BOSTON – The University at Albany men's lacrosse team was picked to finish second in the 2021 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference announced Tuesday.
 
The Great Danes fell in just behind favorite Stony Brook in a tightly-contested poll which featured just nine points of separation between the top four teams.  Stony Brook earned 44 points and four of seven possible first-place votes.  UAlbany earned 43 points with two first-place votes.
 
Behind the top two, UMBC earned 38 points and the remaining two first place votes, just ahead of Vermont with 35 points.  Next, UMass Lowell earned 23 points, followed by Hartford with 20, Binghamton with 14, and America East newcomer NJIT with seven.
 
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
 
The Great Danes' 2020 season was interrupted after five games, in which the team went 2-3, due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.  The team will look to replace starting goalkeeper Nate Siekierski, but returns scoring threats Tehoka Nanticoke, Jakob Patterson, and Ron John, as well as Corey Yunker and Gradyon Hogg.
 
2021 America East Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
 

Rank	School	Points (1st)
1.	Stony Brook	44 (4)
2.	UAlbany	43 (2)
3.	UMBC	38 (2)
4.	Vermont	35
5.	UMass Lowell	23
6.	Hartford	20
7.	Binghamton	14
8.	NJIT	7