We had two matchups between top-six teams this weekend, and both helped decipher the ever-changing women’s lacrosse landscape.
Just one week after getting thrashed by Loyola, Florida bounced back to beat Stony Brook — the program’s second win over a program ranked in the top five of the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20.
Meanwhile, North Carolina continued its stranglehold of the top spot. The Tar Heels outlasted a Virginia team that had lost to Richmond earlier in the week but still had the fight to give UNC a run. But the Tar Heels proved too potent.
Four weeks into the season, the hierarchy of teams is beginning to take shape.
Nike/US Lacrosse
Division I Women’s Top 20
March 2, 2020 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | 5-0 | 1 | 3/5 vs. Louisville |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 5-0 | 2 | 3/7 vs. No. 17 Boston College |
| 3 | Loyola | 4-0 | 5 | 3/7 at No. 7 Penn |
| 4 | Florida | 4-1 | 9 | 3/3 at No. 12 Dartmouth |
| 5 | Stony Brook | 2-1 | 3 | 3/5 vs. Towson |
| 6 | Syracuse | 6-1 | 4 | 3/8 vs. Virginia Tech (in Charlotte, N.C.) |
| 7 | Penn | 4-0 | 7 | 3/7 vs. No. 3 Loyola |
| 8 | USC | 4-0 | 8 | 3/6 vs. Stanford |
| 9 | Northwestern | 4-2 | 10 | 3/9 vs. No. 1 North Carolina |
| 10 | Michigan | 4-1 | 13 | 3/4 at No. 18 Vanderbilt |
| 11 | Dartmouth | 3-0 | 15 | 3/3 vs. No. 4 Florida |
| 12 | Richmond | 6-0 | NR | 3/7 at Old Dominion |
| 13 | Virginia | 4-2 | 6 | 3/4 vs. George Mason |
| 14 | Princeton | 3-1 | 14 | 3/8 at No. 5 Stony Brook |
| 15 | Maryland | 1-3 | 11 | 3/4 vs. Navy |
| 16 | UMass | 3-1 | 17 | 3/7 at UConn |
| 17 | Boston College | 3-2 | 18 | 3/7 at No. 2 Notre Dame |
| 18 | Denver | 4-1 | 12 | 3/4 vs. Fresno State |
| 19 | James Madison | 3-1 | 19 | 3/4 vs. Penn State |
| 20 | Hofstra | 3-1 | 20 | 3/3 at Johns Hopkins |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Jacksonville (3-1), Navy, (2-2), Penn State (4-1), Vanderbilt (4-2), Virginia Tech (6-1)
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Florida (+5)
The Gators’ yo-yo season continues. Florida has alternated rising and falling each week of the season, and Week 4 represents an upswing. The Gators trailed 5-1 against Stony Brook on Saturday and appeared to have no answer offensively, but Florida got on a roll and Sarah Reznick made 13 saves in a 12-10 win. This is a young team with top-notch veteran leaders in Shannon Kavanagh and Cara Trombetta.
NOT
Virginia (-7)
Virginia gets knocked here more so for its loss to Richmond than its loss to top-ranked UNC. During a wild Wednesday night, in-state rival Richmond topped the Hoos for the first time since 2006.
Denver (-6)
The Pioneers were on the up after four easy wins to start the season. Then they were upset by Vanderbilt on Sunday in the Commodores’ first win against a ranked team since 2014. Denver’s remaining schedule lends itself to racking up wins (there’s a key matchup against Michigan on March 15, too), but this was a rough way to begin the lighter portion of the schedule.
Maryland (-3)
A 1-3 start and a combined 11 goals the last two games? This is undoubtedly a rough start for Cathy Reese’s bunch, but the debate between history and results is what keeps Maryland hanging on in the Top 20. Maryland has struggled in the past but still won games. It’s been a little different in 2020.
IN
Richmond (No. 12)
The 2019 Atlantic 10 champion Spiders brought in Inside Lacrosse’s No. 10 recruiting class and had increased expectations for 2020. Sam Geiersbach and Co. have been consistently great, and Richmond is one of 11 remaining undefeated teams in Division I. Rookie attacker Arden Tierney already has a team-high 22 goals.
OUT
Penn State (previously No. 16)
Penn State was throttled by Loyola (22-12) and now faces four ranked opponents in a row in James Madison, Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Virginia.