Diplomats Ranked 25th in 2003 Inside Lacrosse Pre-Season Men's Lacrosse Poll

by Sports Information
1/12/03

LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall College ranks 25th in the 2003 Inside Lacrosse Division III men's lacrosse pre-season poll.

The 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference South Region Champions, the Diplomats finished the year 9-7, 3-3 in Centennial Conference (CC) play. In the CC playoffs, F&M fell by a 7-6 final in the semifinals at then #1 nationally ranked and NCAA Championship runner-up Gettysburg College.

Overall, F&M's season record marked the program's second winning season since a 9-4 finish in 1996, a year in which the Diplomats placed ninth in the final national poll. The 2001 Diplomats also finished 9-7, 3-3 in Conference play.

In the ECAC South Region title game, Franklin & Marshall routed the University of Scranton 18-3 as the Diplomats advanced to the post-season for the second time since a 15-9 loss in the 1995 NCAA Quarterfinals. In addition, it marked the second time in the 45-year history of the sport at Franklin & Marshall College, that the men's lacrosse program earned a bid to the ECAC playoffs and the first post-season championship since claiming the Middle Atlantic Conference title in 1990.

This year, Franklin and Marshall will look to co-captains and midfielders Jon Singer (Sr., Reisterstown, MD/Boy's Latin) and Chad Tyler (Sr., Newtonville, NY/Western Reserve) to lead the team back to the Centennial Conference Championship and the NCAA playoffs.

A 2001 Honorable Mention and 2002 Second Team All-Centennial Conference selection, 2002 marked the second year Singer led the Diplomats in goals scored as he recorded 27 as a sophomore and 24 last year. In addition, he chipped in 10 assists for 34 points to raise his career numbers to 66-25-91, 34 goals short of surpassing Paul Friedman '75 (99) for eighth in goals scored in F&M program history.

Tyler added 1-5-6 in 2002 for 10-8-18 in his career.

Overall, F&M is one of three Centennial Conference teams ranked in the Top 25 as Gettysburg is second and CC Championship runner-up Washington is third. Swarthmore (34) and Dickinson (53) round out the nine-team conference's representation in the national poll as five teams are ranked.

Historically, the men's lacrosse program is one of the strongest in NCAA Division III as F&M has registered nine conference championships in the last thirty years with a 46-year record of 302-297.

2003 Inside Lacrosse Division III Men's Lacrosse Pre-Season Poll
1. Middlebury (64) 18-1 1,877
2. Gettysburg (9) 17-2 1,801
3. Washington 13-4 1,550
4. Salisbury (1) 13-5 1,549
5. Cortland (2) 16-3 1,540
6. Washington & Lee 14-4 1,528
7. Ithaca (1) 11-5 1,399
8. Hampden-Sydney 13-3 1, 250
9. Whittier 12-1 1, 244
10. Nazareth 9-5 1,156
11. McDaniel 12-2 885
12. Ohio Wesleyan 9-5 779
13. Lynchburg 11-4 773
14. Bowdoin 11-4 772
15. RIT 8-6 635
16. E. Conn. St. 13-3 614
17. Clarkson 11-2 595
18. Denison 12-2 581
19. Oneonta 13-5 522
20. Hartwick 9-5 497

Also receiving votes: Colby 445, Springfield 356, St. Lawrence 300, Roanoke 275, F&M 251, Amherst 137, Western New England 132, RPI 100, Widener 94, Geneseo 83, Cabrini 74, Williams 74, New England College 54, Swarthmore 48, Hamilton 46, Stevens Tech 46, Colorado 45, Alfred 40, Tufts 38, Bates 30, St. Mary's 29, Wesleyan 27, Wheaton 23, Conn. College 21, Lycoming 21, Mary Washington 20, Oswego 18, Messiah 17, Goucher 13, Elmira 9, Potsdam 6, Roger Williams 6, Dickinson 5, Merchant Marine 5, Villa Julie 5, Endicott 4, Guilford 4, Virginia Wesleyan 3, Plattsburgh 2, Gordon 1, Marymount 1, Wittenburg 1, Wooster 1.