Le Moyne New No. 1 in Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Men's Top 20
There is only one place to start in Division II, and that is with the biggest upset in men’s lacrosse this entire weekend.
Top-ranked Tampa fell 14-12 to upstart Frostburg State on Saturday. It was a totally deserved win by Frostburg, which played Tampa tough and dared the Spartans to beat defenders in 1-v-1 matchups. Frostburg controlled the pace in the second half with long possessions and frequent trips to no man's land behind the net.
Lenoir-Rhyne had a double-digit win over Belmont Abbey to bolster its stock. The Bears head into this week at 5-1 and will play Florida Teach next weekend. Mercyhurst quietly controlled its matchup this week — again — to maintain its unbeaten streak as well.
But at the top of the rankings, it’s a member of the old guard taking the top perch. Le Moyne is back at No. 1 after a hard-fought 15-13 win over UIndy. If Division II is turning into the Wild, Wild West, it’s good to have an old sheriff in town to keep things in order.
NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION II MEN’S TOP 20
|
March 6, 2023 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Le Moyne |
3-0 |
5 |
3/8 at Roberts Wesleyan |
2 |
Mercyhurst |
3-0 |
2 |
3/11 vs. Chestnut Hill |
3 |
Adelphi |
4-0 |
3 |
3/8 vs. Caldwell |
4 |
Mercy |
4-1 |
6 |
3/11 vs. Wilmington |
5 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
4-1 |
8 |
3/11 vs. No. 17 Florida Tech |
6 |
UIndy |
4-1 |
4 |
3/8 at Walsh |
7 |
Tampa |
4-1 |
1 |
3/8 vs. Embry-Riddle |
8 |
Wingate |
4-1 |
10 |
3/11 vs. No. 14 Newberry |
9 |
Limestone |
4-2 |
7 |
3/11 at No. 15 Anderson |
10 |
Frostburg State |
3-0 |
19 |
3/8 vs. Malone |
11 |
Rollins |
4-0 |
9 |
3/6 vs. Barton |
12 |
Saint Anselm |
1-0 |
11 |
3/11 vs. No. 16 Bentley |
13 |
Pace |
2-0 |
13 |
3/11 vs. Lynn |
14 |
Newberry |
5-1 |
12 |
3/11 at No. 8 Wingate |
15 |
Anderson |
6-1 |
14 |
3/11 vs. No. 9 Limestone |
16 |
Bentley |
1-0 |
18 |
3/11 at No. 12 Saint Anselm |
17 |
Florida Tech |
1-1 |
16 |
3/6 vs. Wentworth Institute of Technology |
18 |
Colorado Mesa |
5-1 |
20 |
3/11 vs. No. 11 Rollins |
19 |
Seton Hill |
2-2 |
15 |
3/11 vs. North Greenville |
20 |
Belmont Abbey |
3-2 |
17 |
3/8 vs. Lewis |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Chestnut Hill, Florida Southern, Lewis, Mount Olive, Rockhurst, Wilmington
Nike/USA Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Le Moyne (+4)
The Dolphins are back on top of the pack thanks to a 15-13 win over UIndy. The Greyhounds mounted a fierce comeback in the second half, but Le Moyne’s lead was too much to overcome. So far, Le Moyne has taken every team’s best shot and barely flinched. It’s quite an accomplishment considering just how many seniors and fifth-year players it lost in the offseason to graduation.
Frostburg (+9)
The only question with the Bobcats is where to rank them. Maryland’s only Division II team, Frostburg has been building towards a win like this for some time now. When you knock off the No. 1 team, the rest of the nation takes notice. Bubba Love has a hat trick in every game this year and leads the team in points. With Mercyhurst and Mercy both on the schedule, Frostburg can continue to push up the polls.
NOT
Tampa (-6)
Harsh to put Tampa here after one loss, but the Spartans did take themselves out of the game with the Bobcats. Yes, a lot of the things Frostburg did affect them, but the fact that it visibly rankled the team as a whole so much that the Spartans played the last minute-and-change man-down? That’s not a good sign. J.B. Clarke will have this team back on its feet and ready to play Embry-Riddle midweek, but this game tape isn’t going to be buried in the everglades. It’s going to be a powerful motivation for the rest of the year.
Seton Hill (-4)
Concealed by the Tampa loss was another hit taken by the Griffins. Seton Hill now sits 2-2 with no more conference games until April. With a one-goal loss to UIndy and a three-goal loss to Mercy, Seton Hill has battled the big names tight but come up short. They could win out the rest of the month to get back into consideration for the top 15, but Molloy and Frostburg loom large on March 25 and 28 respectively.
PREVIOUS RANKINGS
Dan Arestia and Kyle Devitte
Dan Arestia and Kyle Devitte cover Division II and III men's lacrosse for USA Lacrosse Magazine.