BOSTON — The defending America East champions are picked to repeat again.

Stony Brook was picked first in the preseason poll, receiving all six available first-place votes from the league's head coaches, the conference announced on Thursday afternoon. The Seawolves have won the last eight America East titles and have won 54 consecutive games against league opposition.

UMBC received the lone remaining top prediction and sit in second in the poll. UAlbany (third) and Vermont (fourth) round out the projected America East postseason.

Picked fifth in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll, the Seawolves enter the campaign with three highly-anticipated games out of the gate, with No. 3 Syracuse, No. 4 Northwestern and No. 10 Florida on the docket inside the first month of the year. Joe Spallina's club also draws No. 13 Princeton on the road and opens the competitive year with a scrimmage against No. 11 Virginia.

Stony Brook is led by preseason All-American Rayna Sabella and a pair of the top transfers in the country, according to Inside Lacrosse, in Kyla Zapolski and Charlie Campbell.

The Seawolves are slated to begin the 2022 campaign on Feb. 20 at the Carrier Dome against the Orange.

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