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So, who thinks MD will win this year? UNC won in 2022 with a stacked team of 7 5th years - MD is the same this year. Thoughts? Curious how teams pan out when he 5th year goes away?

Not sure why having 5th year players matters. Maryland and UNC were two of the best programs long before the whole COVID 5th year eligibility thing came about. It is a level playing field for all but some of the Ivy's (some do not permit transfers, redshirts, 5th year etc..). As far as I know, all other programs can have 5th year players. The team that plays the best when it matters will win the National Championship. Not sure why anyone is concerned about 5th year players. Are there programs that can not have 5th year players on their roster?

Northwestern with on the road again at Carolina today.... Could be another upset for The Cats

Loyola and Syracuse Wednesday.... Loyola with a chance to prove they belong in the mix.

Penn at Maryland also on Wednesday.... Day trips are tough on the legs... but, anything is possible.

Maryland heads to Michigan on Saturday.... is Michigan for real?

James Madison at Hopkins on Saturday.... should be a good one.

Things are getting interesting...

Do you really think it's a "level playing field" when some teams are stacked with 5th year players? I disagree.

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll – March 25



Middlebury College remains at the top spot with a perfect 7-0 record, earning 524 points with 20 first-place votes.

William Smith College holds onto the second position with a 7-0 record, while Tufts maintains its third-place ranking with an unblemished 8-0 record as well. Salisbury and Franklin & Marshall round out the Top 5, respectively.

Additional noteworthy rankings feature Pomona-Pitzer, holding the 12th position and persistently garnering a first-place vote, along with Babson making its debut in the Top 25 following this week's voting.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Middlebury (7 - 0) 524 (20) 1
2 William Smith (7 - 0) 499 2
3 Tufts (8 - 0) 485 3
4 Salisbury (7 - 2) 455 4
5 Franklin & Marshall (6 - 2) 427 5
6 Gettysburg (6 - 2) 401 6
7 Washington and Lee (7 - 3) 392 7
8 Wesleyan (5 - 1) 385 8
9 Colby (5 - 1) 350 9
10 TCNJ (5 - 1) 338 10
11 Stevens (7 - 0) 319 11
12 Pomona-Pitzer (9 - 0) 283 (1) 12
13 Williams (4 - 1) 271 16
14 York (2 - 5) 240 14
15 Roanoke (6 - 2) 223 17
16 MIT (6 - 1) 204 19
17 Christopher Newport (8 - 2) 183 18
18 Trinity (CT) (4 - 3) 176 13
19 Amherst (2 - 4) 138 15
20 Ithaca (5 - 1) 131 21
21 Hamilton (3 - 3) 77 20
22 Chicago (3 - 3) 64 22
23 Babson (5 - 1) 52 NR
24 Shenandoah (6 - 2) 49 24
25 Haverford (5 - 3) 41 25
RV Colorado College, St. John Fisher, Bowdoin, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Chapman

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll – March 25



There was not much movement in the Division II ranks, as No. 1 Pace was unanimously voted into the top slot.

West Chester, East Stroudsburg, and Adelphi round out the top four, while No. 11 Flagler dropped out of the Top 10 after suffering a 15-10 loss to now No. 12 Lynn.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Pace (7 - 0) 550 (22) 1
2 West Chester (6 - 0) 519 2
3 East Stroudsburg (5 - 1) 489 4
4 Adelphi (6 - 1) 468 3
5 Tampa (8 - 2) 459 5
6 Maryville (9 - 0) 451 6
7 Florida Southern (8 - 3) 423 7
8 Embry-Riddle (10 - 1) 387 9
9 Regis (CO) (7 - 1) 375 10
10 Grand Valley (6 - 1) 338 11
11 Flagler (11 - 2) 311 8
12 Lynn (8 - 1) 294 16
13 UIndy (6 - 3) 292 12
14 Limestone (10 - 0) 287 14
15 Rollins (10 - 2) 276 13
16 Wingate (8 - 3) 209 15
17 Kutztown (5 - 1) 192 17
18 Bentley (2 - 4) 148 20
19 Florida Tech (6 - 4) 134 19
20 New Haven (3 - 2) 128 18
21 Saint Anselm (4 - 3) 94 21
22 Assumption (3 - 3) 79 22
23 Saint Leo (6 - 4) 76 24
24 Seton Hill (4 - 3) 51 25
25 Roberts Wesleyan (4 - 5) 39 NR
RV Mount Olive, Mercy, Bloomsburg, Slippery Rock, Lock Haven

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll – March 25



Six teams earned first-place votes in Week 7 of the ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll.

Maryland led the bunch with 14, while Michigan moved to the No. 2 slot with six first-place votes, and Northwestern was dethroned after falling to No. 19 Penn State in overtime this past Friday.

The Wildcats bumped down to the third spot, followed by Boston College, Syracuse and Notre Dame as the other teams that each earned one first-place nod.

The Nittany Lions’ win gave them a big boost, jumping 10 spots to fall just inside the Top 20.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Maryland (9 - 1) 569 (14) 2
2 Michigan (11 - 0) 561 (6) 3
3 Northwestern (8 - 2) 522 (1) 1
4 Boston College (9 - 2) 521 (1) 4
5 Syracuse (7 - 3) 509 (1) 7
6 Notre Dame (9 - 2) 503 (1) 5
7 Loyola (9 - 0) 464 8
8 Virginia (9 - 2) 449 9
9 James Madison (8 - 2) 402 6
10 Johns Hopkins (8 - 3) 353 10
11 Florida (9 - 2) 347 11
12 Denver (6 - 3) 319 13
13 North Carolina (7 - 3) 313 12
14 Penn (7 - 1) 304 15
15 Stony Brook (8 - 2) 299 14
16 Yale (8 - 0) 251 16
17 Navy (8 - 2) 188 18
18 Princeton (5 - 3) 144 19
19 Penn State (6 - 4) 140 NR
20 Stanford (6 - 3) 115 23
21 USC (8 - 3) 106 17
22 Colorado (6 - 3) 102 20
23 Brown (7 - 2) 92 22
24 Harvard (5 - 2) 58 21
25 Fairfield (7 - 1) 54 24
RV Clemson, Richmond, Drexel, Cornell, Duke

I assume the poster is saying without the 5th year players it will be strictly based on recruiting. You can't just cherry pick top 5th players out of the portal, the coaches are going to actually have to develop their own players.

Are the teams that are "stacked with 5th year players" cheating? Are they being given some unfair advantage? By "level playing field" the poster is saying that every team can have 5th year players, there is nothing stopping a team from having them. Some teams start a lot of seniors, some a lot of freshmen, some a lot of 5th years. What if the 5th year players are not strong players, Is having 5th years still an advantage?

Some programs get better players than other programs. That's the way it works, and the programs that consistently bring it better players are consistently the better programs.

Not sure how you can disagree.

The coaches at the top programs bring in the best players. It doesn't matter if they recruit them out of HS or out of the portal. Unfortunately, this sport has become a haven for excuses. For many parents it's always something, always an excuse. The best players get recruited by just about every school but the large majority of them choose to go to the one of the best programs. If your definition of "level playing field" is that the talent be distributed evenly then you are not living in reality because that is not the way it works, there is not a Draft. Coaching + Talent = Results. Recruiting and Identifying talent is a huge part of coaching, get a bunch of the top players and you will have one of the top teams. All coaches can recruit players out of HS as well as out of the portal not sure what the hang up on 5th years is.

Agreed. Also they all have a fixed number of scholarships to spread across. In a way, that's already leveling the playing field to a certain degree. Obviously, some schools have better endowment and other non-athletic scholarships to attract students overall, including athletes.

DIVISION I


Offensive Player of the Week

Kristin O’Neill – Pennsylvania State University

O'Neill scored the game-winning overtime goal from the free position line to defeat No. 1 Northwestern University, 14-13. The senior captain helped the Nittany Lions earn their first win against the number one team in the country since 2005. O'Neill tied her season-high six goals against the Wildcats, her fourth career double hat trick. Her game-winning goal was the 150th goal of her career, putting her 12th in program history in goals scored. O'Neill scored three of her goals from the free position line to put her season total at 17. The midfielder also scooped up three ground balls.

Defensive Player of the Week

Shea Dolce – Boston College

Dolce delivered her best outing of the season, playing a pivotal role in limiting the Blue Devils to a season-low three goals. Her remarkable display included a season-high 11 saves, showcasing her agility and skill in the goal crease. Notably, Dolce achieved an impressive save percentage of .786, a career best when facing at least 20 shots. This marked the fourth time in her career that she recorded double-digit saves. Dolce currently leads the conference in goals against average at 7.84 and ranks third in save percentage at .450.


DIVISION II


Offensive Player of the Week

Megan Bunker – Regis University

Bunker dominated the draw circle for the No. 10 Rangers this past weekend, highlighted by a season-high 18 draws in a 19-13 win over regional foe No. 12 UIndy. With her 17.0 draw control per game average over the weekend, Bunker soared to second place among all NCAA Division II players with an average of 8.88 draw controls per game so far this season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Samantha Tanguay – Pace University

Tanguay earned her third win between the pipes against a top-five opponent this week, making nine saves while only conceding five goals to No. 4 East Stroudsburg University in the 9-5 Pace win. Tanguay also secured three ground balls.


DIVISION III


Offensive Player of the Week

Kylie Giordano – Kean University

Giordano collects this week’s Offensive honor after a nine-point performance in Kean’s 16-15 win over Drew University. She drained eight goals – including the 100th of her career – along with an assist and was credited with the game-winning goal. She also recorded eight draw controls and added one caused turnover and a ground ball to the matchup. Giordano currently leads all New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) players in points per game (6.38) and goals per game (4.63) and is ranked fifth in assists per game (1.75). She was also named the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week for a second time this season.

Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Anj Raman – Williams College

Raman of the No. 16 Williams College made a career-high 11 saves and only allowed three goals in the first 30 minutes of an 8-6 win over No. 13 Trinity College Friday evening. Raman earned her fourth win of the season in net, improving to 4-1 overall.

Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Joey Grotkopf – Montclair State University

After anchoring Montclair State to a 15-8 win over Farmingdale State College, the sophomore goalie turned away a career-high 20 while allowing just eight goals for a .714 save percentage. Grotkopf currently averages 10.20 saves per game, leading all NJAC goalies. She also ranks third in the NJAC in save percentage (.500). Grotkopf also earned her first NJAC Defensive Player of the Week for her performance.


NAIA


Offensive Player of the Week

Anne-Marie Gazzo – Reinhardt University

Gazzo showcased her scoring ability by totaling an impressive nine points through a two-game week, consisting of eight goals and one assist. Her standout performance was highlighted by her three crucial goals in the upset victory over the No. 1 University of the Cumberlands.

Defensive Player of the Week

Koral Hadac – University of the Cumberlands

Hadac was essential this week for the Patriots, tallying 10 ground balls, nine draw controls and six caused turnovers. Her efforts went beyond just the stat sheet against Lawrence Technological University, Hadac held LTU leading scorer Sydney Robinson without a goal in the game, before holding Jill Mello, Reinhardt's point leader, to just one assist in the battle of top-ranked teams. Hadac closed out the week with a career-high seven ground balls and four caused turnovers in the win over Oberlin College. Her performance helped UC post just their second win over an NAIA top-ranked team in program history.

The original post is stating that if your on field players are 5th years (8 out out of the 12 players), they have a more advantage. MD is having a good season (starting 8 5th years)...UNC won the championship when they had 8 5th years on the field. UNC not playing well this year is "they are a young team"....how are they a "young team"? Their starters are all grade levels? It's a theory, it's not making excuses, it's not complaining, it's just a theory - you can not deny having that many 5th year starters is not an advantage - 5th years have more experience - that can not be denied

""The original post is stating that if your on field players are 5th years (8 out out of the 12 players), they have a more advantage. ""

Teams with superior players and coaching have an advantage. If the 5th year players are not very good then what advantage do they have? Maryland and North Carolina bring in top talent on a regular basis and that is the reason they are among the best teams just about every year.

BTW, UNC is not a "young team" . Looks like they start 4 Fiith yr, 2 sr, 3 jr, 3 sophs... Not exactly a bunch of freshmen.

UNC is not going as well as expected this year due to the injuries of 3 top players. Not having them playing is really a big deal for UNC this year. You can see they are struggling and are now out of the top 10.

Better players = an advantage.

You might want to use programs other than Maryland & North Carolina for your theory. Both have been Top 4 programs for a very long time, long before the Covid nonsense has been around. Maryland is the best program in the history of the sport and UNC would have to be considered the 3rd or 4th best program for several years now.

Conclusion: Maryland and North Carolina have proven that they have had an advantage over all but 2 or 3 programs for many many years.

The advantage they have had is that they have been able to identify, recruit and bring in stronger players than their competition.

UNC will be fine, they have 4 losses all to current Top 10 teams (Northwestern, Syracuse, Notre Dame, JMU) and they have 2 wins against quality opponents (Virginia & Florida). BC coming up and they have the ACC Tournament where they will face stiff competition. It doesn't look like there are any clear cut favorites to win the National Championship so you never know what will happen. Down year for UNC would be a great year for most programs.

UNC will be fine, they have 4 losses all to current Top 10 teams (Northwestern, Syracuse, Notre Dame, JMU) and they have 2 wins against quality opponents (Virginia & Florida). BC coming up and they have the ACC Tournament where they will face stiff competition. It doesn't look like there are any clear cut favorites to win the National Championship so you never know what will happen. Down year for UNC would be a great year for most programs.[/quot
UNC should not be struggling because of 3 players out. They are a top team therefore should have the bench. Can't use the 3 players out as an excuse, sorry.

Ummmm… true. But, do an exercise with the top 3 teams and remove 3 of their top players/starters. I think a different outcome in all the games! It does make a difference. So, yes, losing 3 starters makes a difference. Sorry.

Every team deals with injuries, UNC is out of sorts but I would bet that they finish the season Top 10 - 15. Obviously that would be a down year for The Heels but still better than 100+ programs. Top Programs play very competitive schedules and when they are a little off it is reflected in their record. It looks like UNC has 7 competitive teams on their regular season schedule this year if they can't knock off Boston College they will be 2 - 5 vs strong competition. If they win vs Va Tech, Pitt and Duke they will finish the regular season at 12 - 5 just about every loss coming at the hands of a Top 10 Team.

Yes, a Down year for UNC is a year that 100+ other programs can only dream of.

Nonsense.

Let me guess, you work in a profession or simply believe that a person should be compensated based on their tenure or experience rather than their ability, performance and results. Obviously, all things being equal the more experienced athlete will have an advantage. However, in reality all things are never equal.

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll – April 1



Northwestern is back in the No. 1 slot for Week 8 of the ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll. The Wildcats earned a pair of wins last week, taking down No. 13 North Carolina and Rutgers.

Maryland slid into the second slot, after splitting their week with a loss against No. 7 Penn and a win over No. 5 Michigan on Saturday. Syracuse and Boston College round out the Top 5, ranking third and fourth, respectively. The top four teams all received first-place votes.

Penn’s midweek win over Maryland boosted the Quakers into the Top 10 for the first time this season. The Quakers’ only loss of the year was against Michigan in mid-March.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Northwestern (10 - 2) 499 (8) 3
2 Maryland (10 - 2) 484 (4) 1
3 Syracuse (9 - 3) 480 (6) 5
4 Boston College (10 - 2) 450 (3) 4
5 Michigan (11 - 1) 446 2
6 Notre Dame (10 - 2) 426 6
7 Penn (8 - 1) 403 14
8 Loyola (10 - 1) 382 7
9 Johns Hopkins (9 - 3) 360 10
10 Florida (11 - 2) 314 11
11 Virginia (9 - 3) 298 8
12 James Madison (8 - 3) 285 9
13 Denver (7 - 3) 277 12
14 North Carolina (7 - 5) 254 13
15 Stony Brook (9 - 2) 247 15
16 Yale (9 - 0) 241 16
17 Stanford (7 - 3) 144 20
18 Princeton (5 - 3) 141 18
19 Navy (9 - 3) 119 17
20 Colorado (7 - 3) 103 22
21 USC (9 - 3) 97 21
22 Penn State (6 - 5) 62 19
23 Duke (8 - 5) 60 NR
24 Harvard (6 - 2) 58 24
25 Fairfield (9 - 1) 52 25
RV Brown, Clemson, Ohio State, Drexel, Richmond

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll – April 1



There are four unbeaten teams in the ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll, with Pace and West Chester leading the group in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Pace, once again, earned all 22 first-place votes. No. 6 Maryville and No. 13 Limestone are the other two programs with unblemished resumes thus far.

Florida Southern won an 11-10 matchup versus last week’s No. 5-ranked Tampa, jumping into the No. 4 spot, while East Stroudsburg's loss to West Chester dropped them to No. 5 and Adelphi moved to No. 3.

For the first time this season, Lynn joins the Top 10. The Fighting Knights are currently on a nine-game win streak and most recently took down No. 8 Embry-Riddle by a 17-16 decision.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Pace (9 - 0) 550 (22) 1
2 West Chester (8 - 0) 528 2
3 Adelphi (7 - 1) 487 4
4 Florida Southern (9 - 3) 463 7
5 East Stroudsburg (6 - 2) 457 3
6 Maryville (10 - 0) 452 6
7 Tampa (8 - 3) 427 5
8 Regis (CO) (9 - 1403 9
9 Grand Valley (7 - 1) 366 10
10 Lynn (10 - 1) 347 12
11 Embry-Riddle (11 - 2) 336 8
12 Flagler (12 - 2) 298 11
13 Limestone (12 - 0) 265 14
14 UIndy (7 - 4) 253 13
15 Kutztown (7 - 1) 230 17
16 Wingate (10 - 3) 224 16
17 Rollins (10 - 3) 168 15
18 Saint Leo (7 - 4) 159 23
19 Bentley (4 - 4) 155 18
20 Florida Tech (7 - 5) 145 19
21 Saint Anselm (6 - 3) 112 21
22 New Haven (3 - 3) 84 20
23 Seton Hill (6 - 3) 68 24
24 Assumption (4 - 4) 55 22
25 Mount Olive (9 - 2) 49 NR
RV Roberts Wesleyan, Southern New Hampshire, Anderson (SC), Mercy, Bloomsburg

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll – April 1



Middlebury College earned 18 first-place votes while William Smith and Tufts each earned one, in Week 6 of the ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll.

Williams jumped three spots into the No. 10 slot, coming off three wins in six days, the most notable over No. 12 Pomona Pitzer.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Middlebury (8 - 0) 498 (18) 1
2 William Smith (9 - 0) 480 (1) 2
3 Tufts (9 - 0) 462 (1) 3
4 Salisbury (9 - 2) 435 4
5 Franklin & Marshall (7 - 2) 412 5
6 Washington and Lee (9 - 3) 381 7
7 Gettysburg (8 - 2) 377 6
8 Wesleyan (5 - 2) 371 8
9 Colby (6 - 2) 325 9
10 Williams (7 - 1) 311 13
11 TCNJ (5 - 3) 300 10
12 Pomona-Pitzer (9 - 1) 248 12
13 Stevens (7 - 1) 239 11
14 York (3 - 6) 236 14
15 Roanoke (8 - 2) 215 15
16 MIT (8 - 1) 210 16
17 Amherst (4 - 4) 165 19
18 Trinity (CT) (5 - 3) 155 18
19 Christopher Newport (9 - 4) 133 17
20 Ithaca (7 - 1) 130 20
21 Babson (7 - 1) 105 23
22 Shenandoah (7 - 2) 63 24
23 Haverford (6 - 3) 48 25
24 Colorado College (6 - 3) 33 NR
25 Bowdoin (6 - 3) 32 NR
RV Hamilton, Denison, Chicago, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Chapman

DIVISION I


Offensive Player of the Week

Izzy Scane – Northwestern University

Over the two-win week, Scane registered a total of 11 goals and added two assists for a total of 13 points. In a dominant 16-10 victory over No. 13 UNC, she tied her season high by scoring seven goals, showcasing her scoring prowess against a nationally-ranked opponent. This is Scane’s second IWLCA Player of the Week accolade this season. The Wildcats’ 2-0 week led them back to the top as they reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in the latest ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll.

Defensive Player of the Week

Regan Alexander – Ohio State University

Alexander backstopped the Buckeyes to their 9-8 comeback win over No. 19 Pennsylvania State University. She had 11 saves in the game, along with a team-best four ground balls and a caused turnover. Among her saves was stop 400 of her Buckeye career. Alexander stopped all six shots on goal by the Nittany Lions in the fourth quarter as Ohio State blanked PSU for the final 20:34. Alexander limited the Nittany Lions, who entered the game averaging 12.0 goals a game, to eight on the night. The game was Alexander's sixth this year (all in the last seven games) with double-digit stops. She is currently sixth nationally in save percentage (.513) and ranks 22nd in the NCAA (first in the Big Ten) with 9.18 saves a game.


DIVISION II


Offensive Player of the Week

Hailey Crittenden – Grand Valley State University

Crittenden scored a career-high six goals in last Thursday’s 16-9 victory over No. 13 UIndy. Crittenden had a hat trick already tallied by the end of the first half, then recorded three more in the second half to help secure the win. She also added an assist and three groundballs. Her six goals brought her to 19 on the year and helped the No. 9 Lakers move to 8-1 this season. Crittenden was also named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career after this past week’s performance.

Defensive Player of the Week

Jessica Harclerode – Saint Leo University

Harclerode made 14 saves in No. 23 Saint Leo’s 15-11 upset victory at No. 15 Rollins College on Saturday. The sophomore had a game-high five saves in the third quarter and recorded eight in the second half as the Lions grew their lead over the final 30 minutes to pick up her seventh win of the season. She leads the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) with 4.55 ground balls per game, total saves (104), saves per game (9.45), and is fourth with a .450 save percentage.


DIVISION III


Offensive Player of the Week

Grace Osborn – Capital University

Osborn erupted for a single-game Capital record 14 goals in a 19-17 win over George Fox University. Her 15 points in the GFU win marked the third time this season in which she has had 15 or more points in a game. Osborn followed with another quality game, registering eight goals, three assists, seven ground balls, five caused turnovers and 13 draw controls in a 23-10 win over Ohio Northern University. This week, Osborn also became the all-time career points record holder at Capital with 395 in the win over George Fox. Later in the week, she crossed the 400 career point milestone in the win over ONU and currently stands at 406 career points. She is second in the active career point standings among all three divisions. This is her second IWLCA Offensive Player of the Week accolade this season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Morgan Woolley – SUNY New Paltz

Woolley was the defensive catalyst for the Hawks, who improved to 9-0 — tying the most wins in program history — after beating SUNY Brockport for the first time in program history. SUNY New Paltz kept the Golden Eagles to just 17 shots, only five of which came in the run of play with the rest off free position attempts. Woolley led the team defensively with a game-high five caused turnovers and also set a new program record in single season caused turnovers with 35 already on the year, surpassing the previous record of 31. She also came up with a crucial caused turnover on a back-check with 1:30 left to solidify the 11-8 win for the Hawks, while adding a ground ball.


NAIA


Offensive Player of the Week

Sydney Robinson – Lawrence Technological University

In an impressive victory on the road against (RV) Concordia University, Robinson played a key role in her team's 22-6 triumph. She tallied seven goals and one assist in the matchup. Robinson followed up with another outstanding performance against Bethel University, where she set a school record for single-game points (14) in a 22-10 win. She had five goals and nine assists.

Defensive Player of the Week

Margaret Wroe – Keiser University

In a thrilling match resulting in an 11-10 victory for the Seahawks, Wroe proved to be an impenetrable wall, making an impressive 15 saves in a single game. Wroe played a crucial role in securing the overtime win over the Running Eagles.

1 Northwestern (10 - 2) 499 (8) 3
2 Maryland (10 - 2) 484 (4) 1
3 Syracuse (9 - 3) 480 (6) 5
4 Boston College (10 - 2) 450 (3) 4
5 Michigan (11 - 1) 446 2
6 Notre Dame (10 - 2) 426 6
7 Penn (8 - 1) 403 14
8 Loyola (10 - 1) 382 7
9 Johns Hopkins (9 - 3) 360 10
10 Florida (11 - 2) 314 11
11 Virginia (9 - 3) 298 8
12 James Madison (8 - 3) 285 9
13 Denver (7 - 3) 277 12
14 North Carolina (7 - 5) 254 13
15 Stony Brook (9 - 2) 247 15
16 Yale (9 - 0) 241 16
17 Stanford (7 - 3) 144 20
18 Princeton (5 - 3) 141 18
19 Navy (9 - 3) 119 17
20 Colorado (7 - 3) 103 22
21 USC (9 - 3) 97 21
22 Penn State (6 - 5) 62 19
23 Duke (8 - 5) 60 NR
24 Harvard (6 - 2) 58 24
25 Fairfield (9 - 1) 52 25

Most years, by this point in the season there is usually a clear cut favorite and another 3 or 4 teams that have a legit chance to win the National Championship. This year however it looks as if there may be a lot more teams with a chance to win it all. There are several teams currently in the Top 15 that could pull it off. The usual suspects Maryland, Northwestern, Boston College are obviously in the mix as is Syracuse. Not looking good for North Carolina but you never know. It would be nice to see Michigan, Penn or Loyola in the Final Four but my dark horse pick is Stony Brook. Some early adversity coupled with the fact that there is no dominant team makes me think this is the year Stony Brook can break into that elite group of programs that have been able to win it all.

This weekend, not a whole lot of big games but here are some.

Maryland vs Northwestern - Big 10 and NCAA Tournament seeding implications? These two could face each other 3X this year.

Penn State vs Michigan - Which team will show up for PSU? Is Michigan for real?

Fairfield vs Mt St Mary's - Let's go Stag's, keep it up... make it 10 straight.

Cornell vs Harvard - both teams look to be fighting it out for the last spot in the Ivy Tournament.

Yale vs Penn - Both teams playing on short rest and looking for a rebound win.

Northwestern the class of the B1G...
Maryland has a lot of work to do...
PSU out of sorts...
Michigan moving forward...
Fairfield on a roll...
Harvard making their case...
Cornell back to the drawing board again...
Yale looking good heading into Ivy Tournament...
Penn needs to turn it around quickly....

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll – April 8



Northwestern returns at the top of the pack in Week 9, while Syracuse and Boston College each moved up a spot into the No. 2 and No. 3 slots, respectively.

Maryland dropped to No. 4 after falling to Northwestern on Saturday evening in College Park, as Madison Taylor and Izzy Scane each netted six goals and an assist.

Yale jumped six slots into the No. 10 position, marking the first time the Bulldogs entered the Top 10 this spring. They earned the big leap with a dominant 16-8 win over Penn on Sunday. The Quakers dropped to No. 12 after losses to Yale and Princeton this week.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Northwestern (11 - 2) 495 (16) 1
2 Syracuse (11 - 3) 470 (2) 3
3 Boston College (12 - 2) 463 4
4 Maryland (10 - 3) 431 2
5 Notre Dame (11 - 2) 425 (2) 6
6 Michigan (13 - 1) 411 5
7 Loyola (11 - 1) 370 8
8 Johns Hopkins (10 - 3) 332 9
9 Florida (12 - 2) 312 10
10 Yale (10 - 1) 303 16
11 Virginia (11 - 3) 295 11
12 Penn (8 - 3) 280 7
13 Denver (9 - 3) 268 13
14 James Madison (10 - 3) 254 12
15 Stony Brook (10 - 2) 231 15
16 North Carolina (8 - 5) 203 14
17 Princeton (7 - 3) 197 18
18 Stanford (8 - 3) 156 17
19 USC (10 - 3) 106 21
20 Colorado (8 - 4) 103 20
21 Navy (10 - 3) 92 19
22 Harvard (8 - 2) 65 24
23 Fairfield (11 - 1) 52 25
24 Penn State (7 - 6) 40 22
25 Duke (9 - 6) 37 23
25 Brown (9 - 3) 37 NR
RV Clemson, Richmond, Drexel, Rutgers

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll – April 8



Unbeaten Pace and West Chester lead the Division II ranks, receiving 13 and four first-place votes, respectively. No. 3 Adelphi also earned one first-place vote.

Florida Southern and Tampa round out the Top 5, as the Spartans moved up two spots after notching two wins over Saint Leo and Florida Tech.

Bloomsburg and Anderson (S.C.) entered the Top 25 into the No. 23 and No. 24 slots with upsets over East Stroudsburg and Wingate, respectively.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Pace (10 - 0) 444 (13) 1
2 West Chester (10 - 0) 433 (4) 2
3 Adelphi (9 - 1) 417 (1) 3
4 Florida Southern (11 - 3) 393 4
5 Tampa (10 - 3) 362 7
6 Maryville (12 - 0) 351 6
7 Regis (CO) (11 - 1) 339 8
8 Grand Valley (10 - 1) 318 9
9 East Stroudsburg (7 - 3) 297 5
10 Flagler (13 - 2) 287 12
11 Limestone (14 - 0) 262 13
12 Embry-Riddle (12 - 3) 259 11
13 Lynn (11 - 2) 221 10
14 UIndy (9 - 4) 210 14
15 Kutztown (8 - 2) 208 15
16 Saint Leo (8 - 5) 193 18
17 Rollins (11 - 4) 151 17
18 Bentley (6 - 4) 139 19
19 Wingate (11 - 4) 133 16
20 Florida Tech (7 - 7) 81 20
21 Assumption (6 - 4) 70 24
22 Saint Anselm (7 - 4) 66 21
23 Bloomsburg (7 - 2) 49 NR
24 Anderson (SC) (12 - 2) 46 NR
25 Mount Olive (10 - 3) 40 25
RV New Haven, Seton Hill, Roberts Wesleyan, Quincy, Lock Haven

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll – April 8



Undefeated Middlebury maintains its No. 1 ranking and received 17 first-place votes. Claiming a first-place vote, Williams Smith stays at No. 2 and also holds an unblemished 11-0 record.

Franklin & Marshall (10-2) rose to third after a 16-15 comeback overtime victory over No. 4 Salisbury Sunday night.

Tufts sits at No. 4, while Salisbury slips into the fifth position.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Middlebury (11 - 0) 449 (17) 1
2 William Smith (11 - 0) 433 (1) 2
3 Franklin & Marshall (10 - 2) 394 5
4 Tufts (10 - 1) 387 3
5 Salisbury (9 - 3) 380 4
6 Washington and Lee (10 - 3) 352 6
7 Wesleyan (7 - 2) 349 8
8 Gettysburg (9 - 2) 328 7
9 Colby (7 - 3) 302 9
10 TCNJ (7 - 3) 277 11
11 Williams (7 - 3) 257 10
12 Pomona-Pitzer (11 - 1) 253 12
13 Stevens (8 - 1) 231 13
14 Roanoke (9 - 3) 197 15
15 MIT (11 - 1) 195 16
16 Amherst (5 - 5) 175 17
17 York (4 - 6) 172 14
18 Ithaca (9 - 1) 133 20
19 Christopher Newport (10 - 4) 124 19
20 Babson (10 - 1) 107 21
21 Shenandoah (9 - 2) 86 22
22 Trinity (CT) (5 - 5) 74 18
23 Haverford (8 - 3) 62 23
24 Colorado College (8 - 3) 57 24
25 Bowdoin (7 - 4) 24 25
RV Hamilton, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Scranton, Chicago, Denison

D1-Rotating top six teams
D2-Pace & West Chester holding 1-2
D3-8 NESCAC teams in top 25 with 9th just outside

DIVISION I


Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Madison Taylor – Northwestern University

In a notable victory over No. 2 University of Maryland, Taylor showcased her scoring efficiency by tallying six goals and adding one assist. Her contributions were pivotal in Northwestern's win, particularly highlighted by her explosive performance in the third quarter, where she scored three goals. The Wildcats’ eight-goal victory at Maryland marks the Terrapins' largest margin of defeat at home since at least 1985. Northwestern remains at the top of the national rankings and claimed 16 first-place votes in the latest ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Coaches Poll.

Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Maddie Epke – James Madison University

In an impressive feat, Epke broke the JMU single-game draw control record, previously set by herself, by collecting an astounding 19 draw controls in the Dukes’ 18-12 victory over Richmond. This achievement comes after she had already set the record with 14 draw controls earlier in the season against Cincinnati on March 23. Notably, the 19 draw controls also ties the American Athletic Conference single-game record, set earlier this season by Liz Harrison of Florida. In addition to her draw controls, Epke also had a game-high five points (four goals, one assist) against Richmond. She also had a game-high five goals with 11 draw controls in a key win against Temple, handing the Owls their first conference loss this season. Epke's exceptional performance has propelled her into a tied-first position in single-season draw controls in JMU history, with a total of 127. This is Epke’s second National IWLCA accolade this season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Avery Hines – Stony Brook University

Hines achieved a career-high of six caused turnovers, just one shy of the program record, in No. 15 Stony Brook’s 17-4 victory over Delaware. Her exceptional defensive efforts contributed significantly to Stony Brook's success, as they currently sit as the No. 4 scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 7.83 goals per game.


DIVISION II


Offensive Player of the Week

Hannah Stanislawczyk – West Chester University

Stanislawczyk showed her versatility by scoring eight goals and assisting on seven others in leading No. 2 West Chester to a 16-7 win over No. 15 Kutztown University and a 20-5 win over Shepherd University. She also collected 12 draw controls while breaking WCU's all-time record for career draws on Saturday. The midfielder also filled out the stat sheet with six ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Defensive Player of the Week

Lauren Foley – Bloomsburg University

Foley's consistency in goalkeeping was evident as she achieved her seventh double-digit save game and extended her streak to four consecutive such performances. Guiding the Huskies to a 9-7 win over No. 5 East Stroudsburg University, Foley reached a significant milestone, accumulating 400 career saves and counting. She saw 22 total shots and saved 15 to secure the win. This week, Bloomsburg secured the No. 23 spot in the ILWomen/IWLCA Top 25 rankings following their recent achievements.


DIVISION III


Offensive Player of the Week

Laura Baine – Wesleyan University

Baine spearheaded the No. 8 Cardinal offense in securing two significant victories against ranked opponents last week. She amassed 12 points, contributing nine goals and three assists, as Wesleyan defeated No. 17 Amherst, 17-8, on the road and clinched a thrilling 17-15 comeback win against the No. 3 Jumbos at home. In the match against Amherst, Baine registered seven points (four goals, three assists), matching her own single-game record. This win also sealed Wesleyan's fourth consecutive Little Three title. Following this success, Baine continued her impressive form with a career-best five goals, propelling the Cardinals ahead by two with only 76 seconds remaining in the game against the Jumbos. This remarkable display helped Wesleyan overcome a 15-11 deficit with a 6-0 fourth-quarter rally, handing the previously undefeated Jumbos their first loss of the season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Hayden Drescher – Warren Wilson College

Drescher had a solid game between the pipes on Saturday with 13 saves, five goals allowed, three ground balls, and an impressive 72.2 save percentage. In the Owls’ 8-5 win against Sweet Briar, Drescher and the defense held the vixens scoreless in the first half. Hayden has had back-to-back games above 70% save percentage and sits at .517 save percentage for the year, ranking 14th in NCAA Division III. Hayden currently holds the program record for career saves (259) and season saves (124).


NAIA


Offensive Player of the Week

Kaelin Quarles – Culver-Stockton College

Quarles became the school's single-season leader in goals this past weekend. She tied the single-game record for goals (8) against Mount Mercy and then followed with six against Midland. Her six goals against Midland gave the freshman from Henderson, Nev., 37 goals on the season, breaking the single-season school record of 34. This is her second IWLCA National Offensive Player of the Week award this season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Koral Hadac – University of the Cumberlands

Hadac led the team with 10 caused turnovers and 20 draw controls, while scooping 10 ground balls in a three-game week for the Patriots. Her impact went beyond the numbers as against Ottawa she held the reigning NAIA offensive player of the week Mackenzie Simmons, who came into the game averaging seven goals per game, scoreless. She did not allow her mark to score in any of the three games. In addition, Hadac was a key part of the Patriots defense that limited opponents to 30-77 (39.0%) on clears. Hadac also recorded her 100th career ground ball.

All should be able to field more competitive teams but Duke & GTown need to make a change.

Can we talk ACL injuries.....How many players are out per team, what's causing it and when are changes going to be made? How are these injuries fair to our girls? What happened to the alleged lawsuit against Syracuse due to all of their injuries? Why is this acceptable as part of the game?

What type of changes are you talking about?

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll – April 15



The Top 8 slots stayed put in Week 9 of the ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll. Pace and West Chester earned 19 and two first-place votes, respectively, as the two unbeaten powerhouses that lead the division.

No. 10 Kutztown jumped five spots coming off wins vs. No. 11 East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Pace (12 - 0) 523 (19) 1
2 West Chester (11 - 0) 505 (2) 2
3 Adelphi (10 - 2) 474 3
4 Florida Southern (13 - 3) 460 4
5 Tampa (12 - 3) 433 5
6 Maryville (14 - 0) 428 6
7 Regis (CO) (12 - 1) 402 7
8 Grand Valley (11 - 1) 385 8
9 Flagler (14 - 2) 352 10
10 Kutztown (10 - 2) 309 15
11 East Stroudsburg (8 - 4) 288 9
12 UIndy (11 - 4) 284 14
13 Lynn (12 - 3) 275 13
14 Saint Leo (10 - 5) 255 16
15 Embry-Riddle (12 - 4) 229 12
16 Limestone (14 - 1) 209 11
17 Wingate (12 - 4) 186 19
18 Bentley (8 - 4) 175 18
19 Rollins (11 - 5) 158 17
20 Florida Tech (7 - 9) 103 20
21 Assumption (7 - 5) 84 21
22 Saint Anselm (8 - 5) 77 22
23 Anderson (SC) (13 - 2) 64 24
24 Mount Olive (13 - 3) 57 25
25 Bloomsburg (8 - 3) 43 23
RV Seton Hill, New Haven, Lock Haven, Northern Mich., Roberts Wesleyan

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll – April 15



Three teams earned first-place votes in Week 10 of the ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll. No. 1 Northwestern leads that group with 16 votes, while No. 2 Syracuse and No. 3 Notre Dame follow with three and one vote, respectively.

No. 6 Virginia jumped five spots following its overtime 13-12 win over No. 7 Boston College on Saturday afternoon, where Madison Alaimo scored the game-winning goal. No. 19 Penn State also made a five-spot jump, after upsetting No. 8 Maryland in College Park.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Northwestern (12 - 2) 546 (18) 1
2 Syracuse (12 - 3) 527 (3) 2
3 Notre Dame (13 - 2) 499 (1) 5
4 Michigan (14 - 1) 479 6
5 Loyola (13 - 1) 432 7
6 Virginia (12 - 3) 415 11
6 Boston College (12 - 3) 415 3
8 Maryland (11 - 4) 393 4
9 Florida (13 - 2) 378 9
10 Yale (11 - 1) 354 10
11 Johns Hopkins (10 - 5) 328 8
12 Denver (11 - 3) 289 13
13 Stony Brook (13 - 2) 270 15
14 Penn (9 - 3) 268 12
15 North Carolina (9 - 5) 243 16
16 James Madison (10 - 4) 222 14
17 Princeton (8 - 4) 204 17
18 Stanford (9 - 3) 181 18
19 Penn State (8 - 6) 143 24
20 Navy (11 - 3) 124 21
21 Colorado (10 - 4) 105 20
22 USC (10 - 4) 94 19
23 Fairfield (13 - 1) 67 23
24 Harvard (8 - 3) 53 22
25 Duke (10 - 6) 37 25
RV Clemson, Drexel, Brown, Richmond, UConn

2024 ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll – April 15



The Middlebury Panthers maintain their unbeaten streak, holding onto the top spot for an impressive eight consecutive weeks. Franklin & Marshall surges to second place following two commanding victories in the past week.

Tufts claims third position after a hard-fought battle with Middlebury, narrowly edged out by just one point in the final outcome. Wesleyan jumps to fourth place from seventh, propelled by a decisive 13-10 victory over former second-ranked William Smith last Sunday. Closing out the Top 5 is Salisbury.

A noteworthy addition to the Top 10 is Pomona-Pitzer, marking its first appearance this season with an impressive 12-1 record.

The ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.

Rank Institution Points (FPV) Last Poll

1 Middlebury (13 - 0) 425 (17) 1
2 Franklin & Marshall (12 - 2) 396 3
3 Tufts (11 - 2) 390 4
4 Wesleyan (10 - 2) 361 7
5 Salisbury (10 - 3) 357 5
6 William Smith (12 - 2) 344 2
7 Washington and Lee (11 - 3) 335 6
8 Gettysburg (11 - 2) 312 8
9 TCNJ (8 - 4) 283 10
10 Pomona-Pitzer (12 - 1) 261 12
11 Colby (9 - 4) 250 9
12 Stevens (10 - 2) 223 13
13 Ithaca (11 - 1) 211 18
14 Amherst (8 - 5) 176 16
15 Roanoke (11 - 3) 171 14
16 Williams (7 - 5) 154 11
17 MIT (12 - 2) 141 15
18 Babson (11 - 2) 135 20
19 York (7 - 6) 132 17
20 Trinity (CT) (6 - 6) 112 22
21 Christopher Newport (11 - 4) 110 19
22 Shenandoah (10 - 3) 88 21
23 Bowdoin (8 - 5) 45 25
24 Haverford (8 - 4) 36 23
25 Colorado College (10 - 3) 34 24
RV Hamilton, Scranton, Chapman, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Chicago

Duke? Clemson? Brown? etc... as well as some of the actual rank of a number of other teams is a bit of a Joke, as is going as high as 25 and listing Others receiving votes is all a bit of a joke.