January 15, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

Welcome to D3 Lacrosse, devoted to NCAA Division III men’s and women’s lacrosse

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Headlines
🏛️ More than 1 in 5 DIII men’s lax players bet on sports at least once a month
🥍 Liberty League Men’s Preview
🔴 2025 Women’s Recruiting
🔼 All-Time Victories

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1. NCAA Study: Education Shows Promise in Changing Sports Betting Behaviors

by Massillon Myers, NCAA

“A new NCAA survey of the gambling behaviors of more than 20,000 student-athletes, the fifth such NCAA study on the topic since 2004 but the first since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowed states to legally operate sportsbooks, is providing an in-depth view into how the quickly changing sports betting landscape in the U.S. is impacting those who play NCAA sports.

Even with the proliferation of legal sports betting in the United States since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, similar percentages of NCAA student-athletes reported betting on sports for money in 2016 and 2024.”

» Why It Matters. “Frequent bettors were more numerous in Division II and especially in Division III in 2024 as compared with 2016. In 2016, 12% of Division III men bet on sports once per month or more versus 17% in 2024. In the men's sports that have traditionally had the highest proportion of sports bettors over the last 20 years across divisions (baseball, basketball, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse and soccer), the percentage of Division III men who said they bet on sports once a month or more in 2024 grew substantially in aggregate relative to 2016. The percentages for those sports individually for Division III men ranged from 15% to more than 25%. The Division I range of such frequent sports betting among participants in those same seven men's sports was 2% to 8% in 2024.”

» Quotable. "We need to continue to focus on education and additional harm prevention techniques in this space," NCAA President Charlie Baker said. "Most young people are exposed to gambling while they're in high school, and by the time they graduate college, some develop an unhealthy relationship with betting. We are focused on supporting student-athletes and providing them with resources to combat these behaviors."

» Read the Full Study

2. Preview: Liberty League (M)

The Liberty League was one of the top conferences in DIII men’s lacrosse last season. The eight teams combined for a 71-18 non-conference record with every squad above .600.

RIT, St. Lawrence and RPI all shared the regular-season title with 6-1 records but the Engineers captured the league title and the Liberty’s automatic berth to the NCAAs with a thrilling 15-14 win over the Tigers.

Four teams received bids to the NCAAs - RIT, SLU, RPI and Union - with the Tigers reaching the final before falling to Tufts, 18-14.

RIT’s Clifford Gaston is the leading returning goal scorer (75). St. Lawrence GK Michael Marinello returns after posting the league’s top marks in save percentage (.627) and goals-against average (7.46).

Returning Statistical Leaders

Clarkson (8-9, 2-5) | Goals: Andrew Kearney (35) | Assists: Kearney, Mario Streiff (10)
Goalie: Griffin Emerson (10.13 / 53.8%)
Ithaca (8-8, 1-6) | Goals: Charlie Niebuhr (30) | Assists: Kyle Proctor (19)
Goalie: none
RIT (21-3, 6-1) | Goals: Clifford Gaston (74) | Assists: Gaston (37)
Goalie: Alex Zborowski (10.35 / 56.0%)
RPI (17-3, 6-1) | Goals: Sean Smith (37) | Assists: Tyler Ruffini (33)
Goalie: Joseph Perry (9.38 / 57.9%)
St. Lawrence (15-4, 6-1) | Goals: Ben Hutchinson (44) | Assists: Hutchinson (31)
Goalie: Michael Marinello (7.46 / 62.7%)
Skidmore (9-7, 1-6) | Goals: Brian Gonsalves (39) | Assists: Gonsalves (27)
Goalie: Cameron Shipman (10.06 / 42.9%)
Union (12-6, 4-3) | Goals: Peter Kip (46) | Assists: Kip (23)
Goalie: Nick Lynch (17.57 / 52.4%)
Vassar (9-6, 2-5) | Goals: TJ Carl (25) | Assists: Gavin Arcuri (12)
Goalie: Drew Quinn (12.51 / 49.7%)

D3Lacrosse’s Preseason All-Liberty League
A-Clifford Gaston, Sr., RIT; A-Brian Gonsalves, Sr., Skidmore; A-Peter Kip, Grad., Union; M-Seth Grottenthaler, Grad., RIT; M-Sean Smith, Sr., RPI; M-Bobby Wells, Sr., St. Lawrence; LSM-John Sula, Jr., Union; SSM-Patrick Reilly, Sr., Union; SSM-Caleb Torres, Sr., St. Lawrence; FO-Paddy Condon, Sr., St. Lawrence; D-Caleb Oswari, Grad., RPI;
D-Matt Szwagulinski, Grad., Clarkson; D-Shaine Luzietti, Jr., Union; G-Joseph Perry, Sr., RPI

3. Three-Star Women’s Recruits

According to Inside Lacrosse’s recruiting database, these are the 3-star recruits earmarked for Division III women’s programs next season.

Middlebury. Lila Cabot (D, Greenwich Academy)

Here are 2024 high school All-Americans as selected by USA Lacrosse and their DIII college selections.

Amherst. Katie Ng (M, Woodinville WA)

Gettysburg. Charlotte Wilkinson (A, Tatnall School DE)

Hamilton. Grace MacLean (A, Moses Brown School RI)

4. Lists: Winningest All-Time Programs

Two men’s teams are knocking on the door of 700 all-time victories, while the women’s 600-win club could add three or more new members this season.

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