Professional PLL
06:00 PM
Jul 19
Phi
Den
Le Moyne was so close to completing a perfect season and entering the NCAA Division II Tournament as the sure-bet top seed in the North. All the Dolphins had to do was win the NE-10 — likely meeting No. 2 Merrimack in the finals.
That’s why they play the game.
Le Moyne didn’t get the chance to face Merrimack, as it fell out of the NE-10 semifinals to a surging Saint Anselm team. The perfect season was no more, and as we found out Sunday, so was the top seed in the North. Merrimack took home the NE-10 crown and the No. 1 seed with it.
Coming behind the Warriors was a Seton Hill team with just one loss on the year, who will have to face the Dolphins in the first round. Head-to-head was the basis for keeping Le Moyne at No. 1 in Division II.
As has been the case for much of the year, the top teams separated themselves from the pack. The top eight teams in the rankings all made the eight-team field for the NCAA tournament.
No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne earned the top seed in the South, followed behind by No. 5 Saint Leo, which will face Tampa in a Sunshine State rubber match. Both teams were idle last weekend after losing in conference tournaments the previous weekend. Colorado Mesa avoided an upset in the RMAC Tournament and entered the tournament field as a No. 4 seed and the westernmost team.
Mesa and NYIT were the proverbial “Last Teams In,” and will face Lenoir-Rhyne and Merrimack, respectively. Outside of No. 9 Belmont Abbey and No. 11 Saint Anselm, it would have been tough to make a case for any other team cracking the tournament field.
May 7, 2018 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le Moyne | 15-1 | 1 | 5/12 at No. 4 Seton Hill |
| 2 | Merrimack | 15-1 | 2 | 5/12 vs. No. 8 NYIT |
| 3 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 16-2 | 3 |
5/12 vs. No. 6 Colorado Mesa
|
| 4 | Seton Hill | 16-1 | 4 | 5/12 vs. No. 1 Le Moyne |
| 5 | Saint Leo | 14-2 | 5 |
5/12 vs. No. 7 Tampa
|
| 6 | Colorado Mesa | 17-2 | 6 | 5/12 at No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne |
| 7 | Tampa | 15-4 | 7 | 5/12 at No. 5 Saint Leo |
| 8 | NYIT | 13-4 | 8 | 5/12 at No. 2 Merrimack |
| 9 | Belmont Abbey | 13-4 | 10 | Season complete |
| 10 | Adelphi | 11-4 | 9 |
Season complete
|
| 11 | Saint Anselm | 11-5 | 19 | Season complete |
| 12 | Florida Tech | 9-6 | 12 |
Season complete
|
| 13 | Mount Olive | 11-5 | 13 |
Season complete
|
| 14 | Mercyhurst | 11-5 | 15 | Season complete |
| 15 | Lake Erie | 11-3 | 11 | Season complete |
| 16 | LIU Post | 10-5 | 14 |
Season complete
|
| 17 | Wingate | 11-5 | 18 | Season complete |
| 18 | Rockhurst | 14-3 | 16 | Season complete |
| 19 | Indianapolis | 10-5 | N/A | Season complete |
| 20 | Limestone | 11-8 | 17 |
Season complete
|
ALSO CONSIDERED: Assumption, Bentley, Florida Southern, Indianapolis, Lindenwood, Lynn, Pace, Queens (N.C.), Rollins, Saint Rose
HOT
Saint Anselm (+8)
The Hawks did something no other team had this season — take down Le Moyne. Saint Anselm advanced to the NE-10 final and could have been a win over Merrimack away from making the NCAA tournament. Not to mention, it avenged a 12-11 loss to Saint Rose just three days later, dominating the Golden Knights by 10 goals.
NOT
Lake Erie (-4)
The Storm’s successful 2018 season ended abruptly with an 8-5 loss to Mercyhurst in the GMAC semifinals. Credit to Lake Erie — Mercyhurst’s defense ranks second in all of Division II. Still, the Storm’s hopes of upsetting Seton Hill in the GMAC final vanished.
OUT
Mercy
Mercy ended the 2018 season on a four-game losing streak, putting a stain on what was a strong year. When the Mavericks came up against superior opponents, they stumbled. Mercy’s season ended at the hands of LIU Post in a 19-7 loss.
NEW
Indianapolis
With conference tournaments ending in Division II, almost every team fell at some point in the past two weeks. That credits a void to be filled by an Indianapolis team that downed Limestone 11-10 in the Saints' senior day. Indy also took home the GLVC tournament title with wins over Alabama Huntsville and Young Harris.