The NCAA Division II women’s lacrosse season kicked off on Jan. 31 with an abbreviated schedule. Even more teams begin 2020 this weekend, but before we get into a full slate of games, let’s examine the five biggest Division II questions that will be answered in the coming months.

1. Will preseason favorite Adelphi capture its 10th national championship?

Led by the All-American duo of Alison Johnson and Kole Pollock — the US Lacrosse Magazine Division II Women's Preseason Player of the Year — there’s talent returning all over the field for the defending NCAA champion Panthers, making them a strong contender for another title in 2020. The early-season schedule is daunting, with three top-10 match-ups among the first six games, and the NE10 schedule is not a cakewalk, but it will be no surprise if the Panthers, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, are playing for another trophy on championship weekend. The Panthers open on Saturday, Feb. 15, at home against Molloy.

2. Are there strong contenders for a first-time winner?

It’s happened twice in the past four years, with Florida Southern (2016) and Le Moyne (2018) claiming their first national championships in recent seasons. Is there another breakthrough squad looming this spring? Regis brings momentum into the new season as the only team to earn back-to-back final four berths in 2018-19. Queens enjoyed a historic 2019 campaign, riding a program-record 16-game winning streak into the national semifinals. Lindenwood, Limestone and others have all knocked on the door in recent seasons.

3. How will Long Island U.’s move to D-I impact the ECC?

The then-Pioneers of LIU Post won the East Coast Conference championship in four of their final six years in the league and finished as the runner-up in the other two seasons. Now that they have moved to Division I (by merging with LIU Brooklyn and changing their nickname to the Sharks), who fills the ECC’s championship void? Preseason No. 13 Mercy, which claimed the title in 2019, may be the obvious choice, but it has its own questions to answer following the graduation of three-time first-team All-American midfielder Hunter Isnardi.

4. What will Le Moyne look like in the post-Kathy Taylor era?

The Dolphins enjoyed an unparalleled run of success in five seasons under Taylor’s leadership, amassing a 97-12 overall record, winning three NE10 regular season titles, advancing to four NCAA semifinals and capturing the school’s first national championship in 2018. The bar has obviously been set very high as Liz Beville begins her first season at the helm. Bolstered by the return of two-time Goalkeeper of the Year Hannah George, Le Moyne starts the year ranked No. 3 in the country. The Dolphins open March 1 at home against Mercyhurst.

5. Who owns the South Region?

The emergence of lacrosse in the Sunshine State Conference has changed the traditional balance of power in recent years. Florida Southern reigned supreme in the SSC for several seasons, but Rollins, Tampa, Florida Tech, and even Saint Leo have all become challengers. Limestone has been the long-time pace-setter in Conference Carolinas, but that no longer guarantees a spot in the NCAA bracket. The emergence of Queens further crowds the regional field at postseason time.