(Photo by Robert White)

SEATTLE – After advancing to the semifinals of the 2022 MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance, Montana has been named the favorite in Division II of the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse Conference (PNCLL) in 2023.

The Grizzlies finished the season with a 16-6 mark and were slotted No. 4 four in the final New Balance Coaches Poll. They grabbed six of the eight first-place votes for the overall top spot.

Montana split its two meetings with College of Idaho (10-2) last spring and the Yotes are tabbed second in the PNCLL. College of Idaho, which finished ranked No. 8 and snagged the remaining two first-place votes, was seeded second at nationals but were defeated in overtime in the first round.

Northwest Nazarene had a strong first full season in the PNCLL, finishing at 6-4 with a No. 22 final ranking. The Nightwawks are comfortably in the third spot in the preseason poll.

Western Washington (3-5), which qualified for the conference tournament last spring, rounds out the top four of the eight team league.

2023 PNCLL Division II Preseason Coaches Poll