It’s beginning to look like Limestone is separating itself from the pack. This is nothing new, but with the loss of players Kyle Rhatigan and Mike Messenger, there was a chance that someone new might take the throne.
Yet, here we are, with a few weeks before the postseason begins, and Limestone is undefeated and beating teams handily. Matchups with Mount Olive and Merrimack await this month. The one big shakeup in the Division II world this weekend was Wingate’s upset of No. 3 Mercyhurst. Rest assured, Wingate finds its way back into the rankings.
April 10, 2017 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limestone | 12-0 | 1 | 4/12 vs. Queens (N.C.) |
| 2 | Le Moyne | 10-1 | 2 |
4/14 vs. Saint Michael’s
|
| 3 | Adelphi | 9-1 | 4 | 4/11 vs. Pace |
| 4 | NYIT | 9-1 | 5 | 4/12 vs. Dominican (N.Y.) |
| 5 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 10-1 | 6 | 4/15 at Lincoln Memorial |
| 6 | Merrimack | 7-2 | 7 | 4/11 at Franklin Pierce |
| 7 | Mercyhurst | 6-2 | 3 | 4/11 vs. Alderson Broaddus |
| 8 | Lindenwood | 7-3 | 9 | 4/13 at Rockhurst |
| 9 | Belmont Abbey | 8-4 | 11 | 4/12 vs. Emmanuel |
| 10 | Mount Olive | 9-2 | 12 | 4/15 at Limestone |
| 11 | Pace | 6-2 | 8 | 4/11 at Adelphi |
| 12 | Tampa | 10-4 | 10 | 4/15 vs. Florida Tech |
| 13 | Mercy | 9-2 | 14 | 4/12 at LIU Post |
| 14 | Colorado Mesa | 11-2 | 15 | 4/21 at CSU-Pueblo |
| 15 | Rollins | 7-5 | 17 | 4/15 vs. Florida Southern |
| 16 | Saint Leo | 9-3 | 18 | 4/15 at Lynn |
| 17 | Wingate | 9-3 | N/A | 4/15 vs. Brevard |
| 18 | Southern New Hampshire | 6-3 | 16 | 4/11 at American International |
| 19 | Seton Hill | 5-4 | 13 | 4/11 vs. Walsh (Ohio) |
| 20 | Tusculum | 9-2 | N/A | 4/15 at Mars Hill |
ALSO CONSIDERED: MOLLOY, QUEENS (N.C.) , LAKE ERIE, CHESTNUT HILL, FLORIDA SOUTHERN, LIU POST,, FLORIDA TECH, SAINT ANSELM, BENTLEY, INDIANAPOLIS
HOT
Colorado Mesa (+1)
In a week that didn’t see many big risers, Colorado Mesa just keeps winning. It’s now won eight of nine games, culminating with a 14-13 victory over Westminster (Ut.) on Saturday. With three home games in a row left in the regular season, Colorado Mesa should ride the momentum into the RMAC tournament.
NYIT (+1)
Again, it’s hard to move up when the top teams continue to win. Since losing to Pace a month ago, NYIT has rattled off six straight wins. Before this weekend, those games came against teams not even close to its level. However, Saturday’s two-goal win over a surging Tampa team shows that NYIT is still a force in Division II.
NOT
Seton Hill (-6)
Seton Hill is hanging onto its spot by a thread. Losing three of six games hurts, but it’s who Seton Hill fell to that is more striking. This team has lost to Florida Tech and Lake Erie, both unranked, in the past few weeks. One more setback and the Griffins might find themselves out of the Top 20.
Pace (-3)
It’s not that Pace is a bad team. The Setters certainly belong in the rankings, but they have shown so far that they can’t consistently compete with the top teams in the country. In the past two weeks, Pace has lost to Merrimack and Le Moyne by a combined 17 goals. Sandwiched in between are wins over Saint Anselm and Southern New Hampshire, so there’s still reason for optimism.
NEW
Wingate
Wingate just missed out on the rankings last week, and it made a statement on Sunday. Looking for a signature win, Wingate rebounded from a 5-0 deficit to beat then-No. 3 Mercyhurst in overtime. That’s good enough to a big jump into the Top 20.
Tusculum
This year’s “Also Considered” category has not been impressive. Most teams seem to lose when it could be their chance to finally crack the rankings. Tusculum has won nine of its last 10 games and has avoided any bad losses. At 9-2, and the losses coming to Tampa and Lenoir-Rhyne, Tusculum just needs a signature win to find its place firmly in the Top 20.
OUT
Saint Anselm
After starting 4-1, Saint Anselm ran into one of the most difficult stretches a team can face this season. The Hawks have lost three straight games to Pace, Adelphi and Le Moyne to move to .500 on the season. Each game was relatively close, including a 2OT thriller with Adelphi, so it seems Saint Anselm is a quality team. It will be back in the rankings soon.
Bentley
Bentley was a team clinging to the No. 20 spot in the rankings, but loss to Merrimack by 11 goals mid-week. With a resume that doesn’t include a quality win, the Falcons will move back into the “Also Considered” category until they can get one.