To call last week eventful would be an understatement. It was absolute anarchy.
We saw our first monumental upset of the year in Division III men’s lacrosse, and then it happened again, and again — and one more time for good measure.
Tufts lost twice, RIT dropped its first game, and if that wasn’t enough, Lynchburg lost to unranked Washington and Lee. This week was an absolute mess, but in the best possible way.
This week’s Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20 features four new teams after the onslaught of upsets. RPI got a massive boost with its win over RIT, and Middlebury slots in right RPI after beating Tufts. An undefeated MIT also made its way into the rankings for the first time this spring, followed by Washington and Lee at No. 20.
NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION III MEN’S TOP 20
April 4, 2022 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Salisbury |
11-0 |
1 |
4/9 vs. Washington |
|
2 |
Christopher Newport |
12-0 |
4 |
4/6 at Southern Virginia |
|
3 |
Union |
9-0 |
9 |
4/6 vs. No. 6 St. John Fisher |
|
4 |
RIT |
9-1 |
2 |
4/9 vs. No. 3 Union |
|
5 |
York |
7-2 |
5 |
4/6 vs. Albright |
|
6 |
St. John Fisher |
8-1 |
6 |
4/6 vs. No. 3 Union |
|
7 |
Dickinson |
10-0 |
7 |
4/9 vs. Ursinus |
|
8 |
Gettysburg |
8-3 |
12 |
4/9 at Swarthmore |
|
9 |
Cabrini |
8-2 |
11 |
4/6 at Marymount |
|
10 |
Bowdoin |
9-0 |
13 |
4/6 at Bates |
|
11 |
RPI |
9-1 |
NR |
4/9 vs. Clarkson |
|
12 |
Middlebury |
5-3 |
NR |
4/6 at Hamilton |
|
13 |
Tufts |
6-2 |
3 |
4/6 at Williams |
|
14 |
Franklin & Marshall |
9-2 |
8 |
4/9 at Muhlenberg |
|
15 |
Lynchburg |
6-4 |
10 |
4/9 vs. Shenandoah |
|
16 |
St. Lawrence |
6-2 |
18 |
4/5 vs. SUNY Plattsburgh |
|
17 |
Stevenson |
5-4 |
16 |
4/6 at Hood |
|
18 |
Wesleyan |
6-2 |
15 |
4/6 vs. Amherst |
|
19 |
MIT |
9-0 |
NR |
4/9 at Wheaton |
|
20 |
Washington and Lee |
6-5 |
NR |
4/6 at Randolph |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Amherst (4-4), Catholic (6-3), Grove City (7-4), Denison (6-4), Ithaca (8-2), John Carroll (9-1), Ohio Wesleyan (5-3), Williams (5-3)
Nike/USA Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Union (+6)
No team has added to its resume like Union has over the last few weeks. Not only did it beat Tufts on Tuesday, but it took down St. Lawrence and Middlebury the week before. The schedule only gets harder for the Dutchmen, who play St. John Fisher, RIT and RPI on the road in their next three games. It’s going to be tough to stay undefeated through that stretch.
NOT
Tufts (-10)
For the first time since 2017, Tufts has lost two straight games. A midweek upset to Union was enough to grab headlines, but a 21-14 loss to Middlebury provided some shock on Saturday. The losses don’t spell the end for the Jumbos, but playing in the NESCAC will provide plenty of challenges during the last month of the regular season.
IN
RPI (No. 11)
RPI did the unthinkable when it beat RIT on Saturday. It had already gotten off to an impressive start before losing its first game to Williams on March 23. However, the win against the defending national champs places RPI just outside of the top 10.
Middlebury (No. 12)
The Panthers pounce into the Top 20 with a massive win against Tufts at home. They scored a season-high 21 goals in the win, and Billy Curtis led his team with four goals and three assists. Middlebury’s three losses are against Bowdoin, RPI and Union — all ranked opponents.
MIT (No. 18)
MIT is off to a 9-0 start, necessitating a jump inside the Top 20 for the first time this season. Attackman Ryan Gebhardt is leading the nation in goals scored (52).
Washington and Lee (No. 19)
The Tufts and RIT losses grabbed so much attention that it almost went unnoticed when Washington and Lee took down Lynchburg 11-10 on Saturday. The Generals have been close to the Top 20 all season, but they lacked a marquee win until last week.
OUT
Amherst (was No. 14)
A close win was followed by another loss to Bowdoin. The Mammoths fall to 4-4 and slip outside the Top 20.
Ithaca (was No. 17)
Ithaca lost its second game of the season to St. Lawrence. The Bombers are still lacking a ranked win, and their season gets more difficult moving forward. They will have Liberty League matchups with RIT, Union and RPI this week.
Denison (was No. 19)
Denison went 1-1 last week, losing to Grove City and winning against Kenyon College. An upset win for Washington and Lee, plus strong performances from MIT, forced the Big Red to the outside.
Williams (was No. 20)
The Top 20 is getting crowded, and there wasn’t room to include Williams this week. The Ephs are on the outside looking in after losing their third game, and it came during the same week that RIT, Tufts and Lynchburg all lost to teams ranked below them.