Finally, a little stability in Division II men’s lacrosse. Each of the top nine teams in Division II stayed put, with a handful of them picking up quality wins over the weekend. Limestone continued its tear with a win over Mercyhurst, Merrimack opened its season with a dominant win over NYIT, and Adelphi throttled Saint Leo to get its season underway.
The biggest mover this week, Pace, benefitted from a slew of teams ahead of it losing over the course of the weekend. Mount Olive, Seton Hill, Saint Anselm and Lenoir-Rhyne all dropped in this week’s rankings.
As a result of a string of defeats, 2018 national runner-up Saint Leo and former top-10 team NYIT have fallen out of the rankings. In enters a red-hot Queens (N.C.) program and Florida Southern — a team that often finds itself in the rankings.
Nike/US Lacrosse
Division II Men’s
Top 20
Feb. 25, 2019 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merrimack | 1-0 | 1 | 3/3 vs. at Lake Erie |
| 2 | Adelphi | 2-0 | 2 | 2/27 at No. 7 Tampa |
| 3 | Limestone | 4-0 | 3 | 3/2 vs. No. 16 Queens (N.C.) |
| 4 | Belmont Abbey | 4-0 | 4 | 2/20 at North Greenville |
| 5 | LIU Post | 2-0 | 5 | 2/26 at Barton |
| 6 | Mercy | 4-0 | 6 | 3/2 vs. No. 11 Pace |
| 7 | Tampa | 2-1 | 7 | 2/27 vs. No. 2 Adelphi |
| 8 | Le Moyne | 1-1 | 8 | 2/27 at Roberts Wesleyan |
| 9 | Lynn | 1-0 | 9 | 3/2 vs. Colorado Mesa |
| 10 | Indianapolis | 3-0 | 11 | 3/2 vs. No. 13 Mercyhurst |
| 11 | Pace | 1-0 | 17 | 3/2 at No. 5 LIU Post |
| 12 | Lindenwood | 4-0 | 18 | 2/28 vs. Alderson Broaddus |
| 13 | Mercyhurst | 1-1 | 13 | 3/2 vs. No. 10 Indianapols |
| 14 | Seton Hill | 2-2 | 12 | 2/26 at Chestnut Hill |
| 15 | Saint Anselm | 0-1 | 14 | 3/16 vs. No. 2 Adelphi |
| 16 | Queens (N.C.) | 3-0 | N/A | 3/2 at No. 3 Limestone |
| 17 | Mount Olive | 2-1 | 10 | 2/27 vs. Chowan |
| 18 | Palm Beach Atlantic | 3-1 | 19 | 3/2 vs. Wingate |
| 19 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 0-3 | 15 | 3/2 vs. Florida Tech |
| 20 | Florida Southern | 1-1 | N/A | 3/3 vs. Emmanuel (Ga.) |
Also Considered: Bentley, Colorado Mesa, Florida Southern, Florida Tech, Lake Erie, NYIT, Rollins, Saint Leo, Wingate
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Limestone (+0)
The Saints didn't move in this week’s rankings after topping Mercyhurst, but they’re the hottest team in the nation at the moment. Larson Sundown (14 goals, six assists) leads a balanced offense that has seen six different players break 10 points so far this season. Queens (N.C.) is next for Limestone, providing another chance for it to down a ranked team.
Pace (+6)
Dropping 23 goals on Dominican is an impressive start for a Pace team that is looking to rebound following a 7-7 season in 2018. However, the Setters jumped six spots thanks to losses from each of the teams above it in the rankings. A matchup with LIU Post this weekend will go a long in showcasing how good this team can be.
NOT
Lenoir-Rhyne (-4)
The first three games could not have gone worse for the Bears, who fell 16-11 to Tampa over the weekend. The 35 goals scored in three games matches the output Lenoir-Rhyne had in its first two games last year.
IN
Queens (N.C.)
A 3-0 start capped by an upset win over Mount Olive moves Queens into the rankings for this week. The Royals are holding opponents to six goals per game so far this season, which ranks in the top 10 nationally.
Florida Southern
Right now the best of the rest, Florida Southern dominated Montevallo over the weekend. A three-goal defeat to Tampa seems like a quality loss at this point in the season. A matchup with Mount Olive is looming for March 9.
OUT
Saint Leo
It’s been a quick fall for one of the nation’s top teams in 2018. The Lions have dropped consecutive games to top 10 opponents — and neither was close. The combined margin of defeat to Adelphi and Limestone was 11.5 goals.
NYIT
A team that is prone to slow starts, NYIT is at 0-3 and struggling out of the gates in 2019. The Bears have now fallen to Palm Beach Atlantic, Lynn and Merrimack by a combined margin of 27 goals. It has only scored 29 goals this season.