Against Florida Southern, Anderson used a 6-1 fourth quarter, with Logan Gaddis and Matthew Rodgers recording five of those goals, to pull away.

Anderson, Newberry Biggest Movers in Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Men's Top 20

February 13, 2023

Dan Arestia and Kyle Devitte

Anderson Athletics

This has been an auspicious start to the season in Division II, with a few upset wins peppering the results. Since play started in early February, there have been few heavyweight battles, but there was one game this past weekend that will shift some teams into — and out of — the top 10.

The most noteworthy move this week is Mercyhurst grabbing the second spot in the rankings. Mercyhurst’s 16-13 win over Wingate is technically an upset, though both teams showed that they could throw and take punches in equal measure during the contest.

Mercy easily defeated Dominican and will get its first real test next weekend against Le Moyne. The loss drops Wingate down to No. 8. The Bulldogs should be a comfortable favorite for their games the rest of February but have a big test in early March against Limestone.

Limestone announced its presence by beating Saint Leo by two goals. Next weekend, the Saints will start a stretch that includes Rollins, Florida Southern, Wingate and Anderson. A pair of sophomores — Zachary Terry and Mike McGarry — are leading the Saints in scoring through the first two games.

Lewis’ win over Lake Erie is not insignificant, either. An aviation school located in the Chicagoland area, the program may be in its infancy, but it has a dense roster and a coach in Joe Peruzzi who knows how to build a team from the back.

NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION II MEN’S TOP 20

	Feb. 13, 2023	W/L	Prev	Next
1	Tampa	2-0	1	2/15 vs. Flagler
2	Mercyhurst	1-0	4	2/25 at No. 20 Wilmington
3	Mercy	1-0	2	2/15 at College of Saint Rose
4	Lenoir-Rhyne	2-0	7	2/19 vs. No. 1 Tampa (in Savannah, Ga.)
5	Adelphi	0-0	5	2/17 at Palm Beach Atlantic
6	UIndy	2-0	8	2/18 at No. 12 Seton Hill
7	Limestone	2-0	6	2/15 at North Greenville
8	Le Moyne	0-0	9	2/19 vs. No. 3 Mercy
9	Saint Anselm	0-0	10	3/11 vs. Bentley
10	Wingate	1-1	3	2/18 at Mount Olive
11	Pace	0-0	11	2/28 vs. Molloy
12	Seton Hill	1-0	12	2/18 vs. No. 6 UIndy
13	Newberry	2-0	18	2/18 vs. Lynn (in Jacksonville, Fl.)
14	Anderson	3-0	NR	2/15 vs. Lees-McRae
15	Florida Tech	0-1	15	2/18 at Flagler
16	Rollins	0-0	19	2/18 at No. 7 Limestone
17	Florida Southern	2-1	17	2/25 vs. No. 7 Limestone
18	Belmont Abbey	1-1	13	2/18 at Catawba
19	Colorado Mesa	0-0	16	2/18 at Colorado College
20	Wilmington	0-1	NR	2/25 vs. No. 2 Mercyhurst

Also considered (alphabetical order): Bentley, Chestnut Hill, Lewis, Mount Olive, Rockhurst

Nike/USA Lacrosse Rankings

Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women

HOT

Mercyhurst (+2)

The Lakers got out to a big lead against Wingate and looked well in control. Wingate was able to fight back thanks to a seven-goal day from Danny Riley, but Mercyhurst received goals from eight different players, including Myles Hamm and Ethan Landymore, who combined for nine scores. The win was impressive enough to vault them ahead of Mercy.

Newberry (+5)

Newberry’s one-goal win over Belmont Abbey is probably only a shock to people that haven’t followed the program’s ascent over the past few seasons. There are no easy wins in the SAC, and you can add the Wolves to the growing list of programs that prove that point.

NOT

Belmont Abbey (-5)

Again, probably not a shock that Newberry beat Belmont Abbey. But it’s mildly concerning that Belmont Abbey was perfect on clears and forced Newberry into five failed clears (plus 21 turnovers overall) and still lost by a goal. Newberry was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra man opportunities, but Belmont Abbey was just 2-for-5.

IN

Anderson (No. 14)

The biggest mover this week is Anderson, which checks in at No. 14 after a win over Florida Southern and a 32-goal outburst against Chowan (plus a third win over Embry-Riddle). Against Florida Southern, Anderson used a 6-1 fourth quarter, with Logan Gaddis and Matthew Rodgers recording five of those goals, to pull away. Much of the run came on man up after a two-minute illegal body check and an extra 30-second foul on the bench, but credit Anderson for capitalizing. Rodgers is a player to watch, as he’s up to 21 goals in just three games, leading the team as a freshman.