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Early Collisions Affect Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20

February 26, 2018
Paul Krome

Some NCAA Division III women's lacrosse teams wasted as little time playing quality opponents this season as players do on self-starts following a whistle, and the results had significant effects in the first in-season edition of the Nike/US Lacrosse Top 20.

Most notably, 2017 national semifinalist and preseason No. 5 Washington & Lee dropped two one-goal affairs to open its season, but the Generals got their troops in order to knock off then-No. 4 Franklin & Marshall on the road Saturday. Then-No. 11 Catholic challenged preseason-No. 9 Salisbury before falling, 13-9, on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Defending NCAA champion Gettysburg and preseason-No. 14 Mary Washington remain undefeated after an early schedule that included one ranked opponent each. Many northern teams remained idle last weekend.

 
Feb. 26, 2018
W/L
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1 TCNJ 1-0 1 3/1 vs. Haverford
2 Middlebury 0-0 2 3/3 at Bates
3 Gettysburg 2-0 3 3/4 vs. Denison
4 York 1-0 6 2/28 vs. No. 18 Franklin & Marshall
5 Trinity 0-0 7 3/6 vs. Stevens
6 Hamilton 0-0 8 3/3 at No. 10 Tufts
7 Salisbury 2-0 9 3/3 vs. No. 17 Washington & Lee
8 William Smith 0-0 10 2/28 vs. Geneseo
9 Brockport 0-0 12 2/28 at Nazareth
10 Tufts 0-0 13 3/3 vs. No. 6 Hamilton
11 Mary Washington 3-0 14 2/28 vs. Randolph-Macon
12 Colby 0-0 15 3/3 vs. Amherst
13 St. John Fisher 0-0 16 3/5 at Colorado College
14 Ithaca 1-0 17 3/3 at No. 9 Brockport
15 Cortland 0-0 19 3/3 vs. Clarkson
16 St. Mary's 2-0 NR 2/28 vs. No. 19 Catholic
17 Washington and Lee 1-2 5 3/3 at No. 7 Salisbury
18 Franklin & Marshall 1-1 4 2/28 at No. 4 York
19 Catholic 0-1 11 2/28 at No. 16 St. Mary's
20 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2-1 20 3/3 at Whittier
Also considered:  Colorado College, Marymount, Meredith, Messiah, Stevens
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women

HOT

Mary Washington (+3)

The Eagles gained revenge for an early loss to W&L last season, winning on the road, 12-11, Feb. 18. Mary Washington emerged in a back-and-forth affair thanks to four players that scored at least two goals each. Mary Washington continued its season-opening slate of in-commonwealth foes by dismantling Shenandoah, 18-6, and Lynchburg, 18-9.

NOT

Franklin & Marshall (-14)

With so many ranked teams idle, early-season rankings can fluctuate significantly, and the Diplomats represent such a case. After winning at Elizabethtown 17-3, F&M out-groundballed, out-shot, out-free positioned, out-turnovered (in a good way) and out-cleared 0-2 W&L Saturday. But the Diplomats won only four of 14 draw controls and fell 8-4 on a tough weather day in Lancaster, Pa. No time to sulk for F&M, which travels to No. 4 York Wednesday.

IN

St. Mary's

The Seahawks debut at No. 16 thanks largely to a 10-9 win over preseason-No. 5 W&L Wednesday in St. Mary's City, Md. Down 6-5 at halftime, they scored five unanswered goals in the first eight minutes before holding off a rally by the Generals that included three shots on goal in the final 14 seconds. Caitlin Katchmar led St. Mary's with three goals in the upset, and the Seahawks avoided a let down by winning at McDaniel, 19-11.

OUT

Messiah (previously 18)

The Falcons graduated much of their best from last season's squad, so it's not a surprise that an opener at No. 3 and defending champion Gettysburg would send them out of the Top 20. The Bullets dispatched Messiah 15-3 last Wednesday, achieving with ease what they could not do a year ago. Last year the Falcons took Gettysburg to overtime before losing 7-6.