/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27283471/jacksonville.0.png)
The Atlantic Sun will exist only as a flare -- the league is giving its lacrosse concern to the Southern Conference next season -- but Jacksonville, late of the MAAC, is the preseason favorite to take home the league's first and only championship trophy.Here's how the conference's coaches see things as of rightthisverysecond:
PLACE | TEAM | FIRST-PLACE VOTES | POINTS |
1. | Jacksonville | 5 | 35 |
2. | High Point | 27 | |
3. | Mercer | 1 | 26 |
4. | VMI | 16 | |
T5. | Furman | 11 | |
T5. | Richmond | 11 |
The voting shook out in expected tiers: Jacksonville stands alone as the unquestioned favorite; High Point and Mercer slot behind as comparable peers; VMI is in its own atmosphere above the two neophyte programs in the league; and Richmond and Furman are expected to bring up the rear in a similar fashion.
As for preseason all-league honors, Dan Lomas (High Point) and Chris Baxa (Mercer) were honored by the coaches as the Atlantic Sun's preseason co-offensive players of the year. Jacksonville's steady force in the crease -- Peter DeLuca -- was named the conference's preseason defensive player of the year. Interestingly, in the league's Facebook fan voting, Lomas earned top preseason offensive honors and Tyler Prasnicki -- a defenseman from VMI -- was voted the conference's preseason defensive player of the year. Here's the full preseason All-Altantic Sun team:
POSITION | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS |
GK | Peter DeLuca | Jacksonville | Sr. |
D | Ralph D'Agostino | Furman | So. |
D | Garrett Swaim | High Point | Sr. |
D | Austin Curtis | Jacksonville | Jr. |
MF | Mitchell Dupere | High Point | So. |
MF | David Goldman | Jacksonville | Sr. |
MF | Conor Igoe | Jacksonville | Sr. |
MF | Cole Branch | Mercer | Sr. |
A | Dan Lomas | High Point | So. |
A | Ari Waffle | Jacksonville | Jr. |
A | Chris Baxa | Mercer | So. |
LS | Tyler Black | Jacksonville | Sr. |
SS/FO | Justin Evans | Mercer | Jr. |