Princeton University Athletics
Monday Men's Lacrosse: New Rankings Come Out; Tigers Look Ahead To Dartmouth/Brown
April 20, 2009 | Men's Lacrosse
An odd thing happened in Division III lacrosse this past week. Salisbury defeated Stevenson 13-5 to win the Capital Athletic Conference championship, and the result was called an "upset" in more than one headline. Salisbury? Upsetting someone?
Hey, if Salisbury isn't a solid No. 1 in Division III, how can Division I possibly have rankings that are etched in stone?
Princeton dropped to fifth in the Inside Lacrosse media poll and tied for fourth in the USILA coaches' poll after being ranked No. 1 in both a week ago and then falling 10-7 at Cornell Saturday. Virginia returned to the No. 1 spot in both polls, though the Cavs struggled for three quarters before finally putting away Dartmouth, Princeton's opponent this weekend at Class of 1952 Stadium.
The top five in the media poll goes Virginia, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Cornell and Princeton. The coaches' poll goes Virginia, Cornell, Syracuse and a tie between Notre Dame and Princeton. There is hardly a sense of unanimity in either of the polls as this wide-open lacrosse season heads into the final two weekends of the regular season.
Looking ahead, Cornell would win the Ivy League title outright with a win over Brown this Saturday in Providence. A Brown win over Cornell and a Princeton win over Dartmouth would set up the same situation as a year ago, when Princeton and Brown met on the final Saturday of the season with the winner's getting a share of the league title with the Big Red. There can no longer be a three-way tie.
Unlike a year ago, Princeton no longer has a mathematical shot at the Ivy League's automatic bid entering the final two weeks. This year, on the other hand, Princeton is in strong position for an at-large bid, with wins over three Top 10 teams (No. 2/3 Syracuse, No. 7 Hopkins, No. 10 UMBC). Cornell would win the automatic bid with a win over Brown, though Brown could still win it by winning its final two games.
Princeton went into the Dartmouth game last year having beaten Cornell, but the Tigers lost to the Big Green and then Brown to end the year 7-6. This time, Princeton is 10-2 heading into the last two games and has both games at Class of 1952 Stadium, where Princeton has won 17 straight and is averaging 14.3 goals per game this season.
Were this next year, of course, the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament would be going to the winner of the Ivy League tournament, which debuts in 2010. Were there a tournament this year, Cornell, Princeton and Brown would all have clinched berths, while the other four teams would still be alive for the fourth spot.