SEATTLE – After capturing the last two Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL) titles and advancing to the last two MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance, Montana is the favorite for a three-peat according to the preseason coaches poll.
The Grizzlies (17-3), who were stunned by Air Force in the first round of nationals as a No. 4 seed, were awarded six of the nine first-place votes to vault eight-points clear of the field.
Western Washington (7-4), which lost to Montana in last year's conference championship game by two goals, checks in second. The Vikings nabbed a pair of first-place votes.
Northwest Nazarene (7-7) is in the third slot, a point ahead of rival College of Idaho (6-7), which rounds out the top four. The Yotes were awarded the final first-place vote.
The 2024 PNCLL Division II tournament will be held on the campus of Montana on April 27-28 with the winner earning an automatic qualifying berth to the MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance, which will be held in Round Rock, Texas, from May 6-11.
2024 PNCLL Division II Preseason Coaches Poll
| RANK |
TEAM |
POINTS |
1st VOTES |
| 1. |
Montana |
77 |
6 |
| 2. |
Western Washington |
69 |
2 |
| 3. |
Northwest Nazarene |
61 |
|
| 4. |
College of Idaho |
60 |
1 |
| 5. |
Central Washington |
45 |
|
| 6. |
Gonzaga |
30 |
|
| 7. |
Puget Sound |
28 |
|
| 8. |
Western Oregon |
24 |
|
| 9. |
Pacific Lutheran |
11 |
|