Conference tournament season is here, and its arrival is accompanied by a host of IWLCA coaches poll shifts from the past week. Things remained more stable in the top 10 than they did a week ago, but there were still plenty of shifts to break down. Let’s take a look.
NOTE: All rankings referenced in this article are from this week’s poll.
1. North Carolina (13-1, 10-0 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: 11-5 win over No. 19 Duke
This Week: ACC Tournament (quarterfinal vs. No. 19 Duke)
The Tar Heels coasted into the ACC Tournament with a win
over Duke in which they trailed 5-3 at the half but scored eight unanswered goals the rest of the way. Chloe Humphrey’s seven goals were the catalyst for UNC’s success, and the Tar Heels were efficient enough to win comfortably despite losing the draw control battle 10-8. As it enters the ACC Tournament, UNC awaits the Blue Devils once more with a trip to the semifinals on the line.
2. Northwestern (13-3, 7-1 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: 9-7 win over No. 8 Michigan
This Week: Big Ten Tournament (semifinal vs. either No. 8 Michigan or No. 18 Penn State)
The Wolverines looked dangerous coming off their dominant victory over Maryland, but Northwestern still managed to hold on, staging a fourth-quarter rally to come back from a 7-5 deficit. Madison Taylor and Aditi Foster put together a hat trick apiece in a low-scoring game that still featured relatively few turnovers on both sides (nine for Michigan and seven for Northwestern). Despite some early-season stumbles, the Wildcats ended up finding the top seed in the Big Ten Tournament, giving them a bye into the semifinals.
3. Florida (13-2, 4-0 Big 12)
Movement: up two spots
Last Week: 16-5 win over Cincinnati
This Week: vs. UC Davis
The Gators are looking formidable with one game left in their regular season following an easy victory over the Bearcats. Boo DeWitt led the way with four goals for Florida, who jumped out to an early 5-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game and never looked back. Barring a big upset, the Gators should be in a good position to run the table the rest of the way, giving them a chance to secure a favorable draw in the NCAA Tournament.
4. Maryland (14-2, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: 15-4 loss to No. 8 Michigan, 13-9 win over Ohio State
This Week: Big Ten Tournament (quarterfinal vs. Ohio State)
The Terrapins have been stumbling since their close loss at the hands of Northwestern, taking a shocking blowout loss at the hands of the Wolverines. Emma Bradbury, Ava Class and Calli Norris combined for 10 of Michigan’s tallies, and the Wolverines also enjoyed an excellent performance from goalkeeper Elizabeth Johnson, who made nine saves while allowing just four goals. Maryland managed to rebound against Ohio State behind a 7-1 second-quarter goal margin, but the Terps’ momentum remains somewhat shaky heading into their rematch with the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament.
5. Johns Hopkins (13-3, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: up one spot
Last Week: 10-9 overtime win over No. 18 Penn State
This Week: Big Ten Tournament (quarterfinal vs. No. 21 Rutgers)
The Blue Jays escaped with a narrow road victory over Penn State, winning in large part due to hat tricks from Taylor Hoss and Lacey Downey. Initially, Johns Hopkins appeared to be on the brink of collapse in regulation before final-minute goals from Downey and Ava Angello tied the score. Then, Downey put the game away with the golden goal in overtime, ensuring the Blue Jays’ escape. Up next, Johns Hopkins will look to find some consistency and begin a Big Ten Tournament run in a tough matchup against Rutgers.
6. Syracuse (12-4, 7-3 ACC)
Movement: down two spots
Last Week: 7-4 loss to No. 12 Boston College
This Week: ACC Tournament (quarterfinal vs. No. 20 Virginia)
Syracuse’s 12-game winning streak finally came to a close with a brutal road defeat at the hands of the Eagles. The Orange’s defense stood out as usual, and they did manage to win the shots-on-goal battle by a 10-9 margin. In the end, however, the efficiency wasn’t there, as no Syracuse player managed to score multiple goals in the contest. Things won’t get any easier in the daunting ACC Tournament, but regardless, the Orange have put up some big wins in 2026 and should be well-positioned for the NCAA Tournament as a result.
7. Navy (15-1, 7-1 Patriot League)
Movement: none
Last Week: 23-7 win over Colgate
This Week: vs. American, Patriot League quarterfinals (opponent TBD)
The Midshipmen are in a league of their own compared to most of their conference opponents, and they have really hit their stride over the last couple of games, defeating their previous two opponents by a combined score of 47-8. Dominance came easily against Colgate, as Navy won the shots-on-goal battle 24-8 while also securing a positive 22-9 margin in draw controls. A lone loss to No. 23 Loyola Maryland remains the only blemish on the Midshipmen’s resume, and if they manage to win out in conference the rest of the way, they could very well be a top-five team in the NCAA Tournament.
8. Michigan (11-5, 5-3 B1G)
Movement: up three spots
Last Week: 15-4 win over No. 4 Maryland, 9-7 loss to No. 2 Northwestern
This Week: Big Ten Tournament (quarterfinal vs. No. 18 Penn State)
The Wolverines’ blowout win over the Terrapins catapulted Michigan firmly back into the championship contender conversation. Despite a number of key losses this season, the Wolverines have shown the ability to hang with anyone, and their fourth-quarter lead over the formidable ‘Cats displayed as much. Up next, Michigan will have a chance to make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament, beginning with an opening-round matchup against the Nittany Lions.
9. Yale (12-2, 6-0 Ivy League)
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: 14-13 win over Harvard
This Week: at Cornell
The Bulldogs narrowly escaped their rival on Senior Day, barely taking down Harvard thanks to unanswered fourth-quarter goals from Kate Gould and Kelly Holmes. The win certainly didn’t come easily for Yale, as it lost the draw-control battle 19-10 and flirted with disaster when entering halftime down 9-7. In the end, however, five goals from Gould and multi-tally games from Ashley Newman, Meg Bohan and Whitney Froeb proved to be enough to lead the Bulldogs to victory. Up next, Yale will look to stave off an upset in its final regular-season game against Cornell.
10. Clemson (13-4, 7-3 ACC)
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: 16-7 win over Florida State
This Week: ACC Tournament (quarterfinal vs. No. 16 Notre Dame)
As expected, the Tigers handled business against FSU, only holding an 8-6 lead at halftime but charging ahead for a comfortable victory thanks to dominant performances in the final two quarters. Clemson outdrew the Seminoles 17-7 while outshooting Florida State 34-14 overall, putting up at least 16 goals for the sixth straight contest. The challenging ACC Tournament now looms for the Tigers, as they will have to find a way to get past a difficult matchup against the Fighting Irish.
Just missed the cut: Stanford (17-5 win over California), Boston College (7-4 win over No. 6 Syracuse), Stony Brook (15-4 win over Hofstra)
