Two Division II heavyweights met in one of the game’s biggest rivalries this weekend. Merrimack and Le Moyne, who have met as No. 1 vs. No. 2 in previous encounters, battled in a top-10 matchup on Saturday — and it delivered.
The Dolphins led 10-5 with 11:15 remaining and looked poised to take down their NE10 foes, but the Warriors had other plans. Merrimack scored seven of the final eight goals, including the game-winner with 48 seconds left by Michael O’Connell, to surge past Le Moyne for the 12-11 victory.
As a result, Le Moyne falls out of the top five and Merrimack re-enters at No. 5. In another top 10 battle, No. 1 Adelphi led by five goals and held on to beat LIU Post on a game-winner from Gordon Purdie Jr. with 1:27 left.
The 2019 season is heating up and we have another top 5 matchup this week, with Pace visiting Adelphi. Get ready for the stretch run of the Division II men’s lacrosse season.
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
March 25, 2019 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelphi | 8-0 | 1 | 3/27 vs. No. 4 Pace |
| 2 | Limestone | 9-0 | 2 | 3/27 at North Greenville |
| 3 | Mercy | 9-0 | 3 | 3/26 at Chestnut Hill |
| 4 | Pace | 6-0 | 5 | 3/27 at No. 1 Adelphi |
| 5 | Merrimack | 4-1 | 7 | 3/27 vs. Bentley |
| 6 | Queens (N.C.) | 8-1 | 8 | 3/30 vs. Coker |
| 7 | LIU Post | 5-2 | 6 | 3/26 at Georgian Court |
| 8 | Le Moyne | 6-2 | 4 | 3/27 at No. 19 Assumption |
| 9 | Belmont Abbey | 9-1 | 9 | 3/30 vs. No. 10 Mount Olive |
| 10 | Mount Olive | 8-1 | 10 | 3/30 at No. 9 Belmont Abbey |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 7-1 | 11 | 3/31 vs. Shorter |
| 12 | Seton Hill | 5-3 | 12 | 3/30 at Roberts Wesleyan |
| 13 | Mercyhurst | 5-2 | 13 | 3/26 vs. Alderson Broaddus |
| 14 | Saint Anselm | 2-2 | 18 | 3/27 vs. Southern New Hampshire |
| 15 | Catawba | 7-2 | N/A | 3/30 at Mars Hill |
| 16 | Wingate | 6-3 | 14 | 3/30 at Lincoln Memorial |
| 17 | Saint Leo | 6-3 | N/A | 3/30 at Embry-Riddle |
| 18 | Lindenwood | 7-3 | 15 | 3/29 vs. Westminster (Utah) |
| 19 | Assumption | 5-2 | 19 | 3/27 vs. No. 8 Le Moyne |
| 20 | Tampa | 6-4 | 20 | 3/27 vs. Florida Tech |
Also Considered: Bentley, Colorado Mesa, Florida Southern, Florida Tech, Lenoir-Rhyne, Lynn, Maryville, NYIT, Palm Beach Atlantic, Rockhurst, Rollins
HOT
Merrimack (+2)
Rebounding from a loss to LIU Post, Merrimack has won two straight games including the thriller over Le Moyne. In a week that featured no big jumps, the Warriors move into the top 5 is notable. Bentley and American International await this week.
NOT
Lindenwood (-3)
After a hot start, Lindenwood has dropped two of the past three games to Saint Leo and Indianapolis. The 5-0 record the Lions held almost a month ago is gone, and they’ve gone 2-3 since. Against teams currently in the rankings, Lindenwood is averaging just under eight goals per game.
Wingate (-2)
The Bulldogs had a rough week with back-to-back losses to Catawba and Mount Olive. After averaging 14 goals per game over a five-game winning streak, Wingate scored 19 goals in the two losses.
NEW
Catawba
Catawba dropped its first two games two Belmont Abbey and Mount Olive, but have since rallied off seven straight victories. The hot streak was culminated by a 13-9 win over Wingate last Wednesday. Catawba also owns a win at Florida Tech.
Saint Leo
The defending national finalists are back in the top 20 after topping Lindenwood on March 16 and blowing out a solid Palm Beach Atlantic team last week. Matchups with Rollins and Tampa are coming up in early April.
OUT
Lynn
A mid-week loss to Belmont Abbey was Lynn’s second straight, and despite two straight wins to cap the week, it falls out of the top 20. At 5-3, the Fighting Knights’ best win this season is over an NYIT team that is now 2-7.
Rollins
The Tars jumped into the top 20 after going 6-1 to start the season, but a 17-16 loss to Florida Tech pushes them back out for now. Rollins best win this season is over a Colorado Mesa program that has underachieved in 2019.