MARCH 26, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

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🥍  Last Wednesday Game in March. Pump It Up. The inimitable Elvis Costello

Headlines
Top-5 Women’s Showdown in PA
Are Top 3 Pulling Away?
No Changes at Top in Men’s Rankings
Cantele Named Gettysburg Commencement Speaker

Tuesday Scores of Note
M: #1 Tufts d. Union, 20-10; #20 Middlebury d. Springfield, 20-6; Colby d. MIT, 16-15
W: Sewanee d. Augustana, 15-5; Ohio Wesleyan d. Ohio Northern, 19-5

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GAME OF THE DAY
1. Battle of Unbeatens as #5 Mules Tangle With #2 Diplomats

At the start of the day Tuesday, there were 12 remaining undefeated teams in DIII women’s lacrosse.

By the end of the night Wednesday, that number will be reduced by one.

No. 2 Franklin & Marshall puts its 8-0 record on the line against No. 5 Colby (6-0) as the White Mules visit Lancaster.

For the Diplomats, it will be their sixth matchup against a top-25 foe this season and third in their last four games. The Mules face their third top-20 opponent of the year as they enter the toughest part of their schedule with No. 3 Tufts on deck Saturday and No. 1 Middlebury the following weekend.

F&M has three 20-goal scorers in Lauren Pittman (24-10-34), Lydia Cassilly (21-11-32) and Lane Lambeth (21-1-22), along with a stout defense that is permitting just 7.75 goals per game. GK Sara DiGiovanni has a 57.7 save percentage on the season and has turned aside 61% of shots over the last four contests.

Julia Jardina tops the Colby scoring charts with 24 goals and a pair of assists, while Ashley Dion and Kins Helmer each have tallied eight times. The Mule defense has also been a strong point in 2025, surrendering just 7.67 goals per game in front of keeper Jillian Kane (42.4 save pct.).

This is the first-ever meeting between the schools with opening draw set for 4:30 p.m.

» Watch LIVE

LACROSSE (W)
2. Are Top 3 Pulling Away From Pack?

The top three teams in DIII women’s lacrosse made their respective cases last week and remained atop the latest rankings. Middlebury took down Gettysburg and TCNJ, while Franklin & Marshall upended William Smith and Salisbury. Not to be outdone, Tufts posted big wins against Washington and Lee and Christopher Newport.

» Conference Call (USA Lacrosse). NESCAC (6), Centennial (2), Liberty (2), NJAC (2), ODAC (2), CLC (1), E8 (1), MACC (1), MACF (1), NEWMAC (1), SCIAC (1)

» Undefeated Teams. According to NCAA Statistics, there are 12 undefeated teams remaining in DIII women’s lacrosse - Colby, DeSales, Franklin & Marshall, John Carroll, Middlebury, Nichols, Rowan, Sewanee, St. John Fisher, Thiel, Tufts and UW-Stout.

» Games We’re Watching Today. #11 TCNJ at #4 Gettysburg (7-1); #9 William Smith (5-2) at #14 St. John Fisher; Williams at #10 Pomona-Pitzer (9-1).

LACROSSE (M)
3. No Change At Top After Wild Week

Tufts held onto the top spot in both DIII men’s lacrosse polls by the slimmest of margins as the Jumbos defeated Christopher Newport in overtime after a game-winning goal by the Captains was waved off. RIT opened Liberty League play with an impressive 13-10 triumph against RIT. And Amherst was four better than Bowdoin to stake its claim as a NESCAC challenger to Tufts.

» Conference Call (USA Lacrosse). NESCAC (5), Centennial (4), CLC (2), Liberty (2), MACC (2), MACF (1), NCAC (1), NEWMAC (1), ODAC (1), SUNYAC (1)

» Undefeated Teams. According to NCAA Statistics, there are five undefeated teams remaining in DIII men’s lacrosse - Amherst, Dean, Elmhurst, Salisbury and Tufts.

» Games We’re Watching Today. #3 RIT (9-1) at #17 Cortland (7-1); #18 Babson
(6-2) at #9 Bowdoin (6-1); Farmingdale (6-2) at FDU-Florham (6-1); Haverford (8-1) at F&M (7-2)

NEWS
4. Cantele Selected as Gettysburg’s Commencement Speaker

courtesy Gettysburg College

“Over the last four years, the members of the Class of 2025 have been practicing their skills, expanding their knowledge, and taking advantage of new learning opportunities as they prepare for the game of life that lies ahead. Looking to inspire our new graduates in the next phase of their journeys will be an elite college coach and Hall of Famer who realized her own dreams as a student-athlete and coach at Gettysburg College.

“On behalf of our entire Gettysburg College community, I am delighted to announce Coach Carol Cantele ’83, P’15 as this year’s Commencement speaker,” said President Bob Iuliano. “Coach Cantele has been a pillar of service and leadership on our campus for more than three decades, and her impact extends far beyond Clark Field.”

» Why It Matters. “Cantele is one of the most decorated coaches in the history of college lacrosse and was recently named to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame this past January. She is also a member of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Hall of Fame and the Gettysburg College Hall of Athletic Honor. She retired from coaching in 2022 after leading Gettysburg to 446 victories, 13 Centennial Conference titles, and three NCAA Division III championships over three decades.”

» Quotable. "I've always encouraged my student-athletes to 'step outside of your comfort zone,' because that's where growth and magic happen. It's what makes life exciting,” Cantele said. “By accepting the invitation to be this year's commencement speaker, I suppose I’m taking my own advice. I’m so proud to have the opportunity to address this remarkable class and celebrate their accomplishments as they take the next step in their journeys."

» Read More

NEWS
5. Around the Nation

» Simply The Best. “Nobody in the history of NCAA lacrosse — men’s or women’s, Division I, II or III — has accrued more points than Capital senior Grace Osborn. Osborn, a Pickerington, Ohio, product, posted six goals and three assists in Saturday’s win at Otterbein, giving her 569 career points. In the midst of another standout performance, Osborn passed LIU Post’s Jackie Sileo’s NCAA record of 564 points.”

» Reviewing Video Review. “The second year of video review in college lacrosse continues to provide some growing pains. On Sunday night, Penn State midfielder Jack Aimone thought he had brought the game within three with about six minutes left in the third quarter. His lefty blast hit the underside of the crossbar before spinning out from past the goal-line and back into play. When Ohio State picked up the groundball with no call made on the field, they successfully cleared it before Penn State coach Jeff Tambroni tossed the red challenge flag. While viewers were able to see on the Big Ten broadcast angle that showed clear evidence of the ball bouncing back into play from beyond the goal-line, the on-field officials weren't as fortunate.”

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