University of Scranton Athletics issued the following announcement on Jan. 5.
After a banner fall season for The University of Scranton department of athletics, the Royals find themselves in a tie for 38th place overall in the 2022 NCAA Division III LEARFIELD IMG College Directors’ Cup standings, which were released recently.
The LEARFIELD IMG College Directors’ Cup program honors institutions that maintain a broad-based athletics program, achieving success in many sports, both men’s and women’s. Now in its 27th year at the Division III level, the program awards points to institutions in a predetermined number of sports for men and women.
With 142 total points for the fall, Scranton leads all Landmark Conference institutions into spring, with their nearest competitor (Susquehanna) coming in with 96 total points and a 58th place finish for the first portion of the athletics year.
Johns Hopkins leads the standings with 471 points.
The high ranking in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup bookends an incredible fall season for the Royals that saw two programs win Landmark Conference championships and three reach the NCAA Division III Championship in their respective sports.
The Royals’ women’s soccer team finished the 2021 campaign with an 18-1-1, capturing their second straight (and eighth overall) Landmark Conference title all-time in program history. In the NCAA Division III Tournament, Scranton won two games to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003, ending the season ranked 10th in the final United Soccer Coaches Division III Top 25 poll.
Scranton field hockey, meanwhile, went 18-2 and won their second straight Landmark Conference title. In the NCAA Tournament, the Royals won their first game ever to advance to the Sweet 16.
The last team to reach the NCAA Tournament was the Scranton volleyball squad, who earned an at-large bid into the field after finishing with a 25-8 overall mark and advancing to the Landmark title match. The bid for the Royals was their first since 2005.
Original source can be found here.
