Sea Gulls Top USA Lacrosse Division III Men's Preseason Top 20

With a 2023 Division III national championship in hand, Salisbury enters 2024 still on top. The Sea Gulls are No. 1 in the USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Preseason Top 20, announced Tuesday by USA Lacrosse Magazine.

The USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Preseason Top 20 is put together by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors with input from coaches around the country.

Continue below to see the full Top 20, and read further for a breakdown on each team.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III MEN’S
PRESEASON TOP 20

1. Salisbury
2. Christopher Newport
3. RIT
4. Lynchburg
5. Tufts
6. Bowdoin
7. Middlebury
8. York
9. Amherst
10. Union
11. Gettysburg
12. Dickinson
13. Wesleyan
14. Denison
15. St. Lawrence
16. Washington and Lee
17. Hampden-Sydney
18. Grove City
19. Swarthmore
20. Muhlenberg

Also considered (alphabetical order): Babson, Cabrini, Clarkson, RPI, Stevens, Ursinus, Western New England

TOP 20 BREAKDOWNS

1. Salisbury

The champ stays at the top, and with good reason — the Sea Gulls return the majority of their starting lineup heading into 2024.

2. Christopher Newport

The Captains are led by Andrew Cook and are seeking an appearance in the national title game. Look out for the Captains.

3. RIT

As always, the Tigers are in the mix because of a combination of intelligent Canadian players and a deep bench.

4. Lynchburg

The Hornets have a stacked midfield and a back line that is always solid. Is this the year that they get back to Memorial Day Weekend?

5. Tufts

This may seem like a low spot for the Jumbos, but they have to replace nearly 400 points from last season with the likes of Jack Boyden and Kurt Bruun playing their fifth years in Division I.

6. Bowdoin

The Polar Bears still have Will Byrne as well as a host of other talented players at key positions.

7. Middlebury

Last year, everyone slept whilst the Panthers prowled and pounced to the penultimate periphery of the playoffs.

8. York

Another team that returns many of its key contributors, the Spartans are looking to avoid the slow start that plagued them last season.

9. Amherst

The Mammoths are a bit of a question mark, but last season, their next-man-up approach to players lost to injury proved a lot of their doubters wrong.

10. Union

With the specialty positions locked down, it’s no surprise to see Union in the top 10. They’ll tilt possession every game with Matthew Paoletto facing off, and when opponents do get the ball, they’ll need to make sure their looks at goal are excellent to beat Dan Donahue.

11. Gettysburg

The Bullets have a lot of spots to fill, but with a strong spine steadied by a proven back line, they’re still a team to be reckoned with.

12. Dickinson

Dickinson returns plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. The schedule is stacked not just with Centennial opponents, but a trip to the Mustang Classic to take on York and Christopher Newport. Evan Karetsos at LSM is a star on the rise.

13. Wesleyan

The Cardinals started last season in a similar position, but inconsistent performances doomed them to finish outside the Top 20. DJ Dixon is one of the top middies in the NESCAC, and this could be a big year for Jack Raba.

14. Denison

Luke Fisher is back off a 94-point season and is a force to be reckoned with on attack. Denison will be a favorite in the NCAC. A February 17 date with RIT to start the season is a circled matchup to start the year.

15. St Lawrence

The Liberty League is a gauntlet, and the Saints still managed to battle their way to the semifinals of the conference tournament.

16. Washington and Lee

Hudson Pokorny graduated and Harris Hubbard is playing a grad year at Rutgers, so W&L will have new leaders on both ends of the field. A front-loaded schedule that includes York, Denison and Gettysburg will reveal a lot about this Generals team.

17. Hampden-Sydney

A pair of 50-plus-point producers — Ray O’Brien and Michael Leone — are back to headline the attack. But goalie Will Perry is gone after five years, so there’s a question between the pipes.

18. Grove City

The Wolverines won the battle of the internet’s favorites when they defeated Swarthmore 18-17 in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.

19. Swarthmore

Back in the Top 20 to start the season, do the Garnets have enough juice to stay in the Top 20 for the entire season?

20. Muhlenberg

The Mules had one of the more miraculous seasons in their program’s history — and it was kickstarted by a triple-overtime loss to RIT to start the season. It wasn’t a fluke, the Mules have been tried, they’re the truth.