Alongside the women’s lacrosse Final Four comes the penultimate edition of top 10 talk in 2026. Similarly to last week, no new IWLCA coaches poll was released, but the top four teams from its most recent poll still ended up being the teams in this year’s national semifinals. Let’s see how they each stack up.
NOTE: All rankings referenced in this article are from the most recent poll.
1. North Carolina (18-1, 10-0 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 14-11 win over Stanford
This Week: Final Four semifinal vs. Maryland
As expected, the No. 2-seeded
Tar Heels are headed to Evanston for the Final Four after taking down ACC rival Stanford in their quarterfinal matchup. North Carolina held on after taking an 8-4 halftime lead despite the Cardinal holding Chloe Humphrey to just three goals. Overall, the Tar Heels continued their dominance in most facets, but they did have notable goalkeeping struggles, with Betty Nelson and Lexi Zenk allowing 11 goals with just three saves on the contest. Against Terrapin star goalkeeper JJ Suriano, UNC will have to do a better job of competing in that department.
2. Northwestern (17-3, 7-1 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 13-12 2OT win over Colorado
This Week: Final Four semifinal vs. Johns Hopkins
The Wildcats nearly suffered their second upset loss to Colorado this season, going to double-overtime against the Buffaloes before winning the game on a Noel Cumberland free position goal. Northwestern arguably benefitted from a series of highly controversial calls and no-calls from the officials, but regardless, the ‘Cats now find themselves back in a very familiar position as a title contender in the Final Four. Northwestern’s semifinal draw is Johns Hopkins, a team the Wildcats dispatched 16-12 earlier in the year. The Blue Jays can score too, but the Wildcats have their biggest comparative advantage in the cage thanks to the prowess of Jenika Cuocco.
3. Maryland (18-3, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 14-10 win over Navy
This Week: Final Four semifinal vs. North Carolina
The Terrapins rode a strong 5-1 fourth-quarter advantage to victory against the Midshipmen, getting multi-goal performances from all six of their scorers. JJ Suriano had a solid nine-save performance as well, and the Terrapins managed to get consistently good looks despite losing the draw-control battle 17-9. Against UNC, the Terps will need to follow Stanford’s blueprint of limiting Chloe Humphrey, but defensive inconsistency in various games this season could make that a tough ask.
4. Johns Hopkins (17-4, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 13-12 win over Stony Brook
This Week: Final Four semifinal vs. Northwestern
Johns Hopkins won an absolute thriller over Stony Brook, coming back from a 12-10 fourth-quarter deficit and winning on a mind-boggling last-second transition goal from Taylor Hoss. The Blue Jays’ balanced scoring attack was in full force, as Ava Angello led with four goals but Hoss and Lacey Downey added three as well. Next up, Johns Hopkins will face Northwestern for a second time this season, and it will likely need a better performance from Ashley Langdon, who had a pedestrian seven-save outing against the Seawolves.
5. Navy (20-2, 8-1 Patriot League)
Movement: none
Last Week: 14-10 loss to Maryland
This Week: none
Navy’s incredible 2026 campaign finally came to a close against Maryland despite a six-goal performance from Alyssa Chung. The Midshipmen hung around for a while against the Terrapins, but a rough fourth quarter ended up being the nail in the coffin. Still, Navy’s season was an absolute success, with just two losses and a number of big wins overall.
6. Stanford (17-5, 8-2 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 14-11 loss to North Carolina
This Week: none
Stanford could not get past UNC despite multi-goal games from five different players on Thursday. The Cardinal played efficiently in the critical scoring area but mustered just 14 shots on goal compared to North Carolina’s 23. Still, despite the end-of-year disappointment, the Cardinal rose to incredible heights in 2026.
7. Michigan (13-7, 5-3 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: none
This Week: none
Michigan’s season ended after its second-round loss to Stanford on May 10.
8. Stony Brook (19-3, 7-0 CAA)
Movement: none
Last Week: 13-12 loss to Johns Hopkins
This Week: none
Stony Brook’s loss to Johns Hopkins was an absolute heartbreaker for the Seawolves, as it truly seemed like the Seawolves might be able to hang on to their fourth-quarter advantage en route to a Final Four berth. Two of Stony Brook’s losses this season have now come at the hands of the Blue Jays, and Thursday’s was particularly agonizing given how it went down in the final seconds. Still, the Seawolves didn’t lose to a non-Final-Four team all season, making 2026 a standout year for their players.
9. Syracuse (14-6, 7-3 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: none
This Week: none
Syracuse’s season ended after its second-round loss to Navy on May 10.
10. Colorado (16-4, 4-1 Big 12)
Movement: none
Last Week: 13-12 2OT loss to Northwestern
This Week: none
Colorado players and fans alike have reason to be salty after the controversial ending to the Buffaloes’ contest against Northwestern, which featured a questionable Colorado charge, a mystifying non-awarded Colorado free position and an interesting no-call on a potential second Madison Taylor yellow card. Nonetheless, the Buffaloes can absolutely be pleased with a season that exceeded the expectations of most. They began the year with a huge upset over the Wildcats, won the Big 12 championship and ended their campaign just inches away from a Final Four berth.
