For the most part, we got what we bargained for on Wednesday with a full slate of Division III conference semifinal matchups. Top seeds advanced to the finals to face No. 2 seeds in almost every conference that played yesterday, making Franklin & Marshall‘s 11-9 win over Dickinson that much more of a highlight. The Diplomats could have asked for a better start, falling behind 4-1 after the first quarter,…
If Tuesday was a day of dipping our toes in the water, then Wednesday is full-blown cannonball. Eleven conferences will be playing semifinal contests today, including such power conferences as the Centennial, SUNYAC, Empire 8 and Commonwealth Coast. Each conference features several teams that entered the season with NCAA Tournament hopes, and even some may now stand as long shots. The beauty of the tournament format is that every team…
On Sunday night we will find out which 30 teams will be competing for the 2014 NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse National Championship. Among them will be powerhouses and underdogs, bid stealers and unchallenged champions, unbeaten teams and teams we left for dead a few months back. Despite all of these differences, they will all have one thing in common: the thrill of conference championship week. This is the week where…
Wednesday gave us a taste of conference tournament action, but this weekend will give us some insight into who could be making noise come NCAA Tournament season. Some tournaments will be kicking off, others will be continuing, while everyone else finishes up their regular seasons in preparation for next week’s cement mix of tournament play. NESCAC Tournament Kicks Off Welcome to Thunderdome. Eight teams enter, one emerges with an automatic…
Matt Tarrant, St. Mary’s (Photo Credit Flickr/gomustangs) It’s that time of year, sports fans. Conference tournaments are kicking off this week as we pare down the Division III ranks until we have our 30-team NCAA Tournament field. Some tournaments mean more than others, but with only five “Pool C” at-large bids out there winning is still of the utmost priority (ask last year’s NESCAC squads). Many of the tournaments won’t…
Easter weekend yielded the annual matchup between Salisbury and Stevenson with the teams entering play among the top three in the land. The Seagulls emerged victorious, 11-9, and with the win leapt them past the Mustangs into the No. 2 spot in this week’s USILA Coaches Poll. Stevenson now finds itself the No. 3 team in the country behind the two teams that have felled it in 2014: RIT and…
Stevenson, Maryland –Salisbury University defeats the Stevenson Mustangs in a wild showdown of Top Five teams in Division III. The Seagulls were able to capitalize on costly Mustang penalties to take home the victory. Donovan Lange and Luke Phipps played their best when their team needed offense, while senior goalie Alex Turner and his defense held Stevenson to their lowest shot total of the season. On their second possession of…
I wrote last week about how Springfield College is in a position where every non-conference game is a must-win due to the relatively weak conference it calls home. I likened it to Cabrini and its position in the CSAC and this week we saw one team keep their non-conference roll going while the other stumbled against what looked like the far superior team. The Cavaliers saw their first drop of…
As Villa Julie College changed its name to Stevenson University, this rivalry has been an epic clash of titans in Division III lacrosse. As Stevenson Coach Paul Cantabene had always proclaimed, “we want what they have.” Born was a rivalry that has been a treat for fans to watch ever since, even though both coaches downplay the game as a “rivalry.” Both these teams offer excitement all over the…
No poll is perfect and to believe that any body of voters could accurately rank every team in the country is foolish. But this week’s edition of the USILA Top 20 has inspired doubt in me because of the way its voters have treated the No. 5 Stevenson Mustangs in the wake of their loss to top-ranked RIT. It’s just wrong. The Mustangs have done nothing but lose to the…