MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Dubuque has been selected to win the 2022 Midwest Lacrosse Conference (MLC) championship according to the preseason poll, voted on by the league's head coaches. This will be the inaugural season for the Spartans in the MLC. They earned 34 total points and four first-place votes.

Defending regular season and conference tournament champion Northwestern was picked to finish second with 29 points and also earned two first-place votes.

The second conference newcomer, Lake Forest, was picked third with 24 points, Monmouth was selected fourth and earned the final first-place vote. Cornell was picked fifth with 19 points, Northland sixth with 11 points, and North Central completed the teams in the poll with seven points.

The MLC's regular-season standings determine the teams that qualify for the four-team conference tournament, while the tournament champion receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The MLC is in its 12th season of league competition, with Aurora University having claimed the most postseason titles in conference history with six.

2022 MLC Preseason Poll
1. Dubuque (4), 34 points
2. Northwestern (2), 29 points
3. Lake Forest, 24 points
4. Monmouth (1), 23 points
5. Cornell, 19 points
6. Northland, 11 points
7. North Central, 7 points

First-place votes in parentheses
Voted by the conference's head coaches, who could not vote for their own team
6-5-4-3-2-1 point scale used

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