2023 Men's Top 30: How Richmond Fared vs. Projections

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2024, our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking one last look at 2023.

After all, you have to look at the most recent results before making projections for what’s to come. To do that, we’re taking a journey through the top 30 teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse — what went right, what went wrong and what we should all think of that team’s season.

Was it a success? A failure? A mixture of both? You’ll find out our thoughts over the next month or so.

RICHMOND MEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: Unranked (also considered)/Unranked (also considered)
2023 record: 11-5 (4-1 Atlantic 10)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The Spiders were a classic “peaked-at-the-right-time” team, ripping UMass and High Point by 15-8 margins to win the first Atlantic 10 tournament. Richmond was adept at handling business when it should have, going 11-1 against teams that didn’t make the NCAA tournament (the loss was a two-goal setback at Saint Joseph’s). Dalton Young (32 G, 41 A) led an offense that produced five 20-goal scorers, as the Spiders reached their fifth NCAA tournament in 10 years of existence.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Getting paired with Virginia in the NCAA tournament. The Spiders lost 25-8 in Charlottesville in the regular season before a 17-8 setback in mid-May.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Richmond ripped off six consecutive goals in a 10-minute stretch spanning halftime in the Atlantic 10 final, turning a two-goal lead into an 11-3 advantage and ensuring the fourth quarter of the Spiders’ march to an automatic bid would be stress-free.

VERDICT

Dan Chemotti’s program has established an impressive standard in a decade, winning either a regular-season or conference tournament title on eight occasions (with the pandemic wiping out a chance at a ninth). The Spiders adjusted easily to a deeper league after an extended stint in the Southern Conference and have a strong foundation to work with moving forward.