Best Colleges for Lacrosse

Best Colleges for Lacrosse ALL NEW FOR 2016 AMERICA S TOP COLLEGES FOR MEN S AND WOMEN S LACROSSE The guidebook for lacrosse studentathletes SEARCH What makes a good recruit BY Top programs and academics REGION Admissions and selectivity Tuition and financial aid Enrollment and experiences Academic and athletic success 2015 Austral Sporting Group

Contents I. Introduction...4 II. What Makes a Good Recruit......5 III. Our Methodology.....6 IV. Conspirare Non Grata......7 V. Top Men s Programs....8-35 Alphabetical List.....8 Summary Table....9 Program Profiles by Region....10-34 VI. Top Women s Programs... 35 Alphabetical List..35 Summary Table...36 Program Profiles by Region...37-61 VII. Useful Resources..62 VIII. Major Rule Changes.. 63-64 IX. About the Authors.65 3

Conspirare Non Grata In effort to ease the temptation of conspiracy theorists, or other critics, to suggest a subversive motive behind the top programs selected, here is an explanation of why some of this year s schools made the list, while others were left out. Top Men s Programs: Bucknell, Harvard, and Marquette over Bryant, High Point, and Penn All six programs received votes in the most recent media and coaches polls, but Bucknell, Harvard, and Marquette each ranked higher in the 2015 NCAA RPI than the other three programs. Bucknell beat Bryant in head-to-head competition, had quality wins over Brown, Loyola, and Navy, and a higher strength of schedule than Bryant, High Point, and Penn in 2015. Harvard tallied quality wins over Cornell and Yale, lost to Penn by just one goal, and had a higher strength of schedule than Bryant and High Point in 2015. Marquette s six losses in 2015 came against five ranked opponents and the team had a higher strength of schedule than Bryant and High Point. The dominance of two Bellarmine freshmen from Texas at face-off and in goal led to Marquette s sixth loss. Top Women s Programs: Fairfield, Hofstra, and Jacksonville over Canisius, Cornell, and Towson None of the six programs received votes in the most recent media or coaches polls, but Hofstra and Jacksonville both ranked higher in the 2015 NCAA RPI than the other programs, and Fairfield ranked higher than Canisius in the RPI. Fairfield and Canisius split wins during the 2015 regular season, but Canisius lost against all ranked teams it faced, while Fairfield completed the season with a better overall record, beat Canisius in the MAAC championship, and advanced to the NCAA first round. Hofstra s six losses in 2015 were all against ranked teams, the program landed quality wins over Fairfield and James Madison, and split contests with Towson, finished first in the CAA conference, and ended the season with a better overall record than Canisius, Cornell, and Towson. Jacksonville had the best overall record among the six programs in 2015, lost only three games (all against ranked opponents), finished first in the A-Sun conference, won the A-Sun championship, and advanced to the NCAA first round. 7

Top Men s Programs The top men s category consists of the 25 institutions that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors and a men s NCAA Division I lacrosse program. Data on 16 indicators of academic and athletic quality are gathered from each program. Alphabetical List Brown University Providence, RI North Region Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA North Region Colgate University Hamilton, NY North Region Cornell University Cornell, NY North Region Duke University Durham, NC South Region Georgetown University Washington, DC North Region Harvard University Cambridge, MA North Region Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD North Region Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD North Region Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY North Region Marquette University Milwaukee, WI Midwest Region Ohio State University Columbus Columbus, OH Midwest Region Princeton University Princeton, NJ North Region Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY North Region Syracuse University Syracuse, NY North Region Towson University Towson, MD North Region United States Military Academy West Point, NY North Region United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD North Region University at Albany Albany, NY North Region University of Denver Denver, CO West Region University of Maryland College Park College Park, MD North Region University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC South Region University of Notre Dame South Bend, IN Midwest Region University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA South Region Yale University New Haven, CT North Region Program Profiles Page 9: Summary Table Pages 10 27: North Region Pages 28 30: South Region Pages 31 33: Midwest Region Page 34: West Region 8

WEST University of Denver Private (1864) NCAA DI Big East Denver, CO (303) 871-2036 du.edu admission@du.edu RANKINGS Academic Men s Lacrosse ENROLLMENT Student/faculty ratio Male/female ratio % out of state Graduation rate Bill Tierney (303) 871-3531 denverpioneers.com william.tierney@du.edu (2015) Nat. #86, #87, #132 Nat. #5, Conf. #1 5,643 11:1 46:54 Popular majors: Business, Communications, Journalism, Psychology, Social Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts TUITION Room and board Average price with aid APPLICANTS % accepted Test scores (25th-75th) Retention rate 57 67 44,178 11,498 35,990 13,670 77 25-30 (ACT) Similar schools: University of Puget Sound, Bryant University, Stonehill College ABOUT THE SCHOOL Denver s 125-acre campus is located seven miles south of downtown. The nation s first private college in the Rocky Mountain region, it offers more than 100 undergraduate majors. It s observatory is home to the highest telescope in the U.S. Notable alumni include Condoleezza Rice, Peter Coors, Brad Anderson, Rebecca King, Andy Taylor, Paul Stastny, Jerome Biffle, and Michelle Kwan. 87 Click here to add a photo. To remove this placeholder, select it and hit delete. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Overall record of 53-26 (.671), including 17-2 in 2015 and 11 winning seasons since turning Division I in 1999 1 GWLL tournament appearance, 3 ECAC conference championships, and 2 BIG EAST championships 3 NCAA first round appearances, 1 NCAA quarterfinal, 3 NCAA semifinals, and 1 NCAA national championship (2015) 10 USILA Scholar All-Americans 14 alums played in Major League Lacrosse or the National Lacrosse League COACHING HIGHLIGHTS Career record of 355-118 (.751), including 83-25 (.787) at Denver Joined the Denver Pioneers in 2009 after spending 22 seasons as the head coach of the Princeton Tigers Named 2010 and 2011 ECAC Coach of the Year 6 NCAA Championships, 12 Semifinal appearances, 19 quarterfinal appearances and 14 Ivy League Championships Won the Morris Touchstone Award as the Division I Coach of the Year in 1992 and honored as the 1983 Division III Coach of the Year while at RIT A member of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame and honored as US Lacrosse Magazine s Person of the Year for 2009 34

Top Women s Programs The top women s category consists of the 25 institutions that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors and a women s NCAA Division I lacrosse program. Data on 16 indicators of academic and athletic quality are gathered from each program. Alphabetical List Boston College Boston, MA North Region Duke University Durham, NC South Region Fairfield University Fairfield, CT North Region Hofstra University Hampstead, NY North Region Jacksonville University Jacksonville, FL South Region James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA South Region Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD North Region Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD North Region Northwestern University Evanston, IL Midwest Region Ohio State University Columbus Columbus, OH Midwest Region Pennsylvania State University University Park University Park, PA North Region Princeton University Princeton, NJ North Region Stanford University Palo Alto, CA West Region Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY North Region Syracuse University Syracuse, NY North Region University at Albany Albany, NY North Region University of Florida Gainesville, FL South Region University of Louisville Louisville, KY South Region University of Maryland College Park College Park, MD North Region University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA North Region University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC South Region University of Notre Dame South Bend, IN Midwest Region University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA North Region University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA West Region University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA South Region Program Profiles Page 36: Summary Table Pages 37 49: North Region Pages 50 56: South Region Pages 57 59: Midwest Region Pages 60 61: West Region 35

NORTH University of Maryland Public (1856) NCAA DI Big Ten College Park, MD (301) 314-8385 umd.edu um-admit@umd.edu RANKINGS Academic Women s Lacrosse ENROLLMENT Student/faculty ratio Male/female ratio % out of state Graduation rate Cathy Reese (301) 314-4273 umterps.com creese@umd.edu (2015) Nat. #57, #68, #120 Nat. #1, Conf. #1 27,056 17:1 54:46 Popular majors: Accounting, Biology, Criminology, Economics, Psychology TUITION Room and board Average price with aid APPLICANTS % accepted Test scores (25th-75th) Retention rate 20 66 9,996 / 31,144 10,972 16,200 / 36,493 26,268 48 1210-1420 Similar schools: University of Florida, Penn State University, University of Connecticut ABOUT THE SCHOOL The flagship institution of the state s system, it is considered a Public Ivy, specializing in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Maryland offers 91 undergraduate majors as well as graduate certificates and degrees across its 14 schools and colleges. The university is located near Washington, D.C., making for strong partnerships with the federal government. Notable alumni include Sergey Brin, Larry David, and Steny Hoyer. 95 Click here to add a photo. To remove this placeholder, select it and hit delete. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Overall record of 640-132 (.828), including 21-1 in 2015 and only two loosing seasons since 1974 11 ACC conference titles and 1 Big Ten conference title 2 NCAA first round appearances, 7 NCAA quarterfinals, 3 NCAA semifinals, 7 NCAA national runners-up, and 12 NCAA national championships including the most recent in 2015 82 IWLCA Scholar All-Americans, 40 All Conference Honors, and 19 National Players of the Year 25 US National Team players and 17 players representing other countries COACHING HIGHLIGHTS Career record of 213-46 (.822), including 183-17 (.915) at Maryland 2006 MPSF Coach of the Year, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 ACC Coach of the Year 2010 and 2014 IWLCA National Coach of the Year 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 ACC Champions Coached 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 ACC Player of the Year, 2009 and 2010, 2013 and 2014 ACC Rookie of the Year, four Tewaaraton Award winners, nine Tewaaraton finalists, 24 All-Americans, and 30 All-ACC selections Won eight national championships at Maryland as a player and coach (1995-2001, 2010) 55

Useful Resources Here is a list of useful resources for prospective student-athletes: NCAA Website http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/ NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete http://www.ncaapublications.com/downloadpublication.aspx?download=cbsa16.pdf NCAA Recruiting Calendar http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/resources/recruiting-calendars?division=d1 NCAA National Letter of Intent http://www.nationalletter.org/ NCAA Eligibility Center https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr2/ncaa_ems/ncaa.jsp?db_oem_id=29700 NCAA Lacrosse Rulebooks http://www.uslacrosse.org/rules.aspx SAT I & SAT II Test Dates https://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-us-dates ACT Test Dates http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html 62

2015-16 Men s Lacrosse Rule Changes 1-2: Clarification made for field line measurements Out of bounds lines shall be measured from the inside edge of the line; field lines shall be measured from the center of the line. 1-21: Uniform numbers must clearly contrast All uniform numbers must clearly contrast the color of the uniform. A white or light-colored uniform must have dark-colored numbers; a dark-colored uniform must have light-colored numbers. 1-25: Host institution responsible for determining whether or not the field is playable before the game starts Before the beginning of the game, it is the responsibility of the host institution to determine whether or not the condition of the field is adequate for competition. Once the game begins, the referee takes responsibility for this determination and should consult with game management for assistance. 2-12: Duties of shot clock operator added The shot clock operator s duties will be to: start the visible shot clock on the game officials verbal and visible shot clock signal, stop and start the shot clock in sync with the game clock, sound a horn alerting the game officials if the shot clock expires, reset the shot clock on penalty or loose ball play-on by the defense. 4-3: Faceoff violations New faceoff violations include: picking up and carrying the ball on the back of a stick, lying on the ball or trapping it with a stick longer than necessary to control the ball, taking two steps away from the center line and flipping the ball into the front of a stick, or withholding the ball from play in any other manner. 4-11: Goals not counted A goal shall be disallowed when: a shot that deflects off of an offensive player after time has expired in a period or shot clock warning, an attacking player dives or jumps (prior to, during, or after the release of the shot) and lands in the crease. 4-16: Rules governing the midline Once the ball has been successfully advanced into the attack area, if the ball returns to the defensive half of the field the result will be an immediate turnover and a quick restart for the offended team. 4-21: Goal crease prohibitions If an attacking player dives or jumps prior to, during, or after the release of the shot and lands in the crease, the goal shall be disallowed. 4-27: Team timeouts During dead ball situations where the stoppage is in the field of play, only the team in possession or entitled to possession is allowed to call timeout. Timeouts are allowed for both teams during all other dead ball situations. 63

2015-16 Men s Lacrosse Rule Changes 5-5: Unnecessary roughness Unnecessary roughness includes a check delivered with the gloved hand or hands in a punching or thrusting motion. 6-7: Conduct foul A player, coach, athletic trainer, or other person officially connected with a team shall not object to an official s decision by arguing or gesturing. This includes actions between opposing players and the timekeeper and scorer. 6-11: Stalling and the shot clock If the offensive team calls a timeout when the shot clock is engaged, the team will be granted the timeout and the shot clock count will continue from the point of the timeout. If the defensive team calls timeout, the shot clock will be reset to 30 seconds on the restart. In the case of injury, equipment, and inadvertent whistles, the shot clock period will restart at the point of the stoppage. 6-13: Withholding ball from play No player may pick the ball up by jamming the reverse side of the stick on top of the ball. All ground balls are to be picked up by scooping the ball with the front of the stick. 64

About the Authors This book is written and published by Austral Sporting Group. Based in Texas, this group is founded and staffed by coaches with decades of lacrosse knowledge including extensive coaching experience at the interscholastic, intercollegiate, and post-collegiate club levels. Our coaches are former high school and collegiate players, Positive Coaching Alliance Certified Double-Goal Coaches, and U.S. Lacrosse Certified Coaches. Copyright 2015 by Austral Sporting Group All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been take in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. First Printing: October 2015 Place of Publication: Texas, USA Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to trademarks of service marks have been appropriately indicated. The publisher and authors cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an as is basis. The authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to a loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book. 65