The fearless 5ive
COLBY
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL
MIDDLEBURY
TUFTS
SALISBURY
One of the constants we’ve found on this site covering collegiate hockey and women’s lacrosse over the past 27 years is that history has a tendency to repeat itself.
She has been the standard bearer in women’s lacrosse for the past four years Middlebury. Not only have the Panthers won the last four Division III national championships, they have also won six of the last nine titles offered. Skylar Lach and Caroline Adams are the Panthers’ returning top scorers, and they will be joined by sophomore attacking midfielder Sophia Lee and junior Kate Motley.
The school is hot on Middlebury’s heels Tufts. The Jumbos lost last year’s NCAA title game by just one goal and hope to get back into the national title picture. Tufts brings back 62-goal scorer Allie Zorn, but last year’s team was built on the efforts of seniors and students, so it will be interesting to see who fills in around her. This is especially interesting considering that the Tufts field hockey team won the national championship last fall, breaking a seven-year streak of national championships in that stick-and-ball sport.
If there’s any team that could upset the apple cart in the ever-powerful New England Small College Athletic Conference, it could very well be Colby. The Mules had a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, falling to Middlebury in overtime of the national tournament last season. Watch out for junior Tate Ban and Stella Regan on offense.
Watch out for a resurgence elsewhere Franklin & Marshall side. Led by 62-goal scorer Lauren Pittman, the Diplomats will be fun to watch in what is shaping up to be an incredibly competitive Centennial Conference.
Just like F&M, Salisbury is a former NCAA title holder, having won their last championship in 2014. The Sea Gulls return their top three point scorers: Audrey Harrington, Miranda Mears and Juliana Ott. Given the valuable experience in this sport, Salisbury could very well be a title game contender.
#February #NCAA #Division #III #Preview