Men’s Lacrosse Picked as Preseason Favorite in MIAA Coaches Poll
The Hope College men’s lacrosse team is atop the 2022 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Flying Dutchmen claimed all six possible first-place votes and finished with six points. Coaches could not vote for their own teams. Albion College was runner-up with 16 points and one first-place vote. Calvin University was third with 16 points.
Led by head coach Michael Schanhals, the Flying Dutchmen won the MIAA Tournament last spring and finished 13-2 overall after reaching the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in team history.
Hope returns the MIAA’s Most Valuable Offensive in attacker Jack Radville. The senior from Howell, Michigan (Howell HS) set a team record during the 2021 season with 104 points on 56 goals and a season-record 48 assists.
Sophomore attacker Michael Mann (Plymouth, Michigan / Detroit Jesuit) was the MIAA’s Rookie of the year last season.
Six all-conference seniors are back as well for the Flying Dutchmen, including first-team honorees in long-stick midfielder Brayden Blackburn (Muskegon, Michigan / Reeths-Puffer), long-stick midfielder Andrew Conlon (East Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids), midfielder Liam Cunningham (South Lyon, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central), FOGO Cole Scheffler (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford), and midfielder Zach Wiggins (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Mattawan).
Senior defender Tucker Martinez (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland West) was a second-team selection last season.
Hope’s first game is Saturday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m. at Elmhurst College (Ill.).