Top 3 Separates Itself from Rest of USA Lacrosse Division III Men's Top 20

It was a caustic weekend in the USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20, as a team ranked in the top 10 to start the season now finds itself out of the rankings after a disastrous three-loss week.

Elsewhere, the triforce of power that is Salisbury, RIT and Tufts has truly separated from the pack after Tufts ran through Christopher Newport 18-10 before bullying the Bantams 24-13 on Saturday. Salisbury gutted out a very game York squad, 17-11, and RIT rode a 10-goal second half to a victory over Ursinus.  

Washington and Lee pulled off an upset by defeating Gettysburg 15-8 in a game that was largely controlled by faceoff man Tyler Spano, who won 20 of his 26 draws and scored two goals for good measure. The Generals’ reward? Not a commendation, but a date with RIT next Friday.

RPI stayed hot, beating MIT 19-10 in a game that had a combined IQ immeasurable by international standards. That was the Engineers’ seventh win of the year.

Is the top three really a top four? If it is, does Dickinson also belong in the conversation before RPI? The Red Devils are now 5-0 thanks to a plucky 14-6 win against Stevenson late Saturday night. We will find out which team is for real soon, as RPI faces Vassar and Williams next. Dickinson travels to face a whiplashed Christopher Newport squad on Friday in the Mustang Classic.

Babson finally kicked down the door of the Top 20 after almost getting in the last two weeks in a row with their win over 8-6 win over Middlebury. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that was their third loss in a row, and they fell out of the rankings as a result. In their defense, the last two were played on back-to-back days, and the first game was an absolute 16-10 war with Bowdoin that dragged along for four quarters with the result rarely in doubt.  

With the NESCAC-on-NESCAC crime happening week in and week out, the rankings are set to fluctuate wildly in the coming weeks. However, the matchups in the Mustang Classic held at Stevenson are going to give chances at redemption, revenge and glory to the teams that participate.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III
MEN’S TOP 20

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

Also considered (alphabetical order): Endicott, Franklin & Marshall, Middlebury, Randolph-Macon, Stevens

HOT

Tufts (+1)

The much-anticipated midweek top-five matchup between Tufts and Christopher Newport ended up being a track meet for the Jumbos. Tufts scored just 22 seconds into the game, and while Alex Brendes and Andrew Cook would give CNU a 2-1 lead, it didn’t last long. An 8-2 second quarter for Tufts saw them take a 13-5 lead into halftime, and they pushed that lead to 17-5 in the third.

CNU added a few goals in mop-up time, but this was a flexing of muscles by the Jumbos; an announcement to all of D-III that this is not a down year at Bello Field. There were 12 different goal scorers for the Jumbos. They followed that by dropping 24 goals on Trinity for their second NESCAC win. Like last year, there is a case to be made that the No. 1 spot in D-III should be a three-way tie between Salisbury, RIT and the Jumbos. 

NOT

Gettysburg (-4)

Where to start with the Bullets? Well, they have struggled mightily at the X all season long. In four games, they have won just 33 of 103 draws. Faceoffs aren’t everything — goals still win you games — and Gettysburg has enough talent on the offensive and defensive ends to stay in games, but closing them out, or even closing a gap when they’re behind by a few scores, only gets tougher when you can’t stack possessions at the X. They’re still one of the best teams in D-III. Still, their next three opponents are Denison, Amherst and Ursinus. It’s not exactly the easiest slate in the land. 

IN

Babson (No. 20)

That’s three wins in five days for Babson, the third being the most difficult and most impressive, as they took down Middlebury in an 8-6 rock fight on Sunday. Babson climbs to 4-2 on the season. Their two losses are to Union and Williams, both ranked teams, and both of those losses were by a single goal. Jared Rainville and Seamus Rooney have been scoring machines at the attack, both already have 21 goals on the season. The Beavers will look to open up their NEWMAC account next weekend when they face a surprisingly struggling Springfield squad at home. 

OUT

Middlebury (was No. 7)

It was a rough week for Middlebury. Three opponents this week, all tough matchups, and ultimately all losses. The Panthers lost to RPI by two, Bowdoin by six, and finally, Babson by two. It’s a very difficult schedule for Middlebury, and that comes with the territory in the NESCAC. And in the conference, they’re still 1-1 with a quality result against Amherst that came in their first game of the season. The remaining non-conference opponents include St. Lawrence and Union, and in the NESCAC, there are major opportunities every week. But after the three straight losses, Middlebury effectively becomes the 21st-ranked team.