While the Division III season is largely still in its infancy, there’s already one team falling fast.

Lynchburg lost for the second straight week – this time against Franklin & Marshall – setting a worrisome tone for a side that’s made six straight NCAA tournaments and finished as national runner-up in 2015. If there’s one bright point for the Hornets, it’s that the junior attack trio of Logan Adams, Andrew Thomas and Evan Lombardo looks polished, having combined for 13 goals and four assists through two games.

Another top-20 team – No. 6 Denison – received a scare of its own scare over the weekend, but came out on top. The Big Red were tied, 7-7, at halftime with Washington and Lee, but ultimately escaped with a 12-10 win. Junior midfielder Jake Waxter (four goals, one assist) and sophomore attack Peter Pittroff (two goals, three assists) were crucial for Denison.

Two top-fve teams – Salisbury and York – cruised to lopsided victories to stay undefeated. The Sea Gulls downed Widener 18-6, with junior midfielder Corey Gwin bagging six goals. The Spartans beat Eastern 19-6, as junior attackman Thomas Pfeiffer handed out a career-high five assists.

Also considered: Babson, Keene State, Middlebury, Ohio Wesleyan, RPI, Springfield

Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

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

Hot

Franklin & Marshall (+4)

After a run to the NCAA tournament’s third round in 2017, the Diplomats have hit the ground running to kick off their 2018 campaign. This past Sunday, they downed then-No. 11 Lynchburg 14-11 and are making an early case as the Centennial Conference’s top squad.

In F&M’s win over the Hornets, senior midfielder Harry Rice and sophomore attackman Kevin Mollihan bagged four goals apiece. They were also a near-perfect 17-for-18 on clears, plus the benefactors of 12 Lynchburg turnovers.

F&M arguably doesn’t have a noteworthy test until March 13 against Cortland, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on Todd Cavallaro’s team.

Roanoke (+1)

The Maroons survived an early-season test against a routinely solid Colorado College team, managing a 15-10 win.

Their undoubted star was freshman attackman Garritt Schwarz, who scored eight goals and dished out an assist. It was only one performance, but the ODAC is surely on watch for what Schwarz can muster up this season.

On the Roanoke defensive front, junior goalkeeper Ian Davies was stellar in making 14 saves on 24 shots.

Stevens (+1)

The Ducks stormed their way to a 19-4 win over Arcadia to kick off their 2018 season.

Max Bailey, a USILA honorable mention All-American last year, picked up right where he left off. The junior attackman handed out seven assists and added a first-quarter goal.

If there’s any area of improvement for Stevens, it’s on man-up situations, as it finished 3-for-9.

Not

Lynchburg (-8)

Lynchburg, which made the NCAA tournament quarterfinals in 2017, lost to Franklin & Marshall 14-11, largely thanks to a five-goal fourth quarter by the Diplomats. It’s a worrisome start to 2018 for coach Steve Koudelka’s team, which also lost in week one to Salisbury, last year’s national champion.

There’s no shame in losing to two top-20 programs – that sometimes happens when scheduling formidable opponents – but the Hornets need answers fast. To get there, they’ll need senior goalkeeper CJ Santora to step up from what’s currently a 40.9 save percentage.

Looking ahead, matters could get worse for Lynchburg, though. The Hornets' game Saturday is against No. 7 Cabrini, a team that features junior attack Jordan Krug, the Warrior/US Lacrosse Preseason Player of the Year.

In

Bowdoin

The Polar Bears, like much of the NESCAC, haven’t played yet in 2018, but they slide into this week’s rankings at No. 20.

Quietly, Bowdoin returns eight of its top 10 scorers return from a year ago. The biggest question mark facing it is how to replace honorable mention All-American goalkeeper Peter Mumford, who graduated.

In 2017, Bowdoin finished 10-6 and 7-3 in NESCAC play.