Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

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

Is Middlebury a burgeoning dynasty?

Much of the core of last year’s NCAA champion is gone, but the Panthers bring back leading scorer Mary O’Connell and goalie Katie Furber, who went unbeaten in all six of her starts a year ago. They enter the 2017 season ranked No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women's Preseason Top 20.

Cortland, with top scorers Hannah Elmer and Kristen Ohberg still in the fold, is No. 2.

No. 3 Trinity, the team formerly coached by Middlebury's Kate Livesay, has holes on defense it must fill to navigate the always-tough NESCAC. But the Bantams bring back most of their offense from a team that advanced to the NCAA final for the third straight year.

With the combination of a lockdown defense and 100-point scorer Paige Moriarty, Franklin & Marshall comes in at No. 4.

TCNJ, featuring an Elizabeth Morrison-led defense that allowed just 3.95 goals per game (best in Division III), rounds out the Top 5.

Scroll down to see the complete Top 20 or click here for a more comprehensive listing.

Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women
Preseason Top 20

1. Middlebury
2. Cortland
3. Trinity
4. Franklin & Marshall
5. TCNJ
6. Gettysburg
7. Salisbury
8. Brockport
9. Amherst
10. Mary Washington
11. Hamilton
12. St. John Fisher
13. Colby
14. Catholic
15. Tufts
16. Bates
17. York
18. William Smith
19. St. Mary's (Md.)
20. Ithaca