NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Illinois Wesleyan was predicted to win its fourth-straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men's lacrosse title based upon the results of the CCIW's annual preseason coaches' poll announced Wednesday.
The Titans won the poll with 36 points and six first place votes following CCIW regular season and tournament titles in 2021. Illinois Wesleyan enters the 2022 season as the three-time defending regular season and four-time defending tournament champion. Additionally, the Titans advanced all the way to the 2021 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship's quarterfinal round, their farthest advancement in program history.
North Central placed second in the poll with 29 points and one first place vote. The Cardinals placed second in the regular season last year, qualified for the CCIW Tournament for the first time and advanced all the way to the tournament title match.
Transylvania was third with 24 points. The Pioneers join the CCIW as an associate member for men's lacrosse this season, following a 13-3 record in 2021.
Elmhurst placed fourth with 23 points, followed by Carthage (18 points), Augustana (11 points) and Carroll (six points).
Voting for the CCIW Preseason Men's Lacrosse Poll is done by the head men's lacrosse coaches. Each coach votes for the six other programs in the conference in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (six points for first, five for second, etc.). Coaches do not vote for their own teams.
The CCIW welcomes two new men's lacrosse coaches in 2022 including Carroll's
Jacob Acevedo and Transylvania's
Logan Otto. Acevedo comes to the Pioneers following a three-year stint at Huntingdon College where he was elevated from assistant coach to associate head coach and then finally as the head coach. Otto was promoted to the head coach position in 2021 after a seven-year stint as an assistant.
2022 CCIW Preseason Men's Lacrosse Poll
| Rank |
Institution |
Points (1st Pl. Votes) |
| 1 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
36 (6) |
| 2 |
North Central |
29 (1) |
| 3 |
Transylvania |
24 |
| 4 |
Elmhurst |
23 |
| 5 |
Carthage |
18 |
| 6 |
Augustana |
11 |
| 7 |
Carroll |
6 |
2021 CCIW Men's Lacrosse Standings
| Team |
CCIW |
Overall |
| Illinois Wesleyan |
6-0 |
15-2 |
| North Central |
5-1 |
12-2 |
| Carthage |
4-2 |
10-4 |
| Elmhurst |
3-3 |
10-6 |
| Augustana |
2-4 |
6-6 |
| Dubuque |
1-5 |
5-9 |
| Carroll |
0-6 |
0-6 |
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). Transylvania University is an associate member in men's lacrosse.