Men's Lacrosse Slotted Fourth in CACC Preseason Coaches Poll

FULL CACC RELEASE

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – With their season opener set for just 20 days from now, the University of Bridgeport's men's lacrosse team has been slotted to finish fourth in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) according to the preseason coaches poll released on Thursday.

The Purple Knights, now in their third season as a varsity program, enjoyed a massive improvement from year one to year two. In fact, Bridgeport upped its win total from just one in 2023 to a 7-8 record last season.

UB's 2024 campaign also featured a first-ever berth into the CACC playoffs. The fifth-seeded Purple Knights dropped a 16-13 first-round matchup to fourth-seeded Post.

Remarkably, the Purple Knights scored 72 more goals and gave up 40 less goals from last season to 2023. UB's six-win improvement from their maiden season to 2024 was the largest in the country.

Steve Tempone, UB's first and only coach, returns for his third season in 2025. He is assisted by Channing Thomas who has also been with the program since its infancy.

The Purple Knights are scheduled to begin the 2025 campaign on Feb. 19 at home against STAC.

FULL CACC MEN'S LACROSSE 2025 PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Chestnut Hill (*5) - 61 pts.
2. Wilmington (*1) – 56 pts
3. Georgian Court (*3) – 54 pts.
4. Bridgeport – 43 pts.
5. Post – 33 pts.
6. Dominican – 26 pts.
7. Caldwell – 21 pts.
8. Felician – 20 pts.
9. Holy Family – 10 pts.

*() # of first-place votes

At season's end, the top five teams in the standings will qualify for the CACC Championship tournament. The No. 5 seed will travel to the No. 4 seed in opening-round action on Monday, April 28. The semifinals will be held on Wednesday, April 30, at campus sites, and Dominican will host the championship final on Saturday, May 3, at O'Brien Field on its Orangeburg, N.Y., campus.

For the first time, the CACC champion will automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament.

For all information regarding Bridgeport Athletics, visit www.UBKnights.com and follow UB Athletics on Facebook (UBPurpleKnights), Twitter (@UBPurpleKnights) and Instagram (@UBPurpleKnights).