Over the next few weeks, we will be previewing the Top 20 teams in Division III according to Inside Lacrosse’s Face-Off Yearbook rankings. Two teams will be featured each day so be sure to check out the front page for all of the updates as we countdown to the 2014 season. Click here to see a full archive of the Top 20 Countdown.
No. 2 RIT
2013 Record: 19-3, 6-0 Liberty League
Last Game: NCAA Championship, L 16-14 vs. Stevenson
Scoring Average: 14.59 goals per game, 7.64 goals against
Leading Returning Scorer: Jack Krzyston, Sr. – 52 goals, 29 assists, 81 points
And you thought Cortland had a lot of players back. RIT will return the top 14 scorers from a team that went to the brink of a national championship last season. Led by Jack Krzyston, Eddie Kiesa (43 points, 34 assists), Kyle Aquin (65, 10), Allister Warren (39, 22), and Taylor Wisman (27, 31), the amount of firepower the Tigers have is simply staggering. Now, with huge game experience on their side, its hard to imagine anyone but Cortland even remotely challenging this team in the North. I don’t want to say that those two are on a collision course, but they are absolutely on a collision course. Even the goalkeeping will be back, with Pat Johnston returning after starting all 22 games last year and posting a 7.23 GAA and 63.5 save percentage. Staggering numbers, all of them.
Also staggering: RIT’s schedule. The Tigers will play Stevenson and Cortland at Syracuse’s Carrier Dome for special home-away-from-home games, as well as Ithaca (actually at home), Western New England (in New Rochelle, N.Y.), Colby, Williams, and Nazareth before getting into the meat of the Liberty League schedule.
No. 1 Stevenson
2013 Record: 22-2, 8-0 MAC Commonwealth
Last Game: NCAA Championship, W 16-14 vs. RIT (Reigning National Champions)
Scoring Average: 15.54 goals per game, 7.09 goals against
Leading Returning Scorer: Chris Dashiell, Sr. – 33 goals, 53 assists, 86 points
Stevenson has the benefit of being the only team in our D3 Top 20 Countdown to have won its last game. Much like the last few teams we have covered, the Mustangs bring back a ton of firepower and players with national championship game experience. Chris Dashiell returns with hopes of repeating his 80+ point season from 2013, but they will need to replace 91 goals from the departed Tyler Reid and Peter Green. Mark Pannenton (62, 7), Pat Candon (22, 28), Michael Crowe (25, 17), and Billy Burgoyne (34, 6) will all be back for their junior season after monster sophomore years. Dimitri Pecunes will be back for sophomore year after making 21 starts last year.
The Mustangs have lined up a representative schedule and should be able to handle most it. The RIT game at Syracuse is a big one, as are dates with fellow top-five teams Salisbury, Cortland and Tufts. Throw in Nazareth, Western New England and Roanoke and Paul Cantabene has quite the job ahead of him.
