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NOVEMBER 6, 2025
composed by STEVE ULRICH
We cover DIII lacrosse like no other publication. #d3lax #whyD3

🍂 Hello, November. Is it still fall ball when the time changes?

🗞️ In Today’s Edition. Championship Bench Size Increases. USA Lacrosse Launches Partnership with Coaching HER. Keene’s Brown Selected to Attend NCAA Immersion Program. Pomona’s Gough Eyes Spot on Australian Lacrosse Team.

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TOP STORY

1. Championship Bench Size Increases

At the October 14 meeting of the Division III Championships Committee, the committee reviewed feedback it had requested from sport committees, including men’s and women’s lacrosse, regarding whether increasing the bench limit to include all rostered student-athletes as facilities allow would be appropriate to maximize flexibility for participating schools.

After discussing the feedback, the Championships Committee agreed to the following, effective for the 2025-26 championships:

• Accept the new recommendations as proposed, including those from sport committees desiring to include all rostered student-athletes and those from sport committees with a set number.

• For sports recommending that the bench limit include all rostered student athletes, the additional personnel in the bench area must have a specific role and are subject to the team’s ability to adequately oversee the increased bench size.

• The host’s ability to accommodate the sport committee’s recommendations must be communicated during the pre-championship call after selections so that the visiting team(s) can make the proper arrangements.

• Sport committees shall determine how or whether to distinguish players who are not eligible to participate in the competition from those who are (i.e., the squad size). Current policies regarding what student-athletes beyond those within the squad size are allowed to do during the championships will remain the same.

• The committee will discuss the prescribed penalties for playing an ineligible player during its November videoconference. Such penalties also must be a point of emphasis during the pre-championship call.

2. USA Lacrosse Launches Partnership with Coaching HER

“Coaching girls is more than just skills development - it's about creating an environment where they feel empowered, confident, and supported to reach their full potential.

With an eye on helping to keep youth girls and young women engaged with lacrosse, USA Lacrosse is pleased to launch a new partnership with Coaching HER – a free resource available to USA Lacrosse member coaches and officials.

Designed specifically for coaches of female athletes, Coaching HER™ offers free online courses, events, and trainings that challenge the status quo and provide practical tools to help coaches address issues specific to girls and women in sports. Coaching HER is a project of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota.”

» Driving The News. “Statistics from the Tucker Center indicate that how a young female athlete feels about her coach is one of the most important factors in determining whether or not she keeps playing sports. Additionally, the Women’s Sport Foundation reports that organizations with trained coaches see 40% higher athlete retention among girls.”

» What They’re Saying. “We know that coaches are powerful role models who can impact girls' self-perceptions, experiences, and development,” Caitlin Kelley, senior director of sport experience at USA Lacrosse, said. “Data shows that the majority of girls say that a positive relationship with their coach is a top reason why they keep playing lacrosse. For that reason, we’re proud to offer these resources to our members so that we can all work together to build a supportive and inclusive environment for girls in lacrosse.”

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3. Aspiring Teacher, Student Leader, Lacrosse Standout, Keene’s Brown Selected to Attend NCAA Immersion Program

“In her time at Keene State, Tess Brown ’26 has forged lifelong friendships, set records on the playing field, and embraced ambitious academic and leadership goals with exceptional passion and drive.

And it is paying off wondrously.

In January, Tess, a secondary education and mathematics double-major, lacrosse team captain, student tutor, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President, will attend the weeklong NCAA Convention in National Harbor, Maryland.”

» Why It Matters. “The Londonderry, NH, native is among 40 college and university students nationwide chosen to participate in the prestigious Division III Student Immersion Program. Selected juniors and seniors make connections, learn, and explore leadership careers within Division III athletics.”

» The Big Picture. “A midfielder, Tess will enter her senior season on the lacrosse team with 131 career goals and 53 assists, coming off back-to-back 50-plus goal campaigns. Dominant on both sides of the field, Tess is a two-time First Team All-Little East Conference (LEC).”

» Quotable. “I am proud that, in my various responsibilities, I’ve stayed true to myself and my values,” she says. “In every leadership role I’ve held, I’ve strived to make my voice heard and to advocate for those who need it.” (Keene State)

4. Pomona’s Gough Eyes Spot on Australian Lacrosse Team Bound for 2026 World Cup, 2028 LA Olympics

“Whether she’s in Sagehen blue or Australian gold, Hannah Gough ’25 commands attention on the lacrosse field.

The Adelaide, Australia, native concluded her four years at Pomona an All-American and three-time first-team all-conference honoree. The Sagehens won 76 games with Gough patrolling the midfield, never lost to rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and advanced twice to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight.

Her Sagehen career complete, Gough has her sight set on making the Australian national team bound for the 2026 World Cup in Tokyo and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.”

» Situational Awareness. “With Australia still very much in lockdown in 2021, she says she had to sign a declaration before leaving for Claremont that she understood it was uncertain when she could return home. She landed in Southern California with no more than two suitcases. “I’ve always been someone to take risks,” she says.”

» Driving The News. “In January, she returned home to play for Australia at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Women’s Lacrosse Championship. The Aussies took silver, punching their ticket to the 2026 World Cup. In August, Gough was an alternate for Australia at The World Games in Chengdu, China. She later received an invitation to attend two World Cup trial camps this winter.”

» Between The Lines. “Gough’s trotted the globe this fall while working for a consulting startup in San Francisco. In her role, she collaborates with safety and policy teams at leading tech companies to solve their emerging challenges. “I’m really lucky to have found a job that’s flexible and conducive to still training,” she says.”

» Quotable. “The Olympics are what every athlete dreams of,” she says. “There’s so much pride and so much love and excitement in playing for your country. It’s not something a lot of people get to do.” (Pomona College)

5. Lightning Round

» Rules Committee. The DIII Championships Committee approved the men’s lacrosse rules committee appointment of Jake DeCola, head coach at Albion.

» Joint Women’s Championship. “NCAA staff noted the collaboration underway to stage a joint Division I, II and III Women’s Lacrosse Championship for 2027 and 2028. Division I is expected to extend the invitation to Divisions II and III later this month. If so, the Division III Championships Committee will be asked to consider the recommendation via electronic correspondence before its regularly scheduled November videoconference in order to time  up with other key meetings in the approval process (particularly the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, which meets November 10).”

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