Centennial Conference Preseason Poll
Centennial Conference Team-by-Team Preview
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Centennial Conference released its annual men's lacrosse preseason poll with Haverford being picked to finish seventh in a voting of the conference's head coaches. Haverford, who has come within a single goal of the Centennial Conference playoffs during each of the past two seasons, received 24 voting points in the poll.
Haverford will certainly have an experienced lineup for 2018 as the 13 seniors and 12 juniors represent the two largest classes on the roster. The Fords graduated just three players from last year's team, including 2017 Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year PJ Jackson '17. Haverford returns eight different players who have started at least 10 games during their collegiate careers and a total of 18 players who have played on the top line at some point during their time at Haverford.
In the attacking end, the Fords return each of their top seven point producers from a season ago. Juniors Ben Frost (23 goals, three assists) and Stephan DeLeo (15 goals, seven assists), along with senior Isaac Krier (16 goals, eight assists), all return after eclipsing the 20 point mark in 2017.
Looking at the defensive end, junior Dylan Slack is the incumbent in the crease after starting all 15 games last year and allowing just 8.34 goals per game during that time. Outside of PJ Jackson, who led the Fords in both ground balls and caused turnovers en route to his all-conference and All-American accolades, Haverford returns the rest of its top 10 producers in those categories to the 2018 roster.
The Fords have gone 7-8 overall with a 3-5 record against Centennial Conference schools during each of the past two seasons. Highlighting last year's victories was a win over then-No. 19 Ursinus by a 9-8 score in overtime.
Men's lacrosse, in its second season under head coach Brendan Dawson, will start its 2018 campaign this Saturday, February 17 at 1 p.m. on Swan Field against No. 7 Cabrini. The Centennial Conference schedule opens up on Saturday, March 24 when Haverford travels to McDaniel.