Breaking Down Each Team in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20

Middlebury is No. 1 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Women’s Preseason Top 20, but the Division III scene continues to be one of the most competitive — and unpredictable — in lacrosse.

Below, we break down each of the Top 20 teams before our first Division III women’s rankings update next Monday. Only a handful of teams played a game last weekend, so now’s a good time to get the lay of the land before teams start playing en masse.

1. Middlebury

There’s no reason to doubt the defending national champions going into 2023. The Panthers won their title with a lot of freshmen, sophomores and juniors who hadn’t played at the collegiate level because of two seasons canceled by the pandemic, and almost everyone is back. Returning leaders include Preseason Player of the Year Jane Earley on attack, Erica Barr on defense and Annie Enrietto in goal.

2. Tufts

The Jumbos graduated a ton of talent from their 2022 NCAA runner-up squad that finished 19-4, but they have some young players ready to step up, especially on attack with sophomores Margie Carden and Caroline Conaghan getting good experience as freshmen. They will be led by senior attacker Caroline Walter and senior defender Becca Gable.

3. TCNJ

The Lions upset top-ranked and defending national champion Salisbury to reach the NCAA semifinals with an extremely young team, and now the bulk of the starting lineup is back for another run in 2023. TCNJ, which finished 18-3, will be led by senior defender Wayden Ay, senior midfielder Jillian Westerby and junior midfielder/attacker Ally Tobler.

4. Salisbury

After missing the Final Four last year, the Sea Gulls may have a chip on their shoulders coming into this season. Although they have some holes to fill, consistency in the past should be a good indicator that Salisbury will reload. Senior attacker Erin Scannell is one of the best in the country at her position.

5. Gettysburg

The 2022 NCAA tournament semifinalists look to continue their tradition of success under first-year coach Charlotte Cunningham, a long-time assistant of now-retired Carol Cantele. The majority of starters and other impact players return, including Centennial Conference Attacker of the Year Jordan Basso and Preseason Midfielder of the Year Caroline Sullivan, and a stacked senior class is ready to lead the way.

6. Franklin & Marshall

The Diplomats finished 18-4 last season and made it to the NCAA quarterfinals for the seventh time under coach Mike Faith before exiting with a loss to Tufts. They graduated a talented senior class but reload behind returning players such as Preseason Defender of the Year Mary Pat McKenna, sophomore attacker Lydia Cassily, who had 78 points as a freshman, and junior midfielder Madie Bray.

7. Colby

The Mules lose a lot on the back end with the graduation of goalie Emily Podgorni, but the attack could be pretty dominant this year with the return of seniors Gianna Bruno (59 goals, 70 assists) and Annie Eddy (94 goals, 13 assists). They had a strong 16-4 record in 2022, despite the tough competition of the NESCAC.

8. William Smith

After making the NCAA Sweet 16 last year, William Smith should remain a team to watch in 2023. The Herons return all but two starters and will be the favorites for a second straight Liberty League regular-season title. William Smith will be led by attacker Allie McGinty and midfielder Maddie Montgomery.

9. Washington and Lee

The Generals are in a period of transition after the departure of 15-year coach Brooke O’Brien, but they still will be a team to watch. They return a strong group, especially on defense, which could be helpful for new coach Maddie Coleman. W&L, led by defender Eugenie Rovegno and attackers Allie Schwab and Hanna Bishop, has a steep schedule but the team should be competitive in the ODAC.

10. Wesleyan

The Cardinals return most of their starters from last year after only graduating two from the regular lineup, and they especially should be solid on the attacking end with Olivia Lai and midfielder Kate Balicki. Wesleyan’s biggest strength, though, will be experience and leadership with 10 seniors and a graduate student leading the group.

11. Ithaca

The Bombers were 17-4 last year and exited in the third round of the NCAA tournament with a loss to Franklin & Marshall, but they once again should be back in the hunt in 2023. Midfielder Caroline Wise led the nation in draws last year, and attacker Maizy Veitch was the team leader in goals and assists, and both will be catalysts to a successful season.

12. York

The Spartans should be back in the mix for another MAC Commonwealth title as the defending champions return a strong core of players from last year’s 15-6 squad that exited in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Conference Attacker of the Year Kiersten Blanchard returns, along with all but one starter on defense, and goalkeeper Isabella Garabo is back with some competition from sophomore McKenna Seashole.

13. SUNY Cortland

The Red Dragons had a couple surprising losses last year, but still finished strong at 17-5 with a third-round NCAA tournament exit against TCNJ. Among their top returning players is defender Amanda Squillini.

14. St. Lawrence

St. Lawrence graduated a number of players from a 16-3 team that only loss to top 10 foes in 2022. There are a lot of points and other stats to replace this season, but last season was a good building block for the future.

15. Bowdoin

The Polar Bears are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 9-7 season that ended in the NESCAC quarterfinals. They were extremely young last season and now have the experience to compete in a tough conference. Fiona Bundy is one of the top midfielders in the country and junior Sophia Sudano had a strong sophomore season to build on as a player to watch in 2023.

16. Denison

The Big Red return 10 of 12 regular starters, as well as four of their top five point-scorers, from a squad that went 12-7 last year but should benefit from more experience in 2023. Denison also has what coach Amanda Daniels considers to be the program’s strongest first-year class.

17. Catholic

The Cardinals return their top five defenders, a goalkeeper that got some good time at the end of the season and their two leading scorers from last season’s Landmark Conference championship team. Catholic graduated a lot of midfield firepower but a crop of talented young players have been waiting in the wings for their time, and there is more depth on the attacking end than in recent years.

18. SUNY Geneseo

Hannah Marafioti (109 points) is a tough player to lose, but the Knights return their next two leading scorers with sophomores Madelynn Brown and Molly Brown poised to take over after strong freshman campaigns. Senior defender Meg Seeley is the backbone of the team.

19. Chicago

The Maroons are coming off an 18-2 season, where the only losses came against the top two teams in the country. They bring back 10 experienced seniors ready to lead a program that is still fairly young, an the group is highlighted by the return of 2019 All-American Katie Large. Chicago faces another tough non-conference schedule this year.

20. Hamilton

Hamilton started off strong last season but hit a rough patch and never really recovered. That might have been the result of relying on so many freshmen, but brighter days are ahead. Look for defender Meghan Lane to help lock things down on the back end.