Another week, another lock for RIT atop the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20. This go-around, the Tigers knocked off Skidmore 18-8 on their Senior Day, largely thanks to a six-goal showing from midfielder Kyle Killen.

Looking at the bigger picture, RIT is two games away from a perfect regular season, a feat Bates memorably achieved in 2017 out of the NESCAC. After making last year’s NCAA championship game for the first time ever, head coach Jake Coon’s group has shown that wasn’t a fluke by any means.

In Top 10 action, Amherst got the best at Tufts on Saturday, emerging with a 20-16 win and breaking the Jumbos’ bid for an undefeated season. Stars on the day were Evan Wolf and Matt Solberg, who both put up five goals. Dylan Finazzo was also stellar from the faceoff X, winning 23 of 36 draws.

There aren’t many headliners on top this week, but if you’re looking for a subtly tantalizing matchup, look not further than Coast Guard and Springfield meeting on Wednesday. Both are in the hunt for the NEWMAC title.

Nike/US Lacrosse
Division III Men’s Top 20

Also considered: Bowdoin, Colorado College, Connecticut College, Cortland, Lynchburg, Muhlenberg, Stevenson, Union, Williams

Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

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

Hot

Ohio Wesleyan (+5)

Last week’s 13-8 win over Denison was a big one, as it vaulted the Battling Bishops over the Big Red into first place in the NCAC. Now, with two games remaining in conference action, Ohio Wesleyan has a solid chance to capture the NCAC crown for the first time since 2015. Standing in the way are tilts against Depauw and Wooster, two squads that have hovered around .500 for the better part of 2018.

The attack trio of Steven Hildebrand, Max Tennant and Jack Jeschke has been stellar all year long, combining for 176 points. Ben Rigger deserves a shout in goal, too, as his .564 save percentage tops all of the NCAC.

Salisbury (+2)

Flashback to March 24, and matters were looking south for the two-time defending NCAA champions. They were coming off a 3-3 stretch, which included losses at the hands of Gettysburg, Ohio Wesleyan and York, teams all firmly within the top 10. My, how things have changed.

Salisbury has won five straight, including a recent 20-10 victory over Mary Washington. That comes on the tail end of two narrow wins over top-20 teams Cabrini and Christopher Newport, so the Sea Gulls are learning to win a variety of ways. They’ve also benefited from seven players scoring 24 points or more, though midfielder Corey Gwin (49 points) is their undoubted dangerman.

Gettysburg (+1)

It’s not a massive jump up the rankings this week for the Bullets, but rather the quality of their wins that stands out. They knocked off Haverford 11-5 on Saturday and most notably beat Dickinson 12-11 on Wednesday to seal their place atop the Centennial Conference.

With two conference games remaining, it’s entirely realistic that Gettysburg reclaims the conference crown in what would be a brief hiatus after capturing it in 2015 and 2016. Much like any successful team, Gettysburg’s hardly been a one-man show, with six players reaching the 20-point mark.

Not

Denison (-3)

The Big Red fell 13-8 to Ohio Wesleyan on Sunday, and the larger pattern spells concern for head coach Mike Caravana’s group. They’ve now dropped three results against three quality opponents in 2018 – Amherst, Dickinson and Ohio Wesleyan.

To push for a place in the buildup to Memorial Day weekend, Denison is going to have to beat teams of that caliber. Matters get tougher, too, considering some results will have to fall the Big Red’s way for them to win the NCAC like it has the last two years.

Ithaca (-3)

At 11-2, the Bombers are a solid team with few flaws. Further, Wednesday’s 19-9 home loss to No. 1 RIT is nothing to overly worry about; the Tigers are that good this year.

The charge before Ithaca now is showing that it can compete with the best in Division III, a challenge that’s produced a mix bag. The Bombers earned solid wins over Coast Guard and St. Lawrence, but also have fallen to RPI and RIT. 

In
 

RPI

Somewhat under the radar, the Engineers have put together a solid 2018 campaign. Their latest high marks were two solid wins this past week over NEWMAC contender MIT (15-11) and a vital Liberty League win over Vassar (15-14).

While RPI’s strength of schedule doesn’t rival the top Division III programs, it has benefited from two of the Liberty League’s top attackmen in Cliff Kigar and Zach Lukas. They’ve combined for 86 points and both rank in the conference’s top five for points per game.

Coast Guard

The Bears grabbed headlines early in the year with an upset win over then-No. 1 Wesleyan. Since then, they’ve climbed atop the NEWMAC standings courtesy of a 10-2 record and look solid, losses to Ithaca and Connecticut College notwithstanding. Plus, this past week included solid non-conference wins over Mitchell and the Merchant Marine Academy.

Coast Guard's standout is midfielder Riley McNulty. The sophomore from Annapolis, Md., is tied for first in the NEWMAC in goals (34) and is second in assists (21).

Out

Bowdoin

After surging to an 8-2 record through 10 games, the Polar Bears suffered two setbacks this past week at the hands of NESCAC foes Colby and Wesleyan. They now sit sixth in the conference standings, with games against a surging Williams side and near-perfect Tufts squad still on the docket.

Cortland

The Red Dragons still may very well win the SUNYAC – a feat they’ve accomplished all but five years since 1978 – but Cortland is 5-5 in its last 10 games, a far cry from the near-perfect regular season it put up a year ago. Matters could turn hairier come midweek, as the Red Dragons will travel to No. 12 Ithaca in their final non-conference game of the year.