Christopher Newport, Ithaca Join USA Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20

With over half the USA Lacrosse Division III Women’s Top 20 now off and running this season, the ranking is starting to take a more definitive shape.

Some surprise teams caught flyers out of the gate and find themselves in this week’s updated rankings, while the top 5 is still occupied by the usual suspects. Take a look at the rankings for Feb. 26 below.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III
WOMEN’S TOP 20

1. Middlebury, 0-0 (Prev: 1)
2. Gettysburg, 3-0 (Prev: 2)
3. William Smith, 1-0 (Prev: 3)
4. Salisbury, 3-0 (Prev: 5)
5. Washington and Lee, 1-2 (Prev: 4)
6. Franklin & Marshall, 1-1 (Prev: 7)
7. Tufts, 0-0 (Prev: 6)
8. TCNJ, 1-0 (Prev: 8)
9. York, 0-0 (Prev: 9)
10. Pomona-Pitzer, 3-0 (Prev: 13)
11. Colby, 0-0 (Prev: 10)
12. Wesleyan, 0-0 (Prev: 11)
13. St. John Fisher, 0-0 (Prev: 12)
14. Trinity, 0-0 (Prev: 14)
15. Christopher Newport, 2-0 (Prev: NR)
16. Roanoke, 1-1 (Prev: 15)
17. Chicago, 1-0 (Prev: 17)
18. Capital, 2-0 (Prev: 19)
19. Ithaca, 1-0 (Prev: NR)
20. Scranton, 2-1 (Prev: 18)

Also considered (alphabetical order): Cortland, Denison, Messiah, MIT, Stevens

HOT

Pomona-Pitzer (+3)

Pomona-Pitzer’s season didn’t get going until Wednesday, but the Sagehens got rolling in a hurry, amassing three wins in five days. They scored 10 or more goals in all three contests and held opponents to five goals per game. They’re already shaping up to be a top team in the SCIAC once again.

Gettysburg (no change)

Gettysburg picked up right where it left off last season, securing dominant victories in its first three games. The Bullets began week two with an 18-3 win over Messiah and then dismantled Denison 17-10 a few days later. Midfielder Caroline Sullivan scored 10 goals across the two games.

NOT

Washington and Lee (-1)

After a strong season-opening statement, Washington and Lee took a small step back, dropping two straight to Salisbury and Christopher Newport. Both contests were close, and the Diplomats will have a chance to bounce back against another strong opponent, Tufts, on March 3.

Roanoke (-1)

Roanoke opened its season with a win but dropped its only game last week, 11-9, to Christopher Newport on Saturday. The Maroons take on Denison on March 2 with the chance to get back above .500.

IN

Christopher Newport (No. 15)

Christopher Newport made a strong statement, leapfrogging Roanoke and jumping all the way to No. 15 with two ranked wins. A total team effort guided the Captains to the 2-0 start, though Julia Iapicca and Grace Koutouzis led the scoring in each game, respectively.

Ithaca (No. 19)

Ithaca opened its season against a red-hot Scranton team and came away with a 13-9 win, earning it a spot in the Top 20. Goalkeeper Lexi Held made 15 saves to keep Scranton out of reach on the scoreboard. Up next, Ithaca squares off against SUNY Brockport on March 2.

OUT

Messiah (was No. 16)

Messiah got off to a rocky start, falling to 0-3 with losses to Gettysburg and Shenandoah this past week. The Falcons will look for their first win of the season against St. Mary’s (Md.) on March 2.

Denison (was No. 20)

Denison’s slide out of the Top 20 isn’t as much a statement of its performance thus far as it is the surprise emergence of other teams. The Big Red beat Dickinson 17-10 on Sunday and will aim to make it two in a row next Saturday against Roanoke.