SPARKS, Md. – College of Idaho junior
Hank Ontiveros was selected as U.S. Lacrosse Magazine MCLA Division II Preseason Player of the Year, announced today by the national publication.
The honor for the first-team All-America face-off specialist was part of a big day for the Yotes, as C of I was ranked No. 3 in the USL Preseason Top-20 poll – the highest ranking in program history.
Ontiveros, the 2019 PNCLL Player of the Year, is coming off a season where he scored 38 goals and added 29 assists – which winning a school-record 82-percent of his face-offs. His efforts helped the Coyotes to a perfect regular-season, their second-straight PNCLL Tournament title, and a run to the semifinals of the MCLA Division II National Championships.
Defending MCLA champion, St. Thomas (Minn.), which defeated C of I at last season's national championships, earned the No. 1 spot, followed by Dayton (Ohio), the Yotes, North Dakota State and Minnesota-Duluth.
C of I opens the season on Feb. 29, hosting the University of Idaho, with the team facing No. 4 NDSU, No. 12 Utah State and No. 13 Montana State, during the season.
