Men's Lacrosse | 1/23/2017 3:04:00 PM

ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT men's lacrosse team is ranked third in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/Nike Division III Men's Lacrosse Coaches Preseason Poll, and the 2017 Face-off Yearbook Division III Top-20 poll. The Tigers finished with 18 wins in 2016, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the seventh straight season.

Eighth year head coach Jake Coon, the all-time winningest coach in program history, returns a wealth of talent in 2017, including 2016 USILA Division III first-team All-American Ryan Lee (Sharon, Ontario/The Hill Academy), and honorable mention picks Chad Levick (Newmarket, Ontario/The Hill Academy) and Braden Wallace (Oakville, Ontario/Abbey Park).

Lee, a 2017 First Team pre-season All-American, enjoyed another banner year for RIT in 2016. He led the team in scoring with 90 points on 65 goals and 25 assists. He currently sits fourth all time in scoring at the university with 262 career points on 172 goals and 90 assists.  His 172 goals are fourth all time at RIT, while his 90 assists are tenth all time.
 
Wallace returned from injury to played in all 20 games in 2016. He was fourth on the team in scoring with 40 points on 28 goals and 12 assists, all career-highs. A co-captain, he will be counted on to lead the Midfield in 2017.

Levick, a Second Team preseason All-American selection, enjoyed an outstanding season in 2016, finishing second on the team in scoring with 71 points on 52 goals and 19 assists. He tallied a career-high seven goals in the Liberty League Championship game versus Rensselaer on May 8. Levick was a 2015 and 2016 All-Liberty League First Team selection.
 
RIT kicks off the season on Saturday, Feb. 18 with a game at No. 13 Ohio Wesleyan. RIT will play one games at the Carrier Dome on the campus of Syracuse University, versus No. 15 Middlebury on March 28. The Tigers home opener is Saturday, Feb. 25 against No. 12 Stevenson University. In all, RIT faces eight teams ranked in the pre-season coaches poll (No. 4 Ithaca, No. 6 St. Lawrence, No. 9  Amherst, No. 12 Stevenson, No. 13 Ohio Wesleyan, No. 14 Rensselaer, No. 18 SUNY Cortland).

2017 USILA/Nike Division III Men's Lacrosse Coach Preseason Poll:
1) Salisbury (14)
2) Tufts
3) RIT
4) Ithaca
5) Gettysburg
6) St. Lawrence
7) York (Pa.)
8) Cabrini
9) Amherst
10) Denison
11) Bowdoin
12) Stevenson
13) Ohio Wesleyan
14) Rensselaer
15) Middlebury
16) Bates
17) Ursinus
18) SUNY Cortland
19) Wesleyan
20) Washington & Lee