The Wildcats are back. After early-season struggles, Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has reasserted the team’s dominance with wins over North Carolina and Johns Hopkins, vaulting the ‘Cats to No. 6 in the IWLCA coaches poll this week.
But the ‘Cats aren’t the only squad that has shifted dramatically in the rankings. Let’s take a look at how a wild week went down.
NOTE: All rankings referenced in this article are from this week’s poll.
1. Maryland (12-0, 4-0 B1G)
Movement: up two spots
Last Week: 15-12 win over No. 9 Johns
Hopkins, 14-13 win over No. 21 Penn State
This Week: vs. Rutgers
It would be a stretch to say the Terrapins are a better lacrosse team than UNC, but by virtue of staying undefeated, Maryland has managed to climb to the top spot in the rankings for the first time this season. Seven goals from Lauren LaPointe ended up being the driving force for the Terps in a huge ranked win over Johns Hopkins, a victory made more impressive when considering the fact that Maryland already had the game in hand with a 15-7 lead after three quarters. Then, the Terrapins nearly stumbled against Penn State, but they did just enough on offense thanks to four goals from LaPointe and three apiece from Keeley Block and Kori Edmondson. Maryland has had some close calls this year, but for now, it sits on top of the lacrosse landscape.
2. North Carolina (10-1, 7-0 B1G)
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: 17-16 loss to No. 6 Northwestern, 23-3 win over East Carolina
This Week: at No. 22 Virginia
It turns out UNC is mortal after all. The Tar Heels shocked the lacrosse world by losing their 31-game winning streak at the hands of Northwestern, dropping an overtime heartbreaker to a resilient Wildcat squad despite six goals from Chloe Humphrey. The Heels led 10-8 at halftime but lost the lead after three quarters, and they were ultimately unable to prevail over the resurgent ‘Cats.
I guess I’ll have to eat my words from the last sentence of UNC’s Week Seven description.
3. Michigan (9-2, 3-0 B1G)
Movement: up two spots
Last Week: 12-6 win over No. 19 Denver, 16-3 win over Oregon
This Week: vs. No. 25 Ohio State
The Wolverines currently sport a six-game winning streak, bolstered by their massive ranked win over Denver and their blowout against Oregon. The Pioneers got completely stifled by Michigan, losing the draw control battle 15-5 and the shots battle 28-18. Then, the Maize and Blue did what they had to against the Ducks, riding behind five goals from Emma Bradbury and three from Ceci Stein to secure a win. Up next, the Wolverines will seek to take care of business in their big rivalry matchup against OSU.
4. Syracuse (10-3, 5-2 ACC)
Movement: up four spots
Last Week: 16-7 win over No. 24 Pittsburgh, 10-8 win over Cornell
This Week: at No. 17 Duke
The Orange have been soaring as of late, extending their winning streak to 10 with an impressive ranked victory over the Panthers and a closer-than-expected escape against the Big Red. The offense finally came alive against Pittsburgh, and Syracuse led 15-2 after three quarters of play despite only taking 21 shots during that time. Against Cornell, despite a 6-6 score at halftime, Syracuse managed to come away with a win, holding its opponent to a minuscule 15 shots in the full 60 minutes. As mentioned before in this column, the Orange have only taken losses to tough opponents in No. 1 Maryland, No. 2 UNC and No. 10 Stanford, and they have looked like a truly formidable threat ever since.
5. Florida (8-2, 1-0 Big 12)
Movement: none
Last Week: 14-8 win over Arizona State
This Week: vs. No. 15 Colorado
The Gators handled business in their Big 12 opener behind five goals from Clark Hamilton. Florida held a 34-27 lead in shots overall, and it also benefitted from a great goalkeeping performance from Maya Soskin, who saved eight of the 10 shots she faced in 32:03 of action. Florida has settled in as a national contender this season, but it will likely have to survive a tough test against the pesky Buffaloes this weekend to maintain its top-five spot.
6. Northwestern (8-3, 2-1 B1G)
Movement: up five spots
Last Week: 17-16 win over No. 2 North Carolina, 16-12 win over No. 9 Johns Hopkins
This Week: vs. USC
What a week it was for Northwestern. The Wildcats finally got revenge for their national championship loss to UNC behind three goals apiece from Aditi Foster, Madison Taylor and Olivia Adamson. Then, against the Blue Jays, NU continued its impressive offensive dominance, securing 11 goals combined from Taylor and Maddie Epke. After some early-season bumps, it’s clear the attacking unit has hit its stride for the ‘Cats, making them a force to be reckoned with and a legitimate championship contender once again.
7. Yale (9-2, 3-0 Ivy League)
Movement: up two spots
Last Week: 16-8 win over No. 20 Princeton, 12-8 loss to No. 18 Army
This Week: at Dartmouth
Yale’s dominance against Princeton was downright impressive, as the Bulldogs gained a 27-14 shots on goal advantage against their formidable opponent en route to a smooth victory. However, Yale’s loss to Army has the potential to hurt its Week Nine ranking, as it occurred yesterday (after this week’s poll was released). The Bulldogs shockingly went down 9-4 at halftime, and they were unable to battle back in the rest of the game, struggling with inconsistent goalkeeping and a 13-9 draw control disadvantage. Yale is still a strong team, but it will have to make a statement against a solid unranked Dartmouth team in order to get its season back on track.
8. Navy (11-1, 3-1 Patriot League)
Movement: down four spots
Last Week: 19-14 loss to No. 16 Loyola Maryland
This Week: vs. Boston University
Down goes Navy! After their defeat at the hands of Loyola Maryland, the Midshipmen are no longer in play for an undefeated season, leaving Maryland as the only team in the top 10 without a loss. Navy’s defense and goalkeeping struggled mightily against the Greyhounds, allowing an absurd 15 first-half goals and contributing heavily to the team’s 18-8 deficit after three quarters of play. The Midshipmen project to have an excellent season nonetheless, but the nature of their loss still raises alarm bells as they head further into Patriot League play.
9. Johns Hopkins (10-3, 3-2 B1G)
Movement: down two spots
Last Week: 15-12 loss to No. 1 Maryland, 16-12 loss to No. 6 Northwestern
This Week: at Oregon
The Blue Jays paid the price for their difficult schedule this week, dropping two close contests to elite squads. While the losses negatively affected Johns Hopkins’ ranking, they don’t necessarily change the outlook for this team given the difficulty of both matchups. Regardless of the results, Hopkins’ elite offense can be trusted going forward. However, if there’s an Achilles heel, it’s definitely goalkeeping, as Blue Jays goalkeepers Ashley Langdon and Heidi Rosely secured just eight saves combined in the two high-scoring games.
10. Stanford (10-2, 6-1 ACC)
Movement: down eight spots
Last Week: 13-11 loss to No. 13 Boston College, 9-8 loss to Villanova
This Week: vs. Louisville
After a 10-game winning streak to begin the year, the Cardinal’s reign of dominance is over. It wasn’t too shocking to see Stanford lose to Boston College given the talent the Eagles possess, and the game was actually knotted up at nine after three quarters before BC pulled away. However, the Cardinal’s loss to unranked Villanova was simply stunning, as they won the shots battle 31-21 and the draw control battle 11-6 but couldn’t secure the victory. In the end, inefficient offense and goalkeeping was what doomed Stanford’s efforts, and the team will need to find a way to reset with its season outlook having dramatically shifted.
Just missed the cut: Clemson (17-9 win over Virginia Tech, 21-5 win over Davidson), Stony Brook (16-4 win over Campbell), Boston College (13-11 win over No. 10 Stanford, 22-5 win over Albany)
