Cabrini Ranked, Wesleyan Climbs in USA Lacrosse Division III Men's Top 20

Another tumultuous week in the USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20 has teams rising and tumbling in equal measure.

While nearly every squad in the country fought penultimate conference battles this past weekend, not every result went according to plan.

Case in point: Bowdoin’s 16-12 loss to Wesleyan on Saturday. The final score was a little closer than the actual gameplay would showcase for most of the contest. The Cardinals had the Polar Bears trapped on an ice float on which scoring seemed impossible. A free-flowing, high-volume shooting offense was too much for Bowdoin to overcome, and down went the last undefeated team in conference play in the NESCAC.

Other big results included RPI losing to Amherst and St. Lawrence dropping another game, this time to a top-flight opponent in RIT.

Maybe the biggest sleeper in the entire Top 20 is Lynchburg, which has really played some of its best lacrosse toward the end of the regular season. Lynchburg nailed down two big wins against Roanoke and Hampden-Sydney.

Next week, we are looking down the barrel of some regular-season finales that will determine postseason tournament seeding. We’re almost into May, folks — this lacrosse season is hurtling toward its inevitable conclusion.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III
MEN’S TOP 20

1. Salisbury, 16-0 (Prev: 1)
2. RIT, 15-1 (Prev: 3)
3. Tufts, 12-2 (Prev: 4)
4. Swarthmore, 13-1 (Prev: 5)
5. RPI, 14-1 (Prev: 2)
6. Christopher Newport, 12-4 (Prev: 6)
7. Dickinson, 13-2 (Prev: 8)
8. St. Lawrence, 13-2 (Prev: 7)
9. Bowdoin, 10-3 (Prev: 10)
10. Wesleyan, 11-3 (Prev: 16)
11. Washington and Lee, 12-3 (Prev: 11)
12. Amherst, 9-5 (Prev: 12)
13. Lynchburg, 10-5 (Prev: 14)
14. Union, 10-3 (Prev: 13)
15. Babson, 12-3 (Prev: 9)
16. Gettysburg, 7-6 (Prev: 15)
17. Endicott, 13-1 (Prev: 17)
18. Stevens, 13-2 (Prev: 18)
19. Middlebury, 8-6 (Prev: 20)
20. Cabrini, 13-3 (Prev: NR)

Also considered (alphabetical order): Grove City, Lake Forest, Muhlenberg, Trinity, Williams

HOT

Wesleyan (+6) 

By beating Bowdoin, as mentioned above, Wesleyan did its job against Bowdoin, leading 15-7 after three quarters before the Polar Bears made it a respectable 16-12 margin by game’s end. DJ Dixon and CK Giancola had four goals apiece, Jack Raba had four assists and Conor Selfridge made 12 saves.

NOT

RPI (-3)

RPI dropped its first game in what’s been a remarkable season, leaving the Engineers to depart the top three for the first time in weeks. RPI actually outshot Amherst 54-40, but there’s just something about a hot goalie. Brooks Catlin made 16 saves to thwart the RPI offense.

IN

Cabrini (No. 20)

The Cabrini boys are certainly going out with a bang. They have won eight in a row and 12 of the last 13. Connor Herraiz and Dillon McManus, a sophomore and a senior, respectively, have both eclipsed the 80-point mark. The Cavaliers are also undefeated in conference play. They’re outscoring conference opponents 136-24. The passion and the performance of this team in its final season are beyond admirable. This week, it’s the biggest game of the year, as they’ll take on the top team in the nation — Salisbury. Will they get to finish their own story?

OUT

Roanoke (was No. 19)

Roanoke saw its seven-game win streak snapped by Lynchburg in an 18-15 loss. Roanoke redeemed itself with a 20-7 win over Randolph-Macon this, but that’s not enough to preserve a place in the Top 20 with so many deserving teams pushing for spots. Luke Kammerman’s incredible season continues, as the senior is now over 80 points. A midweek date with Washington and Lee looms large; a Maroons win would give them the ODAC regular-season crown.