It was a huge week across all divisions with LeMoyne yet again playing with fire, Clark and Springfield engaging in an excellent contest, the MIAA had a seismic results and more as conference tournaments are beginning to take shape. A little disheartening to see some games get postponed that will inevitably get cancelled because of COVID issues, but some lacrosse is better than no lacrosse!
Tufts, the main feature of last week’s round up, keeps rolling on as the offensive juggernaut continues to steamroll teams in its abbreviated season. In DII, it looks like some teams are starting to play with fire. Let’s see if it burns them down the line.
DII – LeMoyne Flies Close to the Sun
LeMoyne 15 – Adelphi 14 (OT)
What a wild finish to this midweek classic. A back-and-forth affair came down to the final play and a long pole goal! As always, these games are tightly contested, and Adelphi almost walked out of Syracuse with a huge regular season win, which is never easy. LeMoyne followed this up with another one-goal OT win on Saturday.
Being the top dog is never easy as you always get everyone’s best, but one has to think how long LeMoyne can play with fire until it gets burned. The NE10 is a battle and as the season comes to a close, you’re going to see multiple teams vying for those precious NCAA bids.
ARNOLD’S DOUBLE-OVERTIME ROCKET GIVES TOP-RANKED @LeMoyneMLax 15-14 WIN OVER SIXTH-RANKED ADELPHI #KT12 #PhinsUp #NE10EMBRACE https://t.co/EiqP9Txuum
— Le Moyne Athletics (@LeMoyneDolphins) April 15, 2021
Rockhurst 9 – Uindy 5
This was a huge win for Rockhurst against an extremely-talented Greyhound team. This gives them a giant win in terms of regional ranking and GLVC standings. This avenges a 13-8 loss earlier in the season, which further supports my argument that playing a team twice in one season can be an Achilles heal for some squads. This was a close game throughout that saw the Hawks close the game out on a three-goal run that gave them a top-10 win!
FINAL: @RockUMensLax 9, @UIndyMLax 5
— DII Lacrosse News (@DIILacrosse) April 18, 2021
More GLVC shakeup! Ricky Bloom and Sam Lindahl record hat-tricks as unranked Rockhurst downs No. 10 Indianapolis, in the second meeting between the two.
DIII – Cougars Roll!
Clark 14 – Springfield 12
Enormous win for the Cougars in an extremely crazy season for both teams. Springfield is like NEWMAC royalty, and in terms of New England lacrosse, the Springfield Mafia has been a model of consistency and the envy of many programs. Both teams have dealt with cancellations and postponements and were only playing their second game of the season. Ryan Mickelson was a huge difference maker for Clark as his 18 saves helped seal Springfield’s fate.
Who knows what the future holds for the NEWMAC for the rest of the season, but this game was as good as it gets.
Albion 15 – Hope 14
It was a nail-biter for the class of the MIAA in this one. Albion had dominated the conference for years, but Hope has come on in the last few years to challenge the throne. This has made for great lacrosse in the state of Michigan. Albion is now in the driver’s seat for the regular season championship as the first game didn’t count towards conference standings. Expect to see these teams fight it out again later in the year.
FINAl. Albion, 15, Hope 14. The Flying Dutchmen are now 7-1 on the season. @hopeathletics @hopecollege @miaa1888 #BeStrongBeTrue pic.twitter.com/mLgtkeo0aU
— Hope College Men's Lacrosse (@HopeLacrosse) April 17, 2021