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AUGUST 26, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH
No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3

🏐  Fall Sports Are Back. It’s the last week of the fall preseason!

🗞️ In Today’s Edition. Salve Regina Hockey, What Happened? Men’s Soccer Season Preview. Down to Eight in “Best Fight Song” Competition. Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

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TOP STORY

1. Salve Regina Hockey, What Happened?

by Chris Sugar, DIII Hockey News

“Seven years ago, at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., the 2018 Men’s Division III National Championship game featured a double overtime thriller featuring a legendary program from De Pere, Wis. – St. Norbert and a team in their second-ever NCAA tournament from Newport, R.I. – Salve Regina. Seven years later, one of these two programs has remained a contender for league and national titles every season, while the other finds themselves league-less, coach-less, and nearly schedule-less.

If you told the alumni, former players, coaches, and fans of Salve Regina University Men’s and Women’s hockey that they would be on the cusp of losing a program that just seven years ago in the 2017-2018 season, was the NCAA Division III runner-up in the men’s national championship, and most recently coming off a 17-10-0 season on the women’s side during the 2024-2025 campaign, I don’t think there’s a great chance anyone would’ve taken you seriously.”

» Why It Matters. “Currently, both teams do not have head coaches, they do not have a league to participate in, and they do not have complete schedules for this upcoming 2025-2026 season.”

» Reality Check. “Prior to the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season, the school announced they would be leaving the CNE and joining the highly touted New England Hockey Conference (NEHC), beginning in the 2024-2025 season. There was only one problem with this decision… The NEHC was breaking apart at the conclusion of this season, thus, teams would all need to find new homes, Salve found themselves being the one team without a new home due to various factors.”

» What They’re Saying. “Salve remains committed to having competitive, successful women’s and men’s hockey teams. We’re all eager for conference clarity, and we’re actively engaged in conversations with potential conference partners. The 2025–26 game schedule is nearly complete for both teams. They will be prepared for competitive play this season.” - Salve Regina AD Sean Sullivan

» Keep Reading

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SOCCER
2. Men’s Soccer Preview

Get ready for the 2025 season with the D3Playbook season preview.

» Final 2024 Top 10 Ranking. 1-Amherst; 2-Connecticut College; 3-Middlebury; 4-Washington and Lee; 5-Babson; 6-Denison; 7-UW-Eau Claire; 8-Dickinson; 9-Mary Washington; 10-Williams.

» Preseason Conference Favorites. Penn State Behrend (AMCC); Wartburg (A-R-C); Hardin-Simmons/Mary Hardin-Baylor (ASC); North Park (CCIW); Mary Washington (C2C); Saint Joseph (GNAC); Rose-Hulman (HCAC); Salem State (MASCAC); Messiah (MACC); Stevens (MACF); Babson (NEWMAC); Denison (NCAC); Edgewood (NACC); Pacific Lutheran (NWC); Ohio Northern (OAC); Lynchburg/Washington and Lee (ODAC); Grove City (PAC); Colorado College (SCAC); Lyon (SLIAC); St. Mary’s, Md. (UEC); Eau Claire (WIAC)

» Returning All-Americans. K-Alex Wolter, Jr., Colorado College; D-Benjamin Velasquez, Sr., Lynchburg; D-Hugo Neborg, Sr., North Park; D-Henri Hayes, Sr., Denison; M-Ethan Jarden, Sr., Dickinson; M-Tyler Huck, Sr., Bowdoin; F-Connor Gage, So., Edgewood; F-Diego Rivera, Sr., Buffalo State; F-Saul Iwowo, Sr., Dickinson; F-Jared Fiske, Sr., Vassar; F-Johnny Troiano, Sr., Rowan; F-Mohammad Nuhu, Jr., Amherst; F-Holden Woodings, Sr., Catholic.

» Returning Goal Scoring Leaders. 1-Jake Kidd, Sr., UW-Superior (24); 2-Parker Burke, So., Wilmington (22); T3-Lucas Cross, Sr., Franciscan (20); T3-Connor Gage, So., Edgewood (20); 5-Diego Rivera, Sr., Buffalo State (18).

» Returning Save Pct. Leaders. 1-Brady O’Toole, So., Endicott (893); 2-Carter Kladstrup, Sr., Clarkson (890); 3-Will Devall, Sr., Skidmore (878); 4-Nikola Antic, Sr., Tufts (877); 5-Brendan Cunningham, Sr., Curry (861).

excludes 2024 seniors and grads

FIGHT SONGS
3. Battle of the Bands - The Sweet 16

It’s the bi-annual D3Playbook “Best Fight Song” competition. Two-time defending champion Adrian looks to “three-peat” and has advanced to the Sweet 16, but 15 other fight songs look to knock the Bulldogs from their throne.

» How to Vote. Click on each school’s link to listen to the song. Then go to the D3Playbook twitter site and cast your vote for the winning song in each contest. The Elite 8 matchups are scheduled for today, the semifinals will be held on August 27 with the championship match set for August 28.

» Elite 8 (Tuesday). Adrian vs. Case Western Reserve; North Central (Ill.) vs. St. Olaf; Gettysburg vs. Carnegie Mellon; Central vs. Washington and Lee

TRANSACTIONS
4. Comings and Goings 

• ALBERTUS MAGNUS - Morgan Violette named assistant sports information director

• ALLEGHENY - Toby Cline named assistant peak performance coach

• BALDWIN WALLACE - Scott Siler named director of golf

• HENDRIX - Kristian Lenser named head men’s tennis coach

• MARY BALDWIN - Cameron Branscomb named sports information director

• MUHLENBERG - Ron Rohn announced his retirement as head women’s basketball coach at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Sadie Nelson named associate head coach

• NEW PALTZ - Joe DiPietro named head softball coach

• STEVENS - Jim Carpenter announced his retirement as head fencing coach

• SUSQUEHANNA - Kaden Watts named equipment room manager

• WASHINGTON U. - Gabe Carter named equipment manager

• WESLEYAN (Conn.) - Roland Thornqvist named head men’s tennis coach

1 THING
5. Take Me Out to the Ball Game 

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