Northwestern Stands Alone in Final Nike/USA Lacrosse D-I Women's Top 20

Northwestern left no doubt as to which team was the best in Division I this season in an 18-6 win over Boston College in the national title game.

The Wildcats, who lost their first game and won the next 21, are NCAA champions for the first time since 2012 and end the season at No. 1 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Top 20. Northwestern took over the top spot on April 24 after Boston College upended Syracuse’s perfect regular season and held it through the remainder of the spring.

The Eagles made it to the national championship game for the sixth full season in a row and won their first-ever ACC title to end the campaign at No. 2. National semifinalists Syracuse and Denver are third and fourth, respectively.

No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 James Madison, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Loyola, No. 9 Florida and No. 10 Stony Brook round out the top 10.

The lone newcomer to the final Top 20 is Albany. The Great Danes weren’t ranked or even considered all season, but an America East title and seven-goal rally to beat Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament put them at No. 20 in the most important ranking of the year.

NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION I WOMEN’S TOP 20

Also considered (alphabetical order): Jacksonville (12-8), Marquette (15-4), UConn (12-7), Virginia (11-7)