CLEVELAND, OH – Three-time defending North Coast Athletic Conference champion Denison was selected as the unanimous favorite in the 2023 NCAC Men’s Lacrosse preseason poll. The Big Red received all nine first-place votes for 81 total points after balloting of the conference coaches.
Kenyon landed in second with 68 points overall, while Ohio Wesleyan was slotted third with 65 points, Oberlin was selected fourth with 51 points and Wittenberg was selected fifth with 44 points. Wooster took sixth with 41 points, while DePauw (26), Wabash (20) and Hiram (9) completed the nine-team field.
Denison heads into its first game ranked No. 16 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/ Dynamic Division III coaches’ preseason poll. The Big Red, who have won six-consecutive and seven out of the nine overall NCAC tournament titles, finished last season with a perfect 9-0 mark in conference play and a 16-5 overall record after making their 26th appearance in the NCAA tournament. The team returns 2021 NCAC Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Year and two-time all-conference selection,
Luke Fisher (Alexandria, VA/St. Stephens & St. Agnes School). Denison will also see four 2022 first-team honorees return, including senior attackman
Ethan Tyack (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman), junior midfielder
Nate Kay (Denver, CO/Colorado Academy), junior defender
Brooks Crowley (Hunting Valley, OH/University School) and junior long-stick midfielder
Owen O’Neill (Hightstown, NJ/Peddie School). The Big Red will be led by second-year head coach
Eric Koch, who also returns three seniors that made the All-NCAC second team a season ago, midfielder
Will Kenney (Hingham, MA/Hingham), defender
Grant Maynard (Arlington, VA/Georgetown Prep) and goalkeeper
Archer Darrach (Radnor, PA/Radnor).
The 2023 season begins on Wednesday, February 15, while the first league game is slated for Saturday, March 25. The NCAC Tournament begins with semifinals on Wednesday, May 3, and the championship will be held on Saturday, May 6.
In 37 competitive seasons, Denison and Ohio Wesleyan lead all NCAC teams with 20 championships apiece. Wittenberg has two crowns, while Kenyon and Wooster each boast one. The NCAC has had tri-champions on three separate occasions, first in 2000 when the Big Red, Battling Bishops and Lords shared the title, then in 2004, when Denison, OWU and Wooster each had a piece of the crown, only to have it happen again in 2011 with Denison, Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan sharing the top spot. The conference also saw Ohio Wesleyan and Wittenberg share the conference crown in 2010.
2023 NCAC Men's Lacrosse
Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Denison (9) |
81 |
| 2. |
Kenyon |
68 |
| 3. |
Ohio Wesleyan |
65 |
| 4. |
Oberlin |
51 |
| 5. |
Wittenberg |
44 |
| 6. |
Wooster |
41 |
| 7. |
DePauw |
26 |
| 8. |
Wabash |
20 |
| 9. |
Hiram |
9 |