HUDSONVILLE, Mich. -- In a preseason poll of seven Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) men's lacrosse coaches, Hope College was predicted to finish first in the league after receiving all six possible first-place votes and a total of 36 points.

Albion College claims the runner-up spot with the remaining first-place vote and 31 points.  Adrian College rounds out the top three with 26 points, followed by Kalamazoo College in fourth place with 20 points.  Calvin University landed in fifth place after earning 17 points.  Trine University (11 points) and Alma College (6 points) are predicted to finish in sixth and seventh, respectively.

The Flying Dutchmen concluded 2023 with a 5-1 mark in league play and an overall record of 13-6.  As the second seed, Hope won the 2023 MIAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament after upsetting the Brits in the championship matchup.  The Flying Dutchmen's roster will be highlighted by returning 2023 First Team All-MIAA players Michael Mann, David Brace, Luke Wierengo.  Mann, a senior attacker, completed conference competition in the top three with 33 points, 23 goals, and 41 shots on goal.  Junior midfielder Brace finished in the top ten with three man-up goals and 16 goals, while junior long-stick midfielder Wierengo finished fourth in caused turnovers (14).

Albion received the regular-season crown after going undefeated in league play last season (14-5 overall).  Sophomore midfielder Cal Stearns will highlight the Briton roster after being named the 2023 MIAA Rookie of the Year.  Stearns led the conference with seven man-up goals and finished second in the MIAA with 60 shots.  Senior midfielder Timmy Salinas and two-time All-MIAA senior attacker Ethan Rottell will also return after receiving a spot on the All-MIAA Second Team last season.

The Bulldogs wrapped up the 2023 campaign with a league record of 4-2 and an overall record of 9-8.  Adrian welcomes back midfielder Jake Coakley and two-time All-MIAA junior defender Cameron Reed after both earning First Team All-MIAA recognition in 2023.  Coakley contributed two man-up goals, 11 goals, and six assists last season, while Reed totaled 17 caused turnovers and 28 ground balls.  The returning 2023 Second Team All-MIAA honorees include junior attacker Michael Jonas, sophomore midfielder Alec Winegar, and two-time All-MIAA junior goalkeeper Sam Spangler.

Kalamazoo concluded 2023 with a 3-3 mark in conference competition along with an overall record of 7-8.  The Hornets will look to 2023 Second Team All-MIAA players Logan Gillis and Jack Bungart.  Gillis, a junior midfielder, had one man-down goal, two man-up goals and a total of 14 goals.  Sophomore defender/long-stick midfielder Bungart finished the 2023 campaign as the conference leader with 20 caused turnovers.

The Knights are predicted to finish fifth as they did last season with a league record of 2-4 (7-10 overall).  Junior defender Josh Gage will be returning to the Calvin squad after receiving 2023 First Team All-MIAA recognition, along with 2023 Second-Team All-MIAA junior midfielder Thomas Smith.  Gage caused 13 turnovers last season while Smith totaled 16 goals.

Trine (1-5 MIAA, 9-5 overall) and Alma (0-6 MIAA, 2-11 overall) rounded out the seven teams last season.  The Scots welcome head coach Zach Cameron in his first season at the helm of the program.  Cameron previously served as an assistant coach at Kalamazoo.

The first contests between MIAA teams is slated for Saturday, April 6, with Albion hosting Hope at 12:00 p.m., Calvin hosting Adrian at 1:00 p.m., and Alma hosting Kalamazoo at 1:00 p.m.

The 2024 MIAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament will begin with the semifinals on Wednesday, May 1, followed by the championship contest on Saturday, May 4.  The winner will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship which will begin May 8.

Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.