HOT
Limestone (+7)
The Saints are off to a 3-0 start, with blowout wins over Conference Carolinas foes Emmanuel and Barton sandwiched around an 11-10 non-conference victory over then-No. 8 Queens (N.C.). Trailing 10-8 against Queens, Limestone scored the final three goals of the game over the final seven minutes to claim the come-from-behind victory.
NOT
Queens (N.C.) (-3)
The Royals are the preseason favorite in the South Atlantic Conference and had a chance to start the year with a statement win over Limestone, but failed to hold a two-goal lead in the closing minutes. Queens has a chance to rebound this week in another non-conference showdown against No. 8 Rollins.
Grand Valley State (-3)
By any standard, the Lakers faced a tough opening weekend by playing the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams in back-to-back games. While it may not be surprising that Grand Valley State lost both games, the lopsided nature of the 21-2 loss against Adelphi, on a neutral field, is troublesome. The Lakers will have a chance for some fine-tuning, as they are idle until March 6 when they face No. 15 Bentley.
NEW
Mount Olive
Despite a second-place finish in Conference Carolinas last year and a narrow 3-2 loss to Limestone in the league’s tournament championship game, the Trojans were not ranked this preseason. And while the opposition thus far has not been too stiff, a 4-0 start to the 2017 season has not gone unnoticed. Tougher tests are ahead for coach Grant Kelam’s squad.
OUT
St. Anselm
Moving Mount Olive into the poll meant that somebody had to leave, in this case, through no fault of their own. The Hawks, who were No. 20 in the preseason and one of seven Northeast-10 squads in the poll, have yet to play. They open their season on March 4 at Florida Tech.