Darien (Conn.) Ascends to No. 1 in Public HS Girls' Top 25

The first week of play for some teams in the Northeast Region immediately impacted the national ranking. 

Westhampton (N.Y.) handed New Canaan (Conn.) a loss in its first game of the year, and that helped Darien (Conn.) ride its unbeaten start to be the new No. 1 in the latest USA Lacrosse Public High School Girls' National Top 25.

Four new teams enter the Top 25. Westhampton comes in the highest at No. 8 after toppling New Canaan. Two spots behind is West Chester Henderson (Pa.), which handed Downingtown West (Pa.) its first loss. West Chester Henderson's only loss came to private school Bishop Shanahan (Pa.).

Smithtown West (N.Y.) also used a huge victory to climb into the Top 25. The Bulls knocked off Sayville (N.Y.) as part of their perfect start and debut at No. 11 heading into a monster matchup against No. 6 Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.) today. It will be the first loss of the season for one of them.

Coronado (Calif.) enters the ranking at No. 23. The Islanders beat another ranked West Region team, San Ramon Valley (Calif.), this week to follow eye-opening wins over privates St. Stephen’s & St Agnes (Va.) and Loyola (Ill.) the week before. They’ll play Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.) on Tuesday in another key West matchup.

That’s not the only big game ahead. No. 2 Manchester Valley (Md.) and No. 3 Severna Park (Md.) are on a collision course. Manchester Valley hasn’t allowed more than seven goals in a game and has outscored opponents 94-20. Severna Park picked up a 10-6 win over IAAM contender Archbishop Spalding (Md.) on Monday. The Maryland juggernauts will meet next Thursday.

The USA Lacrosse Public High School Girls' National Top 25 and Regional Top 10 lists can also be found here in our rankings hub. Scroll below for this week's rankings, with each team's previous ranking denoted in parenthesis.

Compiled by USA Lacrosse writers with input from coaches around the country, these rankings will be updated weekly on Thursdays.

National Top 25

1. Darien (Conn.), 2-0 (2) 
2. Manchester Valley (Md.), 5-0 (3)
3. Severna Park (Md.), 7-0 (4)
4. Summit (N.J.), 3-1 (6)
5. Victor (N.Y.), 1-0 (7) 
6. Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.), 4-0 (10)
7. Moorestown (N.J.), 5-0 (11) 
8. Westhampton (N.Y.), 5-0 (NR) 
9. New Canaan (Conn.), 1-1 (1)
10. West Chester Henderson (Pa.), 7-1 (NR) 
11. Smithtown West (N.Y.), 5-0 (NR) 
12. Garden City (N.Y.), 3-1 (12) 
13. Chatham (N.J.), 4-0 (23) 
14. Cambridge (Ga.), 11-2 (15) 
15. Milton (Ga.), 12-2 (16) 
16. Haddonfield (N.J.), 3-1 (13)
17. Springfield-Delco (Pa.), 8-1 (14)
18. Sayville (N.Y.), 3-1 (5) 
19. Downingtown West (Pa.), 7-1 (8) 
20. Cape Henlopen (Del.), 5-0 (17) 
21. Wilton (Conn.), 0-0 (19) 
22. Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.), 4-0 (20)
23. Coronado (Calif.), 9-0 (24)
24. Radnor (Pa.), 4-1 (18)
25. Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.), 1-0 (24) 

Also considered (alphabetical order): Anderson (Texas), Broadneck (Md.), Century (Md.), Conestoga (Pa.), Del Oro (Calif.), Fairport (N.Y.), Fairview (Colo.), Garnet Valley (Pa.), Glenelg High (Md.), Greenwich (Conn.), Lake Mary (Fla.), Liberty (Md.), Manhasset (N.Y.), Manheim Township (Pa.), Mira Costa (Calif.), Morristown (N.J.), New Trier (Ill.), Nyack (N.Y.), Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), Plant (Fla.), Pleasant Valley (Pa.), Ridgewood (N.J.), Rye (N.Y.), South Carroll (Md.), South Jefferson (N.Y.), Upper Arlington (Ohio), West Genesee (N.Y.), Yorktown (Va.)

Northeast Top 10

1. Darien (Conn.), 2-0 (2) 
2. Victor (N.Y.), 1-0 (4)
3. Bayport-Bluepoint (N.Y.), 4-0 (5) 
4. Westhampton (N.Y.), 5-0 (NR)
5. New Canaan (Conn.), 1-1 (1)
6. Smithtown West (N.Y.), 5-0 (NR) 
7. Garden City (N.Y.), 3-1 (6)
8. Sayville (N.Y.), 3-1 (3)
9. Wilton (Conn.), 0-0 (7)
10. Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.), 4-0 (8)

Mid-Atlantic Top 10

1. Manchester Valley (Md.), 5-0 (1)
2. Severna Park (Md.), 7-0 (2)
3. Summit (N.J.), 3-1 (3)
4. Moorestown (N.J.), 5-0 (6) 
5. West Chester Henderson (Pa.), 7-1 (NR)
6. Chatham (N.J.), 4-0 (NR)
7. Haddonfield (N.J.), 3-1 (7) 
8. Springfield-Delco (Pa.), 8-1 (8)
9. Downingtown West (Pa.), 7-1 (4)
10. Cape Henlopen (Del.), 5-0 (9)

South Top 10

1. Cambridge (Ga.), 11-2 (1)
2. Milton (Ga.), 12-2 (2)
3. Anderson (Texas), 8-0 (3)
4. Plant (Fla.), 17-0 (4)
5. Lake Mary (Fla.), 13-3 (5) 
6. Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 10-3 (NR) 
7. West Forsyth (Ga.), 10-2 (7) 
8. Chapel Hill (N.C.), 10-0 (NR) 
9. Weddington (N.C.), 9-3 (6)
10. Hagerty (Fla.), 12-5 (8) 

Midwest Top 10

1. New Trier (Ill.), 4-3 (1)
2. Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), 6-1 (2)
3. Olentangy (Ohio), 3-3 (NR) 
4. Thomas Worthington (Ohio), 1-1 (NR) 
5. Hinsdale Central (Ill.), 6-2 (3)
6. Carmel (Ind.), 5-1 (4)
7. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 4-1 (5)
8. Lakeville South (Minn.), 0-0 (6) 
9. Hudson (Ohio), 4-0 (7)
10. East Grand Rapids (Mich.), 3-0 (8)

West Top 10

1. Coronado (Calif.), 9-0 (NR) 
2. Mira Costa (Calif.), 14-0 (2)
3. Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.), 14-1 (1)
4. Oak Ridge (Calif.), 13-2 (4) 
5. Del Oro (Calif.), 10-3 (3)
6. San Ramon Valley (Calif.), 7-2 (6) 
7. Marlborough (Calif.), 10-3 (5)
8. Bainbridge Island (Wash.), 8-0 (7) 
9. ThunderRidge (Colo.), 6-1 (9)
10. Chandler (Ariz.), 8-1 (10)