In a week riddled with predictable results, the top 10 remains stable, but the rest of the ranks have seen some sizable shifts. While Tufts has continued to establish its dominance, it hasn’t been quite enough to unseat RIT.
Had the Tigers not been able to beat their recent opponents and been forced to take a lengthy break, that narrative might be different, but in this reality, RIT is still the king in the north. Salisbury remains in the middle seat, representing the Mid-Atlantic well after taking care of business yet again this week by defeating Christopher Newport 17-5.
The stranglehold on the top three spots has long been established, but there is little movement in the rest of the top 10 with York, Lynchburg, Cabrini, Gettysburg, Union, and Franklin and Marshall all taking care of business. Without any of the teams above them registering a notable victory, it’s difficult to attain measurable upward mobility.
The rest of the top 20 has some more flexibility, as Saint Lawrence’s loss to RIT moves them down, and Stevenson’s OT victory over Eastern moves them up a bit.
There’s something to be said about not rewarding complacency, but in the current climate, it’s hard to penalize anyone for what may be their final record if so many games remain postponed. Teams are all in a very precarious position right now as they enter the final phases of their seasons. Attrition by lack of contests seems particularly discordant.
All that said, please welcome a new Ohio team to the top 20 in Ohio Wesleyan after Ithaca’s 21-6 loss to RIT dropped the Bombers out of the ranks.
Nike / US Lacrosse
Division III Men’s Top 20
April 19, 2021 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RIT | 6-0 | 1 | 4/21 at Clarkson |
| 2 | Tufts | 3-0 | 2 | 4/24 at Bates |
| 3 | Salisbury | 9-1 | 3 | 4/24 at Mary Washington |
| 4 | York | 10-0 | 4 | 4/23 at Stevenson |
| 5 | Lynchburg | 10-2 | 5 | 4/21 at Shenandoah |
| 6 | Cabrini | 4-1 | 6 | 4/21 at Gwynedd-Mercy |
| 7 | Gettysburg | 2-0 | 7 | 4/23 vs. McDaniel |
| 8 | Union | 2-0 | 8 | 4/24 at Clarkson |
| 9 | Franklin & Marshall | 4-0 | 9 | 4/21 at No. 10 Ursinus |
| 10 | Ursinus | 2-1 | 12 | 4/21 vs. No. 9 Franklin & Marshall |
| 11 | Colorado College | 8-2 | 10 | 4/23 at Roanoke |
| 12 | Williams | 2-0 | 15 | 4/24 at Wesleyan |
| 13 | St. John Fisher | 7-3 | 13 | 4/24 vs. Nazareth |
| 14 | Stevenson | 5-0 | 19 | 4/21 at DeSales |
| 15 | Washington and Lee | 5-3 | 16 | 4/20 vs. No. 19 Christopher Newport |
| 16 | Saint Lawrence | 4-2 | 11 | 4/21 at Nazareth |
| 17 | Denison | 4-1 | 14 | 4/20 at DePauw |
| 18 | Hampden-Sydney | 8-1 | 18 | 4/24 vs. Shenandoah |
| 19 | Christopher Newport | 7-4 | 18 | 4/20 at No. 15 Washington and Lee |
| 20 | Ohio Wesleyan | 6-1 | NR | 4/20 at Wooster |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Bates, Cortland, Dickinson, Ithaca, Stevens Tech, Wesleyan
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
Hot
RIT, Tufts and Salisbury (no change)
It’s not that other teams in the country are bad. It’s that so few teams are as good offensively as the top three. Do all three teams have some defensive deficiencies? Sure. But a large part of RIT and Tufts’ goal leaking comes from their play styles. Salisbury, on the other hand, has tightened up its belt and would certainly be the No. 1 team were it not for that loss to Lynchburg. That game, in retrospect, may have been more of a bad one-off for the Gulls than a world-beater for the Hornets.
Stevenson (+5)
A massive OT win for the Stangs lets them creep up the top 20. However, their position may well have gone the opposite way had they not delivered in crunch time. Jacob Tatum canned the game-winner against Eastern with his usual flair. But this team’s strength may actually be its defense this year. It’s allowed them to weather multiple storms all spring.
Not
Saint Lawrence (-5)
Two straight losses will drop even the best teams down in the rankings. RIT delivered a sound 10-goal drubbing of the Saints on Saturday that will likely cause other squads to pause before agreeing to play the No. 1 team in the nation when they’re begging for games. Saint Lawrence sits in an uncomfortable limbo, as two of its next three games are against conference opponents and may actually be must-win affairs if the current run of results holds.
Christopher Newport (-1)
The harsh truth is that CNU is still in the Top 20 because of its early season success. Based on recent results, one could argue for CNU to drop out altogether, but don’t forget that two of its four losses are to Salisbury, which probably says more about Salisbury than the Captains. CNU plays a huge game Tuesday against Washington and Lee that will let the country know where it belongs in the national conversation.
In
Ohio Wesleyan (No. 20)
OWU’s national significance as the premier D-III team of the Buckeye state is rooted in history and tradition. But history and tradition don’t win you games.
Out
Ithaca (was No. 20)
Unfortunately, the upstate New York dream was lived only briefly by the Bombers. A lack of success for other upstate schools allowed Ithaca to get a stint as an understudy, but it will have to win some big games before it gets a chance to flounce onstage once again.