COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus College is ranked 15th in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division III preseason coaches' poll.
The Bears garnered 102 points in a sampling of Division III head coaches, who made Salisbury the favorite with 354 points and three first-place votes. Amherst (337 points, 2 first-place votes), Cabrini (332, 9), and Williams (329, 6) all collected multiple first-place ballots, with RIT and Tufts tied to round out the top-5.
The Bears enter the 2020 campaign with a much higher set of expectations than they did a year ago, when they were picked eighth in the Centennial Conference preseason projections but shocked the lacrosse world on the way to their first conference title. Ursinus hosted an NCAA Tournament contest for the first time in program history, falling in overtime to Springfield in the second round.
Ursinus is one of four CC squads to earn a ranking in the USILA poll, joining No. 9 Gettysburg, No. 12 Franklin & Marshall, and No. 19 Dickinson. The Bears opening opponent, Stevenson, is slotted No. 18, and Ursinus will also face three teams who received votes – Christopher Newport, Illinois Wesleyan, and Stockton – during the regular season.