Upsets continue to define the early stages of the 2021 Division I women’s lacrosse season. Long layoffs coupled with varying levels of activity in the fall make it so that some teams are simply farther ahead at this time than others.

That’s why some teams aren’t being penalized too heavily for their early season ruts. For example, Loyola might be 0-2 after being simply outplayed by Syracuse and then upset by unranked Towson, but with every player back from a season in which the Greyhounds finished No. 3 in the nation, there’s significant hope that the talent can turn it around.

On the flip side, there are teams like Rutgers that stand to be rewarded for their early success. The Scarlet Knights stormed to a weekend sweep of Ohio State, which entered Friday’s game ranked No. 19.

February lacrosse is officially behind us. Let’s see how things shake out entering March.

Nike / US Lacrosse
Division I Women’s Top 20

Also considered (alphabetical order): Colorado (1-2), Denver (0-1), Drexel (3-0), Hofstra (2-0), Jacksonville (1-0), Navy (3-0), Stanford (1-0), Temple (2-0)

Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

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

HOT

Boston College (+5)

These Eagles are fun to watch. In part because of a standout media department that produces high quality highlights and images, Boston College is a staple of lacrosse social media. At the heart of that is Charlotte North, who has 12 goals and two assists in her team’s 2-0 start.

BC took some lumps in 2020, but this team looks vastly different early on. Big wins over USC and Albany are proof of that.

Maryland (+3)

Maryland answered a season-opening loss to Penn State by sweeping Michigan, which was ranked No. 20 but ranked No. 9 the week prior. Maryland’s wins were far from dominant (the weekend scores were a combined 29-22), but wins are wins.

Hannah Leubecker scored seven times in a 17-13 win Friday and then followed that performance with three more goals in a 12-9 win Saturday. The Terps’ offense isn’t filled with household names just yet, but there are a multitude of weapons who can take turns beating defenses.

NOT

Loyola (-7)

We touched on it a bit above, but it’s been a rough start for Loyola — and one that’s honestly confusing. Sure, it’s certainly understandable for Loyola to lose to Syracuse, and you can probably make the case that a much-improved Towson team could clip the Greyhounds, too.

But it’s been the matter in which Loyola has lost, scoring just 13 goals combined after averaging 17.6 per game last season. Livy Rosenzweig has yet to score a goal, and Loyola’s other talented cast of characters haven’t stepped into their roles just yet.

USC (-5)

The Women of Troy were outplayed this week, losing 15-3 to Stony Brook and 14-8 to Boston College. Both opponents boast exceptional offenses, and they were able to exploit USC’s defense. Stony Brook managed 27 shots on goal, and Boston College took 22.

USC’s offense is deep and Maddie McDaniel is an impact transfer on the draw, so Lindsey Munday’s crew can certainly turn it around. But it was a rough trip to the East Coast.

IN

Towson (No. 14)

Towson has improved its scoring output in each game, scoring 10, 12, 13 and 18 in its 4-0 start. The defense has also held opponents to seven goals or fewer in each game. Are the Tigers legit?

Beating Loyola certainly put them on radars, and while its other opponents (Mount St. Mary’s, UMBC and George Mason) aren’t exactly juggernauts, it looks like Towson is handling the teams it should. This is certainly a team to watch.

Rutgers (No. 18)

The Scarlet Knights were overlooked last weekend even though they earned the first win in program history over Johns Hopkins. Penn State and Ohio State were to blame for that, as their big-time upsets of top-10 teams drew headlines.

Hosting Ohio State in a Friday-Sunday doubleheader, Rutgers made sure to grab the headlines this time. The Scarlet Knights won two close games (12-9 and 10-9), securing a spot in the top 20 for the time being.

Louisville (No. 20)

There’s some who-beat-who at play here. Colorado’s big upset of previously-No.-11 Denver opened the door for Louisville, which topped Colorado on Feb. 18. And because they played relatively well against Florida, the Cardinals sneak into the top 20.

OUT

Denver (was No. 11)

There’s plenty of time for the Pios to jump back into the mix, but it’s hard to justify a 14-7 loss against a Colorado team that started the season with losses to Louisville and Vanderbilt. It’s reasonable to assume the Buffs were underperforming, making it also reasonable to assume the Pios are just off to a slow start. After all, this was their first game since March 11 of last year.

Ohio State (was No. 19)

Ohio State’s stay in the top 20 was short lived after losing a weekend series to Rutgers. The Buckeyes made a statement by beating Michigan, but they’ll have to recover before getting another crack in the rankings.

Michigan (was No. 20)

The Wolverines are now 0-3, and their conference-only schedule doesn’t make matters easier. They host Rutgers for a two-game series next weekend and still have dates with No. 9 Penn State and No. 4 Northwestern to come.