Centennial Conference Preseason Poll
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's lacrosse team made the Centennial Conference Tournament a season ago after being picked seventh in the conference's preseason coaches' poll. This year, the Fords have been picked for a fifth place finish as they garnered 34 points in the voting of the conference's head coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Gettysburg received six of the nine first-place votes and was tabbed as the preseason favorite. Dickinson and Franklin & Marshall also received first-place votes to finish second and third in the poll. Washington College edged out Haverford for the fourth spot in the preseason ranking with 38 voting points.
Haverford's playoff appearance in 2018 marked the program's first since the 2011 season which at the time capped a run of six straight conference playoff appearances. The Fords closed the 2018 regular season by winning three of their final four Centennial Conference matchups. A 7-6 victory at Swarthmore on the final day of the regular season ultimately punched Haverford's ticket into the Centennial Conference Tournament. During the conference semifinals, the Fords gave top-seeded Gettysburg all it could handle in a 7-5 contest, ending the year with a 7-8 overall record. Haverford finished 2018 with a 4-4 mark in conference action.
The Fords return 11 players who have started at least five games at some point during their respective careers. That group includes returning second-team All-CC goalie Dylan Slack, along with honorable mention All-CC middie and 2018 Centennial Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Ben Frost. In total, eight of the Fords' 12 goal scorers from a season ago return to the 2019 squad. The 2019 season will be head coach Nick Taylor's first season leading the Fords after he took Arcadia to new heights as a program during his four years with the Knights.
Men's lacrosse begins the 2019 season this Saturday at Cabrini. The Cavaliers are ranked No. 8 in the USILA Preseason Poll. The opening face-off in that contest is slated for 12 p.m. Centennial Conference play begins on Saturday, March 23 when the Fords host McDaniel on Swan Field.