BOSTON – The America East Conference unveiled its preseason coaches' poll today ahead of the fast-approaching 2022 season.
The defending champion Vermont Catamounts collected 36 points and all six possible first-place votes to earn the top spot in the preseason poll. It is the second time in program history the Cats have been picked first in the poll – the other prior to the 2020 season.
RELATED LINKS
America East Release | 2022 Schedule
Spots two-through-four were separated by just two points as Stony Brook was picked second with 27 points followed closely by UAlbany with 26 and UMBC with 25. The Retrievers received the poll's lone remaining first-place vote.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
After being picked fourth last season, Vermont finished with a 9-5 record and won a share of the league's regular season title before winning the tournament title for the first time. The Cats made their NCAA Tournament debut taking on Maryland in College Park last May.
The 2022 Catamounts feature plenty of familiar faces including the top nine scorers from 2021 highlighted by All-American midfielder
Thomas McConvey and fellow all-conference standouts
David Closterman,
Liam Limoges and
Michael McCormack. All-American faceoff specialist
Tommy Burke is back after setting every single-season program faceoff record last spring and All-New England goalkeeper
Ryan Cornell returns for his second full season between the pipes. Additionally,
Will Jones and
Tim Manning anchor a close defense unit that is bolstered by the return of
Jackson Canfield.
Vermont's 2022 roster is comprised of 50 players from 17 different states, two Canadian provinces and Germany. Nine first-year players join 40 returners and a transfer from Stony Brook.
UVM, ranked No. 17 in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Media Poll, opens the season at No. 3 Duke on Feb. 6. The Cats play at Virtue Field for the first time since last May when Utah pays a visit to Burlington on Feb. 12.
| No. |
School |
Points (1st Place Votes |
| 1. |
Vermont |
36 (6) |
| 2. |
Stony Brook |
27 |
| 3. |
UAlbany |
26 |
| 4. |
UMBC |
25 (1) |
| 5. |
Binghamton |
15 |
| 6. |
NJIT |
11 |
| 7. |
UMass Lowell |
7 |
