LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall narrowly edged Gettysburg for the top spot in the 2020 Centennial Conference Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll, leading a contingent of four teams that received first-place votes in the annual voting among conference head coaches.
The Diplomats, who finished 7-1 in CC play last year and earned the No. 1 seed in the CC postseason, received four first-place votes and 58 points to secure the top position in the poll. Gettysburg, which also posted a 7-1 conference record last spring and hosted the CC championship game as the No. 2 seed, collected three first-place nods and 56 points to sit just behind the Diplomats in the preseason rankings.
Ursinus and Dickinson each earned one first-place vote and were third and fourth, respectively, in the voting. The defending-CC champion Bears tallied 52 points while Dickinson totaled 46 points.
Muhlenberg ranked fifth with 33 points, followed by Washington College (31), Swarthmore (21), Haverford (19) and McDaniel (8).
The 2020 season begins on Saturday, Feb. 15 with eight of the nine CC teams in action. Conference play opens up on Saturday, March 21. The CC semifinals are slated for Wednesday, Apr. 29 and the CC championship will take place on Saturday, May 2.
2020 Schedule | 2019 Results | 2019 Statistical Leaders | 2019 Championship Results | 2019 All-Centennial Team
The 2019 season was yet another stellar year for Centennial Conference men's lacrosse, as the CC sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament for just the fourth time in conference history. CC champion Ursinus, Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall each earned spots in the national tournament before falling in the second round.
Entering the conference postseason as the No. 4 seed, Ursinus reeled off road wins at top-seeded Franklin & Marshall and second-seeded Gettysburg to claim its first-ever men's lacrosse title last spring. The Bears became the sixth CC team to raise the championship trophy in the 26-year history of Centennial men's lacrosse.
A talented crop of players returns to the field this spring, with 23 players who have received All-Centennial awards throughout their careers back in the fold. Reigning CC Offensive Player of the Year Luke Keating (Jr., A) of F&M headlines the group of returning all-stars, along with teammates Kevin Mollihan (Sr., A), Jarrett Donaghy (Sr., DM), A.J. Rigsby (Jr., M), and Jack Beatty (Jr., F/O).
Gettysburg returns the most All-CC performers of any squad, with 2018 Defensive Player of the Year Mitch Wykoff (Sr., D), Michael McCormick (Sr., M), Andrew Horn (Jr., D), Scott Macmillan (So., GK), Brian Kolen (Sr., A), and Christian Atalesee (Sr., LSM) each back this spring. Ursinus and Muhlenberg each welcome back four all-conference players. Bobby McClure (Sr., A), Evan Scott (Sr., DM), Hakan Atillasoy (Jr., A) and Nolan Sachs (Sr., D) return for the Bears, while James Dalimonte (So., M), Matt Hager (Jr., D), Garrett Pope (Sr., GK) and Ethan Grossman (Jr., A) return for the Mules. Dickinson's Cole Pellicano (Sr., GK) and Nick Goles (Sr., M), Haverford's Ethan Donlon (Jr., GK) and McDaniel's Jakob Katzen (Sr., GK) also return this spring as All-CC performers.
Additionally, 10 CC players earned individual preseason honors on Inside Lacrosse's 2020 Preseason All-America list. Keating and Wykoff led the way as preseason second-team selections, with McCormick and Horn securing third-team nods. Mollihan, Kolen, McClure, Dalimonte, Donaghy, and Macmillian received honorable mention recognition.
Four teams are ranked in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Preseason Poll - tied for the most among Division III conferences. Now into week two of the national polls, Gettysburg (10), Franklin & Marshall (12), Ursinus (15), and Dickinson (19) each remain in the top-20.
2020 Centennial Conference Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
| Rank | Institution (First-Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. Franklin & Marshall (4) | 58 |
| 2. Gettysburg (3) | 56 |
| 3. Ursinus (1) | 52 |
| 4. Dickinson (1) | 46 |
| 5. Muhlenberg | 33 |
| 6. Washington College | 31 |
| 7. Swarthmore | 21 |
| 8. Haverford | 19 |
| 9. McDaniel | 8 |