Princeton University Athletics
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Cocoziello, Hewit Named Preseason First-Team All-Americas; Tigers ranked eighth in preseason poll
December 13, 2007 | Men's Lacrosse
Alex Hewit and Dan Cocoziello have been starting in lacrosse together since the seventh grade. If Inside Lacrosse's Face-Off Yearbook has it right, the two Princeton seniors will end their 10 years together in style.
Hewit and Cocoziello, high school teammates at the Delbarton School, were both named preseason first-team All-Americas by the magazine. Neither selection is much of a surprise, as the two seniors had earlier been named the best players in the country at their positions by Inside Lacrosse.
Hewit was a first-team All-America goalie as a sophomore and a second-team selection a year ago. Cocoziello, a defenseman, has been a second-team selection each of the last two years.
Mark Kovler, a junior midfielder, was named as a preseason second-team All-America after scoring 23 goals as a sophomore, when he was a third-team All-America.
Junior defenseman Chris Peyser was a third-team selection by Face-Off Yearbook; Peyser was an honorable mention pick last spring. Longstick midfielder Charlie Kolkin was a preseason honorable mention selection.
Face-Off Yearbook also chose a preseason All-Ivy League team, which featured all five Tigers who earned All-America mention.
Princeton was voted eighth in the Inside Lacrosse preseason coaches' poll, one spot behind No. 7 Cornell. In the magazine's Ivy League selections, however, Princeton was the preseason pick to win the league, followed by Cornell.
Princeton went 10-4 a year ago and finished second in the Ivy League at 5-1, one game behind Cornell. Princeton returns six starters, but did graduate All-Americas Peter Trombino, Scott Sowanick and Zachary Jungers, as well as four-year starter Whitney Hayes.
The teams that met in last year's NCAA final were ranked 1-2 in the preseason, as defending NCAA champion Johns Hopkins was No. 1, followed by Duke. The Top 10 includes those two, followed by Virginia, Georgetown, North Carolina, Maryland, Cornell, Princeton, Navy and Notre Dame. Hopkins and Duke each had four preseason first-team All-Americas.
Princeton opens its season Feb. 23 against Canisius. The Tigers' regular season schedule includes five teams ranked in the preseason Top 12: Hopkins, Virginia, Cornell, No. 11 Syracuse and No. 12 Albany.