Women’s lacrosse top 10 talk: Week Five

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It’s a familiar top 10 in women’s lacrosse, as no team in the top 10 of the IWLCA coaches poll shifted more than two spots from a week ago. Still, there were plenty of interesting results from the top squads. Let’s take a look.

NOTE: All rankings referenced in this article are from this week’s poll.

1. North Carolina (7-0, 5-0 ACC)​

Movement: none

Last Week: 12-9 win over No. 9 Clemson, 19-3 win over No. 23 Pittsburgh

This Week: at California, vs. No. 6 Florida

As expected, the Tar Heels have continued to cruise through their schedule, picking up a massive 12-9 victory over Clemson that was not as close as the score seemed. UNC led 11-4 after three quarters, and in all, the Tar Heels benefitted from seven goals via reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Chloe Humphrey. North Carolina followed that up with a dominant performance against a ranked Pittsburgh squad, taking a 13-0 lead at halftime that ballooned to 17-1 following three quarters. As of now, it doesn’t look like anyone can catch the Heels.

2. Stanford (8-0, 5-0 ACC)​

Movement: none

Last Week: 11-10 win over No. 15 Duke

This Week: vs. No. 11 Notre Dame

The Cardinal haven’t been defeating teams by the same margins as UNC, but Stanford deserves massive credit for beating a scorching-hot Duke squad that smoked Boston College 17-6 on March 4. Duke went ahead 3-0 after the first quarter and 10-9 in the fourth, but late goals by Jordyn Case and Annabel Frist sealed the deal in a thrilling finish. Unfortunately for the Cardinal, their difficult schedule doesn’t abate just yet, as they will have to take on a tough Fighting Irish squad over the weekend.

3. Maryland (7-0, 4-0 B1G)​

Movement: none

Last Week: 16-9 win over Hofstra, 13-6 win over James Madison

This Week: at Oregon

It was encouraging to see the Terrapins handle business against two unranked opponents, and their offense started off hot in both, scoring a combined 18 first-half goals. Lauren LaPointe and Kori Edmondson led the charge with four goals apiece against Hofstra, and Kristen Shanahan exploded for six against JMU shortly after. Fortunately for the Terps, their easy schedule won’t end just yet, as they will face unranked Oregon on the road this weekend.

4. Northwestern (5-1, 0-0 B1G)​

Movement: none

Last Week: none

This Week: vs. No. 14 Syracuse, vs. Ohio State

No movement and no games for the Wildcats last week. NU will be eager to return to action Thursday night at Ryan Fieldhouse when it takes on a tough Syracuse squad in Olivia Adamson’s revenge game.

5. Navy (7-0, 0-0 Patriot League)​

Movement: none

Last Week: 19-8 win over South Florida, 13-10 win over Jacksonville

This Week: vs. Bucknell, vs. Arizona State

The hardest part of Navy’s schedule has come and gone, and for the time being, the Midshipmen can enjoy easier matchups as they wrap up non-conference play and enter their Patriot League conference opener against Bucknell. Five goals from Emma Kennedy led Navy against USF, and Alyssa Chung scored five to help the Midshipmen overcome a surprisingly potent Jacksonville squad that competed in basically every statistical category. For now, Navy is safe and undefeated, but it will have to be on the lookout for more potential upset bids.

6. Florida (5-2, 0-0 Big 12)​

Movement: up one spot

Last Week: 23-9 win over Mercer, 18-9 win over Penn

This Week: at Kennesaw State, at No. 1 North Carolina

The Gators picked up two blowout wins last week, but it wasn’t always easy against a Penn squad that managed to receive at least one vote in this edition of the IWLCA coaches poll. Florida actually trailed 7-6 at halftime before going on a 12-2 tear in the second half, and in all, the Gators were led by five goals from Clark Hamilton, four from Gabby Greene and three from Gabbi Koury and Frannie Hahn. Florida should take care of business against Kennesaw State, but the Gators’ next matchup against UNC could induce nightmares about last season’s crushing Final Four blowout loss.

7. Michigan (5-2, 0-0 Big 10)​

Movement: up one spot

Last Week: 23-3 win over Central Michigan, 8-7 win over No. 13 Colorado

This Week: at USC

Unsurprisingly, the Wolverines handled Central Michigan with ease, but they fell into a defensive slugfest against a Colorado team that has tortured top teams by holding all six of its opponents under double-digit goals. Colorado surged to a 7-5 lead after three quarters, but three goals in the final eight minutes from Michigan denied the Buffaloes an opportunity for another Big Ten upset of epic proportions. Despite a couple of tough losses, it has been a successful non-conference slate for Michigan overall, and the Wolverines now have an opportunity to start Big Ten play strong against USC.

8. Johns Hopkins (7-1, 0-0 Big Ten)​

Movement: up one spot

Last Week: 13-11 win over No. 12 Stony Brook

This Week: at Rutgers

The Blue Jays did just enough to beat a solid Seawolves squad on Sunday, riding a 5-0 third quarter to overcome a 7-6 halftime deficit. Stony Brook actually outshot Johns Hopkins 27-19 in this contest, but a poor combined performance in goal for the Seawolves was the difference, as they allowed 13 goals while making just two saves. It has been scary at times for the Blue Jays this season, but despite some bumps, they are in a solid spot entering Big Ten play against the Scarlet Knights.

9. Clemson (4-4, 1-3 ACC)​

Movement: up two spots

Last Week: 12-9 loss to No. 1 North Carolina, 13-9 win over No. 11 Notre Dame

This Week: at No. 21 Virginia, at Mercer

Don’t let the underwhelming record fool you — the Tigers are a legitimate contender. Their four losses have come against No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Stanford, No. 6 Florida and No. 16 Boston College, and they now have a huge ranked win over Notre Dame to prove they belong near the top. Clemson outshot the Fighting Irish 29-20 and won despite losing the draw control battle 14-10, establishing some momentum as it finally enters an easier stretch on its schedule.

10. Yale (6-0, 1-0 Ivy League)​

Movement: up two spots

Last Week: 22-4 win over Central Connecticut State, 16-6 win over Columbia

This Week: vs. UConn, at No. 14 Syracuse

Yale is finally in the top 10 after its wins last week, and the Bulldogs have a strong case to be among the nation’s best, sporting an undefeated record and a signature five-goal win over No. 7 Michigan. Like Colorado, Yale has possessed a stifling defense, holding all opponents to under double-digit goals and only allowing more than six tallies once. If Yale manages to take care of things against UConn, it will seek to stay undefeated in a massive matchup against Syracuse that has the potential to significantly pad the Bulldogs’ resume with a win.

Just missed the cut: Notre Dame (loss to No. 9 Clemson, win over Elon), Stony Brook (win over No. 20 Denver, loss to No. 8 Johns Hopkins, win over Rutgers), Colorado (loss to No. 7 Michigan)

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