West Babylon, N.Y. - Mercy College finished one point ahead of Frostburg State to take the top spot in the East Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll released on Thursday. The ECC also announced its preseason award winners. Frostburg State's Paul Ruppert (Severna Park, Md.) was selected as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Sean Rigley (Pleasant Hill, Calif.) of Mercy and Matt Sharkey (Hughesville, Md.) of Frostburg State shared the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honor.

Mercy received three first place votes to Frostburg State's two to top the poll by a margin of 23-22. Both teams have high expectations after strong starts to the abbreviated season interrupted by COVID-19. Coming off a 2019 season that saw a program-first ECC Championship and NCAA Championship victory, Mercy was off to a 5-1 start in 2020 that included three wins over teams ranked or receiving votes in the national Top-20 poll . The Mavericks begin the season ranked themselves, coming in at No. 9 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II Preseason Poll.

Frostburg State had an impressive debut at the Division II level in 2020 with a perfect 5-0 record that included a win over nationally ranked Florida Southern. Like Mercy, the Bobcats were also ranked in the USILA Preseason Poll, coming in at No. 20.

Roberts Wesleyan, Molloy, and St. Thomas Aquinas round out the poll in spots No. 3 through No. 5. The ECC's sixth men's lacrosse member, University of the District of Columbia, has opted out of the 2021 season.

Ruppert takes home the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor after tallying 12 goals and dishing off seven assists for 19 total points in five games last season. Ruppert also holds Frostburg State's single-season goal record of 48, a feat he accomplished in the Bobcats' last season at the Division III level in 2019.

Rigley shares the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year award after excelling in his first season at the Division II level. After earning All-Conference honorees at the junior college level in 2019, the Onondaga C.C. transfer started each of Mercy's six games while compiling 13 ground balls and six caused turnovers. His best outing of the year came in a win over No. 7 Pace when he had six ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Sharkey had a breakout sophomore campaign a year ago to earn the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year accolade. In just five games, he nearly totaled his ground ball and caused turnover totals that he compiled over 20 games as a freshman. Overall, he tallied 22 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers while helping Frostburg State allow just 8.0 goals per game, good for ninth in all of Division II.

1. Mercy (3) 23 5-1 (0-0 ECC)

2. Frostburg St. (2) 22 5-0 (0-0 ECC)

3. Roberts Wesleyan 14 4-3 (0-0 ECC)

4. Molloy 11 1-6 (0-0 ECC)

5. St. Thomas Aquinas 5 2-4 (0-0 ECC)

( ) - first place votes
 

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Paul Ruppert, Gr., A, Frostburg State
Co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Sean Rigley, Sr., D, Mercy
Co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Matt Sharkey, Jr., LSM, Frostburg State