The third week of the season yielded significant changes in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division II Women’s Top 20, including three new teams at the top of the ranking.
Undefeated Lindenwood ascends to the top spot after Sunday’s 13-9 win at No. 14 Florida Southern, its second Top 20 victory of the season. The Lions will get their toughest test Tuesday as they close a two-game Florida swing against No. 3 Tampa.
Queens, an NCAA semifinalist last year, jumped two spots to No. 2 this week, while Tampa jumped three spots with a pair of lopsided road wins in North Carolina.
Defending champion Adelphi was upset by Florida Southern last week but rebounded three days later with an overtime win against No. 8 Rollins. The Panthers dropped to No. 7 after holding the top spot in last week’s ranking.
No. 5 Le Moyne opens its 2020 campaign this week, leaving No. 4 West Chester as the last top 10 team to see action (March 6).
NIKE/US LACROSSE
DIVISION II WOMEN'S TOP 20
Feb 24, 2020 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lindenwood | 3-0 | 7 | 2/25 at No. 3 Tampa |
| 2 | Queens | 2-0 | 4 | 2/26 vs. North Greenville |
| 3 | Tampa | 3-0 | 6 | 2/25 vs. No. 1 Lindenwood |
| 4 | West Chester | 0-0 | 2 | 3/6 vs. Georgian Court |
| 5 | Le Moyne | 0-0 | 3 | 3/1 vs. No. 11 Mercyhurst |
| 6 | Regis | 1-0 | 5 | 3/1 vs. No. 16 Concordia |
| 7 | Adelphi | 2-1 | 1 | 2/29 vs. Stonehill |
| 8 | Rollins | 3-1 | 8 | 3/2 vs. Lander |
| 9 | Indianapolis | 3-0 | 9 | 2/28 vs. No. 17 Grand Valley State |
| 10 | East Stroudsburg | 1-0 | 10 | 2/28 at No. 13 St. Leo |
| 11 | Mercyhurst | 1-0 | 11 | 3/1 at No. 5 Le Moyne |
| 12 | Mercy | 1-0 | 12 | 2/29 at No. 19 Bentley |
| 13 | St. Leo | 3-1 | 13 | 2/28 vs. No. 10 East Stroudsburg |
| 14 | Florida Southern | 2-2 | 14 | 2/29 vs. Seton Hill |
| 15 | Limestone | 2-1 | 15 | 2/26 vs. Lander |
| 16 | Concordia-St. Paul | 4-0 | NR | 3/1 vs. No.6 Regis |
| 17 | Grand Valley State | 0-0 | 16 | 2/28 at No. 9 Indianapolis |
| 18 | Assumption | 0-0 | 17 | 2/29 vs. American Int’l |
| 19 | Bentley | 0-0 | 19 | 2/26 at Molloy |
| 20 | New Haven | 0-0 | 20 | 2/29 vs. Holy Family |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Florida Tech, Mount Olive, Roberts Wesleyan, Seton Hill
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Lindenwood (+6)
The Lions captured their second victory of the year against a ranked opponent, defeating host Florida Southern on Sunday with a strong second half performance. Tied 5-5 at halftime, Lindenwood scored the first six goals after intermission to take control against the Mocs, who had upset No. 1 Adelphi just three days earlier. The Lions will try to solidify their new No. 1 ranking with a showdown against No. 3 Tampa on Tuesday.
Tampa (+3)
The defending SSC champion has looked impressive in three non-conference wins to open the season, adding road victories at Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne last week. The Spartans have scored 60 goals in three games but step up in class Tuesday against newly minted No. 1 Lindenwood.
NOT
Adelphi (-6)
It was a mixed swing through Florida for the defending champions, who suffered an 8-4 loss at No. 14 Florida Southern but rebounded with a 13-12 overtime win against No. 8 Rollins. National preseason player of the year Kole Pollock was instrumental in that win, assisting Lena Riportella with the game-tying goal with 13 seconds left in regulation, then scoring unassisted for the OT-winner, her fourth goal of the contest.
IN
Concordia-St. Paul (No. 16)
The Golden Bears are off to a 4-0 start, including an impressive victory over previously No. 18 Colorado Mesa. CSP played a dominant first half against visiting Mesa, jumping to a 9-1 lead en route to a 15-4 win. The lead grew to as much as 14-1 early in the second half. The fourth-year program added a 20-6 win over Lewis two days later and is now enjoying the best start in its short history.
OUT
Colorado Mesa (previously No. 18)
Coming off a strong 15-4 campaign last year, the Mavericks were picked to finish second in the RMAC by the league’s coaches. CMU may still do that, but they are off to an 0-2 start after being dominated by Concordia last Friday. The Mavs have 10 days to try to put the pieces back together before their next outing, the home opener against Northern Michigan.