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LANCASTER, PA - #11 nationally ranked Franklin & Marshall College is picked to finish third in the Centennial Conference according to the head men's lacrosse coaches in the Conference. F&M received 51 votes to finish five behind runner-up Gettysburg College and nine votes ahead of fourth place McDaniel College. Ranked 11th in the 2004 Lacrosse Magazine Division III men's lacrosse preseason poll, 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 47-year record of 314-301. The Diplomats concluded the 2003 season with a 12-4 record, 6-2 in Centennial Conference play, as Franklin & Marshall finished fifth in the nation, ranked #9 in the final USILA Division III national poll and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament. In the tournament, F&M advanced to the quarterfinals before being defeated by eventual national champion Salisbury University. The NCAA playoff berth marked the third in program history (1988, 1990, and 1995) as the team recorded the program's best record since the 1988 team went 13-3 and advanced to the "Final Four". Out of Conference during the regular season, F&M finished undefeated knocking off Denison (12-7 W), Marymount (17-3 W), Washington & Lee (5-4 W), Randolph Macon (11-6 W) and Goucher (10-6 W) for a perfect 5-0 record as the Diplomats played the 12th toughest schedule in the nation according to the final LaxPower.com Power Rankings. Overall, Franklin & Marshall was the only Centennial Conference school to defeat Washington & Lee last year as Gettysburg and Washington fell by 10-9 and 6-5 finals to the Generals, respectively. Further, the win marked F&M's first over W&L since a 10-9 overtime win at home on Sponaugle-Williamson Field on March 30, 1996. Leading the charge for Franklin & Marshall will be All-Conference goalie Mike Sartorius (Jr., Summit, NJ/Summit). In goal, Sartorius finished fourth in the Centennial Conference in save percentage (58.9%) and goals against average (8.65 gaa) as he has recorded 175 saves with 122 goals allowed in 846 minutes of play to earn All-CC honorable mention honors. Named to the 2002 All-CC second team, Sartorius recorded 208 saves as a freshman, shattering the Conference record for freshman goalie saves of 191 formerly held by Andrew Barter of Gettysburg from the 1997 season. However, he fell short of the school single season record of 225 set by Scott Cozzens '88 during the 1988 season. Further, Sartorius reset the Centennial Conference single game and tournament saves records by recording 22 in a 7-6 loss to #1 nationally ranked Gettysburg on April 26, 2002 in the opening round of the Centennial Conference playoffs. Last season, he eradicated his single game record by stopping 23 shots in a 12-7 victory over Denison. Historically, he is 13th in the history of the Conference in career saves with 384. Another key to the Diplomats' success this year will be the play of face-off specialist Matt Capone (Jr., Scarsdale, NY/Scarsdale). The NCAA record holder in all divisions (I, II and III) in face-off winning percentage at 71.4 percent (254-of-357), Capone earned All-Centennial Conference first team honors last year. Against Gettysburg, he won 26-of-31 face-offs and collected 18 ground balls as the Diplomats downed the then defending national runner-ups, 15-12. Two other players to watch are midfielder Bas Solleveld (Sr., Glenmoore, PA/Shipley School) and defenseman Dave Taler (Sr., Baltimore, MD/Gilman School) as the pair earned All-Centennial Conference second team honors last year. The anchor of the Diplomats' defense, Taler was instrumental as F&M finished fourth in the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (7.88 gpg) and man-down percentage (77.6 percent). At midfield, Solleveld tallied 23-11-34 in 2003, including 15-6-21 in Conference play, to raise his career numbers to 49-23-72. As a sophomore, he chipped in 22-5-27, including eight goals and four assists in Centennial Conference games, to earn All-CC Honorable Mention honors. On the sidelines for the third year, the Diplomats will have a national championship coach guiding the program in head coach Bill Gorrow. The head coach at Anne Arundel Community College from 1993 until taking over the Diplomats in the summer of 2001, he led AACC to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship in 1998. Defending Centennial Conference champion Washington is the preseason choice to repeat in the 2004 title race. Washington received eight out of a possible nine first-place votes (teams not permitted to vote for themselves) for 64 points in the annual preseason poll of coaches. The Shoremen closed out the 2003 season at 12-4 overall and 8-0 in the Conference. WC lost a hard-fought 10-8 decision to Hampden-Sydney in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. The Shoremen return seven All-Conference selections to the roster in 2004 led by midfielder Steve Berger, the 2003 Centennial Conference Player of the Year and a first-team All-America selection. Berger led the Conference in scoring at 4.56 points per game. He totaled 33 goals and 40 assist for 73 points. Gettysburg is the number two pick with one first-place votes and 56 points. The Bullets will look for a fourth straight trip to the CC finals in 2004 with the help of returning first-team All-Conference selection attackman Chase Stewart and All-CC honorable mention recipient midfielder John O'Bannon. McDaniel was fourth with 42 points. The Green Terror earned its third trip to the CC tournament, dropping a hard fought 9-8 decision in overtime to Gettysburg. Dickinson earned the fifth spot in the poll with 31 points, while Swarthmore, the ECAC South runner-up in 2003, stands at the number six spot with 28 points. Haverford (27), Muhlenberg (17), and Ursinus (8) rounded out the poll. Centennial Conference
Preseason Men's Lacrosse Poll
1. Washington (8) 64
2. Gettysburg (1) 56
3. Franklin & Marshall 51
4. McDaniel 42
5. Dickinson 31
6. Swarthmore 28
7. Haverford 27
8. Muhlenberg 17
9. Ursinus 8 Head coaches polled
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