Welcome to the chat, Colorado College.
After a barnstorming trip to Virginia last weekend, the Tigers have entered the Nike / US Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20 and will look to firmly plant their flag. They also have a late-April swing against Roanoke and Lynchburg, so a few more must-watch games are on the docket.
Elsewhere around the rankings, anticipation continues to build before NESCAC teams return to action this coming weekend. We’ll see if Tufts is as good as advertised, or perhaps Wesleyan or Williams can make some noise in the country’s top D-III conference. Normal contenders Amherst and Middlebury aren’t competing due to roster availability issues.
We’ll also see if Christopher Newport can rebound from three straight losses. It’s not too long ago that the Captains upset Lynchburg, so there’s that high-end potential as well.
Nike / US Lacrosse
Division III Men’s Top 20
April 5, 2021 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RIT | 4-0 | 1 | 4/10 vs. Skidmore |
| 2 | Salisbury | 7-1 | 3 | 4/7 vs. St. Mary's (Md.) |
| 3 | Tufts | 0-0 | 2 | 4/10 vs. Colby |
| 4 | York | 7-0 | 5 | 4/7 at Messiah |
| 5 | Cabrini | 3-1 | 7 | 4/7 vs. Marymount |
| 6 | Lynchburg | 7-2 | 4 | 4/7 vs. Ferrum |
| 7 | Ursinus | 0-0 | 8 | 4/7 vs. Washington College |
| 8 | St. Lawrence | 3-0 | 13 | 4/6 at Plattsburgh |
| 9 | Wesleyan | 0-0 | 10 | 4/10 at Hamilton |
| 10 | Williams | 0-0 | 11 | 4/10 vs. Trinity |
| 11 | Denison | 2-1 | 9 | 4/6 vs. Wabash |
| 12 | Franklin & Marshall | 2-0 | 15 | 4/10 vs. McDaniel |
| 13 | Union | 1-0 | 14 | 4/7 at Skidmore |
| 14 | Gettysburg | 1-0 | 12 | 4/10 vs. Ursinus |
| 15 | Hampden-Sydney | 7-1 | 17 | 4/10 vs. Randolph-Macon |
| 16 | St. John Fisher | 6-3 | 18 | 4/7 at Cortland |
| 17 | Colorado College | 10-2 | NR | 4/16 at Colorado Mesa |
| 18 | Christopher Newport | 6-3 | 6 | 4/10 vs. Mary Washington |
| 19 | Stevenson | 2-0 | 16 | 4/7 at Lebanon Valley |
| 20 | Washington and Lee | 4-3 | 20 | 4/17 at Ferrum |
Also considered(alphabetical order): Bates, Cortland, Dickinson, Ithaca, Ohio Wesleyan, Stevens Tech
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
St. Lawrence (+5)
The Saints have stormed through Liberty League play, knocking off Vassar 14-5 and Skidmore 17-9 last weekend. Tougher conference games against Ithaca, RPI and Union all await, but this year’s St. Lawrence team looks strong.
Franklin & Marshall (+3)
The Diplomats have beaten Muhlenberg in consecutive games to begin their Centennial Conference slate. So far, senior attackman Luke Keating has a team-leading 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) and senior defenseman Erich Della Volpe has eight ground balls and four caused turnovers.
NOT
Christopher Newport (-12)
The Captains have dropped three straight, including a 25-12 setback last Saturday against Salisbury to open their C2C schedule. Then came a 12-11 overtime loss against Colorado College, giving Christopher Newport a losing streak it’ll look to bust out of.
Denison (-2)
Denison dropped its first of two contests against Ohio Wesleyan last week, a 14-13 decision on Wednesday. The Big Red then rebounded with an 11-10 win over their North Coast Athletic Conference rival on Saturday, correcting course after a late start. They’re the NCAC’s two powerhouse programs and are drawn into the West Division this spring.
OUT
Cortland (was No. 19)
After Cortland’s SUNYAC West opener against Brockport got postponed, it looked ahead to a Friday meeting with Geneseo. In turn, the Red Dragons dropped a 10-9 game that came down to the wire. Cortland could return to the top 20, but it’s on the outside looking in right now.
IN
Colorado College (No. 17)
Last week’s trip to Virginia proved fruitful, as the Tigers beat Southern Virginia 18-16 on Friday and then upset Christopher Newport 12-11 in overtime on Sunday. Junior attackman Anders Erickson has a whopping 28 goals and 29 assists, while freshman goalie Ben Anastos has been phenomenal. Colorado College gets lost in the D-III conversation at times, but there’s a reason top-end programs schedule them.