ROCHESTER, N.Y. (February 19, 2009) – Late Wednesday, it was announced that the Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team was selected to finish second in the Empire 8 this season. Ithaca College, which finished 17-3 a season ago and advanced to the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship semifinals, was the choice of the conference's coaches to repeat as the Empire 8 men's lacrosse champion. Stevens went 6-2 in its first season in the Empire 8 and lost in the conference tournament semifinals, returns a strong nucleus in 2009 and is ranked No. 11 in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Top-20.

Stevens received two first-place votes in the poll and Ithaca received the other seven as the Ducks received 55 points in the poll compared to the Bombers' 63. Stevens had several players earn preseason honors from Inside Lacrosse. Senior J.R. Oreskovich (San Diego, Calif.) was named the Preseason Attackman of the Year and a preseason All-American, and sophomore goalkeeper Dave Decker (Califon, N.J.) was named second-team preseason All-American. In addition, senior attack/midfield Matt Keating (Chatham, N.J.) was a preseason honorable mention All-American. In addition to these three players, Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Byron Collins (Succasunna, N.J.) will lean heavily on the leadership of senior captain Alex Heckman (Sparta, N.J.) and junior captain Bobby Steinhauser (Boonton Township, N.J.).

Ithaca set a school record last season for wins and are ranked seventh in Lacrosse Magazine's preseason national poll and 13th in Inside Lacrosse's poll. Senior defender Neth Weidemann (Dallas, Texas), a two-time All-American and one of five selections to last year's United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-America Team, was named a first-team preseason All-American. Senior defender Michael Serron (Canandaigua, N.Y.), who started all 20 games in his first season at Ithaca after transferring from Monroe Community College, was named a third-team preseason All-American.

Rochester Institute of Technology, which won five consecutive games en route to the conference championship game, is the coaches' third choice in the preseason conference poll. The Tigers advanced to the ECAC Upstate Championship final in 2008 and knocked off the Ducks in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

St. John Fisher College, who played one- or two-goal games in six of eight conference games (posting a 4-2 mark in those games) in 2008, was picked to finish fourth in the poll.

Rounding out the bottom half of the poll is Nazareth College in fifth, Hartwick College in sixth, Utica College, Alfred University, and Elmira College.

2009 Empire 8 Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Ithaca College (63 points)
2. Stevens Institute of Technology (55)
3. Rochester Institute of Technology (47)
4. St. John Fisher College (41)
5. Nazareth College (40)
6. Hartwick College (29)
7. Utica College (23)
8. Alfred University (14)
9. Elmira College (11)

2009-02-19