RPI Beats RIT, Vaults to No. 2 in USA Lacrosse D-III Men's Top 20

One last blast of winter weather made this past weekend a great one for watching lacrosse from home, but maybe a little cold and wet to play. Even with the snow, rain and wind up and down the East Coast, the lacrosse this weekend was excellent.

Teams are ramping up and building postseason resumes, and the urgency in their play shows it.

The game of the weekend in Division III was RIT’s visit to RPI. A top-five matchup between undefeated teams, it also looked to be a battle for who had the inside track on winning the Liberty League.

Joe Perry’s 24 saves and Erik Ojert’s game-winner in OT were the difference for RPI, which remains undefeated and climbs to No. 2 in this week’s USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20. RPI also notched a win against Williams last week, only bolstering its resume further.

The ranks of the undefeated grow smaller every week, though Salisbury, St. Lawrence and Union also remain ranked and perfect on the year.

Elsewhere in Division III, Stevens notched a big win over Wesleyan. The Ducks split a pair of NESCAC games, as they fell to Tufts over the weekend, but the dominance in their win against the Cardinals was eye-catching. In the NESCAC, Amherst took down Gettysburg in a 9-8 nail-biter. Bob Gross notched five points, including a hat trick.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III
MEN’S TOP 20

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

Also considered (alphabetical order): Denison, Grove City, Hampden-Sydney, Middlebury, Roanoke, Skidmore

HOT

RPI (+2)

RPI-RIT, like just about every game on the East Coast, was played in some nasty weather. But that didn’t stop these two from playing an incredible contest. Neither team ever led by more than two goals. RPI didn’t play the cleanest game, going 19-for-29 on clears while committing 26 turnovers. But RPI won the ground ball battle and got an absolutely masterful day in the net from Joe Perry.

The game-winning sequence in overtime featured a doorstep save from Perry, who dropped to his knees to smother a shot. His outlet pass created a transition chance, and Erik Ojert pushed for his left from X, got top side and was able to score as time expired in OT to get RPI its biggest win of the year.

NOT

Lynchburg (-1)

Lynchburg lost two in a row to Hamilton and Christopher Newport before beating Virginia Wesleyan to get back to .500. The Hornets were considered contenders coming into the year, at worst a top-10 team that was loaded with fifth years and returning impact players. As we reach the end of March, Lynchburg has not yet registered a big-time win, and the Hornets are 1-3 against ranked opponents.

The lone win was against then-ranked Denison, which has since fallen out of the Top 20. Riley Mitchell only appearing in three games is certainly part of the team's struggles. Still, the talent is there for Lynchburg to be an ODAC contender. And the Hornets have a big opportunity next week against Amherst.

IN

Stevens (No. 20)

The Ducks handed Wesleyan its first loss of the season, winning in Middletown 16-10. The game was not as close as the final suggests. An 11-2 Stevens run stretched through the middle quarters, saw the Ducks lead by as much as 11 late in the third quarter. The Ducks fell to Tufts over the weekend, but the win against Wesleyan is strong enough to move them into the Top 20.

OUT

Skidmore (was No. 18)

Last week’s loss to Washington College really put the Thoroughbreds in the hot spot. Unfortunately, we have to let Skidmore out of the barn due to its loss to St. Lawrence. It’s a tough blow, especially when you consider the successful start to the campaign, but with Liberty League play beginning, things could get worse before they get better. Winnable games against both nomenclatures of “Clark” schools are on the horizon, but the date that is circled on the calendar will be April 6 when RIT comes to town.