CHAPEL HILL– The Carolina men’s lacrosse team is ranked third in the 2014 NCAA Division I lacrosse preseason rankings published by Lacrosse Magazine.

The defending ACC champion Tar Heels will have their work cut out for them if they are to repeat as champions this year. Conference rival Duke is ranked as the top team in the nation.

In fact, all six members of the remodeled ACC are ranked in the top 10. Denver is the only non-ACC team featured in the top five. The Pioneers knocked off the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament last season.

And as for the women’s lacrosse team, they’ll start out the season with the No. 1 ranking, according to the magazine.

The rankings were created by Lacrosse Magazine staff after talking with college coaches.

Lacrosse Magazine NCAA Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20

1. Duke
2. Syracuse
3. North Carolina
4. Denver
5. Notre Dame
6. Princeton
7. Maryland
8. Penn State
9. Virginia
10. Albany
11. Loyola
12. Yale
13. Johns Hopkins
14. Bucknell
15. Ohio State
16. Lehigh
17. Penn
18. Cornell
19. St. John’s
20. Villanova

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