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2014 College Lacrosse Preview: Jacksonville Claims Top Spot in Atlantic Sun Preseason Poll

In the first and last Atlantic Sun preseason poll, the Dolphins walk away with the bulls eye on their backs.

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:

ATLANTIC SUN PRESEASON POLL
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:

PRESEASON ALL-ATLANTIC 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.