Monmouth Tabbed as Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Favorite; Quinnipiac’s Cuomo Named Preseason Player of the Year
EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced the 2019 Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll and All-MAAC Team Wednesday. Monmouth University is the preseason favorite, and Quinnipiac’s Foster Cuomo is the Preseason Player of the Year.
Monmouth garnered four first-place votes and a total of 57 points to secure the top spot in the poll. The Hawks finished last season at 4-2 in MAAC play and 7-8 overall. At the MAAC Championship, the Hawks were topped by the University Detroit Mercy in the semifinals.
Detroit Mercy was picked second by the league’s head coaches. The Titans picked up 52 points and one first-place vote. Close behind was Quinnipiac, the 2018 regular season champions, in third with 50 points and a first-place marker.
Canisius College secured the two remaining first-place votes and 47 points to be fourth in the poll. The Golden Griffins are the defending MAAC Champions. Marist College (33 points) was voted fifth.
Siena College (23) was voted sixth, Manhattan (18) was seventh, and St. Bonaventure University (8), who joins the MAAC in 2019 after restarting its program, is eighth in the poll.
Cuomo was a unanimous selection at attack on the Preseason All-MAAC to go along with being tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year. The senior led the MAAC in goals per game (2.36) and ranked third in points per game (3.5). Cuomo shared the league lead in game-winning goals with three. Cuomo earned First Team All-MAAC acclaim last season. It is the second time that Cuomo has been named Preseason Player of the Year (2017).
Matthew Vangalen of Detroit Mercy and Parker Giarratana of Manhattan joined Cuomo on the Preseason All-MAAC Team at attack. The midfield is comprised of Canisius’ Carter Stefaniak—unanimous selection, Monmouth’s Zach Clemente, and Quinnipiac’s Matt Frost. On defense is Alex Akins from Detroit Mercy, James Sarrocco of Marist, and Chris Hervada from Monmouth. Monmouth’s Noah Lode is the goalkeeper.
Alex Jarzembowski of Detroit Mercy was a unanimous selection as the faceoff specialist. Monmouth’s Gordon Phillips was named the team’s long-stick midfielder, and Nick Pepe from Siena was named All-MAAC at short stick midfield.
Akins, Lode, and Stefaniak were First Team All-MAAC selections last season. Frost, Giarratana, Hervada, Jarzembowski, Sarrocco, and Vangalen took home Second Team honors. Lode and Hervada were on the All-Rookie Team.
| Preseason Poll (first-place votes) |
| Monmouth (4) |
57 |
| Detroit Mercy (1) |
52 |
| Quinnipiac (1) |
50 |
| Canisius (2) |
47 |
| Marist |
33 |
| Siena |
23 |
| Manhattan |
18 |
| St. Bonaventure |
8 |
| 2019 Preseason All-MAAC Team |
| Player |
Position |
Institution |
| Matthew Vangalen |
Attack |
Detroit Mercy |
| Parker Giarratana |
Attack |
Manhattan |
| Foster Cuomo* |
Attack |
Quinnipiac |
| Carter Stefaniak* |
Midfield |
Canisius |
| Zach Clemente |
Midfield |
Monmouth |
| Matt Frost |
Midfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Alex Akins |
Defense |
Detroit Mercy |
| James Sarrocco |
Defense |
Marist |
| Chris Hervada |
Defense |
Monmouth |
| Alex Jarzembowski* |
Faceoff Specialist |
Detroit Mercy |
| Gordon Phillips |
Long Stick Midfielder |
Monmouth |
| Nick Pepe |
Short Stick Midfielder |
Siena |
| Noah Lode |
Goalkeeper |
Monmouth |
*-unanimous selection
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.