Indiana was the class of the Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference Division I membership last spring, advancing to the 2018 MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour, and the Hoosiers are favored to repeat the feat, according to the preseason coaches poll released on Friday.
Indiana (10-3), which put a square in top-ranked Chapman in the first round of last year’s tournament, took home four of the 10 first-place votes to stay well clear of second place Minnesota (8-7).
The Golden Gophers, who return to the UMLC after a two-year stint with the now-defunct CCLA, grabbed six first place votes, but were still slotted second behind Indiana.
Missouri (6-8) and Purdue (5-11) round out the top four.
2019 UMLC Division I Preseason Coaches Poll
PLACE TEAM POINTS 1st VOTES
1. Indiana 95 4
2. Minnesota 145 6
3. Missouri 185
4. Purdue 200
5. Oakland 280
6. Kansas 315
7. Iowa State 320
8. Illinois State 365
9. Illinois 385
10. Nebraska 460
2019 UMLC Division II Preseason Coaches Poll
Defending MCLA Division II national champion North Dakota State has been selected as the favorites to win the Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (UMLC) Division II title this spring, according to the preseason coaches poll released Tuesday.
The Bison (12-2), which have never won the UMLC title, were the unanimous choice in the six-team league, leaving them well clear of St. Thomas (15-2) in second place.
NDSU lost to the Tommies in the UMLC championship game in ’18, 11-7, but bounced back to down UST in the national title game, 8-7, in double overtime.
Minn.-Duluth (12-6), which lost to NDSU in the national semifinals, was placed in the third chair while Grand Valley State (8-5) and St. John’s (10-6) tied for fourth.
GVSU defeated the Johnnies in the quarterfinals at nationals before falling to St. Thomas in the semifinals.
Dayton (4-7), which also qualified for nationals, rounded out the field.
1. North Dakota State 30 6
2. St. Thomas 70
3. Minn.-Duluth 95
4t. Grand Valley State 130
4t. St. John’s 130
6. Dayton 175
