Another weekend, another fresh batch of activity in the top five of the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20.

One week after Florida earned a thrilling win over Maryland that thrust the program into the No. 2 spot in the rankings, the Gators were dominated by Loyola. Speaking of Maryland, the Terps lost consecutive games for the first time since 2006 — the year before Cathy Reese took over the program.

Needless to say, there was some movement in this latest ranking update.

Nike/US Lacrosse
Division I Women’s Top 20

Also considered (alphabetical order): Duke (3-2), Jacksonville (2-1), Navy (2-2), Villanova (2-1), Virginia Tech (4-1)

Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

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

HOT

Loyola (+9)

We pegged Loyola-Florida as our upset of the week in the Gameday Guide, but Loyola’s 17-6 drubbing of the Gators in Gainesville was an unanticipated result. Sam Fiedler dominated with seven goals, and Loyola makes a big jump thanks to her efforts.

Syracuse (+3)

The Orange took a tumble in the rankings after losing to Stony Brook, but the Orange have since gotten back on track. Saturday night’s win over Northwestern in Evanston featured a dominant second half that erased a one-goal halftime deficit. This week brings another tough test against Maryland on Friday.

USC (+2)

Two spots doesn’t represent a huge jump, but USC’s win over Boston College further exemplified the growth of the Women of Troy since last season. After two defensive battles to open the season, USC has scored 18 goals against BC and 14 against San Diego State. This is right in line with the offensive growth Lindsey Munday predicted in the preseason.

NOT

Florida (-7)

Hiccups are to be expected with a young team like the Gators but losing by 11 goals at home to a team ranked 12 spots lower is hard to justify. There’s no doubting the team’s raw talent, and more experience will surely pay off as the season progresses. Florida proved itself last weekend by beating Maryland. Now it needs to prove itself again by righting the ship.

Maryland (-6)

For the first time since Cindy Timchal was head coach in 2006, Maryland has lost consecutive games. Cathy Reese’s bunch ran into a buzzsaw in North Carolina on Saturday in a 19-6 loss, following a one-goal loss in College Park to Florida. As a result, Maryland falls out of the top 10 for the first time in what seems like an eternity.

IN

Penn State (No. 16)

Penn State’s win over Cornell Sunday actually has a bit more meaning after Villanova’s win over then-No. 15 Navy. Cornell had beaten Villanova, so Penn State sees a significant climb. Goalkeeper Taylor Suplee has been rock solid. She paced the 19-9 win over Cornell with 20 saves.

Hofstra (No. 20)

Hofstra nearly took down No. 8 USC in the season opener and has since played well against Bucknell, Wagner and Fairfield. It’ll be interesting to see how the team fairs in its next game, a March 3 tilt at Johns Hopkins.

OUT

Navy (previously No. 15)

The Mids have now lost to Virginia and Villanova. Against Nova, the Mids never had a lead. This team has been a rollercoaster early, but it certainly has the talent to reenter the fray at some point.

Colorado (previously No. 20)

At 1-2, it’s hard to justify keeping Colorado in the ranking. The defense looked vulnerable against Michigan, which dropped 20 goals on the Buffaloes despite not being an offensive juggernaut.