**Photo Credit: The Daily Collegian**
The college lacrosse season has yet to start, but the UMass and Harvard teams are already making headlines. For UMass, this means being included in the preseason Top-20 polls, done annually before the start of the season.
The polls, an Inside Lacrosse Media and United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches Polls, both included votes for the Minutemen squad. These polls are of course just estimates and previews for the upcoming season, but after successfully reaching tournament play last season, UMass is certainly a team to look out for.
Preseason for the Minutemen will begin in February, with the regular season opening locally onFebruary 22nd. UMass will take on Harvard, a depleted team that has shown signs of struggle the past couple of seasons.
Offensively, UMass is slightly favored based off of past statistics. They have more goals-per-game, shots-per-game, and have had the better record. With more recent experience in tournament play, this will also give them the upper hand over the Crimson. They also have the pleasure of playing their first game of the season at home, which is always helpful.
Overall, UMass is the more improved team, and should fare well in this match-up. By no means do I expect a blowout, but the Minutemen should win this game in decisive fashion.
