STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford was picked to win the West Division of the America East conference in the annual preseason coaches poll, as announced by the organization Wednesday.
The Cardinal received three of four first-place votes in the West Division, leading the way with nine points (coaches could not vote for their own team). Pacific, California, and UC Davis all received five points to round out the newly-formed division.
Albany was picked to win the East Division, followed by New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and UMass-Lowell. The Cardinal will not meet any of these teams until the America East tournament Nov. 5-8.
Stanford is coming off a spectacular 2014 season in which it set program records in wins (19), winning-streak (12), and national ranking (No. 3, Oct. 14-Nov. 2), culminating in the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament win over Louisville. The Cardinal returns 15 letterwinners and added five freshmen for the 2015 campaign.
Stanford opens its season at home Friday, Aug. 28 against NCAA runner-up Syracuse followed by a Sunday matchup with NCAA quarterfinalist Duke.
Admission to all home games is free.