February has seen a modest schedule to date for Division III teams, particularly as many schools north of the Mason-Dixon Line don’t open play until this week or, gasp, the first week of March.
We’re not into arbitrarily penalizing or rewarding teams that by choice or necessity schedule with closer adherence to the “lacrosse is a spring sport” theme of yesteryear, hence a mostly similar lineup to our preseason release. The one major exception: Mary Washington’s departure following a home loss to Washington and Lee, which joins the ranking.
We’ll get a better idea of which teams live up to their talking season placement as the schedule expands this week.
Feb 20, 2017 |
W-L |
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Next |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlebury | 0-0 | 1 | 3/4 vs. Connecticut College |
| 2 | Cortland | 0-0 | 2 | 3/4 vs. Clarkson |
| 3 | Trinity | 0-0 | 3 | 3/4 vs. Williams |
| 4 | Franklin & Marshall | 0-0 | 4 | 2/25 at No. 20 Washington and Lee |
| 5 | TCNJ | 0-0 | 5 | 2/25 vs. Neumann |
| 6 | Gettysburg | 0-0 | 6 | 2/22 vs. Messiah |
| 7 | Salisbury | 1-0 | 7 | 2/25 at No. 13 Catholic |
| 8 | Brockport | 0-0 | 8 | 2/26 at Denison |
| 9 | Amherst | 0-0 | 9 | 3/4 at Bowdoin |
| 10 | Hamilton | 0-0 | 11 | 3/4 at No. 12 Colby |
| 11 | St. John Fisher | 0-0 | 12 | 3/6 vs. Roanoke |
| 12 | Colby | 0-0 | 13 | 3/4 vs. No. 10 Hamilton |
| 13 | Catholic | 0-0 | 14 | 2/25 vs. No. 7 Salisbury |
| 14 | Tufts | 0-0 | 15 | 3/4 at MIT |
| 15 | Bates | 0-0 | 16 | 3/1 vs. Wellesley |
| 16 | York | 1-0 | 17 | 2/22 vs. Dickinson |
| 17 | William Smith | 0-0 | 18 | 3/4 vs. Geneseo |
| 18 | St. Mary's (Md.) | 1-0 | 19 | 2/22 vs. Virginia Wesleyan |
| 19 | Ithaca | 0-0 | 20 | 2/25 vs. Skidmore |
| 20 | Washington and Lee | 1-0 | NR | 2/22 at Christopher Newport |
Also Considered: Mary Washington
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Salisbury
Tough to pick one team given the light schedule, but of the Capital Athletic Conference teams to win last week, the Sea Gulls did so against arguably the toughest foe in Stevenson. Salisbury got hat tricks from three players and held the Mustangs to just six ground balls, 11 draw controls and an 0-for-8 performance on free-position shots in the 16-9 win. The Gulls broke open a 5-4 game with a 7-0 run that surrounded halftime.
NOT
Mary Washington (-11)
The then-No. 10 Eagles watched a 3-1 halftime lead evaporate with a 4-0 run by visiting and unranked Washington and Lee, which hung on for the 5-4 upset in Fredericksburg, Va. Though Mary Washington won seven of 11 draw controls, it got off just nine shots and could corral only 16 ground balls, compared to 23 by the Generals.
NEW
Washington and Lee
The Generals traveled east to earn revenge for a 2016 season-opening, one-goal home loss Mary Washington. W&L returned the favor, stifling the Eagles and adequately controlling the final 17 minutes of the game to pull the 5-4 upset.
OUT
Mary Washington
The Eagles, previously No. 10, exit following the home loss to a Generals squad that was dispatched by Mount Union in the first round of the 2016 NCAA tournament.