2014-15 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Division III Final Standings
CLEVELAND, Ohio- Led by four teams that won conference championships and advanced to the NCAA DIII Tournament in their respective sports during the 2014-15 year, Endicott College has finished ranked tied for 128th out of 444 NCAA Division III institutions in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup with a score of 128. The Gulls were led by women’s tennis, men’s basketball, men’s volleyball and men’s lacrosse, all of which claimed their respective conference titles and competed in the NCAA Tournament. Women’s tennis and men’s lacrosse, in particular, advanced to the second round and earned 50 and 53 points, respectively.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Established for the 2008-09 season, the 2014-15 athletic season marks the company’s seventh consecutive year awarding the prestigious Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup.
Endicott led all six Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) schools on the list, as Roger Williams (133rd), Nichols (150th), Western New England (169th), University of New England (189th) and Curry (279th) all qualified. This is the third straight year that Endicott has led the CCC, finishing 28th overall in 2013-14 and 82nd in 2012-13.
Athletic Director Dr. Brian Wylie stated, “To be ranked 128th in the Leerfield Cup standings speaks to the growth, success, and commitment that Endicott, our coaches and student-athletes have been able to achieve this past year. We certainly have room to improve and challenges to face, but it is an honor to be listed at 128th out of 444 other distinguished colleges and universities that are all striving to be the very best in what we do.”
The Gulls saw their women’s tennis team start the fall by winning their fourth consecutive CCC title and securing the automatic bid to the spring NCAA DIII Tournament. Once there, the women defeated Farmingdale State in the first round to advance to the second round, where they would fall to eventual national champion Williams. The men’s basketball team then secured their second title in the last four years, defeating Wentworth 90-60 in the CCC title game to advance to the NCAA tournament. Once there, the Gulls fell to #17 Stockton to end their campaign. Following the winter season, the Endicott men’s volleyball team defeated Regis 3-0 to nab their third consecutive NECC title and advance to the NCAA’s before losing to Rutgers-Newark, 3-0. Rounding out the titles for Endicott in the 2014-15 year was the men’s lacrosse team that claimed their first title since 2011 via a 13-12 victory over Western New England to lock up the automatic bid. Once there, the squad hosted Colorado College in the opening round and won 12-6 before falling to #10 Cortland State in the second round, 13-6.
The 2015-16 campaign gets underway on September 2nd, 2015 when Endicott’s field hockey, women’s soccer, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball teams take on four non-conference opponents in Colby-Sawyer, Salem St., Babson and Simmons, respectively.