This week's NCAA women's lacrosse rankings
Maryland celebrates following its 12-10 win over Boston College to win the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship at Homewood Field on May 26, 2019 in Baltimore. Credit: Getty Images/Rob Carr
A look at Newsday’s end-of-season NCAA women's lacrosse top 10 teams.
1. Maryland (22-1)
The national champion for the 14th time in program history, Maryland defeated Boston College on Sunday at Johns Hopkins’ Homewood Field, 12-10. Goalkeeper Megan Taylor was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after making 24 saves, including 10 in the final.
2. Boston College (22-2)
The Eagles lost their third straight championship game, leaving Sam Apuzzo (West Babylon) without an NCAA title despite one of the most decorated careers in Division I history. Last spring’s Tewaaraton winner finished her four years at BC with program records in goals (283), points (397) and draws (458). Cara Urbank (Sacred Heart) and Lauren Daly (Shoreham-Wading River) both had strong championship weekends.
3. North Carolina (17-4)
A 6-0 start in the NCAA semifinal against Boston College quickly evaporated, and the Tar Heels were sent home with nothing to show for it. Jamie Ortega (Centereach) scored five goals, including the score that sent the game to overtime. It wasn’t until double-overtime that Apuzzo scored the winner for BC.
4. Northwestern (16-5)
The Wildcats were blown out by Maryland in the semifinals, 25-13. The defensive struggles were prevalent in the beginning of the season but faded during the Wildcats’ run to a Big Ten championship, yet Maryland exposed Northwestern’s weaknesses in Baltimore. Izzy Scane and Selena Lasota accounted for eight of Northwestern’s 13 goals.
5. Syracuse (16-5)
Led by a balance of veteran leadership and impact freshmen, the Orange improved greatly from last spring. Emily Hawryschuk was a consistent threat, while freshmen Megan Carney and Meaghan Tyrrell (Mount Sinai) burst on to the scene as reliable offensive options. With another freshman in Sarah Cooper on defense, Syracuse coach Gary Gait has a young nucleus on which to build.
6. Princeton (16-4)
Princeton advanced two rounds through the NCAA tournament but fell to Boston College in a quarterfinal. The Tigers return much of their stellar young core, including Kyla Sears and Sam Fish.
7. Notre Dame (14-5)
The Fighting Irish earned a first-round bye but met Northwestern in the second round. They fell, 13-10, in the final collegiate games for Samantha Giacolone (Eastport-South Manor), Samantha Lynch (Huntington) and Nikki Ortega (Centereach).
8. Virginia (13-7)
Charlotte Campbell (St. Anthony’s) made 12 saves, but the Cavaliers lost to UNC in the quarterfinals, 14-7. The Cavs had a rough ACC season but played a high-RPI schedule, justifying some of the losses.
9. Michigan (16-4)
Denver surprised Michigan in the second round of the tournament and earned a 9-5 win. A history-making season for the Wolverines ended in a loss but inspired higher expectations moving forward.
10. James Madison (16-4)
The Dukes dominated the CAA but couldn’t outlast Stony Brook in the first round, as the Seawolves earned a 10-9 win in overtime. The graduating seniors helped put JMU on the map, winning the NCAA tournament last year, three CAA conference tournament titles and compiling a 62-22 record.
