Lions Top Inaugural SAC Men's Lacrosse Poll

ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Mars Hill men's lacrosse team was picked to finish in first place along with Queens University in the inaugural South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll released Wednesday. Mars Hill also has four players on the Preseason All-Conference First Team.

Mars Hill and Queens each received 45 points, with the Lions receiving four first place votes compared to Queens' three. Mars Hill went 11-3 last season as an independent, while Queens went 7-7 overall with a 4-2 record in Conference Carolinas.

Catawba was picked to finish in third place with 36 points, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne in fourth place with 34 points and one first place vote.

Coker checks in at No.5, followed by No.6 Wingate, No. 7 Tusculum and No. 8 Brevard.

2014 marks the first year of men's lacrosse being sponsored as a championship sport in the SAC.  Eight of the conferences' 12 member schools will compete in the sport this season.

Juniors Jimmy McBride and Anthony Malcolm, sophomore Tanner Leach and senior Patrick McMahon were named to the inaugural South Atlantic Conference Preseason First Team.

McBride was one of three players to be named as a first team attacker. McBride led Mars Hill with 35 goals, 15 assists and 50 points in 2013. During his freshman season in 2012, McBride scored 12 goals and had five assists.

Malcolm was also one of three players named as a first team midfielder. In 2013, Malcolm scored 16 goals and had a team-high 30 assists, finishing second on the team with 46 points. Malcolm had five goals and four assists as a freshman.  

Leach was named to the first team as a long pole midfielder. Leach had one assist and recorded 19 ground balls in his freshman campaign.

McMahon was named to the first team as the goalkeeper. McMahon went 11-3 last season with a .560 save percentage in his first season between the pipes for Mars Hill.

Mars Hill begins the 2014 season at home on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. against Pfeiffer. The Lions will host 2013 national runner-up Mercyhurst on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. before closing out the month with a match against 2013 semifinalist Adelphi on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m.

The complete poll and All-SAC teams are listed below

1. Mars Hill                           45 (4)

    Queens                            45 (3)

3. Catawba                          36

4. Lenoir-Rhyne                   34 (1)

5. Coker                               24

6. Wingate                           20

7. Tusculum                         13

8. Brevard                            7

First Team Attacker

John Scheich, CAT

Jimmy McBride, MHU

Ryan Maurer, COK

First Team Midfielder

Anthony Malcolm, MHU

Tyler Kotch, L-R

Sam Ashton, L-R

First Team Defender

Patrick Murphy, QU

Gage Mason, CAT

Stephen O'Hara, L-R

First Team Long Pole Midfielder

Tanner Leach, MHU

First Team Specialist

Daniel Rew, CAT

First Team Goalkeeper

Patrick McMahon, MHU

Second Team Attacker

Ryan Vogrig, WU

Garrett Chan, QU

Casey Hock, QU

Second Team Midfielder

Imari Davis, L-R

Bryce Sneed, WU

Timothy Smith, COK

Second Team Defender

Patrick Thomas, QU

Max Baltzer, COK

Jim Elliott, COK

Second Team Long Pole Midfielder

Tim Cloud, QU

Second Team Specialist

Kenneth Stryker, QU

Second Team Goalkeeper

Tim Ryan, COK