A pair of undefeated former champions -- Georgia (12-0) and UCLA (10-0) – remain 1-2 in this week’s WCLA Top 20 Division I ranking, but they better not look backwards because there’s several contenders coming on strong.
Two-time champion Boston College Club (2022 & 2023) appears to be among the teams gearing up for the postseason. The No. 4 Eagles posted three impressive wins over Texas, No. 17 Colorado Club and No. 5 Michigan Club at last weekend’s Mile High Tournament to clearly position themselves as a strong threat for another title run.
“We really focused on playing our game and playing together and had confidence going into last weekend,” said BC club president Finley Collins, a four-year starter in goal who anchored the defense for both of BC’s championship teams. “As a team, when we have fun and enjoy playing lacrosse we are at our absolute best.”
After a 4-2 season start, the Eagles now carry a five-game win streak into this week’s NWLL matchup against No. 16 Providence.
“The two loses allowed us to look at what we needed to fix and it’s been the little things,” Collins said. “Once we started to celebrate the small wins and have fun playing under pressure it’s been an awesome season. We look forward to this coming weekend and are aiming to take back the NWLL title.”
Another team that also built a lot of momentum in Colorado last week was No. 7 Central Florida, which has seemingly been on a season long crusade to establish itself as one of the D-1 heavyweights. UCF earned its highest ranking ever this week after defeating No. 18 Notre Dame, Michigan, and Duke to extend its winning streak to eight games.
“We’ve worked hard the last couple of years to shift the attitude and effort in the right direction, and this year, we’ve seen how it’s paid off,” said UCF senior captain Emily Adams. “Everyone is committed to winning and moving forward, and willing to put in the work both on and off the field. The big wins we’ve achieved so far have been both a reward and a motivator to compete even harder.”
The Knights (11-2) have six Top 20 wins this season as they aim for their first national tournament berth since 2012.
“A national tournament spot has been a goal we’ve been chasing for a long time, and now that it’s within reach, the energy is unreal,” said senior defender Manuela Zarrate. “But we’re also trying to stay focused because we know nothing’s guaranteed. The chance to make history and represent UCF at a national level is something we all want, and we’re doing everything we can to make it happen.”
In Division II, undefeated Cal State San Marcos (10-0) continues its hold on the top spot for the fourth straight week, while Boise State jumped three spots to number two after extending its winning streak to six games with a win over Montana State. No. 3 Ole Miss, No. 4 Concordia, and No. 5 Cal Poly ‘B’ round out the D-II top five.
With selections for the WCLA nationals drawing closer, there’s a plethora of game action this week as D-I and D-II league championships take center stage. Based on those results, team selections and seedings for the national championship tournament will be announced next week.
Nearly 150 non-varsity collegiate teams comprise the WCLA and compete under the USA Lacrosse umbrella. The season will conclude with the top qualifiers competing in the national championship tournament in Wichita, Kansas, May 7-10.
