Indianapolis, which spent virtually the entire season as the second-ranked team in the country, earned the top spot in the final Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Top 20 after winning its first national championship.
UIndy (22-1) defeated No. 2 East Stroudsburg 11-9 in the 2022 NCAA final on May 22 in St. Charles, Mo., to claim the NCAA trophy in just its seventh year as a varsity program.
The Greyhounds’ NCAA tournament run featured wins over No. 12 Lindenwood, No. 7 Grand Valley State, No. 4 Adelphi and finally ESU to claim the title. UIndy capped its season with a school-record 17-game winning streak and a season record for most wins.
East Stroudsburg (20-2) climbed two spots in the final poll after making its first championship game appearance in the program’s 58-year history. The Warriors handed undefeated Queens its only loss of the year with a 13-12 overtime victory in the national semifinals.
Rounding out the top five behind UIndy and East Stroudsburg are No. 3 Queens (21-1); No. 4 Adelphi (18-3), which jumped four spots in the final ranking after advancing to the national semifinals; and No. 5 Regis (19-1), which joined Queens as the only other undefeated team entering the regionals.
Three teams that finished the year among the top 12 in the country (Queens, No. 8 Stonehill, and No. 12 Lindenwood) are leaving the NCAA Division II ranks and reclassifying as Division I programs for next season.