NEC Preseason Poll

Somerset, NJ - The Seahawk men's tennis team was picked to finish 10th in the Northeast Conference (NEC) preseason as voted on by the league's coaches. Fairleigh Dickinson was dominant in its run to the 2012 NEC men's tennis title, but if league coaches are right, a new challenger will give the Knights a run for their money.

FDU finished first in the poll and collected five first place votes, but just one vote separated the Knights from newcomer Bryant, now eligible to compete in the NEC Championship after completing its five-year NCAA reclassification. The Bulldogs earned three first place tallies. Quinnipiac was awarded the remaining two first place votes and finished third in the poll.

Monmouth landed in fourth place, followed by Sacred Heart in fifth and Mount St. Mary's in sixth. Saint Francis U was voted seventh by the coaches with Robert Morris, St. Francis Brooklyn and Wagner rounding out the poll, claiming the eighth, ninth and 10th spots, respectively.

The Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, NJ will once again serve as the venue for the 10-team single-elimination championship from April 18-21. The winner will earn the NEC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament field.

Wagner is one of three NEC teams with first-year head coaches this season as Nikita Zotov assumes the reins of the program.  Zotov, who played collegiately at Iowa, will look to jumpstart a program that will be led by seniors Christian Rautenstrauch (Charlotte, NC / Providence Day) and Taylor Santoro (Absecon, NJ / St. Augustine Prep).

The Seahawks will open their spring slate with a 2:30 pm match at Lafayette on Saturday, March 2.