HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College men's lacrosse team, under the direction of fourth-year head coach David Olliver, was picked eighth in the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll, the league announced today.
No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne took the top spot in the poll with 77 points, followed by Queens (69 pts.) and Wingate (64 pts.). The full release to the South Atlantic Conference preseason poll can be found here.
Last season, the Cobras posted a five-win season and a 4-4 mark in South Atlantic Conference play. The Cobras picked up conference wins over Brevard, Catawba, Tusculum and Lincoln Memorial, while defeating Shorter in non-conference action. For the third-consecutive season, the Navy and Gold qualified for SAC postseason play.
The Cobras look to continue their trend of advancing to the SAC playoffs and strive to advance deep into the postseason during there 2017 campaign. "It's all about getting to the SAC championship game for us and even winning a game in the NCAA Tournament," said Olliver.
In order to accomplish their goals, Coker will lean on their defense. "We're extremely talented defensively," stated Olliver. "That's where all of our experience is."
The experience Olliver is referring to is All-SAC Honoroable Mention defensive midfielder Patrick Timothee and defenseman Tyler Kraemer. Timothee is a dynamic defensive midfielder that can shut down the opposition's best offensive player and Kraemer will lead a tough defensive unit.
The offense will look different this year, as three all-conference performers were lost to graduation. However, coach Olliver is optimistic about some of his young offensive players. "Offensively, we have a lot of young talent that could surprise people this season," said Olliver.
Names to watch on the offensive end include Rylee Marsh (19g, 10a), Garrett Kilgore (9g, 1a), and Brooks Long (14g, 4a).
The schedule this season for Coker will be challenging with traveling to No. 10 Mount Olive and hosting Saint Leo at the beginning of the season. Plus, the Cobras will have to play their familiar South Atlantic Conference opponents that include No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne, Queens (received votes), and Wingate (received votes).
"We have a stretch of five games on the road in the middle of the season that will really test us as a team, especially as a young offense," stated Olliver.
The Cobras open the season on Feb. 18 when they host Chowan at the Coker Athletic Field. Opening whistle is set for 6:30 p.m.
To view the full video with head coach David Olliver, click here.