Club Lacrosse Receives Lofty Preseason Ranking

Expectations are running high as Radford University’s club lacrosse team opens its spring season Saturday ranked among the nation’s top 10 teams in Division II of the National College Lacrosse League (NCLL).

Sitting in the No. 8 spot in preseason rankings, the Radford club team begins its season in Charlottesville, first squaring off against the University of Virginia, which is ranked No. 11 in NCLL Division I, and then playing NCLL Division II preseason No. 1 Lynchburg College.

The Radford club defeated rival Lynchburg in the fall season while on its way to an impressive 11-2 record, the most successful fall season in the club lacrosse team’s long history at the university. Radford’s two defeats were against top 10 Division I opponents.

Radford’s No. 8 ranking, the highest ever for the Radford club team, “shows that the men’s lacrosse team has gained the respect of its competitors,” said Garrett Wood, a triple-threat for the lacrosse team who serves as team president, a team coach and starting goalie. “The two big wins this fall over perennial Division II powerhouses validate our spot as a national competitor this spring.”

Radford is among more than 150 teams competing in the National College Lacrosse League.

Team members feel their top 10 ranking is well-deserved, but also believe they could be ranked higher by season’s end, according to Wood.

Their confidence comes from two signature wins in the fall, the come-from-behind victory over Lynchburg and a four-goal win over preseason No. 2 Slippery Rock College.

“The men’s lacrosse team is working hard with senior leadership and plans to have the most successful season it has ever had, ultimately ending in a shot at the national championship in NCLL Division II,” Wood said.

Radford University club lacrosse fans get their first opportunity to see the team in action on home soil on April 2 when the team hosts a doubleheader with Washington & Lee and Virginia Tech. Opening face-off is at noon.