The 2019 season will be a tough one to beat. Three of four Division III national semifinalists reached that stage for the first time, and Cabrini won its first national championship.
But the page has already turned to next spring, as players return to the workout grind and wall ball, while coaches hit the recruiting and ID camp circuit. There’s a brief period for rest and recovery, but the foundation for success in 2020 is already forming as the D-III level of play increases across the country.
Who are some early favorites for next Memorial Day weekend, when the NCAA championships return to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia?
We’ve taken a stab at answering that question, and our way-early No. 1 is bound to turn some heads.
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 III Women
No. 10-No. 6
No. 5-No. 1
10. Ursinus
One feel-good story in 2019 was the resurgence of Ursinus under first-year coach Gary Mercadante. The highlight came May 4, when the Bears beat Gettysburg for the first time in program history and captured their first Centennial Conference championship. But hope quickly turned into reality, as Ursinus fell to Springfield 16-15 in overtime to open its first NCAA tournament berth since 2015. To keep moving the program forward, Mercadante will have to wrestle with life after goalkeeper Nick Kirk, defenseman Alex Middleman and attackman Peter DeSimone, among others who graduated.
9. York
And with one final game, York’s “Conehead Line,” as coach Brandon Childs called them, has departed. Translation: Thomas Pfeiffer, Hunter Davis and Brendan McGrath, the Spartans’ starting attack trio since 2017, have graduated with 693 combined career points. That could have been even more if not for McGrath missing a sizable chunk of 2018 with a season-ending injury. The blows don’t stop there, as defensive lynchpins Kevin Witchey and J.D. Beck are also heading out, as is faceoff specialist Billy Sasso and midfielder Brad Casale. A new era is here for York, and odds are there will be growing pains. Then again, York has made the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament three of the past four seasons, so there’s a high standard to live up to.
8. Denison
As NCAC rival Ohio Wesleyan waxed, Denison waned en route to its fifth conference championship and a postseason run that ended in an NCAA quarterfinal loss at Salisbury. How will the Big Red cope with losing five of their seven top scorers to graduation? Attackman Peter Pittroff returning for his senior season, already having scored 250 points. Long-stick midfielder Chris Broderick and defenseman Sam Dyson are also back, as is starting goalie Reeves McKenney. So don’t expect Denison to fade too far.
7. Gettysburg
By Gettysburg’s standards, 2019 was a down season. The Bullets lost to Ursinus in the Centennial Conference championship game, then fell in double overtime to St. John Fisher in the second round of the NCAA tournament. As Gettysburg seeks a rebound, it can lean upon Mitch Wykoff, arguably the best close defenseman in Division III. All three of their top scorers — Brian Kolen, Michael McCormack and Jack Fletcher — return as well. The team’s biggest personnel loss is midfielder Jack Harvey, a three-time All-American after transferring from Ohio Wesleyan as a sophomore.
6. Cabrini
Fresh off their first NCAA championship in program history, the Cavaliers could take a step back in 2020. Cabrini will have to cope with losing all-time leading scorer Jordan Krug (355 career points) to graduation. Another massive loss is goalie Riley White, though that could be offset with close defenseman Tommy DeLuca back for his senior season. As the pieces unfold, Cabrini will again be ineligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, so near perfection will be required in the pursuit of an at-large bid. This year, the Cavaliers needed the sole Pool B bid to make the tournament, as they transition into the Atlantic East Conference.