FARMINGTON, Maine -- University of Maine at Farmington golf was selected to finish fifth in the 2016 North Atlantic Conference preseason poll, which was released by the conference office on Thursday. 

The Beavers earned a total of 41 points in the poll to notch the fifth place standing.  Husson University was selected as the preseason favorite while Salem State University claimed second with 68 points, while Castleton University took third with one first place vote and 62 points, Maine Maritime Academy earned fourth after garnering the remaining first place vote and a total of 52 points. Rounding out the poll were Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in sixth (32 points), Johnson State College in seventh (30 points), the University of Maine at Presque Isle in eighth (23 points) and Green Mountain College in ninth (18 points).

Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the league's head men's golf coaches.

2016 NAC Men's Golf  Preseason Coaches' Poll

UMaine-Farmington will be looking to top last year's fifth-place finish in the NAC Championship. Veteran head coach Bob Timmins enters his 14th season guiding the Beavers on the links. UMF has eight golfers coming back in 2016, including a pair of All-Conference selections. Michael Richard (Turner, Maine/St. Dominic Academy)) will try to crack into the top ten in the NAC Championship this season after placing 11th a season ago. Eric Aguiar (Thornton, N.H./Plymouth Regional) matched Richard in last year's conference championship and will be looking to be a contender in 2016. 

The Beavers will make stops at Southern Maine, University of New England, Bowdoin, and St. Joseph's this season before competing in the NAC Championship. 

UMaine-Farmington opens the season on Thursday, September 1, at the Southern Maine Invitational.