All of the games have been played, all the trophies have been handed out, and we are now left with 30 teams vying for the 2014 Division III Men’s Lacrosse National Championship. Leading the way are the usual suspects with RIT getting the top seed and bye in the North Region, while Salisbury sits atop the South. Let’s dive right into this by looking at the best first-round matchups, top players, and the favorite from each region.
North Region
Best Matchup: Springfield College vs. Western New England, 4:00 pm, Wednesday
This matchup gives us a double-whammy of rare first-round occurrences—a regular season rematch and a rivalry game. These two teams met in one of the better games I saw this year back on March 8 with Springfield pulling out the 9-7 victory behind a late flurry of faceoff wins and goals. Ryan Murphy scored four goals with an assist, giving him nine goals in the last two games against the Golden Bears. Brandon Body stopped 19 shots on that day and WNE’s defense was great for nearly the entire game. A whopping 1,500 people showed up for the first matchup and there was snow on the ground that day. With clear skies in the cards for Wednesday, expect a wild atmosphere in Springfield.
Players to Watch
Ryan Lee, Casey Jackson; RIT—It’s hard to pick just one player from RIT, so we’re going to go ahead and pick the top two scorers from the top-ranked Tigers. Lee (42 goals, 25 assists) and Jackson (47 G, 15 A) have put up ridiculous numbers all year and, with the rest of the Tigers’ firepower, will be a problem for everyone who plays them.
Tommy Hughes, Endicott—The Gulls’ faceoff guy has won 63.5 percent of his draws this year and is capable of swinging a game all by himself. Underrating the impact of a dominant faceoff guy is a good way to lose your picking pool. Other specialists to watch: Springfield’s Branden Fernandez, Colorado College’s Sayre Thomas, RIT’s Tyler Brooks-Lambert.
Cole Bailey, Tufts—The Jumbos’ freshman attackman has been dominating in 2014, racking up 96 (41 G, 55 A) points to come in just behind John Uppgren (105 points) for the team lead. He racked up 25 points in five games against tournament teams, showing he has the big game ability you look for this time of year.
Regional Favorite: RIT
As if it could have been anybody else. The Tigers have beaten everyone that has come into their path this season, only breaking a sweat in the face of fellow tournament teams Stevenson and Union. Their attack is potent, their defense is stingy, they have solid goaltending and a good faceoff guy. Add all of that up and a trip to Baltimore should be in the cards for Jake Coon and Co.
South Region
Best Matchup: Mary Washington vs. Cabrini, 7:00 pm, Wednesday
Mary Washington’s dream season continues into the tournament despite a semifinal loss in the Capital Athletic Conference tournament and, better yet, the Eagles will have a home game. The bad news for Mary Wash is that the Cabrini Cavaliers are coming to town Wednesday night and the firepower on that team is truly something to behold. You could certainly make a case for some of the other games in the region, but for my money a first-year tournament team and Cabrini is as good as it gets.
Players to Watch
Grant Ferguson, Eastern—The Eagles’ second-leading scorer poured in 60 goals this year and has been a force to be reckoned with for every team on Eastern’s schedule. Paired with fellow junior Dave Darling (90 points), you can be sure the Eagles will score some goals, win or lose.
Corey Elmer, Cabrini—The preseason player of the year scored 58 goals and dished out 55 assists to lead the country in points per game (6.64). He’s as tough a cover as there is in the game right now and no matter what you do to him, he’s going to hurt you.
Alex Taylor, Salisbury—The Seagulls’ netminder allowed just under seven goals per game while posting a 59.0 save percentage against one of the country’s toughest schedules. He’s got big game experience, is athletic and aggressive, and with one of the best defensive units in the country keeping good shooters away from him, he might just carry Salisbury through the region.
Regional Favorite: Washington College
I picked them a few weeks back and I’m sticking with that pick. The Shoremen have been on a roll since losing to Salisbury earlier in the year and outscored their opponents in the Centennial Conference Tournament 34-13. Their road won’t be easy with Lynchburg, Stevenson and either Denison or Salisbury standing between them and the national championship game. I think they can do it.
