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MEN'S LAX PICKED TO WIN NAC IN PRE-SEASON RANKINGS
Six-time defending champion Mount Ida College has been chosen as the preseason favorite of the North Atlantic Conference in a vote conducted by the league's coaches. The Mustangs, who received eight first place votes and 98 total points, return seven starters including first-team all-conference honoree and team MVP Matthew Savage (Peabody, MA/Peabody) who scored a league-leading 36 goals in conference play last season.
The Mustangs and eight year Head Coach Andrew Fink, will look to continue their dominance in conference play heading into this year with a 45-1 overall NAC record through the past six years after losing their first league bid last year since joining the conference back in 2004.
Last season, Mount Ida faced a handful of tough non-conference opponents (E. Connecticut State University, Amherst College, Kean University, Tufts University, Babson College, and Springfield College) to beef up their schedule and get familiar with a very high caliber of play for the future of the program. The Mustangs snatched their first big non-conference win of the season against Pilgrim League member Babson College in an 8-7 nail biter.
After dropping their first ever conference loss in six seasons at the hands of league rival Castleton State College (14-11) on March 28, 2009, the Mustangs traveled up to see the Spartans competing for their sixth straight NAC championship bout between the squads since Mount Ida joined the conference in 2004. The Mustangs ultimately captured their sixth NAC title in as many years winning 25-9 behind a nine goal performance by alumnus Leo Shidler (Peabody, MA/Peabody).
This season, the test gets even tougher for the Mustangs, who will face another difficult schedule with strong non-conference competition throughout the year (Kean University, W. Connecticut State University, Amherst College, and E. Connecticut State University, and Babson College).
Castleton, who last year became the first team to defeat Mount Ida in conference play, received two first place votes and 91 total points. The Spartans also return their team MVP senior middie Jake Rick, a first team all-conference selection last season.
