BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 27, 2016) - On Tuesday, the LIU Post men's lacrosse team was slotted at No. 9 in the 2017 Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Division II Preseason Poll.

The Pioneers are coming off a 12-4 season that saw them earn their fourth-consecutive East Coast Conference Championship and NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.

The green and gold will battle five teams ranked in the Top-15 in 2017. They are slated to face No. 2 Merrimack (Feb. 18), No. 5 NYIT (Apr. 1), No. 8 Adelphi (Feb. 25), No. 10 Mercy (Apr. 12) and No. 14 Chestnut Hill (Mar. 11).

The Pioneers return five of their 10 All-East Coast Conference selections from last year, including first-team honoree Anthony Galeotafiore (Wantagh, N.Y.).

Galeotafiore had the top face-off winning percentage in the ECC in 2016, boasting a 67.0 success rate (207-of-309). He also won double-digit draws in 13 of his 16 games, and scooped up a league-leading 128 ground balls in the process.

Head Coach John Jez and his LIU Post squad open the 2017 campaign on Friday, Feb. 3, when they take on Saint Leo University in a non-conference showdown at 7 p.m. in Saint Leo, Fla.

2017 Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Preseason Top-15
1. Le Moyne
2. Merrimack
3. Limestone
4. Tampa
5. NYIT
6. Seton Hill
7. Mercyhurst
8. Adelphi
9. LIU Post
10. Mercy
11. Mount Olive
12. Belmont Abbey
13. Lake Erie
14. Chestnut Hill
15. Indianapolis