UMass, Hofstra Appearing in Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Poll
Bill Potter
RICHMOND, Va. (Jan. 7, 2021) – In its initial rankings ahead of the 2021 season,
US Lacrosse magazine recognized both UMass and Hofstra in its 2021 Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Division I Men's Preseason Top 20 poll.
UMass earned a No. 14 ranking, while Hofstra was among the seven programs considered for the top 20.
Massachusetts finished its abbreviated 2020 season with a 5-2 record, which included four consecutive wins to end the season. The victories included at home over No. 1 Yale - the first win over the top-ranked team in the nation in program history - and on the road at No. 12 Ohio State. The Minutemen will welcome back its top six scorers from a season ago along with goalie Matt Knote, who made 81 saves in seven games.
Hofstra returns a talented core of players across the field for the upcoming 2021 season. Four of the top five scorers will suit up again this coming season, including 2020 Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American Ryan Tierney, who scored 35 points on 21 goals and 14 assists last season. Tierney has played in 49 games during his illustrious Hofstra career and totaled 121 goals and 65 assists for 186 points, placing him third for goals in a career at Hofstra and fifth in career points.
Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Top 20
1. Duke
2. Syracuse
3. Maryland
4. Penn State
5. Virginia
6. North Carolina
7. Denver
8. Yale
9. Cornell
10. Notre Dame
11. Georgetown
12. Ohio State
13. Loyola
14. UMass
15. Army
16. Lehigh
17. Richmond
18. Penn
19. Rutgers
20. Johns Hopkins
Also considered (alphabetical order): Albany, Brown, Bucknell,
Hofstra, Navy, Providence, Villanova