Editor’s Note: This is the last in-season update of the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20. The final rankings will be posted Tuesday, May 28, following the conclusion of the NCAA tournaments.
There were no changes at the top of the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women’s Top 20, as Middlebury, Gettysburg and Washington & Lee all captured conference championships Sunday.
No. 1 Middlebury won its 10th NESCAC championship by scoring the game’s final two goals to defeat Tufts, 10-9. The Panthers bring a 17-game winning streak into Sunday’s NCAA tournament game against the winner of the first-round game between Johnson & Wales and Morrisville State.
Two-time defending NCAA champion Gettysburg avenged its only loss of the year with a dominating 16-6 win over Franklin & Marshall in the Centennial Conference final. The No. 2 Bullets begin defense of their NCAA crown at home Sunday against the winner of the first round game between Westminster and Notre Dame (Md.)
No. 3 Washington and Lee was the top seed in the ODAC tournament and dispatched Randolph-Macon 17-7 in the final. The Generals captured their 10th straight ODAC title and extended their winning streak to 14 games.
The 36-team NCAA tournament bracket was announced Sunday, and it features 10 first-round games this Saturday. Winners advance into Sunday’s second round, which will feature 16 games. The top 18 teams in this week’s ranking were among the qualifiers for the NCAA field.
Nike/US Lacrosse
Division III Women’s Top 20
May 6, 2019 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlebury | 17-1 | 1 | 5/12 vs. JWU-Providence/Morrisville State |
| 2 | Gettysburg | 17-1 | 2 | 5/12 vs. Westminster/Notre Dame (Md.) |
| 3 | Washington and Lee | 17-2 | 3 | 5/12 vs. Ithaca/Meredith |
| 4 | St. John Fisher | 18-1 | 8 | 5/12 vs. No. 15 Brockport/SUNY Canton |
| 5 | Tufts | 16-2 | 4 | 5/12 vs. Plymouth St/New England College |
| 6 | William Smith | 17-2 | 10 | 5/12 vs. Bowdoin |
| 7 | York | 15-5 | 11 | 5/12 vs. Endicott/Misericordia |
| 8 | Salisbury | 16-3 | 5 | 5/12 vs. No. 18 Merchant Marine/Lebanon Valley |
| 9 | Wesleyan | 14-3 | 6 | 5/12 vs. No. 13 Mary Washington/Westfield St. |
| 10 | Catholic | 15-4 | 13 | 5/11 vs. Albion |
| 11 | Franklin & Marshall | 15-4 | 7 | 5/12 vs. Springfield |
| 12 | TCNJ | 13-5 | 14 | 5/12 vs. Colby |
| 13 | Mary Washington | 15-4 | 12 | 5/11 vs. Westfield St. |
| 14 | Amherst | 12-5 | 9 | 5/12 vs. No. 17 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
| 15 | Brockport | 15-4 | 20 | 5/11 vs. SUNY Canton |
| 16 | Colorado College | 17-1 | 16 | 5/12 vs. George Fox |
| 17 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | 16-2 | 17 | 5/12 at No. 14 Amherst |
| 18 | Merchant Marine | 17-0 | NR | 5/11 vs. Lebanon Valley |
| 19 | Geneseo | 14-5 | 15 | Season complete |
| 20 | Scranton | 16-3 | 18 | Season complete |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Cortland, Denison, Hamline, Illinois Wesleyan, Mount Union, Wooster
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Brockport (+5)
The Golden Eagles didn’t let the No. 3 seeding deter them in their chase for the SUNYAC tournament title. Brockport captured three wins in five days to secure its first SUNYAC championship, capped by a 13-4 win over top-seeded Geneseo. Brockport faces SUNY Canton, champion of the North Atlantic Conference, in the first-round of the NCAA tournament Saturday.
St. John Fisher (+4)
The Cardinals won their eighth straight Empire 8 Conference championship Sunday, defeating Stevens 13-4 in the final. Fisher set a new program record with its 18th win of the season, and extended its winning streak to 17 games. SJF begins NCAA play at home against the winner of the Brockport-SUNY Canton game.
William Smith (+4)
The Herons edged Ithaca 12-11 in the Liberty League final Sunday, with freshman Payton McMahon scoring the game-winning goal with 21 seconds remaining. William Smith won its fourth straight league title and sixth overall Liberty crown. The Herons bring a 15-game winning streak into Sunday’s NCAA match-up against Bowdoin.
NOT
Amherst (-5)
Amherst had its four-game winning streak snapped with an 11-5 loss to No. 1 Middlebury in the NESAC semifinals. The Mammoths trailed 6-1 at halftime and managed just one goal through the first 48 minutes of the game. Despite the loss, Amherst starts the NCAA tournament at home against No. 17 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Franklin & Marshall (-4)
The top-seeded Diplomats fell behind 6-1 against Gettysburg in the Centennial final and never regrouped, eventually losing 16-6. F&M earned an at-large NCAA berth and hosts Springfield, the NEWMAC champion, on Sunday.
IN
Merchant Marine
The Mariners are the last undefeated team in Division III, improving to 17-0 with Saturday’s 22-5 win over Farmingdale State in the Skyline Conference’s championship game. Meredith Willard led USMMA with a nine-point game (5g, 4a) and set the team’s new single-season assist record. Merchant Marine earned its second straight NCAA appearance and meets Lebanon Valley in Saturday’s first round.
OUT
Cortland (formerly No. 19)
Last week’s loss to Brockport in the SUNYAC semifinals ended an incredible streak of 20 straight league titles for Cortland, and also keeps the Red Dragons on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament. Cortland finishes the year with an 11-6 record.