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Alphabetical 2013 NCAA D1 Preview: Albany

We have kicked off our team by team Alphabetical 2013 NCAA D1 Previews with the United States Air Force Academyand now we move one spot down the list to the Albany Great Danes, located in Albany, NY.

Albany went 5-11 in 2012, playing six end of year Top 20 teams, and losing to all six. Albany’s 12-7 loss to Syracuse to open the season was the closest they came to beating a Top 20 team. The Danes’ other five losses were all pretty close, except their 14-8 loss to Stony Brook to close out their year. Their best win of the year came by a 19-8 score over UMBC.

In addition to their America East schedule, Albany plays UMass, Yale, Syracuse, Drexel, Canisisu, Bryant, Bucknell, Siena, AND Johns Hopkins. It’s a very tough OOC schedule to say the least and Albany could play as many as seven Top 20 teams.

Offensively, the Danes should be led by the Thompson trio in Miles, Lyle, and Ty, and once again, we are going to see some absolutely ridiculous stick work from this group. But will it translate to wins in 2013?

Defensively, the Danes will need Edmund Cathers someone, possibly Blaze Riordan (at least according to laxer1231), to have a big year in goal, but surrounding their keeper, the Danes have a lot of options with a longstick, and good number of players with size. The defense returns a good chunk of experience and should see year over year improvement, which just might be the biggest factor in Albany’s success this year. A couple more big defensive stops can change a game, and if they can make it happen, this is a team with some potential.

The Danes could use some improvement at the face off square as well, and there are definitely some holes to fill (most notably 2012 leading scorer, Joe Resetarits), but Albany could have a better 2013 than 2012 if they come together early, and escape their ridiculous early OOC schedule. Win or lose, if you get the chance to watch Albany play, do it. It guarantees to be fun, exciting lacrosse.

For more NCAA D1 Lacrosse coverage, check out Alphabetical 2013 NCAA D1 Preview: Air ForceNCAA D1 Preseason: Ten Players To Watch In 2013Preseason D1 Top 20 Rankings: Teams 1-5Preseason D1 Top 20 Rankings: Teams 6-10Preseason D1 Top 20 Rankings: Teams 11-15, and Preseason D1 Top 20 Rankings: Teams 16-20