F&M Cracks Top 3 of USA Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20

And then there were two.

A week removed from taking Middlebury to its limit, Wesleyan took to the field and downed Tufts, which lost for the first time this season. That means No. 1 Middlebury and No. 2 William Smith are the last two undefeated teams in the USA Lacrosse Division III Women’s Top 20.

Could the two powerhouse programs be on a collision course? Well, it’s not that simple. Every week of Division III women’s action has proven that. Franklin & Marshall downed then-No. 4 Salisbury last week; Washington and Lee is on a nine game winning streak after starting 1-3; and Wesleyan is proving it can hang with any team ranked 1-20.

Conference play is ramping up through the month of April, and that can always shake things up even more. Keeping an undefeated record through the postseason would take a monumental effort, even for teams as talented as Middlebury and William Smith.

Take a look at the risers and fallers in this week’s Top 20.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III
WOMEN’S TOP 20

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

Also considered (alphabetical order): Chicago, Hamilton, Haverford, Shenandoah, Trinity

HOT

Franklin & Marshall (+2)

Franklin & Marshall didn’t just take Salisbury to overtime on Sunday afternoon; it beat Salisbury 16-15. The Diplomats opened 2024 with a loss to Washington and Lee but are 10-1 since — and they’re rising back to their preseason ranking with their latest win.

MIT (+3)

The Engineers are rolling, and with some shakeups around them, they were able to elevate a few spots in this week’s Top 20. Mark the calendar for Wednesday night, as MIT squares off against Babson in a battle of the NEWMAC’s best teams this season.

NOT

Salisbury (-3)

Salisbury’s rank has been a rollercoaster, and not all of that can be contributed to the play of its own team. The Sea Gulls’ spot in the middle of the top 10 is shuffling constantly as the teams around it — like Wesleyan — ascend. That’s why the narrow loss to Franklin & Marshall managed to drop them multiple rungs this week.

IN

Babson (No. 20)

Babson has quietly built a 10-1 record, and its only loss came at the hands of Middlebury. The Beavers and MIT are in a race for the NEWMAC, and right now, it’s either program’s title for the taking.

OUT

Trinity (was No. 18)

Trinity lost four of its last five contests, including both games it played last week, bumping it out of this week’s Top 20.