Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 12/30/11
From US Lacrosse

Lacrosse Magazine, the flagship publication of US Lacrosse, announced its 2012 preseason college team rankings and preseason players of the year.

The rankings, compiled by Lacrosse Magazine staff after consultations with coaches, predict the champions of 12 divisions of college play, including the NCAA, the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association, the US Lacrosse Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates and the National Junior College Athletic Association.

The magazine tabbed defending NCAA Division I champions Virginia men and Northwestern women to repeat in 2012, alongside defending Division II men’s champion Mercyhurst and Division III champions Salisbury men and Gettysburg women. Le Moyne earned the preseason No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division II women.

Lacrosse Magazine also honored 12 student-athletes as the best lacrosse players in their respective divisions, including 2011 women’s Tewaaraton Award winner Shannon Smith of Northwestern and men’s award finalist Rob Pannell of Cornell.

The rankings and preseason honorees appear below and are profiled in the January issue of Lacrosse Magazine. Expanded college previews will run in the February issue. Lacrosse Magazine’s Internet home, LaxMagazine.com, will have more coverage of the players and teams featured in January and throughout the 2012 college season.

NCAA Division I Men

1. Virginia
2. Duke
3. Johns Hopkins
4. Cornell
5. Denver
6. North Carolina
7. Maryland
8. Syracuse
9. Notre Dame
10. Villanova
11. Harvard
12. Massachusetts
13. Princeton
14. Penn State
15. Penn
16. Bucknell
17. Yale
18. Hofstra
19. Loyola
20. Ohio State

Preseason Player of the Year: Rob Pannell, Cornell

NCAA Division II Men

1. Mercyhurst
2. Adelphi
3. Limestone
4. C.W. Post
5. Le Moyne
6. Dowling
7. NYIT
8. Mercy
9. Merrimack
10. Pfeiffer

Preseason Player of the Year: Shayne Jackson, Limestone

NCAA Division III Men

1. Salisbury
2. Tufts
3. Roanoke
4. Dickinson
5. RIT
6. Cortland
7. Stevenson
8. Amherst
9. Stevens
10. Middlebury
11. Denison
12. Gettysburg
13. Union
14. Endicott
15. Lynchburg
16. Cabrini
17. Nazareth
18. Haverford College
19. RPI
20. Trinity

Preseason Player of the Year: Sam Bradman, Salisbury