The NCAA Tournament is just nine days away, and there have been plenty of thrilling matchups as of late in the midst of conference tournament season. Meanwhile, five teams shifted from last week in the IWLCA coaches poll, while five stood pat. Let’s check out the results.
NOTE: All rankings referenced in this article are from this week’s poll.
1. North Carolina (16-1, 10-0 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 15-11 win over No. 19 Duke (ACC Tournament quarterfinal), 19-9 win over No. 7 Syracuse (ACC Tournament semifinal), 12-8 win over No. 6
Stanford (ACC Tournament final)
This Week: none
As expected, the Tar Heels are ACC Tournament champions, coasting through all three of their opponents en route to the title. Against Duke, Darcy Felter stepped up with five goal tallies alongside Chloe Humphrey’s four, and UNC secured a 20-7 draw control edge, with five different players winning multiple draws. Five more goals from Humphrey and four from Addison Pattillo boosted North Carolina to a big semifinal win over Syracuse, and the aforementioned duo brought the Tar Heels their championship against Stanford with four and three goals, respectively, alongside a hat trick from Kate Levy as well. UNC is a lock to be one of the three NCAA Tournament teams with a first-round bye, and it may have the top overall seed when the bracket is set.
2. Northwestern (15-3, 7-1 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 10-7 win over No. 8 Michigan (Big Ten Tournament semifinal), 8-7 OT win over No. 3 Maryland (Big Ten Tournament final)
This Week: none
For the fourth straight season, the Wildcats are Big Ten Tournament champions, but they won both games by relatively thin margins. Northwestern and Michigan were all square at six late in the third quarter before four unanswered goals put the semifinal away for the ‘Cats. Then, NU won a thriller against Maryland, throwing away a 5-1 lead before Annabel Child’s buzzer-beating overtime goal gave the Wildcats an 8-7 victory with one second remaining in the extra period. Northwestern will likely be at least the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, giving it the second of three byes (and the rare opportunity to host every single one of its tournament games given that the Final Four is in Evanston this year).
3. Maryland (16-3, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: up one spot
Last Week: 10-9 win over Ohio State (Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal), 15-14 OT win over No. 5 Johns Hopkins (Big Ten Tournament semifinal), 8-7 loss to No. 2 Northwestern (Big Ten Tournament final)
This Week: none
It was a weekend of heart attacks for Maryland fans, who saw their Terrapins barely scrape by a scrappy Buckeyes squad before pulling off a signature win against the Blue Jays. Keeley Block scored the game-winner against Johns Hopkins with 1:10 to go in overtime, and she had a hat trick alongside Lauren LaPointe and Kori Edmondson in the semifinal contest. Then, the Terps lost a heartbreaker to Northwestern, as JJ Suriano’s 12-save, eight-goal performance somehow wasn’t enough against a historic 18-save, seven-goal performance from NU’s Jenika Cuocco. Despite the disappointment on Sunday, Maryland seems well-positioned to secure the final of three first-round byes in the NCAA Tournament.
4. Florida (14-2, 5-0 Big 12)
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: 19-6 win over UC Davis
This Week: Big 12 Tournament (semifinal vs. UC Davis)
The Gators destroyed UC Davis over the weekend, going up 11-1 at halftime and winning big overall thanks to a nine-goal second quarter and four-plus goal performances from Frannie Hahn, Kaitlyn Davies and Ava Kristynik. This season, Florida has proven itself to be the dominant performer in the Big 12. Next, it will seek to roll through its conference tournament, beginning with a rematch against the Aggies.
5. Johns Hopkins (14-4, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 14-9 win over No. 21 Rutgers (Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal, 15-14 OT loss to No. 3 Maryland (Big Ten Tournament semifinal)
This Week: none
The Blue Jays nearly made a run to their conference tournament championship game, but the mighty Terrapins ultimately stood in the way. First, though, Johns Hopkins dispatched Rutgers with ease, taking a 9-2 lead at halftime and winning behind five multi-goal performances and a four-goal day from Taylor Hoss. Against Maryland, a 7-1 second-quarter deficit proved costly, and the Blue Jays lost despite a five-goal game from Lacey Downey and hat tricks from Ava Angello and Paige Willard. Still, with quality wins on its schedule, Johns Hopkins could be ready to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament.
6. Stanford (15-4, 8-2 ACC)
Movement: up five spots
Last Week: 14-7 win over No. 12 Boston College (ACC Tournament quarterfinal), 13-12 win over No. 10 Clemson (ACC Tournament semifinal), 12-8 loss to No. 1 North Carolina (ACC Tournament final)
This Week: none
The Cardinal vaulted back into the top 10 with an impressive stretch of conference tournament games. Against Boston College, Stanford dominated despite getting crushed 17-5 in the draw control battle, forcing 17 BC turnovers and taking advantage of a poor day from Eagles’ goalkeeper Shea Dolce, who saved six shots while allowing 14 goals. Then, the Cardinal escaped against Clemson before falling to top-ranked UNC, with their efforts against the Tigers being highlighted by three comeback goals in the final three minutes. After some struggles as of late, it appears Stanford has gotten back on the right track, gaining some much-needed momentum entering the tournament.
7. Syracuse (13-5, 7-3 ACC)
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: 11-9 win over No. 22 Virginia (ACC Tournament quarterfinal), 19-9 loss to No. 1 North Carolina (ACC Tournament semifinal)
This Week: none
The Orange’s typically stellar defense fell apart against the Tar Heels, but it stood strong against Virginia, allowing Syracuse to come away with a close win. Emma Muchnick’s four goals and Molly Guzik’s hat trick helped fuel the Orange against the Cavaliers, but UNC proved to be too much to overcome, as Syracuse fell behind 8-3 after the first quarter and 12-4 at halftime. Still, the Orange have faced nearly every top team under the sun, giving them plenty of battle scars heading into the NCAA Tournament.
T8. Michigan (12-6, 5-3 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 13-12 win over No. 18 Penn State (Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal), 10-7 loss to Northwestern (Big Ten Tournament semifinal)
This Week: none
Michigan maintained its ranking thanks to an escape against the Nittany Lions, one where the Wolverines needed to hold onto their one-goal margin for the game’s final 3:43 to secure a victory. Michigan’s 19-8 draw-control dominance was the story of the quarterfinal, but the Wolverines couldn’t replicate the same performance against Northwestern, losing 10-9 in the circle and allowing four unanswered goals after a 6-6 score deadlock in the third quarter. Up next, Michigan will await its NCAA Tournament seeding, hoping to pull off some upsets en route to a deep run.
T8. Navy (16-1, 8-1 Patriot League
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: 18-5 win over American
This Week: Patriot League Tournament (semifinal vs. Bucknell)
Navy’s regular season features just one blemish, and it capped things off with a blowout win over American, who only trailed 6-3 at halftime but got destroyed in the third and fourth quarters. Alyssa Chung scored six goals for Navy in that contest, bringing her total to 62 on the year already. Next up, Navy will seek to win the Patriot League Tournament, although a potential finals matchup against Loyola Maryland or Army could pose some trouble.
10. Clemson (14-5, 7-3 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 12-9 win over No. 16 Notre Dame (ACC Tournament quarterfinal), 13-12 loss to No. 6 Stanford (ACC Tournament semifinal)
This Week: none
The Tigers snagged a big win over the Fighting Irish, riding a 5-1 third-quarter scoring advantage and capitalizing on 22 Notre Dame turnovers to secure victory. Then, against Stanford, Clemson held a 12-10 lead with under three minutes to play but squandered it, losing despite a four-goal performance from Aubrie Eisfeld and a hat trick from Emma Penczek. Now, the Tigers will turn to the NCAA Tournament, seeking to build some momentum after a tough ACC schedule this season.
Just missed the cut: Stony Brook (15-4 win over Elon), Boston College (14-7 loss to No. 6 Stanford), Army (21-6 win over Colgate)
