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There were several important results that saw teams leave and join the DII College Fall Top 20 …
University of New England defeated Bowdoin 31-15 in a NIRA Tier 2 match (read more). Sophomore wing Caitlin Paredes led with three tries, while Lara Murnik and Amanda Sancomb added one apiece. Kassidy Towne kicked three conversions. The victory saw the Nor’easters leap 10 spots in the rankings, slotting in beneath last year’s fall final four teams.
St. Michael’s rallied from a single-digit, friendly loss to Bowdoin with a 90-24 win over Providence College. The Rhode Island team fell out of the Top 20, opening room for Utah State, which, for a second time this season, fell 10 points short of reigning Rocky Mountain champion Montana State. The Bobcats saw Dallas Flager (2), Maria Michelotti (2), Renee Oelkers and Emily Dennis score tries, while Stephanie Taylor kicked the conversions in the 36-26 win. On the other side of the conference, Colorado Mesa continues to decimate the competition, so much so that the Mavericks’ results won’t have context until the conference crossovers on Oct. 29-30 in Grand Junction, Colo.
With the exit of Ohio Valley’s Cincinnati (after a loss to Eastern Kentucky), both Buffalo State and Buffalo were able to join the rankings after shaking up Upstate New York. Buffalo State took the #10 spot after defeating Geneseo 20-15, a close-enough result to keep Geneseo on the rankings, while Buffalo (which had lost 12-10 to Buffalo State) knocked off Ithaca College 49-12. The latter result was big enough to push the Renegades out of the top 20.
Yes, there are three Upstate New York teams on the rankings, and that’s because the conference is lucky to have four good teams pushing each other. Several competitions divide the talent between pools, and while that strategy has its own benefits or is necessary because of geography, it also keeps the best teams from playing each other until playoffs. We like that the top four teams are pushing each other deep into the regular season.
Similarly, we also prefer the Tier A and Tier B set-up of conferences like Rugby Northeast and New England Wide, which is being led by the Coast Guard Academy. It appears that the University of New Haven will provide the Bears with the best competition this season, and that game will occur on Nov. 5.
Later this week, we’ll preview the Tri-State playoffs, which begin at the play-in stage, and use that conference post-season to look at the national Round of 32.
DII COLLEGE FALL TOP 20
Rank (Previous Rank) Team (League record). Results
1 (1) Davenport (3-0). Defeated Grand Valley State 98-0
2 (2) Winona (4-0). Defeated North Dakota 138-0
3 (6) Vassar (5-0). Defeated Stony Brook 56-7
4 (7) Bloomsburg (4-0). Defeated Shippensburg 41-0
5 (15) New England (3-0). Defeated Bowdoin 31-15
6 (4) Bowdoin (1-1). Lost 31-15 to Univ. New England
7 (5) St. Michael’s (2-0). Defeated Providence College 90-24
8 (8) Montana St (5-0). Defeated Utah State 36-26
9 (9) Kutztown (3-0). Idle
10 (unr) Buffalo St (6-0). Defeated Geneseo 20-15
11(unr) Buffalo (4-1). Lost 12-10 to Buffalo St, defeated Ithaca 49-12
12 (10) Geneseo (4-1). Lost 20-15 to Buffalo St
13 (12) Albany (4-1). Defeated Marist 34-17
14 (13) Colorado Mesa (7-0). Defeated Northern Colorado 85-0
15 (14) Coast Guard (4-0). Defeated Springfield 89-0
16 (16) Towson (3-0). Idle
17 (unr) Utah State (3-2). Lost 36-26 to Montana State
18 (18) Western Virginia (2-0). Idle
19 (19) Mary Washington (2-1). Defeated VCU 30-0
20 (20) UW Steven’s Point (3-0). Forfeit win vs. UW Stout
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