KANSAS CITY, Kan. (August 7, 2012) - Defending Sunshine State Conference Tournament champions and participants in the last three NCAA Division II postseasons, Rollins will enter 2012 as the 20^th-ranked team in the nation, it was released Tuesday.

The Tars have now been ranked in each of the last 29 polls, dating back to Sept. 2010. They began last season ranked second and held the top spot for one week before ending the year ranked 20^th.

Defending national champion Fort Lewis starts the year ranked No. 1, followed by SSC rival and national runner-up Lynn at No. 2. Other ranked teams on the Tars schedule this season include No. 5 Flagler and No. 12 Barry.

Rollins returns 10 players from the 2011 squad, including leading scorer Rafa Faria. The senior transfer from Penn St. earned second team All-SSC honors with a team-best seven goals and nine assists last season. Returners Rob Crowley (4 goals) and Marten Mueller (3 goals) are also expected to bolster the Tars attack in 2012.

Two-year starter Keneil Baker is back between the posts for the Tars and continues to be one of the top keepers in the region. He was 2011 Honorable Mention All-SSC with 53 saves to just 16 goals allowed, including seven shutouts. The Tars, however, will need to plug the hole left by the graduations of SSC Defensive Player of the Year Justin Clark and All-American defender Jack Clifford on the back line.

Rollins starts its preseason training camp on Monday, Aug. 13 and will include warm-up games at North Florida on Aug. 18 and at home against Webber International on Aug. 24. The regular season kicks off Friday, Aug. 31 with a home date against Embry-Riddle.

Fans can follow the Tars all season long with streaming audio and video on the Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com.