From the DMV to the MIAA: Division III Commits Off to a Hot Start

One could argue that no other NCAA sport features as much top-tier talent at the Division III level as lacrosse, with hundreds of high school lacrosse recruits eschewing D1 offers in favor of DIII life over the years, even 4-star recruits. Non-conference play in the Mid-Atlantic has featured many noteworthy performances from Division III commits. We'll get into more as the season progresses, but for now, here's a look at five that have caught my eye:    Putting together a breakthrough year for the Cardinals, Schwanke has caught my attention time and time again whenever I've watched Calvert Hall live. The lefty is anything but flashy, but he knows how to hit the proverbial single and make the correct play every time, excelling when it comes to separating and then throwing back to an open teammate once the defense rotates. A converted attackman, Schwanke is opportunistic, accurate, and fundamentally sound as a shooter when the right opportunity is there. Overall, he's consistently been a glue guy for the offense and is playing with a lot of confidence as a result of his early season point totals and team success. A recruit with Schwanke's profile can be found often when recruiting the MIAA's second tier: he's reliable, intelligent, and skilled, albeit slightly undersized.     A physical specimen on a rapid ascension since the summer, Finkel has been a key cog of a Loyola offense that completely exceeded exceptions and turned heads during non-conference play. It's beyond evident that he's continued to polish his skill set and add elements to the game even since July, as he's shown a full bag of tricks in addition to improved two-handedness. In the thrilling win over Chaminade, Finkel scored two huge fourth-quarter goals, making a habit out of getting back to the middle, dodging to the dirt, and finishing appropriately. Demanding a lot of attention and making defenses pay for not sliding to his body, he's dynamic out of his rollback and loves to hitch before letting shots go. Interestingly enough, Finkel originally committed to Stony Brook in late July before flipping to DIII mainstay Bowdoin, and I can't help but forecast Finkel making a sizable impact in the NESCAC.     Another Don senior playing with a ton of confidence and showing a knack for getting back to the middle, Pasko can flat-out fly and knows how to get to his spots. Against Chaminade, he had a tremendous individual effort through traffic to continue Loyola's 4-0 run from late in the opening stanza into the middle of the second, then netted a low bouncer off of the ride in the third quarter. A few days later, during the win over Western Reserve, he played the role of hero in the clutch, having already buried a second-quarter goal after getting back to the middle. Later on, Pasko registered the game-tying goal with six minutes and change left when he switched hands multiple times while attacking a highly occupied area in the front of the cage. A minute later, Pasko found the back of the net again on a lefty sweep after taking advantage of a poor approach by a pole, a finish that ultimately sealed the win for the Dons, along with key saves in the waning minutes. Gritty, intelligent, and assertive, I love how he never settles for below-average shots.     Also a second-team All-WCAC defensive back, Pinto is an electric athlete in between the pipes, backstopping a PVI defense that also features his twin brother, Connor, at LSM. A bonafide steal for CNU, the two-time captain has shown an excellent command in the clearing game and inspires confidence in the guys around him with his leadership capabilities. He moves deftly from pipe to pipe, displays strong fundamentals, and is known for committing robberies on the doorstep with the propensity for making lights-out kick saves. Pinto is undoubtedly a top-two goalie in the DMV and consistently makes momentum-changing saves for his squad. He'll head to college with a reputation as one of the more highly-regarded Class of 2025 recruits in all of Division III.     Oliver has provided quite a bit of pop to an offense that graduated a lot from last year's team and has made it happen while facing a grueling non-conference schedule. He was stellar in a narrow defeat at Boys' Latin, recording three or four assists, depending on how generous you'd like to be in the stat book. A stud on Gonzaga's extra-man unit, three of his helpers were beautiful (and gutsy) skip passes to the doorstep on EMO, with the other coming on EMO as well. He was also responsible for some key GBs to retain possession for the Eagles. Oliver found the net a few days later on a pretty individual effort against Gonzaga, then picked up a goal and two assists against Culver. An above-average athlete who dodges and plays hard with a crafty playmaking style, Oliver has been excellent in the early goings of his senior season.

One could argue that no other NCAA sport features as much top-tier talent at the Division III level as lacrosse, with hundreds of high school lacrosse recruits eschewing D1 offers in favor of DIII life over the years, even 4-star recruits.

Non-conference play in the Mid-Atlantic has featured many noteworthy performances from Division III commits. We'll get into more as the season progresses, but for now, here's a look at five that have caught my eye: