Feb. 7, 2012
RICHMOND, Va. - The Penn State men's lacrosse team was tabbed to finish fourth in the CAA Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference announced Tuesday. The Nittany Lions, one of four teams earning at least one first-place vote, accumulated 23 points and a first-place tally.
The league coaches voted defending conference champion Delaware first with 31 points and three first-place votes. Penn State also trailed Massachusetts (30, two first-place votes) and Hofstra (29, one first-place vote), while Drexel (17), Towson (11) and Saint Joseph's (6) rounded out the poll. Head coaches were prohibited from voting for their own team.
In addition, three Nittany Lions - sophomore goalkeeper Austin Kaut (Morton), senior attackman Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square) and senior defender Ryan McGarvey (Lower Gwynedd) - landed on the Preseason All-CAA Team. Kaut, the only sophomore named to the squad, also earned Preseason Co-Player of the Year recognition. Penn State's three honorees tied it with Hofstra and Massachusetts for most selections among the seven conference members.
In 2011, Kaut earned USILA Honorable Mention All-America, CAA Rookie of the Year, All-CAA First Team and CAA All-Rookie Team honors. The Morton, Pa., native, who started all 14 games for the Nittany Lions, led the NCAA in save percentage (.635) and ranked 10th in goals-against average (7.90).
A two-time All-CAA First Team member (2010, 2011), Mackrides led the team in goals (20), ranked second in points (30) and assists (10), and was tied for second in ground balls (39) in 2011. The senior tri-captain, who started all 14 games, also ranked ninth in the CAA in goals per game (1.43) and fourth in shots per game (5.71).
McGarvey started in nine games for Penn State in 2011 and ranked fourth on the team in caused turnovers (9) and 10th in ground balls (16). The Lower Gwynedd, Pa., native, who also serves as a team captain, helped anchor a defense that surrendered 7.9 goals per game in conference play, good for second in the league.
Penn State, which was ranked No. 17 in the USILA preseason coaches' poll, will face nine preseason top-20 opponents. The Nittany Lions, who went 7-7 a season ago and advanced to its first-ever CAA tournament under first-year head coach Jeff Tambroni, will open the season against sixth-ranked North Carolina in Kennesaw, Ga., Saturday (Feb. 11).