Movement Galore Outside Top 6 of Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Men's Top 20

Around Division III, there were wins of all varieties.

Connecticut College notched a solid win over Williams in a frigid rainstorm, coming out ahead by a final score of 11-9. Aidan McAvoy scored five times for the Camels, but an excellent goalie battle between Matt Freitas and Will Rice throughout difficult conditions was a major story. 

In another win of the upset variety, Muhlenberg took down eighth-ranked Dickinson 11-10. It’s Dickinson’s third straight loss, all by a single goal. Muhlenberg, on the other hand, has now won four straight, including a win over St. John Fisher. 

Bowdoin got an important win over Wesleyan. It brings Bowdoin to 5-2, but this is really the Polar Bears’ first major test. Upstart Babson is up next. Ethan Barnard is winning 69 percent of his faceoffs and has five goals — he remains among the nation’s best and a critical contributor to Bowdoin’s success. 

Lynchburg was among the cold teams a week ago but got a much-needed win in overtime against Washington and Lee. A seven-point day from Riley Mitchell and a 63-percent day in net from Tyler Hadley put Lynchburg over the top. After consecutive losses, Lynchburg now has one-goal wins against Franklin & Marshall and Washington and Lee. 

And for a statement win, look no further than Union. Union held No. 10 St. Lawrence to just six goals. Dan Donahue made 12 saves and faced just 18 shots, a testament to the strength of the Union defense. No one on St. Lawrence had more than a single goal. On the other end of the field, Union put 31 shots on the net. Michael Shaw and Zach Davis had five goals each. 

Elsewhere, it took a minute for Gettysburg to get going against Ursinus. Literally. Ursinus was up 2-0 within a minute. But once the Bullets found a rhythm, they went on a 6-0 run and opened up a little breathing room. Gettysburg shared the ball well, with nine of the 14 goals assisted. Kyle Howard had four helpers on his own. The Bullets committed five penalties, which they’ll need to clean up as they continue to take on Top 20 opponents.

And finally, Christopher Newport defended its top ranking again with a 16-11 win over Washington and Lee. We’re used to seeing Andrew Cook, Drew Miller and Coby Auslander filling up the scorebook, but in this one, it was Brett Jackson and Alex Brendes doing the damage. They had five goals each and combined to take 26 shots. 

NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION III MEN’S TOP 20

Also considered (alphabetical order): Coast Guard, Cortland, Franklin & Marshall, Muhlenberg, Stevenson, Williams

Nike/USA Lacrosse Rankings

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

HOT

Middlebury (+1)

The top of the NESCAC looks about how everyone expected — Tufts leading the way, Amherst and Bowdoin not far behind. But the now 6-0 Middlebury Panthers are right there as well, which was not part of the preseason script. They’re led in scoring by sophomores Russell Thorndike and Patrick Jamin, while freshman netminder Hayden Kern is saving 55 percent of shots. The win against Union was a statement, and Middlebury has a Tuesday game with Springfield this week followed by a weekend showdown with Tufts to make a couple more. 

Tufts (no change)

The Jumbos scoring is just that. Jumbo. They have failed to break the 20-goal mark just once this year (they beat Lynchburg 19-4 in a snowstorm) and are averaging 24 goals per game. Leading scorer Jack Boyden is at 9.7 points per game and has a whopping 42 assists. Tufts is not only clicking on all cylinders: it might actually have a few more cylinders than everyone else. Up next is Union, which has held its opponent to single digits in all but one game this year. 

NOT

Washington and Lee (-9)

It was a tough week for the Generals. They had an opportunity for a statement against Christopher Newport and came up short, then followed that up with an OT loss to Lynchburg. Ryan Boyd has been under 50 percent in net in consecutive games. W&L needed a better showing this week, because the rest of their schedule doesn’t have much in the way of powerhouse opponents.

IN

Babson (No. 20)

The Beavers make their debut in the Top 20 after a 24-9 decimation of Clark University. Last year, the NEWMAC’s top team, MIT, was one of Division III’s best Cinderella stories in recent memory. Babson has made serious inroads in the recruiting space and built a team that has very few weaknesses. Aside from a single loss to Union over a month ago, the Beavers have remained in the win column due to a combination of their versatile defense and scoring depth. Twenty-five players have produced at least one point so far this season — an astonishing amount when you consider that they have only played six games and seven out of 10 players have started all six contests. 

OUT

Williams (was No. 20)

It’s sad to see the Ephs leave the ranks, especially due to a loss to Connecticut College in monsoon-like conditions. The play of netminder Matt Freitas has been outstanding. Williams has an immediate opportunity to get back on the right track, and in a big way. They visit top-ranked Christopher Newport this week.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS

• Preseason

• Week 1: Feb. 13, 2023

• Week 2: Feb. 20, 2023

• Week 3: Feb. 27, 2023

• Week 4: March 6, 2023

• Week 5: March 13, 2023

• Week 6: March 20, 2023