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
5. Amherst
How will Amherst replace Evan Wolf, the USILA Division III National Player of the Year and Attackman of the Year and two-time NESCAC Player of the Year? That’s one of the biggest questions heading into the offseason, though coach Jon Thompson has hinted that PJ Clementi could be ready to fill Wolf’s shoes. Whatever the answer is, the Mammoths will look to build off their first national championship game appearance in program history. They fell to Cabrini 16-12. Amherst does not lose too much beyond Wolf. The Mammoths were also hit hard by injuries this past spring, so it’s scary to think how good this team can be if everyone stays healthy.
4. Tufts
The decade of NESCAC lacrosse closed out with Tufts winning nine of 10 conference championships. That alone speaks volumes to this program’s sustained success. Then you can toss three national championships (2010, 2014 and 2015) in there as well. But the Jumbos fell short in 2019, losing to Amherst in the national quarterfinals and ending a season that produced 10 USILA All-Americans, the most in program history. Four of them have graduated, most notably defenseman Arend Broekmate and attackman Danny Murphy, Tufts’ leading scorer in 2019 with 91 points and 290 for his career. At the level the Jumbos recruit, the dropoff shouldn’t be too noticeable, as they’ll again return to the national championship conversation.
3. RIT
During coach Jake Coon’s 10 years at RIT, the program has amassed an astonishing 188-23 overall record. But despite eight straight Liberty League championships and two national final appearances, a national championship. remains elusive. To get over that hump, the foundation of next year’s team starts with Walker Hare, the reigning Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Award winner for the most outstanding goalie in Division III lacrosse. From there, it’s time for some new faces to emerge, as the Tigers will lose four first-team All-Americans to graduation, one of whom is Shawn Nally, their top scorer. Another point for RIT to be mindful of in 2020 is the rise of Union, a conference foe that just went 14-4, though will have a new coach with Paul Wehrum announcing his retirement.
2. Salisbury
If there’s one thing you can bet on in Division III lacrosse, it’s that Salisbury will be in the championship conversation as May rolls around. The Sea Gulls, after all, have made 30 consecutive NCAA tournaments and won 12 national titles. The biggest question mark around coach Jim Berkman’s team heading into 2020 is who some of the new faces could be. The biggest holes come via faceoff specialist Brett Malamphy and midfielder Corey Gwin, national players of the year in their respective positions, as well as midfielder Zach Pompea. But Berkman’s teams always reload, and there’s plenty of talent returning, too, led by attackmen Josh Melton and Cross Ferrara, then defensive pieces in long-stick midfielder Kevin Murphy, short-stick defensive midfielder Brad Greik and close defenseman Brad Apgar.
1. Williams
Before you get up in arms over the Ephs being this high, hear us out. Williams, fresh of its best season in program history — an 18-4 record, first trip to a national semifinal and NESCAC title game appearance — loses hardly anything from its 2019 group. The only key senior graduating is close defenseman Cameron Brown, then there’s back-up faceoff specialist Angus O'Rourke, too. NESCAC Rookie of the Year and attackman Jake Haase (32 goals, 67 assists) will be back, leading the charge on an offense that returns 521 of 524 points (99.4 percent). Among other key pieces returning are defenseman Chris Burdick, long-stick midfielder Rock Stewart, midfielder Brendan Hoffman and attackman Cory Lund. Hoffman was a first-team All-American who scored 55 goals out of the midfield. Getting through the NESCAC won’t be easy, but Williams is locked and loaded heading into 2020.