NOVEMBER 25, 2024 | written by STEVE ULRICH

News and notes on the largest and best Division in the NCAA. #whyD3
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😎 Monday, Monday. It’s a short week, let’s make the most of it.

Headlines
🏃 UW-La Crosse, MIT bring home cross country championships
🏑 7th Heaven for Middlebury
⚽️ Three of Four for NESCAC
⚽️ Four for Vegas
🏐 Great Eight Set for Salem

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TOP STORY
1. Bringing It Home

The Wisconsin-La Crosse men and the MIT women were victorious at the 2024 NCAA Division III cross country championships in Terra Haute, Ind. on Saturday.

The Eagles brought home the trophy with a score of 77 points. Wartburg (173) came in second and Pomona-Pitzer (182) took third. Christian Patzka of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater won the men's 8k with a time of 24:01.6.

The Engineer women captured the crown with a team score of 128 points. Chicago came in second (138) and Williams took third (155). Faith Duncan of Wilmington (Ohio) won the women's 6k with a time of 20:16.5.

» Results

» Watch the Races

FIELD HOCKEY
2. 7th Heaven For Middlebury

Middlebury scored twice in an eight-minute span of the second half and held on to defeat Tufts, 2-1, and secure its seventh consecutive NCAA DIII field hockey championship. The Panthers (19-2) outshot the Jumbos (19-3), 13-4, to win their ninth national title.

Caroline Segal put the Panthers in front with a diving goal with 2:10 left in the third period and Georgianne Defeo extended the lead to 2-0 on a goal with just under 10 minutes left. Kylie Rosenquist made it a one-goal game on a Tufts tally with 8:54 left but the Panther defense stiffened from there, not permitting another shot for the title.

Middlebury’s Lily Branka was named the tournament’s MVP.

» Worth Noting. It was the fifth time that a pair of NESCAC members met for the national title. Middlebury has appeared on all five, winning three times.

» Continue Reading

SOCCER (M)
3. NESCAC Secures Three Spots in Final Four

The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) advanced three teams to the national semifinals in the 2024 NCAA DIII men’s soccer championship.

🔵 Middlebury 0, Babson 0. (Panthers advance on PKs, 4-3). Middlebury (17-1-4) advanced to the national semifinals for the second time in program history after edging Babson, 4-3, in penalties. The two teams could not have been more even, as the Beavers held a 16-15 edge in shots, while the Panthers had six corners to Babson’s five. Will Sawin buried the decisive PK in the upper left-corner of the net to enable Midd to advance.

🐫 Connecticut College 2, Denison 1. Sophomore Elliot Spatz scored twice in the span of six minutes to boost the Camels (13-2-7) past the Big Red and into the Final Four. Denison scored first in the 14th on a goal from Henri Heyes before Spatz tallied in the 30th and 36th for Conn. The 2021 national champs are back in the semifinals for just the second time in program history.

🔵 Washington and Lee 3, Dickinson 2. Senior Lucas Pleasants scored a pair of goals as the Generals (15-3-6) punched their ticket to their third Final Four in four seasons with a 3-2 triumph at Dickinson. Pleasants scored on a PK in the 2nd and off a corner in the 38th for a 2-1 lead at the break. Jack Travis added the decisive tally in the 62nd.

🟣 Amherst 2, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 1. A PK by Mohammed Nuhu in the 65th proved to be the difference as the Mammoths made it three NESCAC teams in the Final Four with a 2-1 triumph at Eau Claire. Ben Eden-Clark gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with a tally in the 36th before Nuhu gave Amherst a 2-0 lead. Porter Ball scored just two minutes later to close the gap to 2-1 but UWEC could not get the equalizer.

» National Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 5, Las Vegas NV). Middlebury vs. Amherst, 5:30 ET; Washington and Lee vs. Connecticut College, 9:00 ET

SOCCER (W)
4. Four For Vegas

The final four teams are set for the DIII women’s soccer semifinals in two weeks in Las Vegas.

⚓️ Christopher Newport 3, Johns Hopkins 2. In a matchup of teams that won two of the last three national titles, it was the Captains’ (19-1-2) Corinne Kulik who sealed the deal, stealing the ball from the Jays’ GK and scoring in the 80th.

🐻 Washington U. 1, Chicago 0. First-year Olivia Clemens scored in the 81st minute to lift the top-ranked Bears past their UAA rival Maroons. WashU (21-0-2) qualifies for the national semis for the second straight season and seventh time overall.

🟢 William Smith 1, Trinity TX 0. First-year Nell Dwyer scored in the 58th and the Heron defense made it stand up as William Smith (16-3-4) advanced to the Final Four for the 12th time with a 1-0 triumph over the Tigers.

🦅 Emory 1, Amherst 0. Sophomore Madison Teng scored in the 38th minute and the Eagles (14-3-4) defense stood tall to advance to the national semis against the Mammoths. Amherst outshot Emory, 17-16, but Emory GK Sophia Garcia posted a clean sheet with eight saves.

» National Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 5, Las Vegas NV). Washington U. vs. Christopher Newport; William Smith vs. Emory.

VOLLEYBALL
5. Great Eight Set for Salem

La Verne pulled the biggest upset of the regional round of the DIII women’s volleyball championship, sweeping No. 4 MIT in straight sets to advance to the national quarterfinals.

Other top-10 ranked teams to fail to advance included No. 8 East Texas Baptist, who was ousted by Christopher Newport, No. 9 Marietta, who was bounced by Illinois Wesleyan, and No. 10 Washington U., who was defeated by UW-Platteville, all in the second round.

» National Quarterfinals (December 4, Salem Va.). #3 Emory vs. #6 UW-Whitewater (11:30 a.m. ET); #2 Johns Hopkins vs. #7 UW-Whitewater (2 p.m.); #1 Juniata vs. #6 La Verne (4:30 p.m.); #4 Hope vs. #5 Washington and Lee (7 p.m.)

» Complete Bracket

NEWS
6. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🏑 Elite 90. Salisbury’s Emma Radebaugh is the recipient of the Elite 90 Award for field hockey.

🗞️ News. Johns Hopkins’ Ernie Larossa was named the recipient of the USILA Doyle Smith Sports Information Award.

💰️ Finances. Fitch Ratings lowered its outlook for Anderson University from “stable” to “negative.” In explaining the change, analysts with the credit rating agency pointed to the university’s reliance on temporary measures such as asset sales and “extraordinary” draws on its endowment to cover budget gaps in fiscal years 2023 and 2024, and for an expected deficit in 2025. Moody's Ratings has revised Lewis & Clark College's outlook to stable from positive. The affirmation of Lewis and Clark College's A3 issuer rating reflects strong budgetary management supporting consistently good EBIDA margins.

✍️ Op-Ed. Michael W. Clune writes that the politicization of research, hiring, and teaching made professors sitting ducks.

TRANSACTIONS
7. Comings and Goings

• ALFRED - Bill Sortore and David Branigan named assistant track and field coaches

• AVERETT - Danny Miller named director of athletics 

• CARTHAGE - Ian Wilson resigned as head women’s soccer coach

• JOHN CARROLL - Tony Scibelli named head softball coach 

• LAWRENCE - Korey Krueger named head softball coach 

• ROSEMONT - John Loiodice resigned as head men’s soccer coach

• SUNY DELHI - Robb Munro named director of athletics

• WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE - Erin Connolly named assistant women’s ice hockey coach

1 THING
8. Plays of the Weekend

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