MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Palm Beach Atlantic Men's Lacrosse team was selected to finish eighth in the SSC Preseason Poll as released by the conference office Wednesday afternoon. The poll is voted on by conference's head coaches.

The Sailfish are coming into the season off of a 4-7 finish last year with an 1-6 record in SSC play, looking to improve from an seventh place finish in last year's campaign. 

Head Coach Dan Carson enters her 1st season as the leader of the pack. Coach Carson joins the Sailfish after Coaching at NCAA Division III Messiah University in Pennsylvania, Carson comes in with a 37-34 record after four years with the Falcons. PBA welcomes back Assistant Coach Gunner Gebelein who served on the staff last season, Gebelein was a part of the Sailfish squad in 2020 where he was named to the Inside Lacrosse Magazine 2020 All-American Third Team. Joining Carson are assistant Coaches Austin Evans and Curtis Goddard. Goddard was an integral piece of the Sailfish offense last season as he transferred in from Division I Jacksonville University, Goddard finished with the fourth-most goals in a single season in program history with 27, in addition he was named to the 2025 USILA First Team All-South Region and the 2025 USILA Second Team All-American list, the first Sailfish to do so. 

The Sailfish returned 22 players from last year's roster, including starters such as Dominic Barnshaw, Cooper Porter, Baker Reale, and William Santella. PBA also added a freshman class of twelve players, and welcomed six transfers to the roster.

Tampa was voted to three-peat as SSC Champions with seven first place votes after going 21-1 overall and 7-0 in conference play last season. The Spartans are also coming off a season that saw them in the national championship game where they ultimately fell short of the title in overtime. Saint Leo and Rollins were boht picked to finish second with only one first place vote being awarded to Saint Leo. Embry-Riddle and Lynn rounded out the rest of the conference top five. 

The Sailfish kickoff their season on the road in North Carolina as they face Lees-McRae on Feburary 6th, before welcoming Westminster (Utah) to the Rinker Athletic Campus on February 21st.