Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. Wesleyan won its first national title in 2018, but now has a target on its back as No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III men’s preseason Top 20. 

Its run to the championship last season jumped the Cardinals into the national conversation. 

Salisbury trails Wesleyan at No. 2, followed by Amherst, Tufts and RIT. 

2. Gettysburg eyes its third straight NCAA championship as the top-ranked team entering 2019 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III women’s preseason Top 20. 

With the IWLCA National Player of the Year Steph Colson returning, hopes are high for the Bullets.

TCNJ, Middlebury, Wesleyan and Amherst round out the top five. 

3. Social media has become one of the greatest avenues for the sport’s biggest stars to connect with their fans and built their brands. 

Greg Gurenlian's career started long before Twitter and Instagram became popular, but he uses those outlets to continue to build his brand. 

Myles Jones, Rob Pannell and Taylor Cummings remember logging onto social media after their college games to find a new slew of followers. 

Then there’s Tariro Kandemiri, a.k.a. Official Lax Girl, who has built her Twitter following to more than 20,000 and speaks on issues surrounding the sport.

Paul Rabil has the most followers in the lacrosse world on both Twitter and Instagram, while Cummings takes the lead on the women’s side on Instagram. New faces to the game, like USC’s Katie DeFeo, has also quickly built a following with her video series. 

What We’re Reading

• As Niagara women’s coach Wendy Stone says, “us lacrosse nerds” are ready for LaxCon this weekend in Philly. 

• According to Seals defenseman Ethan Schott, prepare for a loud atmosphere when San Diego hosts its first NLL game Saturday against Rochester. 

• Inside Lacrosse breaks down the Big East and Ivy League men for the 2019 season. 

• According to Syracuse.com, the Orange men’s lacrosse team will rely on experience this spring, returning eight starters from the 2018 ACC regular season champion. 

• Catawba College men’s player Xavier Hare, who appeared in ESPN’s documentary, “Crossroads,” was on The Steve Harvey Show on Wednesday. 

What We’re Watching

Who's excited for LaxCon? Virtual Goalie, one of the many vendors you can check out at Fan Fest, announced Wednesday its game now features women’s lacrosse players. Go test it out this weekend in Philly!

Excited to announce we now feature women players! Take a look at this penalty shot from the 8s. Stop by booth 558 at #LAXCON2019 to try it out! #VR #sportstech #USAWLAX pic.twitter.com/fT6MwANJF1

— Virtual Goalie (@VirtualGoalie) January 9, 2019

What’s On Tap

• Stay tuned for an announcement from the PLL today. 

• Also on tap today, read about our Division III preseason players of the year. 

• Subscribe today to our weekly email newsletter and stay connected to each week's top lacrosse stories. The newsletter goes out every Thursday.

1.10.19

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) January 9, 2019

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