NAPERVILLE – Five-time College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s lacrosse regular-season winner Illinois Wesleyan is the preseason choice to win a sixth title, according to a poll conducted by league head coaches earlier this month. The Titans were the recipient of three first-place votes and 33 points.
2023 Preseason CCIW Men's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll
| Team (First-place votes) |
Points |
| 1. Illinois Wesleyan (3) |
33 |
| 2. North Central (3) |
31 |
| 3. Transylvanis (1) |
25 |
| 4. Carthage |
22 |
| 5. Elmhurst |
19 |
| 6. Augustana |
11 |
| 7. Carroll |
6 |
IWU has swept the conference schedule in four consecutive seasons and has won 26 consecutive league games in the regular season since April 12, 2017.
North Central was second in Friday’s poll, also receiving three first-place votes and checking in just two points behind the Titans with 31 points. The Cardinals went 9-8 last season, winning their first CCIW Tournament championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
Transylvania earned one first-place vote for 25 points and the third position in the preseason rankings. The Pioneers won 11 games last spring and advanced to the CCIW Tournament championship game after stunning top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan in the semifinal.
Carthage, which won or shared the CCIW regular-season crown from 2015 through 2017, was picked fourth with 22 points. Elmhurst (19 points) was fifth, followed by Augustana (11 points) and Carroll (six points).
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).