Preseason is often a time for predictions, and things are no different as the 2020 season rolls around.

As is human nature at this juncture, plenty of questions are lingering in the Division III men’s lacrosse world. Can Cabrini retain its championship or did the Cavaliers hit the jackpot on Memorial Day weekend last year? How good could this Williams team be and is the early buzz warranted? The Ephs return over 99 percent of their offense from 2019 and were ever so close to a national championship.

Ranked No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Men's Preseason Top 20, the Ephs will lean on Brendan Hoffman as well as Rock Stewart, Corey Lund, Kevin Stump and Jake Haase to lead the way.

What about RIT and Salisbury, two national powerhouses that have graduated a ton from last year’s teams? Who emerges from a jam-packed Centennial Conference?

To help answer those inquiries and more, we have our preseason Top 20 teams. But if there’s one thing we’ve come to learn, it’s this: How things look in the winter rarely reflects the final destination. We’ll track all those ups and downs, but first here’s our take on how the field is shaping up.

1. Williams Ephs

X-Factor: Rock Stewart, D, Sr.

There’s buzz about Williams’ high-powered offense, but don’t forget about the other side of the ball. Stewart, who like Hoffman is from Darien, Conn., can dominate in transition. He’s coming off an all-around season that included 95 ground balls, 37 caused turnovers and 10 assists. 

Player to Watch: Brendan Hoffman, M, Sr.

The US Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Player of the Year is a bulldozing midfielder who even the best NESCAC defenders struggle with, and he’s coming off a 74-point year that helped the Ephs reach the national semifinals. All told, 99 percent of the offense returns from a team that was one subpar quarter against Amherst away from playing for the championship.

2. Salisbury Sea Gulls

Salisbury needs little introduction, having won 12 NCAA titles and 22 CAC crowns under Jim Berkman, the owner of 566 career wins. Returning All-Americans are faceoff man Brett Malamphy, defenseman Brad Apgar and attackman Josh Melton. Salisbury also expects a step forward from juinor attackman Cross Ferrara.

3. RIT Tigers

For all its success, including eight straight Liberty League championships, the Tigers have yet to win an NCAA title. They made championship game appearances in 2013 and 2017. All-American goalie Walker Hare will lead this year’s run.

4. Amherst Mammoths

The national runner-up must reconstruct an offense without Evan Wolf, the USILA Division III Player of the Year. High-end talent remains. Short-stick middie Jimmy McAfee, midfielder Matt Solberg and defenseman Tamer Sullivan all come to mind.

5. Tufts Jumbos

Tufts had a program-record 10 All-Americans and won its ninth NESCAC title of the decade, but it fell to Amherst in the NCAA quarterfinals. Tufts had heavy losses, including Arend Broekmate and Stewart Stockdale on defense and Danny Murphy and Brendan Connelly on attack. Nick Shanks is among the returning All-Americans.

6. Cabrini Cavaliers

Cabrini lived by a 1-0 mantra last year, earning the only Pole B spot in the NCAA tournament as they transitioned into the Atlantic East Conference. That paid off with the school’s first-ever NCAA title in any sport. It was a perfect storm, but attackman Jordan Krug is a big loss. Defenseman Tommy DeLuca returns.

7. Franklin & Marshall Diplomats

The Dips have reached double-digit wins in seven of the past eight seasons and will be looking to make back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in program history. Dynamic attack duo Kevin Mollihan and Luke Keating combined for 183 points.

8. Denison Big Red

The Big Red made the NCAA quarterfinals last year but were eliminated by Salisbury for the fourth time since 2014. They’ve wrestled NCAC supremacy away from Ohio Wesleyan, but they have to fill the gaps left behind by midfielder Jake Waxter and attackman Spencer Butler. The latter loss will be lessened by the return of All-American attackman Peter Pittroff, who has 218 combined points across the last two seasons.

9. York Spartans

York has become a perennial top-five team, but the graduations of defenseman Kevin Witchey and the attack trio of Hunter Davis, Brendan McGrath and Thomas Pfeiffer have left gaping holes in the lineup.

10. Union Dutchmen

Hall of Fame coach Paul Wehrum retired with more than 500 career wins in his 37-year coaching career, including 13 seasons in Schenectady. New coach Derek Witheford will look to guide Union to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015.

11. Gettysburg Bullets

Gettysburg last won the Centennial Conference in 2016 and made the NCAA semifinals in three of four seasons from 2015-18. Defenseman Mitch Wykoff and middie Michael McCormick are leaders. Last year’s double-overtime loss to St. John Fisher in the NCAA tourney still stings.

12. Wesleyan Cardinals

Wesleyan must replace Carter Hawthorne and Christian Barker on offense, one year removed from graduating Harry Stanton. The Cardinals might have one of the country’s best defenses, though, with every starting piece and goalkeeper Otto Bohan back. 

13. Lynchburg Hornets

Lynchburg dropped a heartbreaker to Washington and Lee in the ODAC final but still advanced to its ninth straight NCAA tournament. Senior Kevin Rogers is one of the country’s best all-around midfielders. 

14. Stevenson Mustangs

The hosts of the annual Mustang Classic again have a ruthless front half of their schedule. Stevenson will be favored to win an eighth straight MAC Commonwealth title and make an NCAA tournament run. Senior attackman Ethan Christensen is just shy of 200 career points.

15. St. John Fisher Cardinals

St. John Fisher captured its first-ever Empire 8 title and upset Gettysburg in double overtime in the NCAA tournament. There’s something special brewing in Rochester, N.Y.

16. Saint Lawrence Saints

The Liberty League is a logjam, but three returning All-Americans — attackman Mike Donnelly, defenseman Tyler Burns and goalkeeper Alex Terry — are back for their senior years.

17. Ursinus Bears

Under the guidance of new coach Gary Mercadante,  Ursinus came out of nowhere to win their first Centennial championship and host an NCAA tournament game. Flash in the pan or a new standard?

18. Washington and Lee Generals

W&L must navigate life without A.J. Witherell, the school’s all-time leading scorer (317 points and 191 goals), as it defends the ODAC championship.

19. Cortland Red Dragons

Cortland’s 19 straight NCAA tournament appearances indicate its reign atop the SUNYAC won’t slow down. Still, the Red Dragons have fallen somewhat from the 2006-09 stretch, when they won two NCAA titles and made four championship game appearances.

20. Rhodes Lynx

Rhodes has won two straight SAA titles and advanced to the sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in back-to-back years. Freshmen and sophomores played prominent roles in 2019.