Call it a wrap on the Mustang Classic, and many lessons were learned.
As 10 of the top teams in Division III convened on Stevenson University for games Friday and Saturday, it became apparent why the NESCAC is held in such high regard. Amherst and Wesleyan were the only to teams to emerge undefeated, while York and RIT logged their first losses of the 2019 season.
That’s not all that unfolded through the D-III world, though, and there’s plenty of shuffling throughout this week’s Nike/US Lacrosse Top 20, including two newcomers out of the North region and Cabrini finding its place in the top five.
Nike/US Lacrosse
Division III Men’s Top 20
March 18, 2019 |
W/L |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salisbury | 8-0 | 1 | 3/23 vs. Geneseo |
| 2 | Amherst | 5-0 | 2 | 3/19 vs. Endicott |
| 3 | Tufts | 6-0 | 3 | 3/19 at Stevenson |
| 4 | Cabrini | 7-0 | 6 | 3/22 at No. 6 York |
| 5 | RIT | 5-1 | 4 | 3/20 vs. St. John Fisher |
| 6 | York | 7-1 | 5 | 3/22 vs. No. 4 Cabrini |
| 7 | Bates | 5-1 | 7 | 3/19 at Keene State |
| 8 | Wesleyan | 5-1 | 7 | 3/22 vs. No. 20 Cortland |
| 9 | Ursinus | 6-0 | 11 | 3/23 at No. 10 Gettysburg |
| 10 | Gettysburg | 6-2 | 10 | 3/23 vs. No. 9 Ursinus |
| 11 | Dickinson | 5-2 | 9 | 3/23 vs. Washington College |
| 12 | Denison | 4-2 | 12 | 3/23 vs. Rhodes |
| 13 | Christopher Newport | 6-2 | 13 | 3/19 vs. Virginia Wesleyan |
| 14 | RPI | 6-0 | 18 | 3/20 vs. No. 19 Williams |
| 15 | Stevens | 5-2 | 16 | 3/21 at No. 13 Christopher Newport |
| 16 | Washington and Lee | 5-4 | 14 | 3/23 at Hampden-Sydney |
| 17 | Franklin & Marshall | 4-3 | 15 | 3/23 at Swarthmore |
| 18 | Lynchburg | 4-4 | 17 | 3/23 vs. Randolph |
| 19 | Williams | 3-1 | NR | 3/20 at No. 14 RPI |
| 20 | Cortland | 3-2 | NR | 3/19 vs. Clarkson |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Coast Guard, DeSales, Ithaca, Roanoke, St. John Fisher, Stevenson, Swarthmore, Union, Western New England
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
Hot
Cabrini (+2)
A two-win week over Ohio Wesleyan and Whittier by a combined 37-12 scoreline ensured that the Cavaliers kept the good times rolling. They’re the sole undefeated team in the first-year Atlantic East Conference, having previously dominated the Colonial States Athletic Conference.
Cabrini is allowing just over six goals per game and has three 20-plus point scorers in Jordan Krug, Jakob Klein and Tyler Kostack. The upcoming two-game stretch against York and Salisbury should go in a long way in determining how good the Cavaliers could be in 2019.
RPI (+4)
As mentioned in weeks past, the Liberty League is surely RIT’s to win. However, RPI has ensured fans don’t forget about the team from nearby Troy, N.Y.
The Engineers are now 6-0 with after beating Plattsburgh State (14-7) and Ohio Wesleyan (16-11) last week. Freshman attackman Cooper Urban was stellar with 12 points across the two contests, while senior attackman JT Kelly had 13 of his own.
Ursinus (+2)
The rebuild under head coach Gary Mercadante continues for Ursinus, as they’re 6-0 following a 13-7 win over Eastern on Wednesday. Junior attackman Bobby McClure was the star of the show with six goals and two assists, while all four of the team’s goalies played.
We’ll learn a lot about how serious the Bears are when beginning Centennial Conference play this coming Saturday against Gettysburg. They’ve lost every game in program history to the Bullets – including three times during 2015’s run to the NCAA tournament.
Not
Franklin & Marshall (-2)
The Mustang Classic was not kind to the Diplomats, as they fell to both Amherst (17-9) and Denison (15-12). A silver lining was Luke Keating and Kevin Mollihan combined for 10 goals and three assists in the latter game. It’s now back to the drawing board ahead of starting Centennial Conference play on Saturday against a Swarthmore team that’s quietly gone 6-0 to start the year.
Washington and Lee (-2)
The Generals lost their fourth game of the season to a ranked team last week, as they dropped a 14-13 decision to Gettysburg. Three of those losses have come by one goal. The ODAC powerhouse program quickly rebounded, though, with an 18-4 win over Bridgewater. Senior attackman A.J. Witherell, a two-time All-American, had five goals and two assists.
Dickinson (-2)
It was an up-and-down Mustang Classic trip for Dickinson, as it started with a 14-9 win over Denison on Friday. However, matters concluded on Saturday with a 16-11 loss to Middlebury, the sole unranked team at the tournament. The leading faces for the Red Devils are familiar names, as midfielder Brodie Phillips has a team-leading 33 points, Bobby Hartwick is operating at a 63.1-percent success rate from the faceoff X and All-American LSM Nate Usich remains atop his game.
In
Williams
The Ephs are quietly making some noise in the NESCAC. A two-win week over Union (12-11) and Connecticut College (18-9) has given Williams a three-game winning streak heading into Wednesday’s trip to RPI. Six players have recorded at least 10 points. Freshman attackman Jake Haase leads the way with 14 assists, while sophomore attackman Cory Lund has a team-high 15 goals.
Cortland
Season-opening losses to Ursinus and Tufts were tough for this SUNYAC powerhouse, but they’ve since bounced back with three straight wins. The latest were a 25-9 toppling of Morrisville State on Tuesday, then a 16-7 beatdown of Farmingdale State on Friday. Senior attackman Terrence Haggerty and Joey Panariello continue to lead the way with a combined 45 points.
Out
Stevenson
With one of the toughest schedules in college lacrosse, Stevenson find itself in the midst of a four-game losing streak. The Mustang Classic host lost both games in the tournament against Lynchburg (11-9) and York (12-4). Matters don’t get any easier when the Mustangs host Tufts on Tuesday.
MAC Commonwealth play begins next week. Stevenson has won the conference every year since 2013.
Ithaca
With some teams on the rise, somebody has to drop out. That unfortunate team is Ithaca, largely because it has yet to show well against any team near the national rankings. The Bombers were wholloped, 17-5, back on March 9 by Cabrini and are likely a shade off the top tier in the Liberty League.