Men's Lacrosse Jumps to No. 5 in Latest Lacrosse Magazine Ledger

4/13/2015 1:50:00 PM

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Apr. 13, 2015) - 48 hours after earning a much-needed victory over conference and Boulevard rival NYIT, the LIU Post men's lacrosse team was rewarded with the No. 5 space in the latest Nike/Division II men's lacrosse poll. Despite the triumph, the Pioneers remained at No. 7 in the most recent USILA rankings.

The Pioneers (10-2, 6-0 ECC) knocked off the then-No. 4 Bears 12-10 on Saturday (Apr. 11) in front of a raucous home crowd at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. Junior attacker Ryan Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) shined on what was "Senior Day" for the green and gold, scoring three goals and collecting two assists for a five-point day. The outing brings Slane's career totals in the month of April to 29 points (20G, 9A). Junior attackman Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) had a hat trick on seven shots, and senior face-off specialist Dan Jeannotte (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) continued his dominance in that statistic, winning 15-of-22 draws against NYIT. Junior goalie Adam Winne (Ridgefield, Conn.) made five saves, including four key stops in the second half to preserve the win.

LIU Post's victory was one of several results over the weekend that shook up the USILA and Nike/LM rankings. In both polls, Le Moyne is the new No. 1, leapfrogging two positions to claim bragging rights for this week. The Dolphins improved to 11-1 with a 14-10 victory over Adelphi at Motamed Field in Garden City, N.Y. Previously-ranked No. 1 Lake Erie lost a heartbreaking 12-11 decision to Seton Hill, causing them to fall two places to third, while Limestone maintained a second-overall ranking. Merrimack--- which has a win over the Pioneers this season---rose to the fourth overall spot in both polls, but the discrepancy comes at the No. 5 ranking. LIU Post holds the spot in the Nike/LM poll, while the USILA ledger slots Adelphi and Seton Hill in a tie for fifth.

Seton Hill ranks sixth with NYIT closely behind the Griffins, and Adelphi, Mercy and Tampa round out the top-10 in the Nike/Lacrosse Magazine ballot. In the USILA poll, LIU Post holds the seventh spot, while NYIT, Tampa and Mercy complete the poll's top-10.

Head Coach John Jez and the LIU Post men's lacrosse team will travel to Suffolk County on Saturday (Apr. 18) for an ECC Championship rematch with Dowling. The opening face-off between the Pioneers and Golden Lions is set for 1 p.m.

2015 USILA Division II Poll - Apr. 13, 2015
1. Le Moyne (Six First-Place Votes) - 158 Points
2. Limestone (Three First-Place Votes) - 155 Points
3. Lake Erie (Two First-Place Votes) - 139 Points
4. Merrimack - 132 Points
T-5. Adelphi - 109 Points
T-5. Seton Hill - 109 Points
7. LIU Post - 108 Points
8. NYIT - 99 Points
9. Tampa - 77 Points
10. Mercy - 63 Points
11. Molloy - 49 Points
12. Pfeiffer - 38 Points
13. Mercyhurst - 24 Points
14. Florida Tech - 23 Points
15. Mount Olive - 18 Points

Receiving Votes: Belmont Abbey, Catawba, Coker, Franklin Pierce, Lindenwood (Mo.), Wheeling Jesuit

2015 Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Division II Poll - Apr. 13, 2015
1. Le Moyne
2. Limestone
3. Lake Erie
4. Merrimack
5. LIU Post
6. Seton Hill
7. NYIT
8. Adelphi
9. Tampa
10. Mercy
11. Pfeiffer
12. Molloy
13. Florida Tech
14. Mount Olive
15. Mercyhurst