2023 Pre-Season Rankings

[InsiderRoll]

Always hard to do this before D3 rosters are released. I expect that there will be some surprise returns, additions, and subtractions from top rosters that are unknown to many including myself. But I’ll give it an early go.

1) RIT
Hard not to put them in the top slot. Pilcher and Angus for sure return. Plenty of other players have returning eligibility. The two time defending champs can absolutely make a run at a three-peat.

2) Christopher Newport
Cook, Miller, and Brendes lead a strong core of returners. They lose their top 2 players and Thompson’s first class. I expect them to remain a top 5 team, however I don’t see them as dominant in the regular season as 2022.

3) Tufts
If Bredahl returns it’s hard not to consider them #1, but for now that is up in the air. They will lose some key pieces regardless, but there was a lot of youth that found meaningful minutes. Can they figure out the defense?

4) York
I think this team could look very different. They lose a lot of experience, particularly in the defensive side. Multiple 5/6 year starters. They had some great hound players emerge on offense down the stretch. The FO man might be the best in the country.

5) Dickinson
This team is returning just about everything from 2022. The pressure is on, how deep can they go?

6) Salisbury
Losing Ferrara and Dowd will be tough to replace. This program has always found ways to reload, but they took a rare step back last year. 2022 was the first class in a long time to leave without a ring.

7) Gettysburg
They’ll lose a few good offensive midfielders, but return the entire attack and a young defense that grew a lot last year. A deep run in 2022 should provide confidence for Toners year 2.

8) Saint John Fisher
As I understand they lose a good amount, but it’s hard not to see them continuing to dominate their league and competing at a high level OOC.

9) Union
The national runner ups lose all 6 starters on offense. And some starters on D. They should remain a top Liberty team, but it’s hard not to think last year was their year.

10) Bowdoin
Coach Mason had a dramatic turnaround in year 1. A lot of young players were excellent. Can they avoid a sophomore slump and manage with out NESCAC POY Mullane?

11) Wesleyan
Losing Camphausen and Sexton are challenging, but a lot of good players are back in 2023. Can these guys play somebody out of conference?

12) Amherst
A lot returns in year two for Woods. The last of JTs recruits are still lingering, this is a great evaluation year for the direction of this program.

13) Cabrini
They relied on D in 2022, I expect that to change with all of their O starters returning in 2023. Who knows with the roster TO this program has year to year though.

14) St. Lawrence
Gone are several AA players to the portal. They always play tough and have a productive offense. New faces shouldn’t change them too much.

15) Middlebury
Tons of offensive talent. Can they actually put it together?

16) Denison
Year two for Eric Koch includes a lot of returners. They will need to develop and grow particularly against out of conference/region teams in 2023.

17) Lynchburg
Lynchburg has lost a lot of offensive production and is coming off of a year that had shaky goaltending and defense that was below Lynchburg’s normal standards. It’s hard to predict how good this team really is.

18) Stevenson
A lot of guys flow in and out of this program, typically always put a top 15-25 caliber product on the field.

19) Roanoke
Sleeper pick is headlined by one of the best attackman in the country in Kammerman. Can they figure out the defense and FOs?

20) Ithaca
Top two scorers return and the Liberty league feels less loaded with 5th years. Why not?

HONORABLE MENTION: Washington & Lee, Babson, RPI, Cortland, Williams, Stevens Tech, MIT, Western New England, John Carroll, Grove City, Franklin & Marshall, Nazareth, Trinity, Ursinus, Catholic, Stockton

[Jumbo]

This will be interesting to see once the fall season is up and running

[Leonard Washington]

Always hard to do this before D3 rosters are released. I expect that there will be some surprise returns, additions, and subtractions from top rosters that are unknown to many including myself. But I’ll give it an early go.

Love the early and off season speculation!

1-RIT

2-Christopher Newport

3-Tufts

4-Salisbury

5-Union

6-York

7-Dickinson

8-St. John Fisher

9-Bowdoin

10-Cabrini

11-St. Lawrence

12-Gettysburg

13-Stevenson

14-Wesleyan

15-Lynchburg

16-Denison

17-Amherst

18-Washington & Lee

19-Frankin & Marshall

20-Cortland


Bring on fall ball!!!

[Asgot]

Speculation is fun but I think you make good points.

RIT loses there fogo and Goalie, now supposedly they only dressed two goalies and the other was the sophomore Burbank so he is probably the heir apparent. I think there scheme is what helps them as they play so fast and have so many kids that fit there system.

CNU loses there top two defenders and their best offensive player but they. Bring back a lot and have both the goalie and fogo back.

Tufts- now I was told that Bredhal was done at Tufts and put his name in the portal to see if there was any D1 interest.

Union- I think they simply lose to much on offense plus 2 defenders and one of there fogo’s.

I concur with Dickinson as they bring back pretty much everyone.

York - brings back a solid core of offense plus a couple of kids coming back and a transfer. 2 of four starting poles and three d-mids. The goalie spot is wide open and I am hearing that the freshman that red shirted flashed early before redshirting. And they have Childs

Gettysburg - has a nice young core and To we did a great job with them as they played very tough at the end of the year.

Salisbury- do they reload as usual or are other teams creeping up on them losing Ferrara and other on offense will take some time to replace but they always have kids that can play.

SJF- I think they lose more than most anyone in the country so we will see how there recruiting is going.

Cabrini- lots of offense and really good players there but they have a huge question in the goal.

Lynchburg- should be good again.

All of this is obviously a guess until we see who comes back and who moves on but it is fun to speculate

[Laxguy703]

My top 10(This is assuming 5th years are returning)

1- RIT : They lose a lot of talent, but they are back to back champs and until someone knocks them off they will stay right here.

2- Tufts : This is assuming Bredahl is coming back. This system is so tough to defend and they have some many guys that just love to play fast. They also return some key offensive pieces in Boyden and Swank.

3- CNU : They lose some program changing players, but they also return 6 All-Americans. Really curious to see what they look like next year and which younger guys will step up.

4- DIckinson : They have one of the best goalies in the country and return basically everyone. They started to lose steam towards the end of the year, but at times they looked like one of the top teams in the country. Can they build upon a 19-1 year?

5- Bowdoin : Losing Mullane will sting, but they return everyone else. Coach Mason seems to be unlocking these guys full potential and I can totally see them making another run at it next year.

6- Salisbury : Salisbury is Salisbury, but losing one of your best middies and best attackman in program history is not an easy fill. They also lost Woodward, one of the best SSDM in the country. They still return a ton of guys and I think Dowd will take the keys to the offense now that he is the main guy.

7 - York : Losing Kennedy, Wolf, Bruno, and Smith will hurt. My biggest question mark with them is what guys are returning for 5th years. If they can keep their goalie and some of their other key guys, then they will still be in the top 10. Freshman Mayer is the real deal.

8- Gettysburg : Tons of athletic guys on this team and they really put it together towards the end of the year. Now that some of the younger guys got some experience, I can see them building upon a successful year.

9- Wesleyan : I don't know what to make of them. When they are on they are on... but when they aren't on, they are a completely different team. That being said, they return some really good guys and they have one of the better FO Duos in the country.

10- St. John Fisher : This team loses A TON, but they have been a main stay in the top 10 and it is hard to leave them out. They will be a completely different team next year. Lots of question marks around them.

Just outside the top 10: Ahmherst, Union, Middlebury, St. Lawrence, Cabrini

[Asgot]

I actually think you will see a lot of turnover in D3 this year as there are several factors I. Playing an additional year including your school, allowing it, having the right grad programs and being able to afford to pay for it. I have spoken to many kids with additional year of eligibility and they are not taking it and simply moving on. As someone else has said already we will get a better fell once the fall starts.

[JPAtlantic]

US Lacrosse had the Nike pre-season rankings in their Jan. magazine.

1) RIT
2) CNU
3) Bowdoin
4) Union
5) Tufts
6) Salisbury
7) York
8) Lynchburg
9) Wesleyan
10) Gettysburg
11) St. John Fisher
12) Amherst
13) Dickinson
14) Hampden-Sydney
15) Cabrini
16) Stevenson
17) W&L
18) F&M
19) Roanoke
20) Denison

Also considered: Hamilton, Ithaca, MIT, Ursinus, Western New England

[Slim]

JPA, those USL rankings were out way before they knew Salisbury would return Cross and Woodward for Year 6! Probably also before Brown announced his transfer. SU will win the gold with Brown running the show at "X"...if they can find a goalie!

[JustOneTime]

Stevens Tech may make some noise this year. They have several 5th year transfers.

[JPAtlantic]

Many conferences have ranked or mentioned teams in the Nike/USL Poll:

NESCAC - 5 Teams (Bowdoin, Tufts, Wesleyan, Amherst, Hamilton)
ODAC - 4 Teams (Lynchburg, H-S, W&L, Roanoke)
Centennial - 4 Teams (Gettysburg, Dickinson, F&M, Ursinus)
Liberty - 3 Team (RIT, Union, Ithaca)
Coastal - 2 Teams (CNU, Salisbury)
MAC-C - 2 Teams (York, Stevenson)
Empire - 1 Team (St. John Fisher)
Atlantic East - 1 Team (Cabrini)
NCAC - 1 Team (Denison)
NEWMAC - 1 Team (MIT)
CCC - 1 Team (Western New England)

NESCAC looks brutal as usual.

[Laxaholic123]

It's surprising to me the ODAC has 4 teams in their top 20 after last year's performance. Either there is some ODAC bias, or they know something I don't know.

[Jumbo]

It's surprising to me the ODAC has 4 teams in their top 20 after last year's performance. Either there is some ODAC bias, or they know something I don't know.

Sadly, I think it is a lazy poll, based on last years teams and results.
I love the ODAC. And a big fan of HSC. But they should not be ranked ahead of W&L. I don’t think Roanoke is a top 20 team. other teams I think should be in top 20 over Roanoke ….
St Lawrence
Ursinus
Stevens
MIT
Catholic

[ShenandoahLaxDad]

It's surprising to me the ODAC has 4 teams in their top 20 after last year's performance. Either there is some ODAC bias, or they know something I don't know.

Sadly, I think it is a lazy poll, based on last years teams and results.
I love the ODAC. And a big fan of HSC. But they should not be ranked ahead of W&L. I don’t think Roanoke is a top 20 team. other teams I think should be in top 20 over Roanoke ….
St Lawrence
Ursinus
Stevens
MIT
Catholic

Agreed on the ODAC take. Last year was not at the level of normal play & hard to say this year will be any different. I think HSC & W&L can make some noise this year, both teams return talented players. Not sure if Lynchburg returns many, if any, 5th years. 2021 they had a bunch & 2022 a few. Hard to say what will happen with Lynchburg. Let us not forget that W&L has beaten Lynchburg the past two years in regular season play, one of two teams to beat the 2021 team, other was CNU 2x. Different guys will have to step into bigger roles for them or given their gauntlet of a schedule the first half of the year, they could be in a very tough spot.

[InsiderRoll]

It's surprising to me the ODAC has 4 teams in their top 20 after last year's performance. Either there is some ODAC bias, or they know something I don't know.

Sadly, I think it is a lazy poll, based on last years teams and results.
I love the ODAC. And a big fan of HSC. But they should not be ranked ahead of W&L. I don’t think Roanoke is a top 20 team. other teams I think should be in top 20 over Roanoke ….
St Lawrence
Ursinus
Stevens
MIT
Catholic

Agreed on the ODAC take. Last year was not at the level of normal play & hard to say this year will be any different. I think HSC & W&L can make some noise this year, both teams return talented players. Not sure if Lynchburg returns many, if any, 5th years. 2021 they had a bunch & 2022 a few. Hard to say what will happen with Lynchburg. Let us not forget that W&L has beaten Lynchburg the past two years in regular season play, one of two teams to beat the 2021 team, other was CNU 2x. Different guys will have to step into bigger roles for them or given their gauntlet of a schedule the first half of the year, they could be in a very tough spot.

Agreed on the entire ODAC. Lynchburg, HSC, and W&L all might be overranked. Roanoke at 19 is fair for now. It’s hard to say anyone in the ODAC is a legit top 15 team.

[Laxguy703]

It's surprising to me the ODAC has 4 teams in their top 20 after last year's performance. Either there is some ODAC bias, or they know something I don't know.

Sadly, I think it is a lazy poll, based on last years teams and results.
I love the ODAC. And a big fan of HSC. But they should not be ranked ahead of W&L. I don’t think Roanoke is a top 20 team. other teams I think should be in top 20 over Roanoke ….
St Lawrence
Ursinus
Stevens
MIT
Catholic

Agreed on the ODAC take. Last year was not at the level of normal play & hard to say this year will be any different. I think HSC & W&L can make some noise this year, both teams return talented players. Not sure if Lynchburg returns many, if any, 5th years. 2021 they had a bunch & 2022 a few. Hard to say what will happen with Lynchburg. Let us not forget that W&L has beaten Lynchburg the past two years in regular season play, one of two teams to beat the 2021 team, other was CNU 2x. Different guys will have to step into bigger roles for them or given their gauntlet of a schedule the first half of the year, they could be in a very tough spot.

Agreed on the entire ODAC. Lynchburg, HSC, and W&L all might be overranked. Roanoke at 19 is fair for now. It’s hard to say anyone in the ODAC is a legit top 15 team.

I honestly think Lynchburg being that high is a result of their success over the last few years. They were steadily a top 10-15 team last year and had some really talented players.

This upcoming year is going to be a big down year for the ODAC, especially for Lynchburg and HSC. Losing Roger’s, Kenny, and Lewis is going to hurt the Hornets more than people think. Mitchell will get the pole now and Wolfe will probably get the #1 close guy. Good players, but the attention will fully be on them. Can never count out Koudelka to have his teams playing tough though.. HSC loses ODAC POY in Duffy, top scorer in Claggatt, and their goalie. Hard to see them doing well after losing all those guys.

W&L was young last year and I expect to see them take a step forward, but losing their stud goalie from last year will definitely hurt the defense.

Can’t wait to watch all of these teams go to action.

1 more month until meaningful lacrosse!!

[JPAtlantic]

The IL Rankings are out:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/league/diii/polls/2023

1 RIT
2 Tufts
3 Salisbury
4 Christopher Newport
5 York
6 Bowdoin
7 Union
8 Gettysburg
9 Dickinson
10 St. Lawrence
11 Lynchburg
12 Saint John Fisher
13 Stevenson
14 Wesleyan
15 Cabrini
16 Amherst
17 Denison
18 Washington and Lee
19 Ursinus
20 RPI

St. Lawrence is the biggest difference from the USA Lacrosse / Nike Poll (unranked)

[Jumbo]

The IL Rankings are out:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/league/diii/polls/2023

1 RIT 1
2 Tufts 5
3 Salisbury 6
4 Christopher Newport 2
5 York 7
6 Bowdoin 3
7 Union 4
8 Gettysburg 10
9 Dickinson 13
10 St. Lawrence Not ranked
11 Lynchburg 8
12 Saint John Fisher 11
13 Stevenson 16
14 Wesleyan 9
15 Cabrini 15
16 Amherst 12
17 Denison 20
18 Washington and Lee 17
19 Ursinus Also considered
20 RPI Not ranked

HSC (14) , Franklin and Marshall (18), and Roanoke (19) all drop out

This looks good. Makes a lot more sense than the last poll.

I added the NIKE/US LAX ranking next to the current

[DeepPocket]

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... ings/60574

[Laxaholic123]

Is there going to be a FanLax Forum Poll again this year? Sorry if I'm early, I am just very excited

[Crow Hop]

The IL Rankings are out:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/league/diii/polls/2023

1 RIT
2 Tufts
3 Salisbury
4 Christopher Newport
5 York
6 Bowdoin
7 Union
8 Gettysburg
9 Dickinson
10 St. Lawrence
11 Lynchburg
12 Saint John Fisher
13 Stevenson
14 Wesleyan
15 Cabrini
16 Amherst
17 Denison
18 Washington and Lee
19 Ursinus
20 RPI

St. Lawrence is the biggest difference from the USA Lacrosse / Nike Poll (unranked)

Cant wait to watch how fast Stevenson will drop off this list.