Newcomer American and defending champion Lehigh each picked up 82 points and shared 12 of the 16 first-place votes in the preseason poll of coaches and sports information directors. American joins the Patriot League this season after posting a 7-9-2 overall record last season, including a 5-2-1 mark for a third-place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Eagles totaled 82 points in the voting and were the top pick by nine of the 16 coaches and SIDs. AU’s Kris Bertsch (Clinton, N.J.) emerged in the final six games of the season as an offensive force, scoring at least one goal in each game on the way to a team-high nine for the season. Four of Bertsch’s goals were game-winners for the Eagles. Defensively, seniors Bob Brennan (Northport, N.Y.), Brett Colton (Springfield, Va.) and juniors Larry McDonald (Waddel Village, Trinidad), David Pryor (Lawrenceville, N.J.) and Robert Rezek (Brampton, Ontario) provide a strong wall of protection in front of junior goalie Michael Behonic (Bohemia, N.Y.), who allowed just 1.76 goals per game last year. Lehigh, which picked up three first-place nods on the way to 82 points in the voting, is the defending Patriot League champion after finishing third in the regular-season with a 3-2-1 record. It was the first PL title for the Mountain Hawks, who posted a 12-6-1 overall record, including a first-round NCAA Championship Tournament loss at Virginia. The Mountain Hawks return two All-League attackers who were key to the late-season run to the title. Sophomore F Evan Bruno (Middletown, N.J.) scored a league-leading 42 points last season on 18 goals and six assists on the way to earning the Brine PL Offensive Player of the Year Award. Freshman F Doug Cusick (Marlton, N.J.) tied for second in the League in total points (32), was third in goals (13) and was named the Brine PL Rookie of the Year. Also returning to the lineup for Lehigh are senior first-team All-League midfielder Colin Marshall (Tabernacle, N.J.) and junior second-team all-star midfielder Dan Perciballi (Augusta, N.J.). It was Perciballi’s second straight appearance on the League all-star team. If the top two spots in the League’s four-team post-season tournament are secured by American and Lehigh, the coaches and SIDs predict a tight battle among Lafayette (8-10-2, 4-2-0 PL), Bucknell (9-10-2, 4-2-0 PL) and Navy (9-6-1, 2-4-0 PL) for the other two bids. Lafayette, which tied Bucknell for the regular-season title last year, picked up 67 points to place third in the voting, followed by the Bison (58 points) and Navy (57). LC and BU each picked up two first-place votes. The Leopards have won four of the last seven PL playoff titles, including crowns in 1998 and 1999 under head coach Tim Lenahan. He left LC during the off-season to take over the program at Northwestern University, leaving the program in the capable hands of Dennis Bohn, who served as an assistant coach for the Leopards for two seasons. Bucknell, under 2000 Brine PL Coach of the Year Brendan Nash, will be led by junior first-team All-League midfielder Nick Taylor (Cleveland, Ohio), who led the Bison with 12 points on four goals and four assists last year. Navy will make its bid for the playoffs on the strength of four returning all-League players, including senior goalie Brian Steckroth (Little Silver, N.J.), senior forward Brye Gerhardt (Solon, Ohio), junior defender Daniel Neverosky (Blue Bell, Pa.) and junior midfielder Craig Ruhs (Trophy Club, Texas). Steckroth, who was second in the League in goals allowed per game (0.85) and third in save percentage (82.1%) on the way to first-team All-League honors last year. Gerhardt, who joined Neverosky and Ruhs on the second-team All-League squad last year, is counted on to be an offensive leader for the Mids after finishing fifth in the League in goals (nine) and points (21) last year. Holy Cross (8-10-0, 3-3-0 PL), the fourth-place team in the regular-season last year, ranked sixth in the pre-season poll with 44 points, followed by Army (6-11-1, 3-3-0 PL) with 32 points and Colgate (7-10-1, 1-4-1 PL) with 26 points. The Crusaders return three juniors to the lineup who were first-team All-League selections last year, including forward Matt Ney (McLean, Va.), midfielder Pat Montgomery (Tupelo, Miss.) and defender Rusty Guidici (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). Ney was second in the League in goals (14) and tied for second in points (32) last season. Army and Colgate will try to climb into playoff contention behind the talents of underclassmen that were first-time All-League choices in 2000. Sophomore midfielder Todd Severson (Bellevue, Neb.), who was second on the team in scoring with four goals and one assist for nine points, will lead the Black Knights in 2001. The Raiders, who won four of their last six games in 2000, will rely on the talents of junior midfielder Michael Henes (Evanston, Ill.) and Jr. defender Marc Hubbard (Durham, N.H.) this season.