Syracuse Enters Top 5 in USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Top 20

April 7, 2025

USA Lacrosse Magazine Staff

Rich Barnes

Syracuse began the season at No. 2 in the USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Preseason Top 20, and after a win on Saturday against Notre Dame, the Orange are beginning to make their climb back up the table.

An impressive 14-9 win over the Irish in the JMA Wireless Dome has the Orange surging and back into the top five of the USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Top 20 heading into week 10 of the season. It was the first win for Syracuse over Notre Dame since 2018, and it happened in front of 11,268 fans — the most in the Dome for a men's lacrosse game since 2015.

It was a defensive clinic for a team most consider an offense-first program. The Syracuse defense was suffocating in the first half, holding the two-time defending NCAA champions scoreless for a stretch of 39 minutes and 53 seconds.

With Syracuse now occupying the No. 5 spot, Notre Dame falls from that ranking to No. 8.

New to the Top 20 this week is Rutgers at No. 16. The Scarlet Knights are 6-6 but earned their inclusion in this week's Top 20 with a historic 8-6 win over Maryland. Nearly 3,000 fans were on hand to witness Rutgers' first win over the Terps since 1980, and Rutgers is now rolling with wins over Johns Hopkins and Maryland since March 22.

For its stumble, Maryland falls just one spot to No. 4 — a slight step backward and justified by the Terps' overall resume.

Continue below to see the entire Top 20, which is compiled by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION I
MEN'S TOP 20

Rank	Team	W-L	Prev
1	Cornell	9-1	1
2	Ohio State	11-1	2
3	Princeton	8-2	4
4	Maryland	8-2	3
5	Syracuse	9-2	6
6	Penn State	7-3	7
7	Army	9-1	8
8	Notre Dame	5-3	5
9	Harvard	8-2	10
10	Duke	9-3	12
11	North Carolina	8-2	9
12	Richmond	8-3	11
13	Michigan	6-5	13
14	Georgetown	7-3	14
15	Boston U	8-3	16
16	Rutgers	6-6	AC
17	Johns Hopkins	6-5	15
18	Fairfield	10-1	19
19	Denver	6-5	AC
20	Virginia	5-6	18
Also considered (alphabetical order)
AC	Colgate	6-5	AC
AC	Dartmouth	7-3	20
AC	Navy	7-4	--
AC	Sacred Heart	9-2	AC
AC	Saint Joseph's	8-3	AC
AC	UMass	8-3	17
AC	Villanova	5-5	--

Written By

USA Lacrosse Magazine Staff

Since 1978, USA Lacrosse Magazine has inspired generations of lacrosse families to love this great game and leave it better for the next. We harness the power of storytelling to help fuel the sport’s growth and enrich the experience of participants.