ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Newberry College men's lacrosse team was tabbed No. 4 in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll released this morning.
Receiving 57 points in the poll, the Wolves slotted in ahead of Anderson's 50 points. Taking the top spot in the poll with 77 points and seven first-place votes was Lenoir-Rhyne, followed by Limestone's 71 points and one first-place vote.
Wingate had two first-place votes and 70 points to take the No. 3 spot while Lincoln Memorial (37 points), Catawba (36) and Tusculum (18) made up sixth-eighth. Coker and Mars Hill were tied for ninth with 17 points. The poll is shown below.
Also announced were the 2024 Preseason All-Conference teams, and the Wolves garnered eight selections:
Baker Westmoreland (First Team midfielder);
Scott Reed (Second Team attack);
Curtis Bukta (Second Team midfielder);
Jack Travassos (Second Team defender);
Jimmy Osorio (Third Team attack);
David Squires (Third Team defender);
Colby Rogers (Third Team faceoff specialist); and
Ryan Erler (Third Team goalie).
Westmoreland, a SAC First Team All-Conference selection last season, scored 34 goals and added 15 assists to help the Wolves to an 11-5 record, including an appearance in the conference semifinal.
Reed – who was selected to the Second Team All-Conference at the end of 2023 – will look to build off a season that included team-highs in goals (42), assists (21) and points (63). His 12 man-up goals a season ago led the SAC.
Bukta netted 24 goals to go along with nine assists for the Wolves in 2023. A Second Team All-Conference selection at the conclusion of the season, Bukta's seven man-up goals were tied for sixth-most in the conference.
Travassos will look to continue his stellar defensive play that earned him the SAC Defensive Player of the Week honor on one occasion last year. Travassos caused 29 turnovers and picked up 61 ground balls en route to a Second Team All-Conference selection in 2023.
In his first season as a Wolf, Osorio contributed 38 goals and 20 assists for 58 points – all second-best on the team. His efforts earned him a selection to the Third Team All-Conference last year.
Squires' 14 caused turnovers in his maiden campaign with the Scarlet and Gray were the second-most on the team as he was named to the Third Team All-Conference a season ago.
Rogers, who had a team-best .523 faceoff win percentage last season, had the 11th-most faceoff wins in the conference (101).
Erler stepped in and played a key role for the Wolves in 2023, starting eight games and appearing in nine overall, going 6-2 in that stretch. His .750 winning percentage, 10.72 goals against average and .531 save percentage were all fifth-best in the conference as he was named to the Second Team All-Conference at the end of the year.
2024 Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Score |
| 1 |
Lenoir-Rhyne (7) |
77 |
| 2 |
Limestone (1) |
71 |
| 3 |
Wingate (2) |
70 |
| 4 |
Newberry |
57 |
| 5 |
Anderson |
50 |
| 6 |
Lincoln Memorial |
37 |
| 7 |
Catawba |
36 |
| 8 |
Tusculum |
18 |
| T-9 |
Coker |
17 |
| T-9 |
Mars Hill |
17 |
