Syracuse Assumes Top Spot in Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women's Top 20

There’s a new No. 1 in Division I women’s lacrosse for the first time in 364 days. North Carolina took over the top spot in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20 on March 21, 2022, one day after beating previous No. 1 Boston College, and went on to win it all.

But on Sunday, Northwestern held off a late UNC push for a 13-9 win, flipping the script from last year’s national semifinals. It’s the Tar Heels’ first regular-season loss in 47 games, a period of 1,149 days.

Syracuse, which beat Northwestern by one goal on opening day, now sits atop the Top 20. The Orange edged No. 12 Loyola 9-7 on Wednesday and No. 16 Duke 16-10 on Saturday to move to 9-0 on the season. Northwestern rises to No. 2, and UNC is No. 3.

Syracuse is one of three unbeaten teams remaining. Another, Denver (9-0), surges into the top-five at No. 4 following a statement-making 13-8 win against now-No. 5 Boston College. No. 13 Army (8-0) stays put. The Black Knights’ eight straight wins, most recently a dominant 23-6 effort against Holy Cross, marks their best start in program history.

No. 18 Penn State and No. 19 Navy enter for the first time this season courtesy of wins over Princeton (now No. 20) and Jacksonville, respectively.

NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION I WOMEN’S TOP 20

Also considered (alphabetical order): Jacksonville (5-4), Richmond (7-2), Rutgers (4-4), UMass (8-1), USC (6-2)

Nike/USA Lacrosse Rankings

Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women

HOT

Syracuse (+2)

Syracuse was the clear favorite against Duke on Saturday. But an underrated wrinkle: The Orange had learned earlier in the week that Kate Mashewske, the nation’s leader in draws, was out for the season. That left Syracuse without its draw specialist against Duke’s Maddie Jenner, the NCAA’s all-time draw control leader. Jenner did her usual — controlling 13 draws — while the Orange controlled 12 as a team. But they proved to be resilient, a familiar refrain for a program that’s experienced injury after injury the last three seasons.

SU’s first test as No. 1 is a challenging one on Wednesday against No. 6 Stony Brook. Catch it on ESPNU at 8 p.m.

Northwestern (+1)

Northwestern has won eight straight since an opening-weekend loss to Syracuse and picked off the defending national champs. All aboard the Scane Train. The superstar poured in four goals and added an assist in a revenge match that, if you saw the Northwestern sidelines on Sunday, clearly meant something.

Denver (+2)

The Pios used a fast start to beat BC 13-8 and pick up their first win over a top-five opponent. Denver has now beaten three ranked opponents, with No. 17 Michigan and No. 8 Maryland being the other two. Denver has held every team under nine goals this season, leading Division I in scoring defense at 5.88 goals per game. The Pioneers aren’t looking like a dark horse right now. They’re looking like a viable contender.

James Madison (+1)

Round one of the Dukes’ in-conference rivalry with Florida went to James Madison. It marks the first time Florida has lost an American Athletic Conference game since it joined the league for the 2019 season. In fact, the Gators hadn’t lost a regular-season conference game since 2015 when they were in the Big East. Once again, JMU employed a balanced attack that didn’t solely rely on Isabella Peterson, who finished with a hat trick and a helper. Lizzie Fox also tallied three goals, while Tai Jankowski and Savannah Derey chipped in two goals apiece. Katelyn Morgan and Maddie Epke quarterbacked the offense with four assists apiece. JMU, which previously took down Maryland, is proving to be another non-traditional power with a legitimate chance to make a run.

NOT

Virginia (-4)

It was a tough week for the Cavs. After hanging with UNC, Virginia lost to unranked Richmond in an overtime thriller. Though they ultimately beat Pitt on Saturday, the game was close until the fourth quarter — Pitt led 9-8 midway through the third. UVA is trying to buck a trend from previous seasons of starting hot and finishing tepid, and it still could if it can learn from the last seven days. A win over No. 7 James Madison on Wednesday could serve as a confidence booster.

Duke (-1)

The Blue Devils’ latest loss to Syracuse was — if we’re being honest — expected. But they’ve lost four straight, including to Yale and Clemson. A mid-week game with East Carolina on Wednesday is a chance to get back on track.

IN

Penn State (No. 18)

Beating conference foe Rutgers was impressive, but the Scarlet Knights have struggled this year. However, a win over then-No. 18 is enough to launch the Nittany Lions into the Top 20. Kristin O’Neill and Gretchen Gilmore poured in six goals apiece for Penn State in the 16-14 upset.

Navy (No. 20)

Navy upended previously No. 20 Jacksonville Thursday 13-12 and went on to beat Bucknell 21-13 on Saturday. The Mids also routed Richmond, which upset Virginia in a mid-week matchup, earlier this month. It’s enough to believe Navy’s 2-2 start, which included a loss to Duke and an overtime heartbreaker to Villanova, is in the rearview mirror as it heads into the heart of its Patriot League slate.  

OUT

USC (was No. 19)

USC downed Arizona State (1-5) on Friday. But the Trojans lack a  Top 20 victory. Penn State’s win over Princeton, which USC lost to last weekend, and Navy’s upset of Jacksonville has the Women of Troy out this week.

Jacksonville (was No. 20)

A loss to Navy has the Mids in and the Dolphins out, even though Jacksonville rebounded from Thursday’s defeat with a rout of Delaware State (2-6) on Saturday.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS

• Preseason

• Week 1: Feb. 13, 2023

• Week 2: Feb. 20, 2023

• Week 3: Feb. 27, 2023

• Week 4: March 6, 2023

• Week 5: March 13, 2023