2019 has a tough act to follow.

The 2018 college lacrosse season sent us on a wild ride, a journey that on Memorial Day ended with first-time champions in five of six divisions, men and women. It’s entirely too early to predict what’s in store for next spring. We’ll try, anyway. 

Way-Early 2019 Rankings

Division I Men
No. 25- No. 21
No. 20- No. 16
No. 15- No. 11
No. 10- No. 6
No. 5-No. 1

Division I Women
No. 25-No. 21
No. 20-No. 16
No. 15-No. 11
No. 10-No. 6
No. 5-No. 1

Division III Men
Top 10

Division III Women
Top 10

The Division II lacrosse season has come and gone, but we're still thinking about the demolition that was Merrimack's national title run. The Warriors blew through the field en route to their first national championship, and they did so with an offense led by freshmen. Sean Black and Christian Thomas finish first and second on the team in scoring, and will return to try for a repeat.

It may not be a surprise, then, that Merrimack finds itself atop the Way-Early Division II Men's Top 20. With a star-studded offense all but intact to help make up for losses, the Warriors are primed for another run. But rival Le Moyne will be deep and sits behind them at No. 2. The battle could continue throughout the season. But don't forget the South, with teams like Lenoir-Rhyne and Saint Leo putting together strong 2018 seasons and joining the Way-Early Top 10.

Here's a glimpse at what the 2019 season could look like  — a very, very early one.

1. Merrimack

Here's a scary thought: The defending champions — the team that dropped 63 goals in its NCAA title run in 2018 — will bring back its top three scorers. Sean Black (98 points), Christian Thomas (80 points) and Charlie Bertrand (79 points) will all have two more years together, helping a cohesive unit stay together. Yes, All-American defenseman James Bassett, midfielder Hunter Schmell and faceoff man Blake Boudreau are gone to graduation, but the Warriors should have plenty of offensive firepower to overcome the losses in the midfield and on the backline. Bertrand will help lead this team, coming off a USILA Most Outstanding Player award, which he shared with Le Moyne’s Dan Entenmann.

2. Le Moyne

The Dolphins ended their season on a sour note and will have plenty of motivation heading in 2019. Le Moyne will have to overcome the losses of leading scorer Justin Kesselring and All-American middie Brendan Entenmann, but Dan Sheehan and his group have shown they are capable of reloading quickly. Back is First Team All-American and Midfielder of the Year Dan Entenmann, who scored 14 goals and added 17 assists last season while picking up 23 ground balls and causing nine turnovers. Goalie Jack Sweeney is back, as is All-American defenseman Zac Prattson, anchoring a unit that is traditionally strong and should be next season. Devin Andrews and Matt Hutchings finished second and third in scoring in 2018 and will return for the Dolphins.

3. Lenoir-Rhyne

The Bears bring back two-thirds of their All-American starting attackers in what could be a promising 2019 season. First Team member Eric Dickinson and Third Team honoree Joe Buduo are back on a unit that included senior Ben Corrigan. Still, Lenoir-Rhyne returns seven of its eight top scorers and should be an offensive threat once again. It will have to overcome losses on the back end, including All-American LSM Collin Lett, senior midfielder Shane Gottberg, senior defensemen Jacob O’Connor and Weston Bimstefer, as well as goalie Ryan Crompton.

4. Tampa

The Spartans are stacked on offense heading into 2019, with All-American and former scoring champ Andrew Kew returning for another year. Another All-American in attackman Jake Mother McGraw is also back, in addition to faceoff man Ross Dickerson. Tampa brings back every player that scored more than five points last season. Losing senior defenseman Luke Posner will hurt, as will Luke Robideaux’s departure, but the Spartans have players waiting in the wings to step up. This team could be in store for another NCAA berth, and perhaps more.

5. Adelphi

Talk about loaded. The Panthers their top nine scorers, including All-Americans Nicolas Racalbuto, Michael Osmundsen and Ian Kirby, who combined for 90 goals and 35 assists in 2018. Faceoff man Mark Andrejack is back after finishing seventh in Division II with a 68.0 faceoff percentage. Starting goalie Brendan McDougal also returns to a team that has a depth of talent and a veteran core that should help it compete an NE10 title. Leading scorer Dylan Crossan will quarterback the offense after dishing out 48 assists in the 2018 season. Gordon Purdie Jr. will also return after redshirting the 2018 season.

6. NYIT

NYIT takes a hit due to graduation, after finishing off the 2018 season strong. Attackmen LeRoy Halfman and Matt Chanenchuk will graduate having finished with 70 and 58 points respectively, leaving some doubt as to how well this offense can recover in 2019. Also graduated is All-American LSM Ian Prate, starting middie Shlomo Amor and starting defenseman Tom Brennan. Still, the Bears return their other eight top scorers, including incoming juniors Matt Murphy and Andrew Zito. Goalie Brian Jockers is back and the deep defensive unit mostly stays intact.

7. Seton Hill

Seton Hill heads into 2018 fresh off one of the best seasons in program history. However, leading scorer Jack Moran, who finished the season fourth in Division II with 5.26 points per game, is gone to graduation. In total, three of Seton Hill’s top five scorers will not return, leaving a hole in what was the best offense in Division II last season. Joe Cillo, Colin Blaney and Jonah Gutentag are also gone from the Griffins defense.

8. Mount Olive

Mount Olive will have to make up for the loss of First Team All-American goalie Will Urban, as well as fellow honorees Jacob Ball and defenseman Cole Groebner. Second-leading scorer Thatcher Clark and middie Brady Elbin do return for a team that loses just one of its top 13 scores. Mount Olive should be a player in the Conference Carolinas with Belmont Abbey and Limestone.

9. Saint Leo

Saint Leo put together a great run in 2018, advancing to the NCAA title game with a senior-laden roster. As such, the Lions will take a bit of a hit entering the 2019 season. Leading scorer and All-American Jake Gilmour leaves after dropping 78 points, as does attacker Kyle Pauwels and his 75 points. All-American defenseman Jake Bye graduates, in addition to two other starting defenseman. Goalie Thomas Tatarian returns, but this roster will have to work through its veteran midfield. 

10. LIU Post

The Pioneers will benefit from the return of the nation’s leading goal scorer in incoming sophomore Will Snelders. What could he do with an entire year under his belt? Not to mention, LIU Post brings back five of its top seven scorers. Faceoff man Connor Farrell is also returning after finishing last season with a 70.1 win percentage. This team could be due for another strong season in 2019.