Limestone, Lynn Climb in USA Lacrosse Division II Women's Top 20

The top four ‑ West Chester, Pace, Maryville, and Adelphi - remain steady in this week’s USA Lacrosse Division II Women's Top 20, but there was quite a bit of movement just behind that quartet, highlighted by significant jumps by undefeated Limestone and Lynn.

Limestone, now 12-0,  picked up its second win over a ranked foe last week, rallying for an 11-9 victory over No. 18 Anderson by scoring the final four goals of the game. The Saints have a good chance of remaining undefeated heading into their SAC showdown with No. 15 Wingate on April 13.

Lynn extended its winning streak to nine games with an upset win over No. 10 Embry-Riddle last Saturday, its second win over a top 10 opponent in eight days. Sophomore Rebecca Clark was the hero for Lynn, scoring the game-winning goal with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter for the 17-16 victory.

Games of note on this week's calendar include No. 17 Mount Olive at No. 15 Wingate, No. 14 Kutztown at No. 1 West Chester, and No. 9 Florida Southern at No. 10 Embry-Riddle.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION II
WOMEN’S TOP 20

1. West Chester, 8-0 (Prev: 1)
2. Pace, 9-0 (Prev: 2)
3. Maryville, 10-0 (Prev: 3)
4. Adelphi, 7-1 (Prev: 4)
5. Limestone, 12-0 (Prev: 8)
6. Lynn, 10-1 (Prev: 11)
7. Regis, 9-1 (Prev: 9)
8. Grand Valley State, 8-1 (Prev: 10)
9. Florida Southern, 9-3 (Prev: 12)
10. Embry-Riddle, 11-2 (Prev: 7)
11. Tampa, 8-3 (Prev: 5)
12. Flagler, 12-2 (Prev: 13)
13. East Stroudsburg, 6-2 (Prev: 6)
14. Kutztown, 7-1 (Prev: 15)
15. Wingate, 10-3 (Prev: 16)
16. Rollins, 10-3 (Prev: 14)
17. Mount Olive, 9-2 (Prev: NR)
18. Anderson, 10-2 (Prev: 18)
19. UIndy, 7-4 (Prev: 17)
20. Florida Tech, 7-4 (Prev: 20)

Also considered (alphabetical order): Lock Haven, Northern Michigan, Rockhurst, Saint Leo, Slippery Rock

HOT

Lynn (+5)

The Fighting Knights have risen nine spots over the past two weeks and now claim their highest ranking of the season. Sophomore Elizabeth Clagett's season-high five goals led the way in the upset of Embry-Riddle. The road doesn't get easier for Lynn as it heads into the meat of its SSC schedule over the next three weeks, but the Knights have a lot of momentum on their side.

Limestone (+3)

The Saints tallied 33 goals in their two victories last week, following up their narrow win over Anderson with a 22-4 pounding over Emory & Henry. Senior Megan Davis and junior Joscelin Martin each scored four times to lead the scoring, with 12 players scoring at least once. Limestone is now 6-0 in the South Atlantic Conference as it continues to draw closer to its regular season battle with Wingate.

NOT

East Stroudsburg (-7)

Last week's PSAC showdown against No. 1 West Chester turned out to be a one-sided affair, as WCU dominated the second half for a 15-6 victory. ESU dropped its fourth straight against its league rival but has a chance for revenge with another meeting against WCU later this month.

Tampa (-6)

The Spartans had their six-game winning streak snapped with an 11-10 loss at No. 9 Florida Southern in a tightly contested affair last Friday. Tampa led by two midway through the third quarter, but a four-goal run over a six-minute span by FSC fueled its comeback. Head coach Kelly Gallagher gets another shot at claiming her 100th career win when Tampa hosts Saint Leo on Wednesday.

IN

Mount Olive (No. 17)

The Trojans move into the Top 20 for the first time this season on the heels of a six-game winning streak. Victories over Lander and Young Harris last week pushed UMO’s record to 9-2 overall and a perfect 4-0 in Conference Carolinas. Mount Olive has its last non-conference test this week against No. 15 Wingate before resuming CC play.

OUT

Bloomsburg (was No. 19)

The Huskies fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with back-to-back losses last week against No. 14 Kutztown and No. 1 West Chester. Goalie Lauren Foley recorded a season-high 14 saves against WCU, but an early deficit in both games was too much to overcome. Bloomsburg has another shot against a ranked opponent Wednesday when it hosts No. 13 East Stroudsburg.