BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 14, 2015) - The LIU Post men's lacrosse team has been ranked fourth in the 2016 Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Division II Preseason Top-15 Poll, announced earlier this month.

The Pioneers bring back five key starters from last year's squad, which won their third-consecutive East Coast Conference Championship and made their third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Returning USILA Second Team All-American Matty Beccaris (North Babylon, N.Y.) led the green and gold with a team-high-tying 44 goals and 64 points. Fellow senior attackman Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) tied Beccaris for the team lead in goals (44), including five man-up tallies and a Pioneer-best three shorthanded markers.

Senior midfielders Ryan Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) and Anthony Berardis (Mahopac, N.Y.), who were both named to the USILA All-America Honorable Mention squad in 2015, are coming off 50- (28 G, 22 A) and 40-point (30 G, 10 A) campaigns. 

Reigning ECC Goalkeeper of the Year Adam Winne (Ridgefield, Conn.) compiled a 14-3 record last season with 153 saves and an 8.19 goals-against average, which ranked seventh-best in Division II.

LIU Post boasted the eighth-best scoring offense in the country in 2015, averaging 13.35 goals per game. It also placed in the Top-10 amongst the nation's statistical leaders in four other categories.

The Pioneers are one of only three East Coast Conference programs to appear in the Face-Off Yearbook rankings. New York Institute of Technology and Dowling College came in at No. 5 and No. 15, respectively.

2016 Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Preseason Top-15
1. Limestone
2. Merrimack
3. Le Moyne
4. LIU Post
5. NYIT
6. Adelphi
7. Seton Hill
8. Lindenwood
9. Lake Erie
10. Tampa
11. Mercyhurst
12. Mount Olive
13. Florida Tech
14. Pfeiffer
15. Dowling