A weekend of upsets will see several teams hurtle through the rankings like a misplaced sock in the dryer. Most of the top teams managed to get through the weekend without much damage, but the bottom half of the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Men’s Top 20 is a horror show.
Unfortunately for the Upstate, New York, contingent, Mercyhurst suffered a tough loss at the hands of one of the hottest teams in the nation. Mercyhurst got out to a slow start, and despite a valiant comeback attempt, the Lakers came up just short against Seton Hill.
The Griffins jumped all over Mercyhurst early and capitalized on Laker mistakes to build a 6-1 halftime lead. In the second half, Mercyhurst battled back, thanks in no small part to the dominance of Shawn Doran facing off. He went 17-for-23 against Seton Hill’s Mark Strunk, who has been among the top in the nation at the faceoff spot this year. Down 10-5 early in the fourth, Mercyhurst scored two quick goals to get back within three. Myles Hamm scored with just under three minutes left to cut it to two, but that’s as close as the Lakers could get. Josh Miller made 16 saves for Seton Hill, and a Vincent Cogliandro goal with 90 seconds left iced the game and Seton Hill’s winning streak runs for another week.
The best game of the weekend took place in the SAC, where an overtime period was needed to settle the score between Lenoir-Rhyne and Limestone. Both teams have looked the part of title contenders this year, and the top players from both rosters had huge days. Mike McGarry scored two goals 30 seconds apart to give Limestone a 2-0 lead before Toron Eccleston got Lenoir-Rhyne on the board. McGarry would complete his hat trick 20 seconds later, and then Lenoir-Rhyne answered with a four-goal run. From there, it was punch, then counter punch. Limestone fought back to tie it, and Lenoir-Rhyne answered a multi-goal run to gain the lead again.
With under 1:30 to play, Limestone scored three straight, including two goals 20 seconds apart by Jason Thomfohrde, to tie the score at 17. Limestone’s John Paulus won the OT faceoff, but a shot by Chris Erneston was stopped by Rob Pensabene, his 22nd save of the day. Lenoir-Rhyne successfully cleared, and Loyola transfer Riley Seay was the hero, drilling the top corner on a right-to-left split down the alley.
The conference tournaments are right around the corner. Steel your resolve and back your squad. This is the latest Top 20.
NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION II MEN’S TOP 20
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April 17, 2023
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W/L
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Prev
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Next
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1
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Le Moyne
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11-0
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1
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4/19 vs. Saint Rose
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2
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Adelphi
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13-0
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2
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4/19 at No. 6 Mercy
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3
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UIndy
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10-1
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3
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4/22 at No. 4 Wingate
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4
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Wingate
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11-1
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5
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4/22 vs. No. 3 UIndy
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5
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Rollins
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11-1
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6
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4/19 at Palm Beach Atlantic
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6
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Mercy
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10-2
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7
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4/19 vs. No. 2 Adelphi
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7
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Tampa
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12-2
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8
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4/22 vs. No. 9 Seton Hill*
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8
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Lenoir-Rhyne
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12-2
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9
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4/22 at Coker
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9
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Seton Hill
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9-3
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15
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4/22 vs. No. 7 Tampa*
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10
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Mercyhurst
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8-2
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4
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4/19 at Lake Erie
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11
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Pace
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9-3
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14
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4/19 vs. No. 16 Saint Anselm
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12
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Colorado Mesa
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11-2
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10
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4/23 at Westminster
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13
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Limestone
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10-4
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11
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4/20 at Lander
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14
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Florida Southern
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11-4
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12
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4/22 at Palm Beach Atlantic
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15
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Bentley
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6-4
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20
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4/19 vs. St. Michael's
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16
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Saint Anselm
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7-2
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13
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4/19 at No. 11 Pace
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17
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Newberry
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10-4
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16
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Regular season complete
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18
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Anderson
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11-5
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18
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4/22 at Lincoln Memorial
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19
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Belmont Abbey
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9-3
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19
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4/20 at Lees-McRae
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20
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Chestnut Hill
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8-2
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NR
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4/18 at Georgian Court
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Also considered (alphabetical order): Frostburg State
* game played at USA Lacrosse HQ in Sparks, Md.