Weather is getting warmer which means the lacrosse is getting better as the RIT lacrosse program is already in midseason form! As most of the country is thawing out so are the players and we’re seeing top flight lacrosse on a daily basis. One of the best aspects of Division 2 and 3 is the ability to catch elite level matchups throughout the entire week.
Coaches Poll: USILA
D3 Weekend Recap
#1 RIT (16) – #5 York (9)
The stat that jumped out in this game was clearing. RIT did a tremendous job in the ride, which not enough lacrosse programs focus on, and held York to 16-23 in clearing. In a match that was pretty close on the stat sheet everywhere else, the ride was the difference maker as extra possessions allowed the Tigers to take control of this game. There aren’t many lacrosse programs that ride as efficiently as RIT and the Tigers will be scary this year if they can consistently pressure clears like they did against York.
#15 Gettysburg (12) – #13 Stevenson (9)
A back and forth offensive battle in the first half eventually transitioned to a defensive slugfest in the second that saw the Bullets pull away from the Mustangs. A huge win for Gettysburg coming off a tough loss to Salisbury. The Bullet man-down unit held the Mustangs scoreless as they went 0-6 on the man-up.
#2 Salisbury (15) – #6 Lynchburg (6)
An even first quarter saw the game blow open in the 2nd and 3rd quarter in favor of the Seagulls. The turnover bug got the Hornets as they almost doubled up the Seagulls in that category. Its still early in the season and there could be a chance that these two teams meet in May under different circumstances.
Hope (10) – Illinois Wesleyan (9)
A rematch from the NCAA tournament in 2021 saw the Dutchmen get some revenge and sneak away from this one with a one goal win. IWU is very well known for the ability to play fast and score lots of goals and this game was well on its way to that as they jumped out to a nice halftime lead. The Dutchmen clawed back in it in the 3rd quarter and took control of the game as they clamped down on defense. Another matchup that has the potential for a repeat come May.
D2 Weekend Recap
#4 Wingate (11) – #7 Limestone (10) Overtime
Huge conference opening win for the Bulldogs. Limestone’s addition to the SAC has made life very troublesome for the rest of the conference and it looks like this could be anyone’s conference this season. A 10-7 lead in the fourth wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs as the Saints clawed back into it and forced OT with 25 seconds left. Will Grieco’s OT winner gave the Bulldogs the win the Crown Classic.
#1 Le Moyne (8) – #5 Mercy (7)
Le Moyne erased a 7-4 halftime deficit with lockdown defense that saw them shut out Mercy in the final two periods. LeMoyne has opened up the season with 3 wins over top ten opponents and are the clear favorite in Division 2. Mercy has shown they can run with the big dogs and will be a team no one wants to see come playoff time.
Lake Erie (13) – #18 Lewis (9)
Not the outcome everyone expected, but if you paid close attention to Lake Erie this season they’ve had close losses to high level opponents and a nice win over Frostburg. The Storm wasn’t going to be an easy out and they showed it in this one, as they used a 3rd quarter run to pull away from the Flyers. Faceoffs were a major factor here as the Storm were able to control possession and give them momentum throughout the game.
