BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Vermont men's lacrosse team moved into the top-20 national rankings following its 15-3 win over Holy Cross on Saturday (Feb. 17) and its 4-0 start to the season.
 
The Catamounts rank 17th in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and 20th in the USILA Nike Coaches Poll.
 
RELATED LINKS
Inside Lacrosse Poll
USILA Coaches Poll
 
UVM cracks the USILA top-20 for just the fourth time in program history and the first time since the 1994 season. Vermont spent two weeks in the rankings during its 4-0 start in the 1994 season, eventually falling out of the rankings with a loss to Delaware.
 
The program had reached the top-20 the previous year in the heart of a seven-game winning streak which included victories over Hartford, St. John's, and Dartmouth. A pair of losses to Harvard and Delaware knocked Vermont out of the national rankings.
 
The program's first ever top-20 ranking came in the 1991 season. The Catamounts earned the final spot following a win over Hartford in early April. UVM defeated Providence the next weekend before falling to Division III powerhouse Bowdoin.
 
Vermont has outscored opponents 50-17 to this point of the season, The Catamounts have the second best scoring defense nationally and the top-ranked defense among teams who have played more than one game.
 
Albany is ranked second in both polls as the only other America East representative in either poll.
 
UVM looks to begin the season with five straight wins with a trip to Quinnipiac this Saturday (Feb. 24).