Four Named to Good Works Team

Plus: Rankings Wednesday, Best Fight Song Contest, What We're Watching

Author

Steve Ulrich
September 13, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023 | written by STEVE ULRICH

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TOP STORY
1. Four Named to Good Works Team

Cameron Bannister, Central

“Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) are recognizing four Division III student-athletes for exemplary community impact by naming them to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team ®.

“This is one of the highest community service awards college football players can receive,” said Sam Acho, ESPN analyst, author and 2010 Good Works Team member said. “It serves as an important reminder to these athletes: they’re more than just football players.”

» What They’re Saying. “It’s amazing to see what these athletes have done at such a young age,” AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry said. “They balance athletics, schoolwork and community service. This is an outstanding group of men who will continue the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team legacy.”

» DIII Honorees. Bethel OL Evan Ginter, Central SS Cameron Bannister, Johns Hopkins RB Spencer Uggla and Saint John WR Jimmy Buck.

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SOCCER (M/W)
2. New Teams Top Soccer Polls

Julia Martin, Messiah

The Messiah women and Mary Washington men are the new No. 1 teams in the country in the latest United Soccer Coaches’ polls.

The Falcons are off to a 4-0 start and leap-frogged Johns Hopkins and Case Western Reserve into the top spot.

Tufts made the week’s largest jump, moving from No. 24 to No. 7 in the rankings.

Pomona-Pitzer made the biggest move among the unranked teams from last season, taking over the No. 10 position.

Eight teams that were unranked in the final 2022 poll moved into the first rankings of the 2023 campaign.

Women’s Top 10

  1. Messiah, 4-0

  2. Carnegie Mellon, 4-0

  3. Christopher Newport, 4-0

  4. Johns Hopkins, 3-1

  5. William Smith, 2-0-1

  6. Washington U., 3-0

  7. Tufts, 2-0

  8. Case Western Reserve, 3-0-1

  9. Misericordia, 3-1

  10. Pomona-Pitzer, 4-0

» Goal Scoring Machine. Gallaudet junior Ashley Harlicker scored six goals in the Bison’s 8-1 win vs. Penn State Scranton.

» Unbeaten. There are 28 clubs that are unbeaten and untied, according to NCAA stats as of Monday.

Josh Kirkland, Mary Washington

For the first time ever, Mary Washington tops the DIII men’s poll.

The Eagles’ 4-0 start boosted them past preseason top three Chicago, Williams and Stevens.

The Maroons only fell one spot into a tie for second along with Messiah.

John Carroll made the biggest move from the 2022 final poll, jumping 18 slots into the No. 5 position.

Eleven sides that did not appear in the final 2022 poll (which is also the 2023 preseason poll) are in this week’s listing.

Men’s Top 10

  1. Mary Washington, 4-0

  2. (tie) Messiah, 4-0

  3. (tie) Chicago, 2-0-1

  4. Williams, 2-0

  5. John Carroll, 4-0

  6. Montclair State, 4-0

  7. Rochester, 3-0

  8. St. Thomas, 4-0

  9. Franklin & Marshall, 4-0

  10. Gustavus Adolphus, 2-0-2

» First-Year Show. Notre Dame (Md.) first-year Hector Alvarez had a day to remember, scoring four goals and assisting on three others in the Gators’ 11-0 triumph over Gallaudet.

» Double Figures. Six teams have registered 10 or more goals in match in the first 10 days, including a 15-goal outburst by DeSales against Penn State Schuylkill.

» Undefeated. There are 39 unbeaten Division III clubs through September 11, according to NCAA stats.

FIELD HOCKEY
3. Panthers On Top

Caroline Segal, Middlebury (photo by Will C Images, LLC)

Five-time defending champion Middlebury holds down the top spot as the first weekly NFHCA poll was released on Tuesday.

The top eight teams in the preseason poll remained in the top eight, albeit with some movement.

The Panthers and Johns Hopkins remain 1-2, while Babson leaped four spots to No. 3.

Messiah made a three-spot move to No. 5, while Rowan slipped five spots to No. 8 after a pair of defeats.

York (Pa.) registered three season-opening wins to slide into the top 10 at No. 9. Ursinus and Catholic moved into the top 25 after being unranked to start the year.

NFHCA Top 10

  1. Middlebury, 3-0

  2. Johns Hopkins, 3-1

  3. Babson, 4-0

  4. Salisbury, 3-1

  5. Messiah, 3-0

  6. Tufts, 2-0

  7. Williams, 1-1

  8. Rowan, 2-2

  9. York, Pa., 3-0

  10. Amherst, 1-1

» One For The Thumb. Castleton junior Emily Harris found the back of the net five times as the Spartans downed Oneonta, 6-3.

» Double Digits. Seven teams have registered 10 or more goals in games in the season’s first 11 days, led by Lasell’s 12 vs. Elms and Middlebury’s 12 against Castleton.

» Undefeated. There are presently 29 undefeated clubs in DIII field hockey entering Monday’s play, according to NCAA stats.

VOLLEYBALL (W)
4. Oshkosh, WashU Make Big Moves

Defending national champion Juniata retained the top spot in the latest AVCA Division III rankings.

Eight of last week’s top 10 teams remained on the top shelf of DIII programs, albeit in different positions.

UW-Oshkosh jumped five spots to No. 3, while Washington U. made a seven-spot leap to No. 7. Emory entered the top-10 at No. 9.

There are just seven unbeatens in the top-25 - Juniata, Hope, Oshkosh, Emory, Wesleyan (Conn.), Mary Washington, Mount St. Joseph, and La Verne.

AVCA Top 10

  1. Juniata, 6-0

  2. Hope, 6-0

  3. UW-Oshkosh, 10-0

  4. Claremont-M-S, 4-2

  5. Calvin, 6-1

  6. Northwestern, 4-1

  7. Washington U., 6-1

  8. Johns Hopkins, 4-2

  9. Emory, 6-0

  10. UW-Whitewater, 6-1

» Big Swing. Lebanon Valley senior Taylor McInerney recorded a DIII-high 35 kills in the Dutchwomen’s 3-1 win vs. Dickinson.

» Perfect. There are 26 teams that are undefeated according to NCAA stats as of Monday.

BANDS
5. Best Fight Song 2023

Have you submitted your school’s band and fight song for our 2023 contest? Entries close on Friday.

STREAMING
6. What We’re Watching Today

  • 🏑 #3 Babson vs. #15 Bates, 4p | NEWMAC Network

  • ⚽️ W: #22 Williams vs. Springfield, 5p | Northeast Sports Network

  • 🏑 #2 Salisbury vs. #4 Johns Hopkins, 6p | Centennial Network

  • ⚽️ W: #4 Johns Hopkins vs. #25 TCNJ, 6p | TCNJ

  • ⚽️ M: #10 Gustavus Adolphus vs. Carleton, 6p ET | MIAC Network

  • ⚽️ W: Swarthmore vs. Rowan, 630p | YouTube

  • 🏐 North Central, Ill. vs. North Park, 7p ET | BoxCast

  • 🏐 Case Western Reserve vs. Baldwin-Wallace, 7p | BoxCast

  • ⚽️ M: #24 Tufts vs. Wesleyan (Conn.), 7p | JumboCast

  • ⚽️ M: #22 Case Western Reserve vs. #5 John Carroll, 730p | BoxCast

NEWS
7. Lightning Round

🏃🏻‍♀️ Cross Country. St. Lawrence’s Michael Skutt and Lebanon Valley’s Lauren Bunke were named the USTFCCCA Division III National Athletes of the Week.

🏐 Volleyball. Randolph-Macon’s Grace Parker was named the AVCA Division III Player of the Week.

🗞 News. Colleges are ditching the SAT. The high school transcript should be next.

🏈 Football. Mark Podolski of the News-Herald wrote a glowing preview on the Baldwin-Wallace-John Carroll football game, saying “there might not be a better value for a sporting event in Northeast Ohio.”

TRANSACTIONS
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