Preseason Pick BYU falls to Cal-Santa Barbara; Defending National Champion Colorado State ascends to #1 spot in first USL MDIA Top 25 Poll of the 2002 season

Brigham Young's tenure on top of the US Lacrosse Men's Division Intercollegiate Associates (USL MDIA) poll was cut short earlier this week by California-Santa Barbara. The Gauchos knocked off the top-rated Cougars in California by a count of 10-7 on Monday afternoon, opening the door for defending champion and preseason #2, Colorado State, to take over the top spot in the first poll of the 2002 season. The Rams didn't do their cause any harm in a decisive opening win over Colorado School of the Mines. CSU collected 27 out of a possible 30 first place votes in gathering 742 points to claim the #1 ranking.

Sonoma State (California) (2-0) moved up one notch to the #2 spot by virtue of victories over UC-Davis and Chico State. BYU (3-1) landed at the third spot in the poll, 42 points behind the Cossacks. The Cougars did gather two 1st place votes along with wins over #11 California, #22 Florida, and Florida State.

Michigan (1-0) held on to the #4 spot, getting their season underway with a solid win over a game Purdue squad in Ann Arbor. Following the Wolverines in 5th are the Gauchos of Cal-Santa Barbara (4-0), up from #7, having recorded wins over Chapman, #23 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Loyola Marymount along with their signature victory over BYU.

Stanford (2-0) dropped a notch to #6 despite opening the season undefeated. Something's got to give soon when the Cardinal face-off against the Gauchos next weekend in Palo Alto. Idle Virginia Tech (0-0) trails Stanford and is one spot ahead of SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) rival Auburn. The 4-0 Tigers climbed 2 spots, dislodging then #8 Texas A&M by virtue of a 14-12 win over the Aggies in College Station. Auburn also notched a win over #17 Texas on the road trip to solidify their claim to the #8 slot.

Canada's Simon Fraser University (2-0) holds on to the #9 position. The Clansmen's two resounding victories over conference foes Washington and Western Washington earned them a vote for the top spot in the poll as well. Rounding out the top 10 are the Golden Bears of Cal (4-1) whose only blemish on their record is a 14-10 loss to BYU.

Texas A&M (7-1) fell 3 spots to #11. The Aggies ran off a string of victories over conference opponents before falling to Auburn at home. Another visitor from the SELC will test A&M shortly (# 16 Florida). Idle Colorado remains at #12. The Buffalos open their season in a big way at home this week against top-ranked and Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League (RMILL) rival Colorado State.

Arizona (2-0) remains at #13 after season-opening solid wins over conference foes Cal-San Diego and San Diego. Idle Rhode Island holds onto the 14th position. The Rams are defending the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL) Champions.

Tennessee (5-2) lands at #15 with wins over #18 Vanderbilt and #24 Illinois and a quadruple overtime loss to #16 Florida (3-2). The Gators made the biggest move in the polls, climbing 6 spots from #22 by virtue of their victory over the Volunteers and a hard-fought loss to then top ranked BYU in Orlando.

2001 Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA) runner-up Marquette ranks 17th and opens the 2002 campaign in two weekends against USLIA newcomer Pittsburgh. Next up at #18 are the Texas Longhorns (6-1). Texas's only loss came at the hands of the Auburn Tigers. Climbing 5 spots to #19 are the Illinois Fighting Illini. Illinois (1-1) notched a 3-goal victory over then #22 Florida before falling by a goal to Tennessee.

The University of Buffalo (0-0) is ranked at number 20 in the poll. The Bulls played in 2001 as an independent and will compete this season as a member of the CCLA. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2-2) follows Buffalo at #21. The Mustangs notched wins over UCLA and Chapman and suffered tough, competitive losses to #11 Cal and #7 Cal Santa Barbara out west.

The SELC's Vanderbilt Commodores (3-1) are positioned at #22. Vanderbilt's only loss came at the hands of instate and conference rival Tennessee. Defending Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) champions Minnesota-Duluth (1-0) are at #23, followed by poll newcomer UCLA (2-2). The Bruins played tough in an OT loss to #11 Cal as well as a one goal defeat at the hands of #23 Cal Poly SLO. Rounding out the Top 25 is idle New Hampshire. The Wildcats are regarded as a top contender for the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL) crown this season.

The USL MDIA Top 25 Poll is conducted biweekly during the season. 30 poll voters from across the country and beyond participate in the poll. The USL MDIA consists of 140 member teams aligned in eight conferences as well as teams competing as independents. The top 16 teams will face off for the 6th annual USL MDIA National Championship in St. Louis in early May.

For more information concerning US Lacrosse Men's Division Intercollegiate Associates, visit the website at www.uslia.com or contact US Lacrosse at 410.235.6882.

US Lacrosse MDIA Top 25 • Feb. 21, 2002
1. Colorado State
2. Sonoma State
3. Brigham Young
4. Michigan
5. Cal-Santa Barbara
6. Stanford
7. Virginia Tech
8. Auburn
9. Simon Fraser
10. Cal-Berkeley
11. Texas A&M
12. Colorado
13. Arizona
14. Rhode Island
15. Tennessee
16. Florida
17. Marquette
18. Texas
19. Illinois
20. Buffalo
21. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
22. Vanderbilt
23. Minnesota-Duluth
24. UCLA
25. New Hampshire

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