Week 2 of the Nike/US Lacrosse Division II Men's Top 20 won't have the major shakeups that it did last week. There were no big upsets, but that doesn't mean there weren't close calls.
No. 1 Le Moyne went to overtime with a surprising Lindenwood team. The Dolphins needed a Josh Slowinski goal to stay unbeaten on the season. Then there was No. 2 Limestone, which got by a tough Tampa team by a 12-10 margin. That makes two wins by a total of three goals, not the kind of margins the Saints were producing in 2016.
No major changes, but a few risers and a couple new additions.
Feb 27, 2017 |
W/L |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le Moyne | 2-0 | 1 | 3/1 at Roberts Wesleyan |
| 2 | Limestone | 3-0 | 2 | 2/28 vs. Lees-McCrae |
| 3 | Merrimack | 2-0 | 3 | 3/4 vs. Southern New Hampshire |
| 4 | Mercyhurst | 2-0 | 4 | 3/4 vs. Mount Olive |
| 5 | NYIT | 1-0 | 5 | 3/3 vs. Florida Southern |
| 6 | Lindenwood | 2-1 | 7 | 3.4 vs. Ohio Valley |
| 7 | Seton Hill | 1-1 | 6 | 3/4 vs. Alderson Broaddus |
| 8 | Mount Olive | 3-0 | 9 | 3/4 vs. Mercyhurst |
| 9 | Tampa | 3-2 | 8 | 3/4 vs. Chestnut Hill |
| 10 | Lynn | 2-0 | 11 | 3/4 at Young Harris |
| 11 | Adelphi | 2-1 | 12 | 3/4 vs. American International |
| 12 | Pace | 0-0 | 13 | 3/4 vs. Georgian Court |
| 13 | Belmont Abbey | 2-1 | 17 | 3/2 vs. Queens (N.C.) |
| 14 | Mercy | 3-1 | 14 | 3/4 vs. Saint Anselm |
| 15 | Saint Leo | 3-0 | 20 | 3/4 at Limestone |
| 16 | Lake Erie | 0-1 | 10 | 2/28 at Florida Southern |
| 17 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 2-1 | 19 | 3/4 at Coker |
| 18 | Rockhurst | 5-0 | N/A | 3/4 vs. Westminster (Ut.) |
| 19 | Queens (N.C.) | 2-1 | N/A | 3/2 at Belmont Abbey |
| 20 | LIU Post | 2-3 | 15 | 3/4 vs. Molloy |
Also considered: Colorado Mesa, Molloy, Rollins, Wingate, Bentley, Southern New Hampshire, Chestnut Hill
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Saint Leo (+5)
Saint Leo, which beat LIU Post to start the season, dominated Coker this weekend. That's not necessarily enough to warrant such a high jump, but it happened thanks to a few losses ahead of Lions (i.e., Florida Southern, LIU Post and Colorado Mesa). Saint Leo has been very impressive so far this season, but it gets Limestone this weekend in its next significant test.
Belmont Abbey (+4)
Belmont Abbey sat at No. 17 last week after falling 12-6 to Mercyhurst. It wasn't a terrible loss, but one that wasn't close enough to deserve a higher ranking. The Crusaders made up for that loss by dominating Lake Erie 15-4. An 11-goal win certainly jumps off the page, but whether it says more about Belmont Abbey or Lake Erie is to be determined.
NOT
Lake Erie (-6)
Yes, it's just one game. But it was not the way Lake Erie wanted to begin the 2017 season. The Storm lost by 11 goals to Belmont Abbey. Lake Erie will look to get back on track against another team coming off a loss in Florida Southern.
LIU Post (-5)
LIU Post has stumbled into the season, with three losses in its first five games. Still, those three losses have come to No. 3 Merrimack, No. 11 Adelphi and No. 15 Saint Leo. There's still time to right the ship, and a week with games against Molloy and Chestnut Hill could help.
NEW
Rockhurst
It's too early to tell how good this Rockhurst team can be, but with wins over Indianapolis and Colorado Mesa, it caught our attention. The Hawks don't have the toughest schedule out there, but another matchup with Colorado Mesa awaits, then Lindenwood visits on April 13. We'll see then what this team is all about.
Queens (N.C.)
Queens began the season with a five-goal loss to Tampa, which was not a back-breaking defeat. It responded with two straight wins, including a 17-8 victory over previously ranked Florida Southern. The Royals into the Top 20.
OUT
Florida Southern
Losses to LIU Post and Queens sandwiched between a win over Wingate. Not a great start for the Mocs, who get Lake Erie this week.
Colorado Mesa
A loss to Rockhurst over the weekend won't completely overshadow an overall positive start, but the performance of Queens (N.C.) was just enough to trump the Mavericks. They get Rockhurst again on March 7, so it might not be long before you see them back in the rankings.