Making Sense: And Then There Were None
by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Coyne
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| James Atkins (above) and his Tufts teammates comprise
one of the programs that could make a surprise run before
everything is said and done. © Kevin P. Tucker |
When is ugly beautiful?
Well, this was certainly an ugly week for the undefeated teams in
men’s Division III.
It started on Wednesday when No. 10 St. John Fisher (13-1) lost to
Empire 8 rival Nazareth, ranked No. 11, and continued through the
weekend when both No. 6 Connecticut College (13-1) and No. 1
Salisbury (17-1) both suffered their first blemish of the
season.
And these losses are the most beautiful revelation for the
division.
There are no longer any prohibitive favorites. There are no
inevitabilities. We’ll actually have to wait until the
championship game to figure out who will be raising the Walnut
& Bronze.
We’ve seen the other side of this scenario.
Salisbury’s domination in MD3. Michigan’s run in
MCLA-I. Syracuse in MD1. Heck, if you're looking
for inevitability, how about what Northwestern has
done in women's Division I.
There’s an appreciation level for what these teams have
achieved because we can all applaud excellence when we see it. As
for drama? Not so much.
And honestly, tournaments should be all about the drama. Sure, with
the automatic qualifying protocol we’re always going to have
the early tournament slam dunks, but, speaking for myself, there is
nothing better than covering a tournament from the
quarterfinals onward when there is not one definitive
favorite.
At this point I can line up five MD3 fans and they’ll give me
five different picks for who is going to win it all. Gettysburg?
Salisbury? Cortland? Stevenson? Tufts?
The same holds true in MCLA Division I. Michigan? Colorado State?
Chapman? Arizona State? Simon Fraser?
And even though Hamilton still carries the undefeated torch in
women’s Division III, the Continentals are not overwhelming
favorites by any means. I’ll easily find votes for TCNJ,
Salisbury, Gettysburg and Trinity.
We can't dodge the truth. History tells us that most likely one of
the blue-blooded programs in each division will win the title.
There have been six schools – Salisbury (8), Cortland (2),
Middlebury (3), Nazareth (3), Washington (1) and Hobart (13)
– accounting for the 30 MD3 championships. There have been
six schools – Franklin & Marshall (2), Hamilton (1),
Amherst (1), Middlebury (5), Ursinus (3) and TCNJ (13) – in
the 25 years of WD3. The MCLA Division I is slightly more varied
with six schools – Michigan (2), BYU (3), Sonoma State (1),
UC Santa Barbara (2), Colorado State (4) and California (1) –
in 13 years, but you get the idea.
However, the likelihood of outcome doesn’t temper the
excitement of the unknown as we enter the second season.
At least for me, anyway. I’ll be in both Denver and Baltimore
on the respective championship weekends, so the fact that there is
a chance I won’t be writing a third chapter of the Michigan
or Cortland chronicles is welcomed.
With no undefeated teams in MD3 and the MCLA-I, and numerous
contenders in WD3 and MCLA-II, the races are wide open right now.
They will likely close quickly as we navigate the next three weeks,
so let’s enjoy this ambiguous fortnight when more than just a
handful of teams are having the biggest of dreams.
Game Balls
Kacey Abbriano, Midfield, Norwich
The Cadets looked like a long shot for the NCAA tournament
entering the GNAC playoffs as the No. 3 seed, but thanks to
Abbriano, Norwich will be dancing. The sophomore scored three goals
in the semifinal victory over second-seeded St. Joseph’s
(Maine) and then added three more in the comfortable, 13-6 victory
over top-seeded Emerson in the conference title game on Saturday.
Abbriano has 45 goals and seven assists in 15 games this
season.
Logan Bilderback, Attack, Salisbury
Perhaps the least surprising occurrence this spring was
Salisbury winning the CAC championship on Friday, but you’ve
got to give credit where it’s due. Bilderback scored a
career-high five goals for the Gulls in their 18-9 victory over
second-seeded Mary Washington. The junior also added three caused
turnovers in the triumph.
Patrick Cefalu, Midfield, Scranton
In a four day span, the junior set the NCAA D-III record for
fastest goal to start a game and then broke it. It started on
Wednesday when Cefalu scored in six seconds against Moravian to tie
the previous mark and then on Saturday he shaved a second off the
record against Penn State-Abington. Cefalu has four goals on the
season, but he’s helping the Royals more with his 69 percent
(150-for-217) efficiency on face-offs.
Dave Decker, Goalie, Stevens
Fresh off its win over previously unbeaten St. John Fisher,
Nazareth appeared to be on its way to a comfortable finish in
Empire 8 action. That is until they met up with the Ducks and
Decker on Saturday. The junior made 14 saves, including five in the
pivotal fourth quarter, lifting Stevens to the 10-9 triumph.
Geoff Hebert, Goalie, Stevenson
Hebert said in the Weekend Watch that Stevenson had never won a
trophy. Well, now they have, thanks to Hebert’s 13 saves
against Salisbury in the CAC championship game. The Mustangs
stifled the Gulls defensively in the 10-6 win, anchored by
Hebert.
Eric Rakoczy, Goalie, Illinois
Going up against Lindenwood – the bully of the GRLC
– for the top seed in the conference tournament, the senior
came up huge for the Fighting Illini. Rakoczy made 26 saves on
Saturday, lifting Illinois to the 14-10 victory over the Lions. The
second place team in the GRLC will likely be hard pressed to
receive an at-large bid to the nationals, so the top seed is a
clutch pick-up for the Illlini. Rokoczy is averaging nearly 15
stops per game this year.
Ann Sessler, Goalie, Nazareth
With the Empire 8 on the verge of being left exclusively to
Ithaca and Stevens, Sessler stepped up and let the league know that
the Golden Flyers will be part of the mix. The senior made 13 saves
to trip up Ithaca, 12-11. While the Bombers will still be the No. 1
seed in the league tournament, they’ll likely have to face
Naz again in the E8 semis and overcome Sessler’s goalie play
for a second time.
Conference Tourney Clearinghouses
With the advent of the conference tournament season,
I’ve created a clearinghouse page for all three divisions
that I cover with the conference tournament schedules and results
as they become available. Suitable for bookmarking.
- Men’s
Division III Conference Tournament Clearinghouse
- Women’s
Division III Conference Tournament Clearinghouse
- MCLA Division I
Conference Tournament Clearinghouse
- MCLA Division II
Conference Tournament Clearinghouse
Games on Tap
The intriguing midweek match-ups.
No. 4 Brigham Young
(10-3) at No. 12 Colorado (6-6), 7 p.m., Monday
This will likely be the last chance for Colorado to state
their case for the MCLA national tournament. Prior to the start of
the SELC tournament, the Buffs might have been able to lose this
one and still find a way to stay in the conversation, but now that
Florida State has been thrown into the pool, this is a must-win for
CU. BYU is in, but they’re still playing for a seed.
Eastern (10-3) at
Farleigh Dickinson (8-5), 7 p.m., Tuesday
With a win here, Eastern should be the top seed in the MAC
tournament rolling around next Monday. If FDU-Florham can upend the
Eagles, then the league will have to go to tie-breaker to determine
who is the top dog with Elizabethtown enterting the mix.
W: No. 5 Tufts (10-3) at
No. 15 Bowdoin (9-4), 7 p.m., Tuesday
This is a premium midweek game for a pair of teams with
serious NCAA aspirations. You’d have to assume the Jumbos are
in a more comfortable spot, but don’t brush off Bowdoin. The
Polar Bears have played one of the stiffest schedules in the
country and already own a win over No. 8 Colby, so if they win this
one it’s going to be tough to keep them out. And if Tufts
loses, they’ll be on a two-game skid heading into the NESCAC
tourney.
W: No. 3 TCNJ (13-1) at No. 12 Stevens
(13-2), 7
p.m., Thursday
I think both of these teams are locks for the NCAA tourney
regardless of whether Stevens wins the Empire 8 tourney (which I
think they will), so this will be good ol’ Jersey shootout
with both teams letting it all hang out. TCNJ’s midfield of
Leigh Mitchell and Ali Jaeger will square off against the Duck
attack of Alyssa Pigott and Leah Wasserman to see who’s the
top dog in the Garden State. And I’ve got a suspicion that
this is just the first match-up between these two programs.
Bowdoin (8-5) at No. 8
Tufts (12-1), 7
p.m., Friday
Wesleyan (7-6) at
No. 6 Conn.
College (13-1), 4 p.m., Friday
These two games are linked because they will determine who
is the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC tournament and perhaps what we can
expect out of Bowdoin and Wesleyan in the spoiler role. If Conn.
College beats the Cardinals, they’re the No. 1 seed and will
have the luxury of hosting Wesleyan again on Sunday. If the Camels
lose, Tufts has the chance to slip into the top spot. That’s
the main plot, but the subplot will be how the underdogs comport
themselves and whether they, along with Middlebury and Colby, could
play spoiler and once again get three NESCACs through to the
NCAAs.
The Power Fives
Men's Division
III
1. Gettysburg
(14-1) – Next stop: Dickinson in the Centennial title
tilt.
2. Stevenson
(16-1) – If the defense stays healthy, the Mustangs are a
formidable bunch.
3. Salisbury
(17-1) – The errors were correctible, but the cloak of
invincibility is gone. Again.
4. Dickinson
(14-1) – Seniors Chris Breslin and Al Golod make the Devils
tick on the backline.
5. Cortland
(11-2) – A NESCAC should probably be in here, but we’ll
give the champs a discount.
Women's Division III
1. Hamilton
(14-0) – Let’s be honest: not the toughest schedule,
but they’re the only one left.
2. TCNJ
(13-1) – Sorry. Despite the freakish Rowan loss, you
can’t have Salisbury over the Lions.
3. Salisbury
(17-1) – You can book a regional on the Eastern Shore.
4. Trinity
(12-1) – Home field advantage will do the Bantams wonders in
the NESCAC tourney.
5. Gettysburg
(15-2) – You don’t know how close I was to putting
Colby here. The Bullets have holes.
MCLA Division I
1. Michigan
(12-1) – Assuming they can subdue Sparty again in the CCLA
playoffs, the top seed is in hand.
2. Colorado
State (13-1) – As they showed against BYU, the
Rams have a tournament-quality defense.
3. Chapman
(13-1) – It’s tough envisioning anyone else winning the
SLC, especially on the Panthers' field.
4. Minnesota-Duluth
(10-3) – There’s a significant drop-off after the Top
3, but UMD has potential.
5. Arizona
State (11-3) – The Sun Devils show up in the Fives
almost by default.
MCLA Division II
1. St.
Thomas (10-0) – Do pollsters actually doubt that
the Tommies are No. 1? Absurd.
2. Dayton
(8-1) – If you told me the Flyers were overrated, I probably
wouldn’t argue.
3. Utah
Valley (12-3) – If you told me the Wolverines were
underrated, I definitely wouldn’t argue.
4. Grand Valley
State (8-2) – I’m still trying to get a feel
for the Lakers. So many mixed messages.
5. St.
John’s (11-3) – The Johnnies will be the
scariest quarterfinal draw in Denver.
Slides & Rides
MD3 Notes
Pool C Watch
Even with the loss to Stevens, I’m going to keep Naz
as the presumptive favorite in the E8. I’ll also keep Conn.
College as the fave in the NESCAC. Despite the gaudy record, Fisher
is hanging by a thread. Their best non-conference win is against
Lycoming, which is currently running fourth in the MAC, and the E8
is down overall, killing the Cardinals' SOS. Lynchburg is
looking better and better after the win over W&L and the
Hornets will be tough to keep out if they make the ODAC
finals. Middlebury is in trouble, but if the Panthers make a
run to the NESCAC title game, that would make them 11-5 – a
record that was good enough to get Bowdoin in a couple of years
ago.
1. Salisbury (17-1)
2. Dickinson (14-1)
3. Tufts (12-1)
4. Geneseo (9-2)
5. St. John Fisher (13-1)
In the hunt: Lynchburg (12-4), Union (10-2), Middlebury (8-4),
Western New England (10-5), Hampden-Sydney (12-4), Haverford
(9-5).
Pool B Watch
It’s a four-team race for the three Pool B bids and
the squads are in an extremely tight sprint. I’ve got
Wittenberg just off the grid right now, but if they beat Ohio
Wesleyan on May 5, the Tigers would have to be in. And if
Wittenberg gets in, it will be tough to leave Colorado College out
because even though CC has a really weak opponent’s
opponent’s winning percentage, they own the head-to-head with
Witt. That means either OWU or Denison would have to get the boot.
This is going to be interesting.
1. Ohio Wesleyan (9-3)
2. Denison (9-2)
3. Colorado College (10-2)
In the hunt: Wittenberg (9-3).
- With his six goals against Kenyon, Denison senior Brady Burton
moved into the Top 20 in career NCAA Division III scoring with 185
markers. He passes W&L’s Matt Dugan for 19th
place, and is also third on the Big Red’s all-time points
list with 215…Mount St. Mary (N.Y.) freshman Nick Findlay
scored seven goals and dished out an assist in MSM’s loss to
Wells…Wesleyan’s Lonny Blumenthal had seven in a win
over Amherst…Goucher has matched the longest winning streak
(6) in the 19-year history of the program…after a tough
season, Ithaca is still in the hunt for one of the final E8 tourney
slots. They’ll likely need to beat both Alfred and Stevens to
pull it off.
WD3 Notes
Pool C Watch
The defending champions are going to make the tournament, but
F&M is not going to be accustomed to its seed. The loss to TCNJ
hot on the heels of the Gettysburg setback pretty much ends any
hope of a regional, although the Dips’ three losses are
to three of the top five teams in the country. I’ve got
Bowdoin in the No. 5 hole, but I’d feel a lot better about
the Polar Bears if they beat Tufts on Friday.
1. Colby (11-2)
2. Union (9-5)
3. Tufts (10-3)
4. Franklin & Marshall (12-3)
5. Bowdoin (9-4)
6. Mary Washington (11-5)
In the hunt: Williams (9-5), Buffalo State (9-4), Ithaca (9-5),
Ursinus (11-5)
Pool B Watch
Yes, Rowan owns the head-to-head with the Lions, but
that’s not necessarily a trump card, especially when TCNJ
owns a healthy advantage in all of the other primary criteria. If
you are hell bent on acknowledging the Profs’ win, go nuts.
The top four in Pool B are essentially locks; we’re just
waiting for the fifth spot to be nailed down, which happens May 5
in SoCal when Adrian plays Claremont.
1. TCNJ (13-1)
2. Rowan (9-5)
3. Catholic (9-6)
4. Drew (8-7)
5. Adrian (12-2)
In the hunt: Claremont (12-2), Susquehanna (10-5).
- Bryn Mawr (1-13) picked up its first win of the season on
Thursday, but it wasn’t easy. The game with Neumann went to
overtime before the Owls took the 15-14 decision…the Empire
8 tournament just got more interesting after Nazareth’s
victory over Ithaca. The Bombers, which had a victory over Stevens,
were on the verge of making themselves serious Pool C threats, but
this loss hurts…Occidental capped off its inaugural season
with a win over cross-town rival Pomona…Mt. St. Vincent
senior Kelly Martin had six goals and four assists in the
Dolphins’ win over Maritime, giving her 250 points in her
career…Kenyon rookie Leah Sack registered an 11-point
afternoon in the Lords 20-14 win over defending NCAC champion
Wooster. Sack had two goals and nine helpers…Keene State won
its school record ninth consecutive game…Notre Dame (Md.)
senior Lauren Terry became the third Gator in school history to
eclipse the 200-goal mark…give it up for Mt. St. Mary, which
qualified for the Skyline tournament in its inaugural year.
MCLA Notes
MCLA D-I At-Large Watch
- The conference tournament action begins for earnest later
this week, but all of the bubble teams received an awful feeling on
Friday night when Florida brushed off its 14-goal loss two weeks
ago to Florida State and upended the top-seeded ‘Noles in the
first game of the SELC tourney, 11-9. This sends FSU into the
at-large mix, where it will certainly be picked for Denver. There
was a second upset when Texas State upended Texas in the LSA
tourney, but the Longhorns don’t have the goods to crack the
Top 6. Barring further conference tourney shockers, these six are
pretty solid right now.
The FSU loss should officially put an end to the Colorado saga.
Despite the Buffs upset win over Michigan, it would be a stunning
development if they leapfrogged any of the teams below. It’s
AQ or bust for CU.
1. Arizona State (11-3)
2. Florida State (14-3)
3. Brigham Young (10-3)
4. Michigan State (8-4)
5. Oregon (8-4)
6. UC Santa Barbara (9-5)
In the hunt: Lindenwood (12-5), Virginia Tech (13-3), Loyola
Marymount (12-4), Texas (11-5), New Hampshire (10-2).
MCLA D-II At-Large Watch
With Elon getting through to the AQ pool, Kennesaw State and
SCAD are now officially in the at-large debate, but it is only KSU
that appears to have enough after the Bees bowed out in the
semifinals. I think the first five spots below are locks in one
order or another, but the last two are still up for grabs. Western
Oregon and Northern Colorado look strong, but there are some
conference tournament scenarios where they could get bounced.
1. St. John’s (12-3)
2. Dayton (8-1)
3. Davenport (11-2)
4. Westminster (10-4)
5. Kennesaw State (13-4)
6. Western Oregon (11-4)
7. Northern Colorado (9-2)
In the hunt: UC Santa Cruz (9-4), SCAD (9-4), Grove City (6-2),
Hope (10-4), Fort Lewis (9-4), Missouri State (8-5)
- Now that Florida has the SELC auto-bid sewn up, it’s time
to ask the question: are the Gators title contenders? Probably not
but, to bastardize a World Series of Poker motto, UF has a bid and
a ball, and that will keep it dangerous until May
11…it’s a disappointing finish to a promising year for
Texas. After giving Michigan a run at the nationals last year, the
Longhorns were cruising toward another shot at the Wolverines in
Denver, but up stepped Texas State to grab the LSA auto-bid, almost
certainly banishing UT to outlier status…Sam Houston State
won the LSA D-II bid and will be battling with the GRLC and PCLL
auto-qualifier for the No. 16 seed in the tourney…No. 21
Hope didn’t just beat No. 8 Grove City, the Dutchmen
embarrassed the Wolverines, 17-6…the two undefeated teams in
MCLA Division II: defending champion St. Thomas and Briarcliffe
(7-0). Don’t ignore the Seahawks just because they play in
the PCLL and only have seven games on record. They have played
eight scrimmages, including NCAA Division II and III schools and
D-I J.V. squads.
