Division III men’s lacrosse is slowly inching back this spring, with several teams already getting a handful of games in.
Given the state of the world, conferences are at different stages all around the country. The Centennial Conference and Liberty League both recently announced plans for spring sports to return to competition, while everyone’s waiting for a call from the NESCAC.
We’ve kept NESCAC teams included for the time being, and you’ll notice that Tufts now holds the No. 1 spot nationally after Salisbury got knocked off by Lynchburg. The outlook could change if Tufts and other NESCACs miss out on a second straight season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jumbos, without question, are a national title contender year in and year out.
Here’s an early look at how the country’s D-III landscape is shaping up. Things are still stuck in first gear, to some degree, but the accelerant isn’t too far away.
Nike/US Lacrosse
Division III Men’s Top 20
March 8, 2021 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tufts | 0-0 | 2 | TBD |
| 2 | RIT | 0-0 | 3 | 3/10 vs. Nazareth |
| 3 | Lynchburg | 4-0 | 13 | 3/13 at Guilford |
| 4 | Salisbury | 0-1 | 1 | 3/13 at Southern Virginia |
| 5 | Wesleyan | 0-0 | 4 | TBD |
| 6 | Cabrini | 1-0 | 6 | 3/14 at Montclair State |
| 7 | Ursinus | 0-0 | 5 | TBD |
| 8 | Williams | 0-0 | 7 | TBD |
| 9 | York | 1-0 | 11 | 3/13 at King’s (Pa.) |
| 10 | Denison | 0-0 | 8 | 3/20 vs. Wooster |
| 11 | Gettysburg | 0-0 | 9 | TBD |
| 12 | Union | 0-0 | 10 | TBD |
| 13 | Amherst | 0-0 | 12 | TBD |
| 14 | Franklin & Marshall | 0-0 | 14 | TBD |
| 15 | St. John Fisher | 1-0 | 15 | 3/10 vs. Clarkson |
| 16 | Christopher Newport | 3-0 | 18 | 3/13 at Washington (Md.) |
| 17 | RPI | 0-0 | 17 | TBD |
| 18 | Middlebury | 0-0 | 16 | TBD |
| 19 | Washington and Lee | 0-0 | 19 | 3/10 vs. Mary Washington |
| 20 | Stevenson | 1-0 | 20 | 3/13 vs. Arcadia |
Also considered: Bates, Colorado College, Cortland, DeSales, Dickinson, Hampden-Sydney, Ithaca, Roanoke, Stevens, Stockton
HOT
Lynchburg (+10)
The Hornets are coming off a two-win weekend that included a headline-grabbing result Saturday, as they knocked off undisputed No. 1 Salisbury by a 10-8 scoreline. Consider that a statement result from the seven-time ODAC champions, a program that’s benefited from a whopping 20 goal-scorers so far this spring.
Lynchburg has hit the 20-goal mark twice this season, including Sunday’s 20-9 win over St. Mary’s (Md.). But it’s undoubtedly the Salisbury victory that’s turned heads nationally.
York (+2)
The Spartans opened Saturday with a dominant 19-3 victory over Wilkes, led by a combined seven goals from Will Harnick and Gavin Dembeck. They also got a resounding performance from Vinny Facciponti at the faceoff X (15-for-18) and went 19-for-21 on clears, marking a great return for a perennial top-10 side.
Alongside Stevenson, York is expected to challenge for the MAC Commonwealth crown. The Spartans made five NCAA tournaments from 2014-19.
Christopher Newport (+2)
Last weekend involved some CNU history, as Dylan Rice reached 130 career goals in a 17-6 win over Roanoke, setting a program record. The senior attackman is a two-time All-American who’s also on 176 points for his career.
The Cavaliers have rattled off three wins to start the spring, also previously beating Hampden-Sydney (16-10) and Southern Virginia (16-6). On its day, CNU’s offense can score in bunches.
NOT
Salisbury (-3)
It’s only one game, so there’s no need to overreact or draw broad-sweeping conclusions from the Sea Gulls dropping a 10-8 decision to Lynchburg over the weekend. They were without faceoff specialist Brett Malamphy, most notably, so that takes a toll.
With an offense that’s stacked behind Cross Ferrara, Josh Melton, Jarrett Bromwell and Griffin Moroney, odds are Salisbuy will roar back with a vengeance. This year’s team simply has too much quality for a dramatic dip in results.