Salisbury withstood a significant test from then-No. 10 Mary Washington, 11-10, to remain No. 1 in this week's Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20. Late-season winning streaks by several squads have shuffled parts of the Top 20 as the regular season hits the final stretch.
Then-No. 3 Amherst won its fourth straight game, defeating then-No. 4 Tufts, 14-13, in a matchup that lived up to expectations. York dispatched two more league foes to run its winning streak to five at move up to No. 7, a run matched by No. 11 F&M. W&L has now run off seven wins in a row to improve to 9-4 and return to the Top 10.
Then-No. 8 Geneseo had its 11-0 start ended by an old enemy, falling to then-No. 15 Cortland, 15-10. Rowan has continued educating foes, surging to No. 16 after handling then-No. 13 Stevens, 23-11.
Four of the top five teams face at least one highly ranked opponent this week, perhaps highlighted Friday by the No. 1 Sea Gulls' visit to No. 4 TCNJ.
April 16, 2018 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salisbury | 13-0 | 1 | 4/18 Marymount |
| 2 | Amherst | 11-1 | 3 | 4/18 at Babson |
| 3 | Gettysburg | 10-1 | 6 | 4/18 at Dickinson |
| 4 | TCNJ | 10-2 | 2 | 4/17 No. 16 Rowan |
| 5 | Middlebury | 10-2 | 7 | 4/21 at No. 6 Tufts |
| 6 | Tufts | 10-2 | 4 | 4/17 Bates |
| 7 | York | 9-3 | 9 | 4/18 Frostburg State |
| 8 | Mary Washington | 12-3 | 10 | 4/21 Marymount |
| 9 | Trinity | 9-4 | 5 | 4/21 Colby |
| 10 | Washington & Lee | 9-4 | 11 | 4/18 at Bridgewater |
| 11 | Franklin & Marshall | 11-3 | 12 | 4/18 McDaniel |
| 12 | St. John Fisher | 9-2 | 14 | 4/18 at Fredonia |
| 13 | Geneseo | 11-1 | 8 | 4/17 at Oswego |
| 14 | Cortland | 9-4 | 15 | 4/17 at Oneonta |
| 15 | Bowdoin | 10-3 | 20 | 4/21 at Williams |
| 16 | Rowan | 10-1 | 19 | 4/17 at No. 4 TCNJ |
| 17 | Wesleyan | 8-5 | 17 | 4/21 Hamilton |
| 18 | William Smith | 10-4 | NR | 4/21 Rochester |
| 19 | Ithaca | 9-4 | 16 | 4/20 Bard |
| 20 | Stevens | 9-3 | 13 | 4/18 Elmira |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Catholic, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Clarkson, Colby, Colorado College, Framingham State, Haverford, Mount Union, Washington College
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Rowan (+3)
The Profs have run off nine in a row since an early, 13-10 loss to current pole-sitter Salisbury. Rowan's three wins last week came by an average of 13 goals, and that included a 23-11 beatdown of then-No. 13 Stevens. The Profs hit the road Tuesday for the 64th all-time meeting against No. 4 TCNJ, a series dominated by the host Lions, 53-9-1.
NOT
Stevens (-7)
The Ducks tumbled in a 23-11 loss at then-No. 19 Rowan, in which they committed 20 turnovers, won only 14 draws and got off only 17 shots on goal. Kyra Bednarski scored five goals, but she'll need help if Stevens is to navigate a three-game week that concludes Sunday with a visit from No. 10 W&L.
IN
Bowdoin
The Polar Bears knocked off two ranked NESCAC rivals to run their winning streak to four and re-enter at No. 15. Bowdoin won a nip-and-tuck game at then-No. 18 Colby, 12-11, Wednesday thanks largely to freshman Katie Miller's four goals (including the game-winner with 4:16) and a stout defense late. Against No. 17 Wesleyan, Hannah Hirschfield scored all five of her goals in the second half as the Bears erased a 7-3 halftime deficit in the 13-11 win.
OUT
Colby, Haverford
The Mules fell at home to an unranked though surging Bowdoin squad, and ended the week with a 7-5 overall record. Haverford took an 18-6 beating at then-No. 6 Gettysburg.