Northwestern Reclaims No. 1 in USA Lacrosse Division I Women's Top 20

Another week brings more shakeups to the top five of the USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20, but an old friend is back in the No. 1 spot.

Defending national champion Northwestern is back atop the national rankings, right where it was at the end of 2023, in the preseason and after the first week of this season.

The Wildcats topped previous No. 1 Boston College, which climbed the rankings after Northwestern’s loss to Notre Dame in week two. The Eagles drop to No. 2 — their preseason ranking. No. 3 James Madison and No. 4 Michigan, both 6-0, come next.

No. 5 Syracuse rounds out the top five, while Notre Dame, which lost to the Orange last week, sits at No. 6 after downing No. 7 North Carolina in Chapel Hill for the first time.

There’s other movement, too, and a new face in Yale joins the Top 20 this week.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION I
WOMEN’S TOP 20

1. Northwestern, 5-1 (Prev: 3)
2. Boston College, 6-1 (Prev: 1)
3. James Madison, 6-0 (Prev: 2)
4. Michigan, 6-0 (Prev: 5)
5. Syracuse, 3-2 (Prev: 6)
6. Notre Dame, 5-1 (Prev: 7)
7. North Carolina, 4-2 (Prev: 4)
8. Loyola, 4-0 (Prev: 8)
9. Florida, 3-2 (Prev: 10)
10. Maryland, 4-1 (Prev: 11)
11. Stony Brook, 4-0 (Prev: 12)
12. Penn, 4-0 (Prev: 13)
13. Johns Hopkins, 6-2 (Prev: 14)
14. Denver, 3-2 (Prev: 9)
15. Virginia, 5-1 (Prev: 15)
16. Navy, 5-0 (Prev: 17)
17. USC, 4-2 (Prev: 16)
18. Yale, 4-0 (Prev: NR)
19. Princeton, 2-2 (Prev: 18)
20. Clemson, 4-1 (Prev: 19)

Also considered (alphabetical order): Brown (3-1), Colorado (4-2), Drexel (3-2), Duke (3-4), Fairfield (3-1), Harvard (4-0), Rutgers (5-1), Richmond (4-1)

HOT

Northwestern (+2)

Notre Dame’s win over Northwestern wasn’t a fluke per se — the Irish are one of the nation’s most talented teams. However, it certainly appears to be a blip on the radar for the Wildcats at this point. In a rematch of the NCAA championship game, Northwestern threw down early, opening the game on a 7-3 run. Unlike last May, Boston College rallied but never got closer than three goals. Izzy Scane played her best game of the year, pouring in five goals, while Erin Coykendall finished with four goals.

Stony Brook (+1)

The Seawolves move up one after a 20-8 win over Villanova — not a massive leap. They make the “Hot” section so we can do an Ellie Masera appreciation paragraph. The midfielder continued her torrid start to the season, breaking a school and CAA single-game record with 17 draw controls to go along with eight points. In four games, Masera already has 40 draw controls and 24 goals. The Seawolves need her in form Tuesday for their annual date with ‘Cuse in the Dome.

NOT

North Carolina (-3)

A first-ever home loss to Notre Dame has the Tar Heels sliding. You knew UNC’s offense would likely take time to gel without Chloe Humphrey and Marissa White, who are out for the season with injuries, and the Tar Heels got very little going against Notre Dame’s stout defense. The Irish’s 10-5 lead in draw controls didn’t help, either.

IN

Yale (No. 18)

Princeton welcomed the Bulldogs brimming with confidence — and rightfully so after a comeback win over Penn State and a road victory against a Rutgers team on the up and up. However, Yale proved it’ll be a force in a crowded Ivy League (Brown and Harvard have both looked solid, and defending champion Penn has shown why it’s the preseason favorite). Down 6-4 in the second quarter, Yale went on a 7-1 run and held off a late Princeton rally for an 11-9 win. Jenna Collignon’s five goals led the day for Yale, which hosts UConn next weekend.

OUT

Colorado (Was No. 20)

The Buffs rebounded from a loss to Northwestern in which they played the Wildcats competitively with an expected win over winless Central Michigan. The score (13-7) was a bit closer than you’d expect from a Top 20 team. A loss to the toast of the Great Lake State, Michigan, combined with Yale’s win over Princeton, has Colorado on the outside looking in this week. Next up? Marquette on Friday night.