Here is the fourth installment of a very premature attempt to compile preseason rankings for next year.
The top 20 was broken up into four installments with Friday's post involving teams ranked from Nos. 5 to 1. Tuesday's entry featured teams ranked from Nos. 20 to 16, Wednesday's highlighted teams ranked from Nos. 15 to 11, and Thursday's centered on teams ranked Nos. 10 to 6.
Unless there are confirmed reports about certain players planning to use fifth years of eligibility, this space will assume that seniors in 2016 will not return next season. Unannounced fifth-year seniors and potential transfers will affect the rankings that come out next February, but here's a spin anyway.
5. Yale (2015 record: 13-3; NCAA tournament finish: first round)
Losses: Four starters including defensemen Michael Quinn (28 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers) and Reilly Naton (30 GB, 10 CT).
Returns: Six starters including a pair of attackmen in sophomore and first-team All-American Ben Reeves (45 goals and 34 assists) and junior Jeff Cimbalista (20 G, 5 A).
Reason for pessimism: In addition to graduating short-stick defensive midfielder Mark Glicini (47 GB, 8 CT), a defense that finished the year tied for eighth in Division I at 8.1 goals against per game must decide which goalkeeper to go with between sophomore Phil Huffard (7.92 goals-against average and .459 save percentage in 10 starts) or freshman Hoyt Crance (8.31 GAA, .526 save percentage in six starts).
Reason for optimism: The anticipated return of a pair of first-line midfielders in junior Eric Scott (19 G, 17 A) and freshman Jack Tigh (13 G, 13 A) combined with Reeves and Cimbalista should fuel an offense that ranked 10th in the country at 12.4 goals per game.
4. Loyola Maryland (14-4; semifinals)
Losses: Three starters in attackman Zach Herreweyers (37 G, 6 A), midfielder Tyler Albrecht (18 G, 4 A) and defenseman David Manning (21 GB, 14 CT).
Returns: Seven starters including a pair of attackmen in freshman and Patriot League Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year Pat Spencer (37 G, 52 A) and junior Zack Sirico (19 G, 14 A).
Reason for pessimism: How much will that 18-13 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA tournament semifinals affect freshman goalie Jacob Stover (7.80 GAA, .569 save percentage in 11 starts), who was replaced for the final three quarters by sophomore Grant Limone (9.49 GAA, .484 save percentage in seven starts)?
Reason for optimism: Junior attackman Jordan Germershausen posted 10 goals and two assists while replacing Herreweyers for four starts, and redshirt senior Jeff Chase (5 G, 2 A) or sophomore Jay Drapeau (10 G, 3 A) could join redshirt junior Brian Sherlock (24 G, 13 A) and junior Romar Dennis (15 G, 5 A) on the first midfield.
3. Johns Hopkins (8-7; first round)
Losses: Two starters in attackman Ryan Brown (41 G, 16 A) and midfielder Holden Cattoni (20 G, 4 A).
Returns: Eight starters including a pair of attackmen in sophomore Shack Stanwick (20 G, 38 A) and junior Wilkins Dismuke (24 G, 3 A).
Reason for pessimism: All three starting close defensemen and sophomore goalkeeper Brock Turnbaugh (11.51 GAA, .471 save percentage) should be back, but the defense ranked 59th out of 68 teams in the nation at 11.6 goals allowed per game.
Reason for optimism: An offense that ranked 12th with 12.3 goals per game could be even more potent by the anticipated return of sophomore midfielder Joel Tinney (28 G, 10 A in 2015) and senior midfielder Connor Reed (10 G, 16 A in 2015).
2. North Carolina (12-6; champion)
Losses: Two starters in attackman Steve Pontrello (49 G, 21 A) and midfielder Patrick Kelly (27 G, 11 A).
Returns: Eight starters including a pair of attackmen in sophomore and NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player Chris Cloutier (43 G, 14 A) and junior Luke Goldstock (31 G, 22 A).
Reason for pessimism: A defense that allowed 10.5 goals per game bade farewell to a pair of starters in short-stick defensive midfielder and second-team All-American Jake Matthai (3 G, 3 A, 25 GB, 2 CT) and long-stick midfielder Evan Connell (27 GB, 14 CT) and a fourth defenseman in Zach Powers (13 GB, 8 CT).
Reason for optimism: Junior faceoff specialist Stephen Kelly – who ranked 19th in the country in faceoff percentage (57.4 percent on 249-for-434) and fifth in ground balls (126) – will likely give the No. 6 offense (13.1 goals per game) multiple possessions.
1. Denver (13-3; first round)
Losses: Two starters in attackman Jack Bobzien (22 G, 19 A) and defenseman Pat Karole (21 GB, 3 CT).
Returns: Eight starters including a trio of first-team All-Americans in junior attackman Connor Cannizzaro (46 G, 23 A), junior midfielder Zach Miller (27 G, 23 A) and junior defenseman Christian Burgdorf (39 GB, 12 CT).
Reason for pessimism: In addition to Karole, the defense – which gave up 9.1 goals per game – graduated its top three short-stick defensive midfielders in Christian Thomas (6 GB, 4 CT), Joe Bano (10 GB, 3 CT) and Chris Hampton (18 GB).
Reason for optimism: As long as sophomore and first-team All-American Trevor Baptiste is winning 69.4 percent of his faceoffs to rank fourth in Division I and leading his peers in ground balls with 163, an offense that ranked third at 13.6 goals per game will continue to be dangerous.