ONU opens its 2023 schedule on Saturday hosting Alma (Mich.) at 1 p.m.

The Ohio Northern men's lacrosse team was picked to finish third in the 2023 Ohio Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.

The Polar Bears received 65 points in the poll.

Defending OAC Tournament champion John Carroll and defending OAC Regular Season champ Baldwin Wallace were picked as the conference co-favorites with 77 points and five first-place votes each.

Capital was picked fourth with 55 points, and Otterbein rounded out the top five with 51 points.

ONU returns 36 lettermen from last year's team that finished 12-5 overall, including 7-2 in the OAC, and advanced to the OAC Tournament semifinals for the second straight season. The Polar Bears are seeking their eighth straight winning season under eighth-year head coach Nat St. Laurent.

2023 OAC Men's Lacrosse Coaches Poll

RankSchool (1st Place Votes)
Points

t1.Baldwin Wallace (5)77

t1.John Carroll (5)77

3.Ohio Northern65

4.Capital55

5.Otterbein51

6.Mount Union40

7. Muskingum32

8.Marietta27

9.Heidelberg17

10. Wilmington9