BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott men's lacrosse team has been picked to finish second overall in the 2018 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) preseason coaches' poll, as voted upon by the league's nine head coaches. Endicott will enter the 2018 season as the defending CCC champions.
Meanwhile, Western New England University was tabbed to win the CCC for the third year in a row as the Golden Bears received 77 votes, including five first-place votes. Endicott wasn't far behind in the poll with 75 points (four first-place votes), while the University of New England was ranked third (62 points), Roger Williams fourth (53), and Curry fifth (45).
Nichols (31), Salve Regina (29), Wentworth (22), and Gordon (11) rounded out the rest of the poll.
The Gulls will look to repeat as conference champions in 2018 behind the strong play and leadership of reigning CCC Short-Stick Specialist of the Year Hayden Souza (West Hartford, Conn.) and All-CCC Third Team selection and goalie Grant Thompson (South Hamilton, Mass.). The Gulls will also rely on All-CCC Second Team honoree Grant Garrity (Duxbury, Mass.), Will Clark (Burnt Hills, N.Y.), Matthew Faucher (Western Springs, Ill.), A.J. MacDonald (New Fairfield, Conn.), Cole McGarrigle (Norwell, Mass.), Joshua Heidrick (Littleton, Colo.), Charles Goulburn (Basking Ridge, N.J.), and Colin Fahey (Boxford, Mass.).
Endicott will prepare for its CCC title defense by playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country with games against the likes of Stevens Institute of Technology, Union (N.Y.), Bowdoin, Springfield, Amherst, Bates, Tufts, and Middlebury.
The Gulls' non-conference schedule alone boasts a group of teams that went 95-44 (.683), while Bates advanced as far as the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Meanwhile, Springfield, Amherst, and Tufts all advanced to the Second Round or further in the NCAA Tournament in 2017 as well.
2018 CCC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
1) Western New England - 77 (5)
2) Endicott - 75 (4)
3) University of New England - 62
4) Roger Williams - 53
5) Curry - 45
6) Nichols - 31
7) Salve Regina - 29
8) Wentworth - 22
9) Gordon - 11
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)