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Rutgers' Payton Tini

Denver, Rutgers Score Big Wins, Enter D-I Women's Top 20

March 10, 2025
USA Lacrosse Magazine Staff
Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics

There are shakeups just about everywhere in this week’s USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20, and while weekend action dictated some of it, the biggest changes come from midweek action.

Wednesday was a big day for the underdog. Denver, off to a slow start in 2025, edged former No. 5 Michigan 13-11 thanks to a four-goal run during the middle of the fourth quarter. Now 5-3, Denver is ranked No. 20 this week.

Rutgers also made noise Wednesday, beating then-No. 16 Stony Brook 12-11 in overtime on a goal by Payton Tini. At 5-2, Rutgers earned the No. 19 ranking this week.

Elsewhere in the Top 20, Syracuse is up to No. 5 after a thriller against Stanford, Maryland is No. 6 after beating James Madison, and Duke continues to make modest moves at No. 12.

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

USA LACROSSE DIVISION I 
WOMEN’S TOP 20

Rank

Team

W-L

Prev

1Boston College8-01
2North Carolina7-02
3Northwestern6-13
4Yale6-04
5Syracuse4-39
6Maryland4-110
7Stanford7-16
8James Madison4-28
9 Florida4-211
10Princeton5-112
11Clemson6-17
12Duke5-217
13Loyola4-314
14Johns Hopkins4-215
15Michigan5-25
16Virginia4-313
17Penn3-218
18Ohio State6-020
19Rutgers5-2--
20Denver5-3--
Also considered (alphabetical order)
ACArmy5-1--
ACColorado1-4--
ACCornell5-2--
ACNavy5-219
ACNotre Dame3-4AC
ACStony Brook4-216
ACUConn5-2--
ACUSC6-1--