ATLANTA – After capturing its second title last spring, Dayton has been installed as the unanimous favorite to take home a third according to the 2024 New Balance MCLA Division II Coaches Poll, which was released on Wednesday.

The Flyers (13-5) hardly looked like championship contenders last year, stumbling to a 2-3 start, but Joe Venturella’s troops figured it out mid-year. Dayton won 11 of its last 13 contests to grab the hardware. The Flyers amassed all 27 first-place votes.

Checking in at No. 2 is St. Thomas (14-3). The Tommies handed Dayton two of its five losses during the season – including the UMLC championship contest – but fell to the Flyers in the national championship game, 6-5.

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The remaining semifinalists from ’23 start in a tie for third in the New Balance poll. Air Force (16-2) and Cal State San Marcos (12-2) are knotted up in the third chair.

Grand Valley State (9-4) rounds out the top five, narrowly edging out Rhode Island (15-2) by eight points.

Led by Dayton, the Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (UMLC) posted six teams in the Top 25 while the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL) had four representatives. The Atlantic Lacrosse Conference (ALC), the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC), the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) and the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (RMLC) all had three apiece.

2024 New Balance MCLA Preseason Division II Coaches Poll

Others receiving votes: Miami (50), Maine (15), San Diego (11), Arizona DII (8), Denver (7), Texas A&M DII (7), Georgia Southern (4), Tulane (3), Loyola Marymount (2), Bridgewater State (2), MSU Denver (2), Virginia Tech DII (2), Saint Mary’s (1).