HOT
Mercy (+3)
The Mavericks claimed their first East Coast Conference championship Sunday, defeating No. 14 LIU Post, 11-9, in the title game. All-American Hunter Isnardi led the way with a game-high six goals for Mercy, which beat Post for the first time in 14 all-time meetings. Mercy earned its second NCAA Tournament berth and faces Le Moyne, top seed in the East Region, on Friday.
West Chester (+2)
WCU won its 22nd PSAC title Sunday, defeating No. 16 East Stroudsburg, 13-9, in the final. But it almost didn’t happen as the top-seeded Rams needed overtime to slip past unranked Seton Hill in the PSAC semifinal Friday. West Chester once again welcomes Seton Hill in Friday’s NCAA opening round. The Rams bring an 11-game winning streak into the game.
NOT
Colorado Mesa (-3)
The Mavericks were eliminated in last week’s RMAC Tournament in the semifinal round by Lindenwood, but get a rematch against the Lions Friday in the NCAA Tournament. CMU is making its first NCAA appearance and looking to snap a 14-game losing streak to Lindenwood. The Mavericks have never beaten their conference rival.
Adelphi (-2)
How will the Panthers respond? For the first time in its 10-year NE10 history, Adelphi failed to reach the league’s championship game, getting bounced by unranked Merrimack, 16-14, at home in the NE10 quarterfinals. Despite the loss, they earned their 12th straight NCAA berth and face local rival LIU Post in the opening round. This could be the last meeting in the storied Long Island rivalry as Post reclassifies to Division I next year.
IN
Merrimack
It was a historic week for Merrimack, which captured the NE10 championship with an amazing run through the league’s playoffs. It started with an upset win over then No. 3 Adelphi, continued with a semifinal win over New Haven, and ended with a victory at No. 1 Le Moyne. The Warriors had never beaten either Adelphi or Le Moyne, with a combined 0-28 record against the two powerhouse programs..
OUT
NYIT (formerly No. 20)
The Bears had their season come to a close with a 12-5 loss to LIU Post in the ECC tournament’s semifinal round. It was NYIT’s only home loss of the year.