Junior attackman Brian Hubschmann and the Irish open the season Sunday against Penn State in a battle of top-25 squads.

Notre Dame Ranked Among Top 11 in All Three Major Preseason Polls

Feb. 23, 2005

The University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team, which opens the 2005 campaign this Sunday at #18 Penn State (1-0) at 1 p.m. (EST), has seen the last portion of the offseason highlighted by its being ranked among the top 11 teams in the nation in all three major preseason polls. The Irish, who return 17 monogram winners and six starters from last year’s squad that finished 7-5 and ranked 12th, are 10th in both of the Inside Lacrosse polls (one done by coaches voting and one by media), as well as 11th in the Lacrosse magazine rankings.

The first preseason poll released was that accompanying the annual Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook, which is compiled from surveys filled out by each of the 56 Division I head coaches. That listing saw the Irish round out the top 10 with 746 points, 72 behind #9 Cornell (ND and the Big Red will meet on March 5 in Ithaca, N.Y.) and 32 ahead of 11th-ranked Towson. All of Notre Dame’s 11 opponents this season – #7 North Carolina, #9 Cornell, #14 Ohio State, #21 Penn State, #22 Villanova, #23 Dartmouth, #24 Denver, #25 Hofstra, Fairfield (listed 33rd), Air Force (listed 34th), and Butler (listed 36th) – are either ranked or receiving votes in that listing.

The Face-Off Yearbook also picked Notre Dame to win the Great Western Lacrosse League, based on the voting of conference head coaches. The Irish, who were second last year with a 4-1 record, were followed by Denver, defending champion Ohio State, Air Force, Fairfield, and Butler.

Inside Lacrosse does not publish a coaches poll during the season, instead releasing only a media poll every Monday. The first of those was announced this week, and Notre Dame also came in 10th, with 225 points, 19 behind ninth-ranked Cornell and seven in front of #11 Rutgers. The Irish finished 11th in that poll following the 2004 NCAA tournament, but they moved ahead of the Big Red (8th in final ’04 poll), Ohio State (10th in final ’04, 17th in preseason ’05), and Towson (9th in final ’04, 12th in preseason ’05), though Virginia (17th in final ’04 poll, 8th in preseason ’05) passed Notre Dame. In all, six Irish opponents – #6 North Carolina, #9 Cornell, #17 Ohio State, #22 Penn State, #23 Hofstra, and #24 Denver – are ranked, and Villanova is the first team outside the top 25.

In the Lacrosse magazine poll, the Irish are 11th, with Rutgers taking up the final spot in the top 10 and Army ranked 12th. The rankings, which only feature 20 teams, include five 2005 ND opponents: #5 North Carolina, #9 Cornell, #16 Ohio State, #17 Denver, and #18 Penn State.

The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) does not release a poll in the preseason nor after the NCAA Championship. Notre Dame ended the 2004 regular season 12th in that listing, and the first ’05 poll will come out on March 7, after the Irish have played two games.