular season, Stevens will square off against three school ranked in the top 20 and three other who are receiving votes.
The Ducks won a program-record 17 victories last season with a 6-1 mark in the Empire 8 Conference. en Stevens claimed its first-ever conference crown in 2012 and earned a trip to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship.
Reigning Empire 8 Coach of the Year,
Gene Peluso, returns six all-conference honorees and the Empire 8 Player of the Year in senior
Rich Dupras (Hillsborough, N.J.). Dupras became the first Stevens men's lacrosse player to earn USILA First-Team All-America recognition last season with 52 goals and 32 assists for 84 points in 18 games played. His 52 tallies were the fourth-most in the program's 127-year history, while the 84 points scored were third. Dupras was listed on the LaxMagazine.com Preseason Player of the Year poll and finished third in voting.
Honorable Mention All-America senior
Nicolas Philippi (Mullica Hill, N.J.) will also be back on the field for Stevens in 2013 after a 55-point season as a junior. Philippi ranked fourth in points (55) and goals (37) in 2012 and was named second-team all-conference.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Matthew Deiner (Millstone Twp., N.J.) returns in the pipes for the Ducks after a breakout freshman campaign. Deiner was an honorable mention selection to the Empire 8 and is on the LaxAllStars.com Player to Watch list this season. He posted a 5-1 record last season with a .570 save percentage in 15 contests played.
The Ducks begin their season on February 20 at the United States Merchant Marine Academy for a 7 p.m. start and will entertain Endicott College four days later for their home opener beginning at 12 p.m.
Endicott is one of the three institutions receiving votes on Stevens’ slate this season, along with Ithaca College and Eastern Connecticut State University. The Ducks have No. 2 SUNY Cortland, No. 4 Tufts University and 14th-ranked Springfield College on their schedule as well for 2013.
Stevens travels to Springfield on March 2 at 1 p.m. Cortland and Tufts will see the Ducks in back-to-back games on March 13 and 16, respectively. Stevens takes on the Red Dragons on a neutral field in Virginia Beach, Va., while the Jumbos will return to Hoboken for the second-straight season.
2013 USILA Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
|
1. |
Salisbury |
333(12) |
|
2. |
Cortland |
322(4) |
|
3. |
Stevenson |
310(1) |
|
4. |
Tufts |
283 |
|
5. |
Cabrini |
247 |
|
6. |
RIT |
245 |
|
7. |
Stevens |
230 |
|
8. |
Dickinson |
219 |
|
9. |
Lynchburg |
218 |
|
10. |
Denison |
183 |
|
11. |
Roanoke |
172 |
|
12. |
W. New England |
130 |
|
13. |
Union |
123 |
|
14. |
Springfield |
108 |
|
15. |
Washington College |
100 |
|
16. |
Gettysburg |
87 |
|
17. |
Bowdoin |
77 |
|
18. |
Trinity |
59 |
|
19. |
Connecticut College |
39 |
|
20. |
St. Lawrence |
31 |