Eight teams remain in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and as expected, there were a number of shakeups in the tournament’s first weekend. No new IWLCA coaches poll came out this week, but all eight teams still alive were ranked in the previous week’s top 10. Let’s see where each team stands in its title push.
NOTE: All rankings referenced in this article are from the most recent poll.
1. North Carolina (17-1, 10-0 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 17-6 win over Clemson
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal vs. Stanford
The Tar Heels thrashed
Clemson with ease, but even the lopsided final score doesn’t tell the full story of how much of a blowout this game was. UNC secured a running clock just 20:41 into the contest against a quality Tigers squad, going up 16-1 with 4:39 to go in the third quarter and never looking back. North Carolina was led by a seven-goal, four-assist performance from Chloe Humphrey, who seems determined to get her No. 2-seeded squad back to the promised land again.
2. Northwestern (16-3, 7-1 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 17-5 win over James Madison
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal vs. Colorado
Northwestern showed off its top-seed firepower against the Dukes, finding consistent primary scoring options in Madison Taylor and Aditi Foster. Taylor put up eight goals and Foster added four for the Wildcats, and NU consistently made life difficult for JMU, causing turnovers after draw controls and harassing the Dukes on the ride. The ‘Cats look tough to beat as the tournament’s top overall seed, but a rematch against Colorado could pose trouble, as Northwestern did lose to the Buffaloes 10-9 in its home opener back in February.
3. Maryland (17-3, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 11-8 win over Rutgers
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal vs. Navy
The No. 3-seeded Terps didn’t have the easiest time against the Scarlet Knights, but they did manage to hang on thanks to a fast 6-1 start in the first quarter. Keeley Block’s four goals led the charge offensively for Maryland, and JJ Suriano did a stellar job again in goal, saving 10 shots and only allowing eight tallies. The Terrapins are moving on to the quarterfinals, but they have looked more vulnerable than North Carolina and Northwestern this season, making their matchup against Navy an interesting one.
4. Johns Hopkins (16-4, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 21-7 win over Albany, 21-13 win over Army
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal vs. Stony Brook
The Blue Jays’ offense looked terrifyingly good over the weekend, as they went up 14-1 at the half against Albany en route to an easy win before putting up three six-goal quarters against the Black Knights. Johns Hopkins played incredibly efficiently against Army, putting 21 of 27 shots on goal past Black Knights goalkeeper Lindsey Serafine, and the Blue Jays were led by six goals from Ava Angello and four from Paige Willard. Next, Johns Hopkins awaits an intriguing matchup against Stony Brook.
5. Navy (20-1, 8-1 Patriot League)
Movement: none
Last Week: 17-16 win over UMass, 11-10 OT win over Syracuse
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal at Maryland
Somehow, Navy is still alive in the NCAA Tournament. That sentence barely felt plausible at times during a heart-stopping opening weekend, but the Midshipmen managed to make sure they weren’t victims of an early-round upset. Against UMass, Navy fell behind 10-6 in the third quarter, took a 14-11 lead, blew the lead entirely and finally won off a Mikayla Williams goal with 35 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Then, against the Orange, the Midshipmen went down 10-4 with under 20 minutes to go in regulation before scoring six unanswered goals to tie the game, ultimately winning on an Alyssa Chung tally in the extra period. It would be an understatement to say that Navy looks vulnerable right now, but with just one loss all season, the Midshipmen have proven they can hang with anyone, which should give them a fighting chance against the Terps.
6. Stanford (17-4, 8-2 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 7-5 win over Penn State, 13-12 win over Michigan
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal at North Carolina
Stanford pulled an upset by seed (if not by IWLCA ranking) on Sunday, taking down No. 7-seeded Michigan after its low-scoring Friday win over the Nittany Lions. The Cardinal’s opening-round win was highlighted by a 3-0 second-half scoring margin, and Stanford goalkeeper Lucy Pearson came to play, saving nine shots in all while allowing just five goals. Then, against Michigan, the Cardinal lost their fourth-quarter lead but got it back thanks to goals from Aliya Polisky and Jordyn Case in the final 2:12. UNC will pose a tough test for Stanford on Thursday as it seeks to make the Final Four.
7. Michigan (13-7, 5-3 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 18-8 win over Mercer, 13-12 loss to Stanford
This Week: none
Michigan handled Mercer with ease to begin the tournament, but its season ended with a heartbreaking loss to Stanford on Sunday. Calli Norris put up four goals and Emma Bradbury added three for the Wolverines, but their offense wasn’t enough, as Michigan squandered a 10-7 third-quarter lead to conclude its 2026 campaign.
8. Stony Brook (19-2, 7-0 CAA)
Movement: none
Last Week: 19-5 win over Stonehill, 10-9 win over Boston College
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal at Johns Hopkins
The Seawolves destroyed Stonehill as expected, but their match against Boston College came down to the wire. Stony Brook jumped out to a 7-1 second-quarter lead, but BC came crawling back, moving to within one with 4:13 to go in the fourth quarter. From there, the Seawolves barely held on, denying the Eagles’ free position chance in the final seconds to secure victory. Up next, Stony Brook will try its luck against the Big Ten powerhouse Blue Jays.
9. Syracuse (14-6, 7-3 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 8-6 win over Loyola Maryland, 11-10 loss to Navy
This Week: none
After dispatching Loyola Maryland in a defensive affair that featured a Caroline Trinkaus hat trick, the Orange leapt out to a huge lead against Navy before throwing it away in a collapse of epic proportions. Despite four goals from Trinkaus and three from Molly Guzik against the Midshipmen, Syracuse’s season has officially come to a close.
10. Colorado (16-3, 4-1 Big 12)
Movement: none
Last Week: 10-9 win over Jacksonville, 11-9 win over Denver
This Week: NCAA Tournament quarterfinal at Northwestern
The Buffaloes survived their sneaky-difficult first-round matchup against Jacksonville, storming back from an 8-6 fourth-quarter deficit and prevailing thanks to Rowan Edson’s go-ahead tally with 6:06 to go. Then, Colorado handled a Denver team that had just stomped Florida 16-8, as the Buffaloes held a four-goal lead with under five minutes to go and managed to hold on despite a couple of late tallies. Up next, Colorado will likely be eager to take on the Wildcats for the second time this season as it looks to pull off another incredible upset.
Just missed the cut: Florida (16-8 loss to Denver), Clemson (19-6 win over Davidson, 17-6 loss to North Carolina), Boston College (10-4 win over Yale, 10-9 loss to Stony Brook)
