D-III Men's Rewind: Middlebury, Union Win Helter-Skelter Thrillers

Hey. We’re back.

The ranks are done, but the playoffs require a different sort of breakdown. One that bracketed buckets of listicles demand. 

BIGGEST UPSET

You have to say that very few people picked Grove City to advance past its first-round matchup with Swarthmore. To be fair, the Swatties looked like they were loaded for bear coming into the tournament. Two wins over Gettysburg, including a 12-11 win in the Centennial Conference semifinals, had them in the mix to take on an AQ team. But Grove City has been underestimated all year long. So much so that the Wolverines made a chirp-laden highlight of their 18-17 win over Swarthmore. 

In case you missed it…

See you in the Sweet #wolverinestogether #thecity #eternallyfocused #grit pic.twitter.com/UwZj2ztreX

— Grove City Lacrosse (@GCC_MLax) May 14, 2023

BEST GAME(S)

You know, there is something to be said for the absolute fireball that was Western New England against Union. The Golden Bears didn’t just put up one hell of a fight — they were winning for the majority of the contest. The Dutchmen didn’t get their first lead until 3:26 remaining the game. Jacob Mabardy scored off a beautiful one-two feed that opened up the entire nearside of the cage for him to deposit the ball. It was the sort of timing where you went “that’s the game,” even though there was still more than three minutes to play. The insurance goal from Zach Davis came off some desperate chase checks that knocked the ball into the offensive end, but by that point, there was just over a minute remaining and all the momentum belonged to the Dutchmen. 

Similarly, Middlebury’s tooth-and-nail battle against St. Mary’s was a game that featured exceptional offense in the first half and even better defense in the second half from both teams. No ground ball was left unchallenged, no ride was without drama. It was a truly tense game of lacrosse that felt like a taut 90s thriller throughout. While St. Mary’s ultimately came up short, it was great to see the compete level rise as Middlebury kept threatening to run away with the result. Ultimately the Panthers did win the game 10-9 and then went on to defeat Union 19-10. It was an opening round game that had the juice, the jam and the justification for automatic qualifiers versus seeded teams.  

WORST GAME

The unanimous selection for this is probably Tufts’ blowout against Emmanuel. But let’s go a layer deeper. Blowouts at least have some fun goals. But Amherst’s win over Geneseo was more like a team that got up by too many goals far too early and then played with its food for a while. 

The Mammoths shot out to a 3-0 lead to start, but then Geneseo punched up and out to make it 4-2. Amherst had a few sloppy turnovers, but then went on a six-goal run in the second quarter during which they looked almost unstoppable. They controlled all aspects of the game. Geneseo stuck one in their eye before the first half ended, but the game looked all but over.

Then the Purple and white came out in the third quarter to a Geneseo team hungry for penalty rich blood. 

They took their pound of flesh, Amherst got a few more goals, but then the stratagem started to work. The Knights were throwing their weight and bodies around like it was their last game. It ended up being that, but Amherst sort of took it in stride and ambled to the finish. 

There’s something to be said for conserving energy, but the last few minutes were like a protracted intermission. The two teams were playing, but the result was not going to change. Amherst went on to throw everything it had at Salisbury, but eventually fell to the Gulls 14-10. 

FILTHIEST GOAL

Have you actually seen the game winner from the Grove City-Swarthmore game? Look at how far out Brett Gladstone is here. Yes, it’s man up, so there isn’t a big time close out — but the absolute gall to rip this with confidence is legitimately sociopathic. We loved it. What a way to end a game. Always bet on red chrome helmets. 

Here's Brett Gladstone's overtime game-winner Saturday afternoon that sends @GCC_MLax to the NCAA Tournament's third Round (round of 16)! pic.twitter.com/I4Rnu8Ezg8

— Grove City College Athletics (@GCC_Wolverines) May 13, 2023