Babson, Johns Hopkins and Scranton Win Conference Crowns in Division III
Saturday was trophy day in Division III, and three more teams booked their place in the NCAA Tournament.
Babson are NEWMAC champions after a 2-1 win over MIT. The Engineers had a strong season, finishing 13-7, but Babson found a way past them in the final, and that’s what championship games are about. Nobody remembers the record. They remember who lifted the trophy.
Johns Hopkins were the most convincing winners of the day. They beat Swarthmore 3-0 in the Centennial final, and a three-goal margin in a final is a statement. The Blue Jays are champions, and they’ll go into the NCAA Tournament with real momentum.
Scranton had the tightest one. They edged Susquehanna 2-1 in the Landmark final, and those are the games that define a season. One goal in it, everything on the line, and Scranton got it done at home.
The NESCAC semifinals are still playing out. Tufts beat Williams 3-2 in overtime in the first semifinal, and they’re through to Sunday’s final. The second semifinal, Bowdoin against Middlebury, had no score posted at the last check, so Tufts will find out their opponent on Sunday morning.
Two more finals are still to be settled. The ODAC final between Lynchburg and Washington & Lee had no score posted at the last check, and the GNAC final between Simmons and Colby-Sawyer is on Sunday, not Saturday. Elsewhere, Stevens won the MAC Freedom title 4-0 over DeSales, and Geneseo took the Empire 8 crown 2-0 over Hartwick.
For our money, Johns Hopkins are the side to watch when the bracket comes out. A 3-0 win in a final, against a good Swarthmore side, is the kind of result that travels well into the NCAA Tournament.
