BRIDGEWATER, NJ (1/29/2025) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team will look to prove the coaches wrong as the Titans were picked to finish sixth in the inaugural brand new Northeast Conference (NEC) preseason poll.

The NEC announced it would add men's lacrosse back as a conference sport for the first time since 2022, and the Titans joined the league as an affiliate member after three seasons in the Atlantic Sun.

Detroit Mercy was slated for sixth in the league, following Robert Morris, Cleveland State, LIU, VMI, and Le Moyne. Mercyhurst and Wager round out the poll.

The Titans bring back seven starters and a bevy of letterwinners from last year's team. Senior Aidan Bishop is the leading returning scorer after posting a career-high 26 points and 21 goals last season, while senior Ryan Richters tallied 187 total saves, tied for 17th in the country and second in the school record book, while finishing third in the nation with 14.38 saves per game.

NEC men's lacrosse enjoyed a significant amount of national acclaim during its initial 11-year run, highlighted by four NCAA Tournament wins and nine USILA All-Americans. Bryant helped put NEC men's lax on the map with a landmark win in 2014, ousting No. 2 Syracuse from the NCAA Tournament with a 10-9 victory.

The four-team, single-elimination NEC Men's Lacrosse Tournament will take place on May 1 & 3 at the site of the highest seed.