Often times with the Way-Early rankings, the reigning champion finds itself at the top. It’s a bit of a “what have you done lately” philosophy, but it’s not entirely inaccurate when it comes to the world of Division II men’s lacrosse.
In the past decade alone, we’ve had three different teams (C.W. Post, Limestone, Merrimack) repeat as Division II champions.
While Merrimack would be an easy bet for No. 1 Division II in 2020, the Warriors will make the move to Division I, thus leaving the top spot up for grabs. National runners-up, Limestone, seems like a logical choice for No. 1 in our Way-Early rankings. The Saints didn’t appear in our Way-Early 2019 Top 10, and finished the season with its lone loss in the national title game. We missed the mark on Limestone.
There are a number of contenders that could easily find themselves at No. 1 next year, including perennial powers Adelphi and Le Moyne. The usual suspects find themselves in the top 10, so let’s see how this shakes out.
Way-Early 2020 Rankings
Division I Men
No. 25-No. 21
No. 20-No. 16
No. 15-No. 11
No. 10-No. 6
No. 5-No. 1
Division I Women
No. 25-No. 21
No. 20-No. 16
No. 15-No. 11
No. 10-No. 6
No. 5-No. 1
Division III Men
No. 10-No. 6
No. 5-No. 1
Division II Women
No. 10-No. 6
No. 5-No. 1
Division III Women
No. 10-No. 6
No. 5-No. 1
5. Belmont Abbey
Yes, All-American and leading scorer Liam Osborne is gone after scoring 96 points in 2019. Also graduated is stalwart defenseman Anthony Cesario. However, Belmont Abbey brings back every other player that scored five or more points last season, including incoming sophomore Noah Haas (65 points) and middie Collin Grippo. The entire defensive starting unit won’t be back, so Belmont Abbey will have to rebuild on that end.
4. Mercyhurst
Of the teams that made a run at the NCAA title last season, Mercyhurst is among those bringing the most back. The Lakers’ top four scorers will be back in 2020, including All-American Devin Pipher (76 points). In addition, All-American defenseman Will Agate returns along with another defensive starter in Justin Sale.
3. Le Moyne
Le Moyne has been a powerhouse in Division II over the past handful of years, and much of that is thanks to the efforts of Dan Entenmann and Zac Prattson. Both have now graduated, leaving big holes to fill on and off the field at Le Moyne. Coach Dan Sheehan has shown the ability to recruit and reload when necessary, and 2020 might not be any different. Three of Le Moyne’s top four scorers return.
2. Adelphi
The Panthers do lose a portion of its core from 2019, including stars like goalie Brendan McDougal, attackman Ian Kirby, faceoff man Mark Andrejack and defenseman Jack Thomann. But make no mistake, this team still have plenty of talent returning. A total of four All-Americans (Nicolas Racalbuto, John Arcidiacano, Michael Osmundsen, Sean McGovern) are returning to campus after a Division II quarterfinal appearance. In addition, third-leading scorer Gordon Purdie Jr. is back for a graduate year.
1. Limestone
It’s not hard to understand why the Saints find themselves back at No. 1 in the Way-Early rankings. Limestone returns its top three scorers in Larson Sundown, Tyler Papa and Clark Walter. Sundown and Papa will lead the attack, while Walter will anchor the midfield. In addition, it returns two faceoff men (Dakota Kirsch-Downs and Christopher Parrott) who won over 65 percent of faceoffs in 2019. Goalie Danny Forren is gone, as is starting defenseman Andrew Martin, but there are plenty of returners to fill holes on the backend.