NCAA Division I Men

1. Duke
2. Syracuse
3. Virginia
4. North Carolina
5. Johns Hopkins
6. Cornell
7. Princeton
8. Maryland
9. Hofstra
10. Notre Dame
11. Harvard
12. UMBC
13. Navy
14. Georgetown
15. Brown
16. Loyola
17. Massachusetts
18. Stony Brook
19. Denver
20. Bucknell
Preseason Player of the Year: Ned Crotty, Duke

NO. 1 DUKE

2009 Record: 15-4, 2-1 ACC
Breakdown: There’s some discord about who should be No. 1. Duke over two-time defending national champion Syracuse? You bet. Here’s why: closure. Speaking with Blue Devils head coach John Danowski recently, he said that the extra year of eligibility given to Duke’s 2006 players — including current players Crotty, Steve Schoeffel, Sam Payton, Dan Theodoridis, Devon Sherwood and Tom Clute, who were freshmen when their season was derailed by false rape allegations — has been difficult to manage. “The whole fifth-year thing has been a blessing and a curse,” Danowski said. Whether it was fourth-year guys mulling an extra year or fifth-year guys trying not to step on the fourth-year guys’ toes, the Blue Devils lacked a sense of urgency, he said. After this season, however, the jig is up. Between the Crotty-led super seniors or the Max Quinzani and Parker McKee-led natural seniors, there’s no next year for any of them. The sense of urgency is palpable, and that bodes well for a team so stocked with talent and depth.
Biggest Question: Who will step into the starting goalie role. Freshman Dan Wigrizer was surprisingly strong in the fall. If called upon, can he carry Duke between the pipes?

NO. 2 SYRACUSE

2009 Record: 16-2
Breakdown: On one hand, Syracuse graduated its entire starting midfield. On the other, the Orange presumably get a full season of stud attackman Cody Jamieson. Let’s see what kind of magic the lefty can work with righty counterpart Stephen Keogh. Some midfield help is on the way in Onondaga Community College transfer Jeremy Thompson, provided he can avoid the kind of eligibility troubles that plagued Jamieson last year. Head coach John Desko is counting on Josh Amidon to become the Orange’s top midfield threat. Amidon can shoot 100-plus mph and has great wherewithal around the ball — as witnessed several times in the NCAA championship game — but it remains to be seen if he can initiate offense on his own. Goalie John Galloway and defensemen John Lade and Matt Tierney anchor a defensive unit that nonetheless lacks the lock-down presence that Sid Smith had.
Biggest Question: With a boatload of prototypical finishers on deck, who’s going to be the prototypical feeder? Somebody has to get these guys the ball.

NO. 3 VIRGINIA

2009 Record: 15-3, 2-1 ACC
Breakdown: Virginia boasts star power at each position — Steele Stanwick at attack, Shamel Bratton and Brian Carroll at midfield, and Ken Clausen at defense. The Wahoos also have some beef in long poles Bray Malphrus and Matt Lovejoy, both of whom boast breakout potential. Head coach Dom Starsia emphasized more physical play in the fall. It’s just a matter of finding team chemistry, which UVA lacked last year.
Biggest Question: Minus Danny Glading and Garrett Billings, can Stanwick carry the load? Candidates to replace Glading and Billings on UVA’s starting attack include Chris Bocklet and John Haldy, but expect a big push from freshmen Connor English and Matt Cockerton.

NO. 4 NORTH CAROLINA

2009 Record: 12-6, 0-3 ACC
Breakdown: Billy Bitter, Billy Bitter and more Billy Bitter. There’s no one sleeping on this player of the year candidate any longer. Bitter has a great rapport with Gavin Petracca on UNC’s dynamic attack. Joining them is Ed Prevost, a junior college standout from OCC. Sean Delaney and Ryan Flanagan are more than capable of carrying the midfield and defense, respectively. The most interesting development over the offseason in Chapel Hill was getting transfer goalie Steven Rastivo from Penn State. Rastivo was expected to start for the Nittany Lions. He’s never started a collegiate game and has a huge upside over sophomore James Petracca — who was inconsistent when forced into action due to a Grant Zimmerman injury in 2009.
Biggest Question: Is Rastivo really the answer between the pipes?

NO. 5 JOHNS HOPKINS

2009 Record: 10-5
Breakdown: Defense has been the hallmark of Hopkins’ teams during the Dave Pietramala era, and yet it was the Blue Jays’ biggest weakness in 2009 — evidenced by an embarrassing 19-8 loss to Virginia in the NCAA quarterfinals. So as juiced as Hopkins fans want to get about a preseason All-American laden attack of Steven Boyle, Chris Boland and Kyle Wharton, a midfield led by Michael Kimmel and the potential of freshman John Greeley, the bottom line is shoring up the back line.
Biggest Question: Does senior goalie Michael Gvozden have Pietramala’s full loyalty and confidence, or could a controversy be brewing?