UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., December 16, 2003 - The Penn State men's lacrosse team has been ranked No. 17 in the Inside Lacrosse Magazine preseason coaches poll, which was recently announced. The Lions enter the 2004 season looking to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

Six of the 13 teams the Nittany Lions play are included in the Top 20 list. The teams include No. 2 Virginia, No. 6 Rutgers, No. 8 Georgetown, No. 10 Massachusetts, No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 20 Ohio State. The Lions will also be hosting No. 1 ranked Johns Hopkins in an exhibition on Feb. 7. Penn State will have a talented team entering the 2004 season. Senior captain Rob Bateman (Hereford/Sparks, Md.) will return with All-America honors last season. He was fifth in the NCAA for ground balls per game with a 6.92 average. Sophomore Nate Whitaker (Thomas Jefferson/Great Fall, Va.) returns as the Lions leading scorer last season finishing with 35 points. He scored at least one point in every match, which included an incredible five goals against seventh-ranked Massachusetts. Senior captain Matt O?Malley (Boy's Latin/Hunt Valley, Md.) enters the season as the only returning starter on the defensive unit. The Lions will rely on his leadership and skill to shut down top opposing attackmen.

The Lions will open the 2004 season when they scrimmage the alumni team on Jan. 31 at Holuba Hall. Regular season play will begin when Penn State travels to Columbus, Ohio on Feb. 21 to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.

2004 Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Poll
1. Johns Hopkins
2. Virginia
3. Maryland
4. Syracuse
5. Princeton
6. Rutgers
7. North Carolina
8. Georgetown
9. Cornell
10. Massachusetts
11. Notre Dame
12. Duke
13. Towson
14. Navy
15. Hofstra
16. UMBC
17. Penn State
18. Dartmouth
19. Loyola
20. Ohio State