JACKSONVILLE, Fla. â€" Major lacrosse publication Inside Lacrosse has earmarked the Jacksonville University Dolphins as one of their “sleeper teams” for the 2014 season. Each year the magazine’s lead women’s writer Danielle Bernstein picks teams she feels have the best chance to move up in the rankings in pre-season, earning national kudos at the end. According to the article published on Tuesday, Jacksonville is her third choice on the list.

Bernstein writes: “Each season, there seems to be a team that makes an unexpected splash and outplays their preseason ranking…Jacksonville earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid last season, and the Dolphins will take on some tough competition in 2014.”

Listed as the top sleeper team this year is Johns Hopkins University, followed by Stanford and then the Dolphins. The news comes just two days after the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) released its Division I preseason poll that showed the Jacksonville University women’s lacrosse team earning votes for the first time in their top-20 poll.

According to the fan poll conducted by Inside Lacrosse online readers, the Dolphins are the choice for top dark horse team. They are currently receiving 38% of the votes cast with BCS schools USC and Louisville finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively. To vote in the online poll click here. 

The Dolphins will travel to Florida to take on the 4th ranked Gators next Wednesday evening in a 6:30pm contest. They then return home to face Colorado on Saturday, February 15th at noon. All youth players attending Saturday’s game against the Buffalos will receive posters and autographs following the game. To bring your youth team please contact Mikey Meagher at mmeaghe@ju.edu. Admission is free.