Va. Tech Expected to Repeat in SELC
ATLANTA -- After posting an 18-1 season and advancing to the national semifinals, Virgniia Tech has been voted the team to beat in SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference Division I, according to the league's preseason coaches poll. The Hokies were an overtime goal against Colorado from playing in their first MCLA championship game.
Liberty has been selected as the team with the best chance to unseat Virginia Tech, as they are just six points back in the poll. Georgia Tech, which qualified for the nationals as an at-large selection last year, is in third, followed by Florida State and South Carolina in a tie for fourth.
In the SELC divisional rankings, Virginia Tech held just a two-point advantage over Liberty in the Northwest while South Carolina was comfortably atop the Northeast, with a 20-vote point margin between the Gamecocks and NC State. Florida State was in complete control of the Southeast (19-point bulge over both Florida and Central Florida) and Georgia Tech took the Southwest by eight points over rival Georgia.
2016 SELC Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank | Team | Points |
1. | Virginia Tech | 18 |
2. | Liberty | 24 |
3. | Georgia Tech | 46 |
4t. | Florida State | 56 |
4t. | South Carolina | 56 |
6. | Georgia | 83 |
7. | Florida | 100 |
8. | Central Florida | 110 |
9. | NC State | 124 |
10 | Tennessee | 138 |
11t. | Auburn | 148 |
11t. | Clemson | 148 |
13. | Elon | 161 |
14. | Alabama | 174 |
15. | East Carolina | 177 |
16. | George Washington | 185 |
17t. | Miami | 189 |
17t. | Mississippi | 189 |
19. | West Virginia | 214 |
20t. | South Florida | 220 |
20t. | Vanderbilt | 220 |
22. | Kentucky | 255 |