Way Early Rankings: Nos. 10-6 (Division I Women)

College campuses are awakening again with students reporting for the 2024-25 academic year.

But forget the 2024 part. We’re already looking ahead to 2025.

With the launch of a new college year soon comes the beginning of fall ball, meaning it’ll soon be time to count the days before the next college lacrosse season begins.

Here’s our first stab at putting together a Division I Women's Top 25 for 2025.

Up next: Nos. 10-6.

Previous: Nos. 25-21 | Nos. 20-16 | Nos. 15-11

10. JOHNS HOPKINS

2024 record: 12-8 (2-4 Big Ten)

Last seen: Going back and forth with Yale in the second round of the NCAA tournament but coming up on the short end of a 9-7 result.

Notable departures: Madison Doucette, G; Campbell Case, A; Bailey Cheetham, M; Maeve Barker, A; Marielle McAteer, M; Jordan Carr, D; Jennifer Barry, M/DS; Maggie Tydings, G; Abbey Hurlbrink, M

Notable additions: Lacey Downey, M; Eleri Colon, M

Initial forecast: Johns Hopkins enters 2025 with significant cleats to fill in net and the circle. In cage, Madison Doucette departs after a one-year stint. Rising sophomore Heidi Rosely saw very little time — 6:56 in one game — so her status as the incumbent is iffy. The Blue Jays will also need to find a new draw team with Abbey Hurlbring (52 DC), Jennifer Barry (133 DC) and Jordan Carr (46 DC) gone. The Blue Jays will also miss Carr’s defensive prowess, as she led the team in caused turnovers (52) and ground balls (56).

Reagan O’Brien, a defensive-minded middie and USA Women’s U20 team member, will likely take on a leading role.

Offensively, the returns of leading scorers Ava Angello (53 G, 15 A) and Ashley Mackin (48 G, 18 A) should offset losses. However, the Blue Jays are in the market for a new quarterback without 2024 assist leader Bailey Cheetham (14 G, 35 A).

The midfield will get a boost from a pair of additions. Lacey Downey transferred from Boston College, where she entered as a five-star recruit and Inside Lacrosse’s No. 8 player but only saw action in two February games for the eventual national champions. Eleri Colon, a four-star recruit from St. Ignatius College Preparatory (Calif.), joins, too.

Hopkins faces questions similar to other Big Ten counterparts (see: Northwestern losing Izzy Scane, Erin Coykendall and Molly Laliberty). The addition of annual Pac-12 contender USC also adds competition to a gauntlet league. It’ll be a challenge, for sure, but the Blue Jays return enough key parts and will benefit from a competitive conference slate that — regardless of their record — they’ll be in a good position for a return trip to the NCAA tournament.

9. PENN

2024 record: 15-5 (5-2 Ivy League)

Last seen: Bowing out to eventual national runner-up Northwestern in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, 20-7.

Notable departures: Julia Chai, A; Kaitlyn Cumiskey, M; Sophie Davis, D; Aly Feeley, M; Niki Miles, A; Izzy Rohr, D; Kelly Van Hoesen, G

Notable additions: Orly Sedransk, G

Initial forecast: Penn loses an all-time attacker in Niki Miles (54 G, 24 A, 119 DC). But it’s the defensive end with the most question marks. All-American defender Izzy Rohr (34 CT, 33 GB) saw her Ivy League eligibility run out. Sophie Davis (31 GB, 35 CT) and netminder Kelly Van Hoesen (9.05 GAA, .436 SV%) also depart a unit that finished second in the conference in scoring defense (9.11).

Orly Sedransk, a five-star recruit and the No. 11 overall player in Inside Lacrosse’s incoming freshmen rankings, will likely compete for time in cage.

Despite the loss of Miles, the Quakers are in good shape offensively with quarterback Erika Chung (12 G, 52 A), Anna Brandt (60 G, 58 DC), Kelsey Block (30 G, 15 A) and Catherine Berkery (34 G, 10 A).

Ultimately, Penn should have enough firepower to offset defensive losses and vie for a shot at the Ivy League title that escaped it in 2024 in heartbreaking, overtime fashion against Yale. 

8. MARYLAND

2024 record: 14-6 (4-2 Big Ten)

Last seen: Losing to Florida 15-9 as the NCAA tournament’s mildly controversial pick for the No. 4 seed.

Notable departures: Meghan Ball, D; Eloise Clevenger, A; Brianna Lamoureux, D; Hannah Leubecker, A; Libby May, A; Shaylan Ahearn, M; Emily Sterling, G; Shannon Smith, M

Notable additions: Emma Abbazia, M; Kayla Gilmore, M; Megan Kenny, M; Devin Livingston, M; Mia Rauci, A; Lydia Ward, D;

Initial forecast: Maryland bills itself as Defender U — and it’s certainly had its share of phenomenal defenders throughout the year. But uncharacteristic offensive woes, like finishing 39th in the NCAA in shooting percentage and an also-uncharacteristic under-.500 home record in 2024, kept the Terps from the Final Four for a second consecutive year. While not a big deal for some — a quarterfinal appearance is nothing to shake a stick at — the Terps annually enter the year with some of the highest expectations as the most successful program in NCAA Division I history.

Whether the Terps will once again play on the season’s final weekend will largely depend on how they replace key pieces, including starting goalie Emily Sterling, and 89 percent of their draws without Shaylan Ahearn (111 DC), Meghan Ball (77 DC), Shannon Smith (61 DC) and Libby May (19 DC). Of course, rival Northwestern and last year’s Big Ten tournament runner-up also have significant question marks. Still, a rising Michigan team could continue jeopardizing Maryland’s once-annual place as one of the league’s top two teams.

As usual, Maryland had a Costco-style haul of four- and five-star recruits, which should put the Terps in an excellent position to continue to compete among the nation’s best. 

7. YALE

2024 record: 17-3 (7-0 Ivy League)

Last seen: Bowing out in the NCAA quarterfinals with a 19-9 loss to Syracuse.

Notable departures: Chloe Conaghan, A

Initial forecast: Truly, the short list of notable departures serves as a mic drop — albeit a way-too-early one. After a historic season that saw the Bulldogs claim their first-ever Ivy League tournament crown, they return the majority of their roster and the intangible of knowing they can win the conference.

Chloe Conaghan is the lone impact player who turned her tassel. She led Yale in assists (30). Fallon Vaughn (23 A, 53 A) and Taylor Lane (21 A, 71 DC) are potential candidates for the feeder role. The duo also played a significant role in corralling draws, taking the pressure off Jenna Collignon (67 G, 74 DC), who shined for the Bulldogs — including when she notched the game-tying goal in the Ivy League final against Penn. She enters 2025 having scored a goal in 18 straight games.

How the Bulldogs ultimately fare on the national stage is the more exciting team storyline heading into 2024. But — unlike other Ivy counterparts who watched the league’s eligibility clock run out on star players — Yale is in a solid position to compete for another national seed and potentially a final four berth. 

6. VIRGINIA

2024 record: 15-5 (6-3 ACC)

Last seen: Losing to eventual national semifinalist Florida 13-8 at home in the NCAA tournament’s second round.

Notable departures: Maggie Bostain, D; Katia Carnevale, A; Mackenzie Hoeg, M; Morgan Schwab, A; Kiki Shaw, M

Notable additions: Livy LaVerghetta, M

Initial forecast: Virginia’s most successful season in 15 years marked quite the start of the Sonia LaMonica era. It set the bar higher for 2025 — a challenge the Hoos will likely embrace as hope springs eternal come fall. Key players leave, notably Katia Carnevale, a stop-gap attacker who led the team with 53 goals after coming over from Lehigh. In fact, three of the Cavs’ top four goal scorers leave, including Mackenzie Hoeg (49 G, 4 A) and Kiki Shaw (33 G, 10 A). And the field vision of Morgan Schwab (20G, 61A) will undoubtedly be missed.

But returns of Jenna Dinardo (39 G, 11 A) and Madison Alaimo (17 G, 44 A) bring a capable, veteran presence to the offense.

The Cavs’ strength may lie in the defense, where Maggie Bostain is the lone starter to graduate. Goalie Mel Josephson made a splash in her debut season, beating previous starter Ashley Vernon for the job and stopping 44.6 percent of the shots she faced.

A pain point for Virginia in 2024 was the draw, where the Cavs won 44 percent and ranked 100th in Division I. It put constant pressure on the defense and didn’t allow the offense to shine through. A 13.45 fouls-per-game average also contributed to fewer possessions. If Virginia can clean up these miscues and emerge with new leaders on offense, it should stave off questions of a “sophomore slump” under LaMonica.