Syracuse Snags No. 1 Spot in USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Top 20

Sometimes, rankings are pretty straightforward. This week, we have a new No. 1 — and there’s no quibbling about who it should be.

No. 2 Syracuse upended No. 1 Maryland on Friday at the JMA Wireless Dome in front of 10,000-plus fans, and as a result, the Orange are the new No. 1 in the USA Lacrosse Division I Men’s Top 20, presented by CWENCH Hydration. The last time Syracuse was No. 1 was March 7, 2020.

There were significant happenings up and down the Top 20, like Princeton’s precipitous plummet to No. 13 from No. 3 after losing to a Penn State that was coming off a loss of its own to Villanova. Saint Joseph’s then secured its first Top 20 ranking of the season by beating Villanova.

Elsewhere, Richmond and Denver are making noticeable moves, and defending champ Cornell kicked off its title defense with a tight win over UAlbany.

Here is the entire Top 20, and keep reading for men’s Division II and III rankings below.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION I
MEN'S TOP 20

1. Syracuse
2. Maryland
3. Georgetown
4. Cornell
5. Richmond
6. Notre Dame
7. North Carolina
8. Duke
9. Army
10. Ohio State
11. Penn State
12. Harvard
13. Princeton
14. Johns Hopkins
15. Virginia
16. Denver
17. Towson
18. Rutgers
19. UAlbany
20. Saint Joseph’s

Also considered (alphabetical order): Boston U, Brown, Drexel, Lehigh, Michigan, Sacred Heart, Villanova

In the immortal words of Brian O’Connor talking to Dom Toretto, “Dude, I almost had you.” There were overtime thrillers and one-goal games abound in the Division II landscape over the weekend. One game after another came down to the wire with some unexpected nailbiters to chew on.

Lenoir-Rhyne, Mercy, and Tampa survived upset bids in one-goal games. Florida Tech, Catawba and Southern New Hampshire pulled off upsets, sending the rankings into disarray. If anything, the weekend served as notice that if you enjoy chaos and lawlessness in your rankings, Division II is the place for you.

Meanwhile, Adelphi played two games and comfortably won both. Christian Tomei got the start for the Panthers in net in both games, answering arguably their biggest offseason question. 

Almost had me? You never had me. 

USA LACROSSE DIVISION II
MEN'S TOP 20

1. Adelphi
2. Tampa
3. Saint Anselm
4. Maryville 
5. Seton Hill 
6. Anderson 
7. Lenoir-Rhyne
8. Lewis 
9. Wingate 
10. Pace 
11. Bentley 
12. Mercy 
13. Saint Leo 
14. Florida Tech
15. Colorado Mesa 
16. Newberry 
17. UIndy
18. Southern New Hampshire
19. Molloy
20. Flagler

Also considered (alphabetical order): Assumption, Montevallo, Palm Beach Atlantic, Rockhurst, Saint Michael’s, Wilmington (Del.)

An almost-full slate dotted Valentine’s Day weekend in Division III. Though most relationships came to mutual resolutions, there were a few broken hearts that were worth noting.

Let’s start with Christopher Newport and Gettysburg, where the Captains answered the entirely unnecessary bell that we rang for them last week when we dropped them to the third spot in the rankings despite picking up a win against Hampden-Sydney.

The biggest upset came at Kinsley Field, as former No. 11 York downed former No. 6 Washington and Lee, 10-9. The entire game was just an exercise in defensive attrition from both squads. Stevens had the honor of pulling off the other notable upset, as it downed last year’s NCAA title runner-up Dickinson, 9-8.

If that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite for heartbreak, Grove City drove a dagger through Ohio Wesleyan’s heart with a 14-13 overtime win.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III
MEN'S TOP 20

1. Tufts
2. Salisbury
3. Christopher Newport
4. Bowdoin
5. RIT
6. York
7. RPI
8. Wesleyan
9. Washington and Lee
10. Stevens 
11. Gettysburg 
12. Dickinson
13. Lynchburg 
14. St. Lawrence 
15. Amherst
16. Stevenson 
17. Swarthmore
18. Cortland 
19. Middlebury
20. Roanoke 

Also considered (alphabetical order): Babson, Denison, Endicott, Grove City, St. John Fisher