Tufts, the new No. 1, celebrates a goal during a March 28 win over Union.

CNU Loss Thrusts Tufts into Top Spot of Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Men's Top 20

April 10, 2023

Dan Arestia and Kyle Devitte

Rich Barnes

A new No. 1 has been crowned. The year started with RIT on the throne, and Christopher Newport became the ruler of Division III after the Tigers fell. The Captains were manhandled by Salisbury this week, so it’s Tufts’ time to gaze upon all that the light touches at the top of the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20.

There is a clear argument for Salisbury to be No. 1, and if we were in the business of making everyone happy, we would probably name two teams in the No. 1 spot. But we aren’t very good at making people happy. Did Tufts have to come from behind the take down Connecticut College this week? Yes. Did Salisbury double up Christopher Newport like an overstuffed Chipotle burrito? Also, yes.

But undefeated is undefeated. The Jumbos have the sharpest and slightest of edges this week, but as we know, No. 1 teams come and go.

That being said, the Captains went down, and Salisbury took them down in convincing fashion, 16-8. The Sea Gulls were dominant throughout and never trailed, starting with Jack Dowd’s goal less than a minute into the game. Dowd and Cross Ferrera had two goals each, and Isaac Thrasher had a hat trick, all in the first half, giving Salisbury an 8-2 lead at the break. Christopher Newport wouldn’t score its third goal until the waning seconds of the third quarter after Salisbury pushed the lead to double digits. Blake Malamphy went 18-for-25, leaving CNU looking for answers at the faceoff spot with Warner Canabiss going just 1-for-11. The Salisbury defense allowed 25 total shots in an effort that will have the Gulls in the conversation for the top spot.

The NESCAC didn’t make things easy elsewhere in the ranks, with teams like Amherst and Wesleyan dropping huge games and Middlebury sneaking up behind everyone like the aftertaste of diet soda.

Last week, Swarthmore made its first appearance in the Top 20. This week, it’ll be one of the biggest climbers thanks to a 12-11 overtime win over Gettysburg. With 5:49 left in the third quarter, Swarthmore found itself facing an 11-6 deficit, as fifth-ranked Gettysburg rattled off a 6-0 run. It’s the type of moment when a team can announce itself as a true contender or pretender. And Swarthmore played the part of a contender. Swarthmore scored the next six goals, five to tie it and the game-winner in overtime, to pull off the road upset.

NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION III MEN’S TOP 20

	April 10, 2023	W/L	Prev	Next
1	Tufts	11-0	2	4/12 vs. Bates
2	Salisbury	11-1	4	4/15 at Washington (Md.)
3	RIT	11-1	3	4/12 vs. Ithaca
4	Christopher Newport	12-1	1	4/15 at Stockton
5	Middlebury	8-1	7	4/12 at No. 6 St. Lawrence
6	St. Lawrence	10-1	8	4/12 vs. No. 5 Middlebury
7	Bowdoin	8-3	9	4/12 at Colby
8	Wesleyan	7-3	10	4/12 vs. Trinity
9	Amherst	8-2	6	4/12 vs. Connecticut College
10	Swarthmore	8-1	20	4/12 vs. Washington (Md.)
11	Gettysburg	9-1	5	4/12 at Franklin & Marshall
12	Lynchburg	8-4	11	4/15 at Randolph-Macon
13	Stevens	10-2	12	4/12 vs. Arcadia
14	Union	6-3	13	4/12 at Skidmore
15	York	6-5	18	4/12 vs. Alvernia
16	Dickinson	7-3	16	4/12 at McDaniel
17	Denison	7-2	15	4/11 vs. Oberlin
18	Washington and Lee	8-4	17	4/15 at Averett
19	Cabrini	8-3	19	4/12 at Centenary
20	Hampden-Sydney	9-3	NR	4/12 vs. Guilford

Also considered (alphabetical order): Babson (6-2), Clarkson (9-1), Kenyon (8-1), Ursinus (6-4), Williams (5-4)

Nike/USA Lacrosse Rankings

Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women

HOT

St. Lawrence (+2)

Since their loss to Union back in March, the Saints haven’t been very, well, merciful. They have held their last four opponents under 11 goals and have an average margin of victory of nearly eight goals. Judge Murphy, Ben Hutchinson and Mark Mahoney all have over 40 points. The defense is compact and adapts well, and teams clearly hate lining up against head coach Mike Mahoney’s crew.

NOT

Consistency

The thing that really separates to top teams in Division III from the rest of the pack is not just the ability to win. Everyone in the top 15, at least, can beat anyone on any given day under the right conditions. Teams are not totally infallible — even undefeated ones.

The one aspect that pushes certain teams past their losses — especially early in the season — is the continued development of their ability to execute on both sides of the ball. The top 5-7 teams in Division III are in that position because they have found a way to make their rosters more than the sum of its parts. They have identities on offense and defense. They can change their plans and find different ways to win. The teams that can't do that are vacillating wildly up and down the Top 20.

IN

Hampden-Sydney (No. 20)

After getting out of the gates slow with a 2-2 start, Hampden-Sydney has won seven of its last eight games, including an 11-10 victory over Washington and Lee in that stretch. Now 8-3 overall and 4-0 in the conference, Hampden-Sydney finds itself atop the ODAC, one of the best conferences in Division III. A trio of juniors attackmen, led by Ray O’Brien, who eclipsed 40 points on the season this weekend, have been racking up goals for the Tigers as they march toward postseason play. A 20-3 thrashing of Virginia Wesleyan pushed them over the top.

OUT

Ursinus (was No. 14)

Ursinus drops to 6-4 with a tough loss to Haverford. We are now into April, and Ursinus is still searching for a signature win. There sure are plenty of good losses, with York, RIT and Gettysburg on the schedule, but you can’t stay in the Top 20 just by losing to good teams. The remaining schedule is packed with opportunities, as Muhlenberg, Franklin & Marshall, Swarthmore and Dickinson are all left to be played. A couple of wins in those games puts Ursinus right back in the mix. But for now, it’s out of the Top 20.

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Written By

Dan Arestia and Kyle Devitte

Dan Arestia and Kyle Devitte cover Division II and III men's lacrosse for USA Lacrosse Magazine.

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