Well, that escalated quickly.
We knew that the stretch run to the NCAA tournament would get exciting, but it’s hard to imagine the chaos that unfolded last week. Four different top 10 teams fell as conference tournaments wrapped up and others completed their regular seasons.
Tampa, the lone unbeaten team in the Division II rankings, completed its season with a run to the Sunshine State championship. Lindenwood upset UIndy in the Great Lakes Valley Conference title game, making the NCAA picture even murkier. Lenoir-Rhyne pulled off its biggest win of the year, holding off Limestone to win the South Atlantic Conference championship. These were just the conference tournaments results.
In addition, Adelphi held Le Moyne to just seven goals in an upset victory to clinch the NE-10 top seed.
The NCAA tournament field is announced on Sunday, and the committee’s job just got harder.
May 2, 2022 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Tampa |
18-0 |
1 |
TBD |
|
2 |
Mercy |
12-1 |
3 |
5/4 vs. Roberts Wesleyan |
|
3 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
14-3 |
6 |
TBD |
|
4 |
Adelphi |
13-1 |
9 |
5/4 vs. TBD |
|
5 |
Le Moyne |
13-2 |
2 |
5/4 vs. No. 13 Saint Anselm |
|
6 |
Limestone |
15-2 |
4 |
5/6 vs. No. 9 UIndy |
|
7 |
Lindenwood |
12-3 |
10 |
TBD |
|
8 |
Mercyhurst |
10-3 |
8 |
5/4 vs. Walsh |
|
9 |
UIndy |
14-2 |
5 |
5/6 vs. No. 6 Limestone |
|
10 |
Wingate |
12-4 |
7 |
TBD |
|
11 |
Florida Southern |
12-6 |
13 |
TBD |
|
12 |
Rollins |
12-3 |
11 |
TBD |
|
13 |
Saint Anselm |
10-4 |
16 |
5/4 at No. 5 Le Moyne |
|
14 |
Florida Tech |
10-6 |
12 |
TBD |
|
15 |
Wilmington |
11-4 |
14 |
TBD |
|
16 |
Belmont Abbey |
10-5 |
19 |
TBD |
|
17 |
Colorado Mesa |
12-4 |
15 |
5/6 vs. CSU Pueblo |
|
18 |
Queens (N.C.) |
12-5 |
17 |
TBD |
|
19 |
Westminster |
9-3 |
NR |
5/6 vs. TBD |
|
20 |
Bentley |
8-5 |
NR |
5/4 vs. No. 4 Adelphi |
Also considered: Anderson, Lake Erie, Lewis, Maryville, Mount Olive, Newberry, Pace, Roberts Wesleyan, Rockhurst, Seton Hill
Nike/USA Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Lenoir-Rhyne (+3)
The Bears lost to Limestone on March 12, scoring just three goals in the process. Since then, Lenoir-Rhyne has rallied off 10 straight wins en route to the South Atlantic Conference title — a game in which the Bears led by as many as six goals against Limestone. What seemed like a lost season early on could now end up in an NCAA berth.
Adelphi (+5)
The Panthers lost to Mercy just two weeks ago, but got back on track with back-to-back commanding wins over Bentley and Le Moyne. It’s not often that a team other than Le Moyne sits atop the NE-10, and the Panthers are the favorites to win the conference title.
NOT
Wingate (-3)
Wingate had another strong season in 2022, but lost twice to Lenoir-Rhyne in the past three weeks. The 17-13 loss to the Bears in the SAC semifinal, in which Wingate led by three goals early, could be the season-ender if it does not make the NCAA tournament.
IN
Westminster (No. 19)
A win over Colorado Mesa caps a strong season in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for the Griffins, who finished tied for the top spot with the Mavericks. Westminster will be the top seed in the RMAC tournament in Salt Lake City.
Bentley (No. 20)
The revolving door that is the end of the top 20 continues with Bentley, which knocked off Pace in the first round of the NE-10 tournament. The Falcons have responded well since a three-game losing streak against Le Moyne, Pace and Adelphi.
OUT
Rockhurst (was No. 18)
The Hawks advanced to the GLVC semifinals thanks to a strong season, but scored just four goals in a loss to Lindenwood. It was a poor way to end the season for a team that showed promise just six days prior, beating that same Lindenwood team.
Pace (was No. 20)
The Setters scored just three times in an NE-10 first-round loss to Bentley — a rough way to end the season. Pace finishes at 11-4, but struggled against top competition during NE-10 play.