2023 Preseason Top 20 Lookahead | Syracusefan.com

2023 Preseason Top 20 Lookahead

Powellfan

All American
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
5,616
Like
8,933
As we put a cap on the 2022 college lacrosse season, the next step is to look forward to the 2023 lacrosse season. It's really early to do so and a lot will change before the first face-off next Spring. But what else is there to do? I can't remember a season that looks so incredibly wide open, at least as of now. Given that coaches will change schools and the transfer market hasn't come close to closing, teams will rise and fall all over the rankings. This is my best guess, I'm sure I will miss some teams and I might be wrong about some players coming back and some leaving. If you know about a player, please point it out!

1. Georgetown - my confidence level about this pick is not super high at all. This team is coming off a huge first round upset to Delaware. But the talent is undeniable. Dordevic, Bundy, Bowen, Minicus, Hess, Reilly, Haley. I'm sure I'm missing plenty of guys. They do have to replace their starting short stick defensive midfielders as well as the best goalie this past year and a very good defender. And they also have to incorporate a lot of transfers, which isn't easy. Lastly, this team hasn't "been there before" so it's hard for me to imagine them in the final four, let alone the best team in the country. But as of this writing I think they have the most talent. The Big East on the whole next year looks pretty weak, not sure if that helps or hurts the Hoyas.
2. Virginia - probably a pick not a lot of people agree with. But they only have to replace one (very good) player in Matt Moore and already are bringing in Thomas McConvey from UVM. They also bring in a very good recruiting class. I just don't see a lot of holes for the Cavs and I think they make it a lot further in last year's tournament if they don't face UMD when they do. The one thing hanging over this teams head is the potential departure of assistant coach Sean Kirwan. If he leaves I would have to drop the Cavs.
3. Cornell - what a tourny run from the Big Red. Not only that they return a ton of talent next year, CJ Kirst should be a Tewaarton candidate, Michael Long, Gavin Adler, Hugh Kelleher. But they do have a big departure in John Piatelli, and unlike UVA, no obvious replacement candidate.
4. Maryland - A really hard team to judge right now because they lose a TON of talent (DeMaio, Wisnauskis, all four SSDMs, Donville, Khan), but they also bring back a ton of talent (Weirman, Makar, Zappatelo, McAnaney, Long, Murphy, Maltz, Malever). They also haven't really touched the transfer portal. If any team can shoot up these rankings its the Terps.
5. Yale - returns almost everyone on offense including all three starting attackmen (two of which were freshmen last year). Their defense wasn't great last season and lose their stalwart in Chris Fake. They had some weird performances last year (losing to Penn State, going to overtime with UMass), but talent wise they are very good.
6. Notre Dame - The Irish lose their starting close defense (but brings in a big transfer in Chris Conlin) and probably their best midfielder in Jackaboice. Still they return everyone else on offense and if there is any team that plays good defense no matter the personnel its Notre Dame. They took too long last year to come together and play to their potential.
7. Penn - This is where things start to get difficult. The Quakers return the best midfielder in the country in Sam Handley and some other nice offensive pieces. Not sure if they have to replace Burkinshaw in goal. None of their players have entered the portal so assume most will be coming back.
8. Princeton - The Tigers had a great year last year making it all the way to the final four. They bring back a lot of really good players including their leading scorers 2 - 7. Slusher and English combined for 104 points. But they do lose Chris Brown who led the team in scoring with 72 and their best defender in George Baughan (and maybe their starting goalie).
9. Harvard - The Crimson were very young last year, three of their top four scorers were freshmen last year. They do lose second leading scorer Austin Madronic and their goalie Kyle Mullin.
10. BU - I believe the Terriers bring back six of their highest scorers next year, and they put up a lot of points. The Patriot League on a whole looks to be way down next year with Army, Lehigh and Loyola losing a ton of players.
11. Duke - The Devils had a rough season last year despite their talent. O'Neil returns as a junior and he'll still have Williams and MacAdory to play with. They do have to find a right hander for their attack line as they lose both Robinson and Lulley. Also a big hole is in cage where they lose Adler. They don't bring in their typical high powered recruiting class.
12. Delaware - The Blue Hens had a huge win over the Hoyas in the tournament. They also bring back a ton of talent including their three leading scorers who combined for 207 points. They also bring back sure fire PLL draft pick Owen Grant.
13. Ohio State - They should get back Jack Myers and Colby Smith but I believe they lose Jackson Reid. They also need to replace their very good FOGO. They return one of the best young defenders in Bobby Van Burren.
14. Syracuse - I really didn't expect to be ranking Syracuse this high, but looking at the competition the Orange should be well positioned going into next season. Hiltz returns and joins his former high school teammate Alex Simmons. Of course the big news for the Orange is the welcoming of the country's number one recruit and recruiting class. The Orange should be very young and a lot will depend on who is facing off for them next year, but I think this ranking is fair.
15. Richmond - The Spiders look well positioned next season but are going to miss their leading and fourth leading scorer. But they have some good talent coming back including Dalton Young, Lance Madonna as well as their starting goalie and fogo.
16. Rutgers - The Scarlett Knights bring back some good players with Knobloch, Scott and Sprock returns from injury, but they lose a ton on defense starting with their goalie and some other offensive pieces (including Bartolo). Have to imagine they'll be active in the portal but who they bring in remains to be seen.
17. Jacksonville - Can Galloway breakthrough to the playoffs? He losses his top scorer in Waldbaum and fourth with Jack Dolan but he gets two attackmen who combined for 130 points - and adds a big transfer in Dylan Watson to the mix. He does lose his starting goalie which will hurt.
18. St Joe's - a lot depends on who they can bring back eligibility wise - I don't think they lose any of their top four scorers who all scored more than 50 points (two are listed as seniors though they aren't in the transfer portal to my knowledge). And of course they should bring back Zach Cole who is a face-off machine.
19. Navy - The Midshipmen bring back their two highest scorers in Skanliak and Swanson who combined for 86 points. Can Xavier Arline make a bigger impact? He had only 8 points last year. Feels like there has been a lot of hype surrounding Navy when it comes to recruiting the last few years, does it start to pay off in 2023?
20. Utah - The western most team in college lacrosse last year was incredibly young, five of their top six scorers were sophomores last year and the long senior should have eligibility for next year. They seem to have hired the right guy in McMinn. Should definitely be a team to watch next year.

If you are still reading, thanks for humoring me. I am no expert (just look at my pick'em record) but this is a fun exercise. Please feel free to point out where I am wrong and share your own opinions. Other lacrosse writes much smarter than me will have their picks out soon I am sure. It should be interesting to look back on this list in the fall when most transfers have picked a new school to see how much of it has changed. I looked at a lot of blue blood programs that just didn't make the cut (Denver, UNC, Hopkins). That said, being part of the preseason top 20 doesn't guarantee much - UNC, Loyola and Lehigh were numbers 7-9 in Quint's list in February. Cornell wasn't ranked anywhere. So just keep in mind that the only guarantee in this is that it will be wrong!
 
As we put a cap on the 2022 college lacrosse season, the next step is to look forward to the 2023 lacrosse season. It's really early to do so and a lot will change before the first face-off next Spring. But what else is there to do? I can't remember a season that looks so incredibly wide open, at least as of now. Given that coaches will change schools and the transfer market hasn't come close to closing, teams will rise and fall all over the rankings. This is my best guess, I'm sure I will miss some teams and I might be wrong about some players coming back and some leaving. If you know about a player, please point it out!

1. Georgetown - my confidence level about this pick is not super high at all. This team is coming off a huge first round upset to Delaware. But the talent is undeniable. Dordevic, Bundy, Bowen, Minicus, Hess, Reilly, Haley. I'm sure I'm missing plenty of guys. They do have to replace their starting short stick defensive midfielders as well as the best goalie this past year and a very good defender. And they also have to incorporate a lot of transfers, which isn't easy. Lastly, this team hasn't "been there before" so it's hard for me to imagine them in the final four, let alone the best team in the country. But as of this writing I think they have the most talent. The Big East on the whole next year looks pretty weak, not sure if that helps or hurts the Hoyas.
2. Virginia - probably a pick not a lot of people agree with. But they only have to replace one (very good) player in Matt Moore and already are bringing in Thomas McConvey from UVM. They also bring in a very good recruiting class. I just don't see a lot of holes for the Cavs and I think they make it a lot further in last year's tournament if they don't face UMD when they do. The one thing hanging over this teams head is the potential departure of assistant coach Sean Kirwan. If he leaves I would have to drop the Cavs.
3. Cornell - what a tourny run from the Big Red. Not only that they return a ton of talent next year, CJ Kirst should be a Tewaarton candidate, Michael Long, Gavin Adler, Hugh Kelleher. But they do have a big departure in John Piatelli, and unlike UVA, no obvious replacement candidate.
4. Maryland - A really hard team to judge right now because they lose a TON of talent (DeMaio, Wisnauskis, all four SSDMs, Donville, Khan), but they also bring back a ton of talent (Weirman, Makar, Zappatelo, McAnaney, Long, Murphy, Maltz, Malever). They also haven't really touched the transfer portal. If any team can shoot up these rankings its the Terps.
5. Yale - returns almost everyone on offense including all three starting attackmen (two of which were freshmen last year). Their defense wasn't great last season and lose their stalwart in Chris Fake. They had some weird performances last year (losing to Penn State, going to overtime with UMass), but talent wise they are very good.
6. Notre Dame - The Irish lose their starting close defense (but brings in a big transfer in Chris Conlin) and probably their best midfielder in Jackaboice. Still they return everyone else on offense and if there is any team that plays good defense no matter the personnel its Notre Dame. They took too long last year to come together and play to their potential.
7. Penn - This is where things start to get difficult. The Quakers return the best midfielder in the country in Sam Handley and some other nice offensive pieces. Not sure if they have to replace Burkinshaw in goal. None of their players have entered the portal so assume most will be coming back.
8. Princeton - The Tigers had a great year last year making it all the way to the final four. They bring back a lot of really good players including their leading scorers 2 - 7. Slusher and English combined for 104 points. But they do lose Chris Brown who led the team in scoring with 72 and their best defender in George Baughan (and maybe their starting goalie).
9. Harvard - The Crimson were very young last year, three of their top four scorers were freshmen last year. They do lose second leading scorer Austin Madronic and their goalie Kyle Mullin.
10. BU - I believe the Terriers bring back six of their highest scorers next year, and they put up a lot of points. The Patriot League on a whole looks to be way down next year with Army, Lehigh and Loyola losing a ton of players.
11. Duke - The Devils had a rough season last year despite their talent. O'Neil returns as a junior and he'll still have Williams and MacAdory to play with. They do have to find a right hander for their attack line as they lose both Robinson and Lulley. Also a big hole is in cage where they lose Adler. They don't bring in their typical high powered recruiting class.
12. Delaware - The Blue Hens had a huge win over the Hoyas in the tournament. They also bring back a ton of talent including their three leading scorers who combined for 207 points. They also bring back sure fire PLL draft pick Owen Grant.
13. Ohio State - They should get back Jack Myers and Colby Smith but I believe they lose Jackson Reid. They also need to replace their very good FOGO. They return one of the best young defenders in Bobby Van Burren.
14. Syracuse - I really didn't expect to be ranking Syracuse this high, but looking at the competition the Orange should be well positioned going into next season. Hiltz returns and joins his former high school teammate Alex Simmons. Of course the big news for the Orange is the welcoming of the country's number one recruit and recruiting class. The Orange should be very young and a lot will depend on who is facing off for them next year, but I think this ranking is fair.
15. Richmond - The Spiders look well positioned next season but are going to miss their leading and fourth leading scorer. But they have some good talent coming back including Dalton Young, Lance Madonna as well as their starting goalie and fogo.
16. Rutgers - The Scarlett Knights bring back some good players with Knobloch, Scott and Sprock returns from injury, but they lose a ton on defense starting with their goalie and some other offensive pieces (including Bartolo). Have to imagine they'll be active in the portal but who they bring in remains to be seen.
17. Jacksonville - Can Galloway breakthrough to the playoffs? He losses his top scorer in Waldbaum and fourth with Jack Dolan but he gets two attackmen who combined for 130 points - and adds a big transfer in Dylan Watson to the mix. He does lose his starting goalie which will hurt.
18. St Joe's - a lot depends on who they can bring back eligibility wise - I don't think they lose any of their top four scorers who all scored more than 50 points (two are listed as seniors though they aren't in the transfer portal to my knowledge). And of course they should bring back Zach Cole who is a face-off machine.
19. Navy - The Midshipmen bring back their two highest scorers in Skanliak and Swanson who combined for 86 points. Can Xavier Arline make a bigger impact? He had only 8 points last year. Feels like there has been a lot of hype surrounding Navy when it comes to recruiting the last few years, does it start to pay off in 2023?
20. Utah - The western most team in college lacrosse last year was incredibly young, five of their top six scorers were sophomores last year and the long senior should have eligibility for next year. They seem to have hired the right guy in McMinn. Should definitely be a team to watch next year.

If you are still reading, thanks for humoring me. I am no expert (just look at my pick'em record) but this is a fun exercise. Please feel free to point out where I am wrong and share your own opinions. Other lacrosse writes much smarter than me will have their picks out soon I am sure. It should be interesting to look back on this list in the fall when most transfers have picked a new school to see how much of it has changed. I looked at a lot of blue blood programs that just didn't make the cut (Denver, UNC, Hopkins). That said, being part of the preseason top 20 doesn't guarantee much - UNC, Loyola and Lehigh were numbers 7-9 in Quint's list in February. Cornell wasn't ranked anywhere. So just keep in mind that the only guarantee in this is that it will be wrong!
I think it’s a pre-requisite to make the final 4 before ranking someone #1…LMAO.. just busting your chops.. good read.. things may change once the portal get going
 
Maryland has a good base for adding a top offensive transfer. Long and Malever scored over 40 points with Murphy at 39. The Terps got good contributions from Brennan and J.Koras on the 2nd midfield. Then you have Maltz, and 5 star freshman Eric Spanos who red-shirted. The big thing might be whether Daniel Kelly can step up and take over the left-hand finisher role.

The Terps have picked up one transfer ssdm Donovan Lacey, and have Josh Coffman returning from injury.

I believe John Geppert has said he is returning for a 5th year at LSM, but the Terps lose Prybylski. Hopefully, Justin Sherrer will have recovered from whatever ailed him this spring. The Terps bring in 2 top LSM recruits in Larkin and Schaller.

The Terps have Makar and Zappitello back at close, but they lose Matt Rahill. While Quint was maligning Rahill over the weekend, he actually was very good this year. I don't know how the Terps will replace him. Colin Burlace and Jack McDonald look like the frontrunners, although Larkin could step in here.

McNaney in goal and Wierman on face-offs give the Terps 2 of the top specialist in D1. The Terps added Dolan to back-up McNaney, and have Tygh back to back-up Wierman.
 
Just realized that Lasalla somehow still has a year of eligibility. Gonna go be sad now. Thought we were done with that stubby little pain in the butt.
 
As we put a cap on the 2022 college lacrosse season, the next step is to look forward to the 2023 lacrosse season. It's really early to do so and a lot will change before the first face-off next Spring. But what else is there to do? I can't remember a season that looks so incredibly wide open, at least as of now. Given that coaches will change schools and the transfer market hasn't come close to closing, teams will rise and fall all over the rankings. This is my best guess, I'm sure I will miss some teams and I might be wrong about some players coming back and some leaving. If you know about a player, please point it out!

1. Georgetown - my confidence level about this pick is not super high at all. This team is coming off a huge first round upset to Delaware. But the talent is undeniable. Dordevic, Bundy, Bowen, Minicus, Hess, Reilly, Haley. I'm sure I'm missing plenty of guys. They do have to replace their starting short stick defensive midfielders as well as the best goalie this past year and a very good defender. And they also have to incorporate a lot of transfers, which isn't easy. Lastly, this team hasn't "been there before" so it's hard for me to imagine them in the final four, let alone the best team in the country. But as of this writing I think they have the most talent. The Big East on the whole next year looks pretty weak, not sure if that helps or hurts the Hoyas.
2. Virginia - probably a pick not a lot of people agree with. But they only have to replace one (very good) player in Matt Moore and already are bringing in Thomas McConvey from UVM. They also bring in a very good recruiting class. I just don't see a lot of holes for the Cavs and I think they make it a lot further in last year's tournament if they don't face UMD when they do. The one thing hanging over this teams head is the potential departure of assistant coach Sean Kirwan. If he leaves I would have to drop the Cavs.
3. Cornell - what a tourny run from the Big Red. Not only that they return a ton of talent next year, CJ Kirst should be a Tewaarton candidate, Michael Long, Gavin Adler, Hugh Kelleher. But they do have a big departure in John Piatelli, and unlike UVA, no obvious replacement candidate.
4. Maryland - A really hard team to judge right now because they lose a TON of talent (DeMaio, Wisnauskis, all four SSDMs, Donville, Khan), but they also bring back a ton of talent (Weirman, Makar, Zappatelo, McAnaney, Long, Murphy, Maltz, Malever). They also haven't really touched the transfer portal. If any team can shoot up these rankings its the Terps.
5. Yale - returns almost everyone on offense including all three starting attackmen (two of which were freshmen last year). Their defense wasn't great last season and lose their stalwart in Chris Fake. They had some weird performances last year (losing to Penn State, going to overtime with UMass), but talent wise they are very good.
6. Notre Dame - The Irish lose their starting close defense (but brings in a big transfer in Chris Conlin) and probably their best midfielder in Jackaboice. Still they return everyone else on offense and if there is any team that plays good defense no matter the personnel its Notre Dame. They took too long last year to come together and play to their potential.
7. Penn - This is where things start to get difficult. The Quakers return the best midfielder in the country in Sam Handley and some other nice offensive pieces. Not sure if they have to replace Burkinshaw in goal. None of their players have entered the portal so assume most will be coming back.
8. Princeton - The Tigers had a great year last year making it all the way to the final four. They bring back a lot of really good players including their leading scorers 2 - 7. Slusher and English combined for 104 points. But they do lose Chris Brown who led the team in scoring with 72 and their best defender in George Baughan (and maybe their starting goalie).
9. Harvard - The Crimson were very young last year, three of their top four scorers were freshmen last year. They do lose second leading scorer Austin Madronic and their goalie Kyle Mullin.
10. BU - I believe the Terriers bring back six of their highest scorers next year, and they put up a lot of points. The Patriot League on a whole looks to be way down next year with Army, Lehigh and Loyola losing a ton of players.
11. Duke - The Devils had a rough season last year despite their talent. O'Neil returns as a junior and he'll still have Williams and MacAdory to play with. They do have to find a right hander for their attack line as they lose both Robinson and Lulley. Also a big hole is in cage where they lose Adler. They don't bring in their typical high powered recruiting class.
12. Delaware - The Blue Hens had a huge win over the Hoyas in the tournament. They also bring back a ton of talent including their three leading scorers who combined for 207 points. They also bring back sure fire PLL draft pick Owen Grant.
13. Ohio State - They should get back Jack Myers and Colby Smith but I believe they lose Jackson Reid. They also need to replace their very good FOGO. They return one of the best young defenders in Bobby Van Burren.
14. Syracuse - I really didn't expect to be ranking Syracuse this high, but looking at the competition the Orange should be well positioned going into next season. Hiltz returns and joins his former high school teammate Alex Simmons. Of course the big news for the Orange is the welcoming of the country's number one recruit and recruiting class. The Orange should be very young and a lot will depend on who is facing off for them next year, but I think this ranking is fair.
15. Richmond - The Spiders look well positioned next season but are going to miss their leading and fourth leading scorer. But they have some good talent coming back including Dalton Young, Lance Madonna as well as their starting goalie and fogo.
16. Rutgers - The Scarlett Knights bring back some good players with Knobloch, Scott and Sprock returns from injury, but they lose a ton on defense starting with their goalie and some other offensive pieces (including Bartolo). Have to imagine they'll be active in the portal but who they bring in remains to be seen.
17. Jacksonville - Can Galloway breakthrough to the playoffs? He losses his top scorer in Waldbaum and fourth with Jack Dolan but he gets two attackmen who combined for 130 points - and adds a big transfer in Dylan Watson to the mix. He does lose his starting goalie which will hurt.
18. St Joe's - a lot depends on who they can bring back eligibility wise - I don't think they lose any of their top four scorers who all scored more than 50 points (two are listed as seniors though they aren't in the transfer portal to my knowledge). And of course they should bring back Zach Cole who is a face-off machine.
19. Navy - The Midshipmen bring back their two highest scorers in Skanliak and Swanson who combined for 86 points. Can Xavier Arline make a bigger impact? He had only 8 points last year. Feels like there has been a lot of hype surrounding Navy when it comes to recruiting the last few years, does it start to pay off in 2023?
20. Utah - The western most team in college lacrosse last year was incredibly young, five of their top six scorers were sophomores last year and the long senior should have eligibility for next year. They seem to have hired the right guy in McMinn. Should definitely be a team to watch next year.

If you are still reading, thanks for humoring me. I am no expert (just look at my pick'em record) but this is a fun exercise. Please feel free to point out where I am wrong and share your own opinions. Other lacrosse writes much smarter than me will have their picks out soon I am sure. It should be interesting to look back on this list in the fall when most transfers have picked a new school to see how much of it has changed. I looked at a lot of blue blood programs that just didn't make the cut (Denver, UNC, Hopkins). That said, being part of the preseason top 20 doesn't guarantee much - UNC, Loyola and Lehigh were numbers 7-9 in Quint's list in February. Cornell wasn't ranked anywhere. So just keep in mind that the only guarantee in this is that it will be wrong!
Great write up! The Ivy League is going to be. handful for the foreseeable future (Cornell, Yale, Princeton, Harvard...). Maryland will be in the hunt once again. That defense will be elite. They will miss the elders that are finally exititing College Park. I agree where you put "Cuse and I expect ND to be very stout next year.

Looking forward to the upcoming PLL season.
 
Last edited:
I really think any of the bottom 3 (PSU, Michigan, JHU) in the Big Ten could appear in the top 20 next season.
PSU should have their top 2 offensive players: TJ Malone and Traynor back next year. Peden did nicely getting his feet wet last year. PSU had an attack recruit, Lazzaro, in the first wave of UA AA players. This could lead to a large increase in offensive punch for PSU.

Michigan seemed to die off in the 2nd half of the season, but they don't lose much to graduation. All will be a year older, sometimes that makes a difference.
 
I really think any of the bottom 3 (PSU, Michigan, JHU) in the Big Ten could appear in the top 20 next season.
PSU should have their top 2 offensive players: TJ Malone and Traynor back next year. Peden did nicely getting his feet wet last year. PSU had an attack recruit, Lazzaro, in the first wave of UA AA players. This could lead to a large increase in offensive punch for PSU.

Michigan seemed to die off in the 2nd half of the season, but they don't lose much to graduation. All will be a year older, sometimes that makes a difference.
I agree. Done see any of them getting much higher than the late teens, but you never know. Probably would have the most faith in Penn State. given all the heartbreakers they lost to good teams, along with the injuries you mentioned. Don't have too much faith in Hop. What a shame ;)
 
So any updates on the early rankings?
UNC has picked up a couple of decent offensive players lately.
OSU added a top defenseman, and a nice attackman from LIU. Like Syracuse, OSU still has the FO question mark.
Truitt Sunderland had a nice Nike AA game for UVa.

Are you sure you really want to have Georgetown at #1? I haven't even noticed them in a final four yet.
 
So any updates on the early rankings?
UNC has picked up a couple of decent offensive players lately.
OSU added a top defenseman, and a nice attackman from LIU. Like Syracuse, OSU still has the FO question mark.
Truitt Sunderland had a nice Nike AA game for UVa.

Are you sure you really want to have Georgetown at #1? I haven't even noticed them in a final four yet.
Nothing is won in July, but I would put ND in the top 3-4. Georgetown Has obviously picked up some really good transfers, but who knows how they will mesh. They also lost their top coordinator as well. That will hurt them IMO. Can never count out UVA and MD under Lars and Tills. I would throw in Cornell to round out the top 4.
 
So any updates on the early rankings?
UNC has picked up a couple of decent offensive players lately.
OSU added a top defenseman, and a nice attackman from LIU. Like Syracuse, OSU still has the FO question mark.
Truitt Sunderland had a nice Nike AA game for UVa.

Are you sure you really want to have Georgetown at #1? I haven't even noticed them in a final four yet.

Probably best to wait till the start of fall ball before doing another ranking. There are some other transfers to be settled. But it does seem like some teams have strengthened their squads. Who would your top five be?

UNC seems to be in the same boat as Syracuse, they both have very good freshmen coming in but their upper class ranks are a bit bare. I think SU has done a better job this summer in the portal but we will see if the Tar Heel's top ranked class from last year makes a jump. SU of course still really, really needs a FOGO. With a decent one I think they could jump into the top 10. If not, I've got real worries.

I thought one of the top 5 teams in my previous rankings would make a big jump with some significant transfer additions, but that hasn't really happened. Notre Dame has done a good job of brining in Tevlin, Fake and the defender from Holy Cross, but I still wonder if they will be a little thin offensively. Duke grabbed Schelling which should help but I still think they are playing with one hand behind their back having Williams and O'Neil on the same attack line. Also who plays goal for them? Maryland has been uncharacteristically quiet this offseason and has to replace the three d-mids who were drafted into the PLL. Cornell surprisingly added the attackman from Bryant who might help replace Piatelli.

I'm definitely not sold on Georgetown but they look, on paper at least, as the team with the fewest amount of questions. They have a lot to prove and losing their OC is a big blow, no doubt.

I think the top four or so (Gtown, UVA, Maryland, Cornell) should basically all be ranked the same, in a sort of bracket. That feels like the easy way out with something like this, but those four teams all feel very even. I keep thinking I ranked Maryland and Cornell too low but I'm not comfortable quite yet leaping them over UVA and Gtown.
 
2022 was Georgetown's best chance and they completely blew it. Phipps was a big part of their turnaround. Losing him is huge. I think they fall back towards the bottom part of the top 10.

Notre Dame is scary. They bring back a lot and they get even better on defense with their additions. Entenmann rock solid in goal. And they'll be playing with something to prove after being snubbed from the tournament.

ACC wise, I've got:
1. Notre Dame
2A. Duke
2B. Virginia
4. Syracuse
5. UNC

Heels have made some impactful adds in the portal but nothing makes up for the loss of Gray. They are still searching for an identity. Breschi might be a lame duck. Don't love the vibes around that program. In order to make the tournament Dom Petro basically has to be a star immediately.

Big Ten, Maryland is still Maryland. They are #1 until proven otherwise although they suddenly don't look THAT scary on offense anymore without Wisnauskas, Khan, DeMaio, and Donville. Those were their top 4 scorers. They haven't made any big splashes in the portal and their incoming freshman class is light on offense. I am not blown away by the talent waiting in the wings (Kelly, Koras, Brennan, etc.). Good players but not great ones. And, of course, they lose OC Benson. They'll be good on O but will take a step back from the otherworldly team we saw in 2022. The gap is closing. That said, defense goaltending and faceoffs are all still excellent.

Next would probably be OSU for me. Some nice adds in the portal. Biggest loss is Inacio, they'll have to figure something new out at X. 2022 will forever be known as Rutgers' best year ever. Don't see them getting back to the Final Four soon. Portal days are dwindling. They look like a house of cards. 4th I'd have Hopkins: They didn't lose anyone important to the portal and were lucky to bring back Degnon and Narewski. They will be better without Epstein and with Crawley in as coordinator. Already just a better cultural fit I think. No major portal adds that we know of but some talent in the incoming class. They'll be ok, probably a back end top 20 team and still better than Mich and PSU who are both messes.

Ivy: Cornell the top dogs. Princeton and Yale very close behind. I am not and have never been sold on Penn. They just never seem like real contenders to me. Always good but never great. Brown was deeply overrated last year and probably falls back to #5 in Ivy this year. Maybe even #6 if Harvard keeps improving. Byrne is a fantastic coach.

Denver: irrelevant.

Teams that will be better than people think: ND, OSU, Navy
Team that will be worse than people think: Rutgers, Penn, Brown, Army

that's all I got.
 
I guess I'd go with
1) Maryland - Definitely will fall back to the pack with the losses from the offense. Still have some good stuff though
2) Cornell - looks good. CJ Kirst was outstanding.
3) Princeton - Made it to the final 4. Loses Chris Brown, but the rest of the offense returns. They bring in a top face-off recruit to help bolster that area.
4) Virginia - Return a lot. Bring in a top attack recruit in Truitt Sunderland.
5) Georgetown - lots of good stuff. They have to get over the hump
6) Notre Dame -
7) Yale
8) Duke
 
-Princeton could be in a real nice spot if the freshman FOGO does well out of the gate. Definitely would have them top 3 maybe even top 2. Coulter Mackesy was one of the best looking freshman last year. Alex Slusher despite the stats being crazy lopsided towards goals is a very effective dodger as well. Dont lose all their dodging with Brown gone.

-Would maybe sneak osu into the top 10 but they do lose a lot on O, along with their FOGO. Maybe the LIU guy helps them there, but with Knox and Reid gone they may be missing that elite finisher. D obviously gets a boost with Hudgins but was also not particularly good last year (45th in efficiency according to the lax reference brainiacs).

- in pretty close agreement with Zach80s list above. MD #1 until proven otherwise, despite the losses. I think the O still will be a major problem. Combine that with Weirman and they are still top dog. Biggest question I have is if they can recover from those SSDM losses. But then they had McEnany making a big leap just like Weirman did.

-Dark horse for me would be Harvard. Had a ridiculously young offense last year and still held their own. Could see a really high powered offense from them next year with another year under the belt of the freshman. Dont believe they lose any of their close D either and Byrne at the helm doesn't hurt there. Only issue is seriously bad fogo situation.
 
Duke grabbed Schelling which should help but I still think they are playing with one hand behind their back having Williams and O'Neil on the same attack line.
Curious what you mean by this Mr. Powellfan. Think they should ditch Williams at attack and go with three dodgers?
 
Dark horse for me could be Delaware. I do not think that their victory over Georgetown was a complete fluke. They gave Cornell a run for their money as well. Deluca is a solid coach and they have some core players coming back. I could see them back in the hunt next season.
 
Dark horse for me could be Delaware. I do not think that their victory over Georgetown was a complete fluke. They gave Cornell a run for their money as well. Deluca is a solid coach and they have some core players coming back. I could see them back in the hunt next season.
Grant on D is a loss. Had some highly questionable losses early last year but they sure did finish strong.
 
I guess I'd go with
1) Maryland - Definitely will fall back to the pack with the losses from the offense. Still have some good stuff though
2) Cornell - looks good. CJ Kirst was outstanding.
3) Princeton - Made it to the final 4. Loses Chris Brown, but the rest of the offense returns. They bring in a top face-off recruit to help bolster that area.
4) Virginia - Return a lot. Bring in a top attack recruit in Truitt Sunderland.
5) Georgetown - lots of good stuff. They have to get over the hump
6) Notre Dame -
7) Yale
8) Duke

As much as Maryland has earned the benefit of the doubt I can't in good conscious put them at #1 when you look at what they lost from an offensive standpoint. Goalie and FOGO are in outstand shape and D returns a good amount but man Wisnauskas, Khan, DeMaio, Fairman, Donville is a ton to lose before even adding in Rahill, Prybylski, and Puglise. The cupboard is definitely not bare with Makar, Long, Maltz, Kelly, Malever, Murphy, Wierman, and young guys like Spanos etc but I don't care how good a coach you are, you lose that many stars your taking a step back. Maryland has also been pretty quiet (for their standard) in the portal which is a bit surprising to be honest. Perhaps they have something up there sleeve but I though Dordevic or the dude from Lehigh would have both fit in perfectly.

Good news for them is they should clearly be the head of the class for the B10. RU will take a step back if not several, PSU and Hop have good O players coming in but will likely need another year or 2 to get fully up to speed and Michigan is Michigan. OSU has done a real nice job in the portal but FOGO and Offense are major question marks.
 
Idk I think you guys are underestimating Cuse this coming yr. With the transfers, Hiltz back and better with more experience, then the young guys this team can be real solid. I went back and watched a bunch of games from last season. D mids and goalie killed this team. Most goals let up were D mids getting torched or Gavin just not making any saves to help his team out. With the transfers being all solid players and the new recruits this team can be very good and top 10. Last yr was tough for Gait and Petro to make big changes. This yr it's their team now and can make the team better. Coaching matters and their both top notch. I think this team surprises next yr. Maybe I'm crazy but I really believe it.
 
Idk I think you guys are underestimating Cuse this coming yr. With the transfers, Hiltz back and better with more experience, then the young guys this team can be real solid. I went back and watched a bunch of games from last season. D mids and goalie killed this team. Most goals let up were D mids getting torched or Gavin just not making any saves to help his team out. With the transfers being all solid players and the new recruits this team can be very good and top 10. Last yr was tough for Gait and Petro to make big changes. This yr it's their team now and can make the team better. Coaching matters and their both top notch. I think this team surprises next yr. Maybe I'm crazy but I really believe it.

We can definitely be better this year but there are a lot of question marks right now with no clear answer. Who are the two starting close defenders next to Caccamo? Seems like it could be two true frosh, that's going to be a roller coaster regardless of how talented they are and SU is bringing in some really good close defenders this class.

Goalie seems like it will be a strength now but FOGO and midfield remain question marks especially at FOGO. SU's current FOGO situation sits somewhere between bad and disaster and its precipitously close to disaster. If we can't get that shored up were in for major trouble. Offense overall seems like it could be really good assuming minimal injuries and the transfers meshing in well but again FOGO sticks out like a giant blaring red light on the Dome.
 
We can definitely be better this year but there are a lot of question marks right now with no clear answer. Who are the two starting close defenders next to Caccamo? Seems like it could be two true frosh, that's going to be a roller coaster regardless of how talented they are and SU is bringing in some really good close defenders this class.

Goalie seems like it will be a strength now but FOGO and midfield remain question marks especially at FOGO. SU's current FOGO situation sits somewhere between bad and disaster and its precipitously close to disaster. If we can't get that shored up were in for major trouble. Offense overall seems like it could be really good assuming minimal injuries and the transfers meshing in well but again FOGO sticks out like a giant blaring red light on the Dome.
I think there is time left for a fogo add on.. gotta keep a little hope alive.. I don’t see them going in with only 2 on the roster
 
I forgot about Fogo. They must trust this young kid being they haven't taken a shot on anyone in portal. I'm hoping. Lol
 
I think there is time left for a fogo add on.. gotta keep a little hope alive.. I don’t see them going in with only 2 on the roster

They will definitely add at least 1 guy but the issue is the longer this drags on the less options the staff will have and the less likely whoever they bring in will be able to make a major impact.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
167,141
Messages
4,682,381
Members
5,900
Latest member
DizzyNY

Online statistics

Members online
306
Guests online
1,396
Total visitors
1,702


Top Bottom