William Smith Enters Top 5 of Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20

March 20, 2023

Kenny DeJohn

John Strohsacker

Four undefeated teams appear to have separated themselves from the pack in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Women’s Top 20, though given the parity of Division III, the season is clearly far from over.

Nos. 1 and 2 hold strong in this week’s Top 20 update, though there’s an array of movement just about everywhere else. W&L’s tussle with Tufts created some movement in the top five, as did William Smith’s win over Salisbury.

It’s farther down the Top 20 where it became difficult to make sense of things. Teams ranked from Nos. 11-20 lost a combined eight games (a handful of them to each other), so the Top 20 puzzle certainly took some time this week.

NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION III WOMEN’S TOP 20

	March 20, 2023	W/L	Prev	Next
1	Middlebury	5-0	1	3/20 at Lebanon Valley
2	Washington and Lee	7-0	2	3/22 at Mary Washington
3	TCNJ	6-0	4	3/21 vs. Moravian
4	William Smith	5-0	6	3/24 vs. Clarkson
5	Tufts	3-1	3	3/22 at No. 6 Salisbury
6	Salisbury	5-2	5	3/22 vs. No. 5 Tufts
7	Franklin & Marshall	4-2	8	3/25 vs. Muhlenberg
8	Messiah	5-1	9	3/22 vs. Shenandoah
9	Gettysburg	3-3	10	3/22 at Catholic
10	Wesleyan	5-1	7	3/25 vs. Bowdoin
11	Amherst	4-1	19	3/24 at Westfield State
12	York	3-2	12	3/22 vs. No. 17 Stevens
13	Ithaca	5-2	13	3/24 vs. No. 20 St. Lawrence
14	Roanoke	6-1	14	3/25 at Shenandoah
15	Colby	2-3	NR	3/22 at No. 16 Chicago
16	Chicago	5-0	16	3/22 vs. No. 15 Colby
17	Stevens	7-0	17	3/22 at No. 12 York
18	SUNY Cortland	3-2	11	3/22 vs. St. John Fisher
19	Pomona-Pitzer	8-1	18	3/22 at Redlands
20	St. Lawrence	2-2	20	3/21 at Stevenson

Also considered (alphabetical order): Colorado College, Hamilton, Kenyon, Mary Washington, St. John Fisher, St, Mary's, Trinity, Williams

Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women

HOT

Washington and Lee (no change)

W&L couldn’t move up from its No. 2 standing, but throttling Tufts surely made a statement for a team that’s already made its share of them in 2023. A 16-5 win will surely get the attention of those who were still overlooking the Generals.

William Smith (+2)

William Smith got a nice 12-9 win over Salisbury at USA Lacrosse HQ in Sparks, Md., making for a little two-spot jump in the Top 20. Maddie Montgomery and Molly Davis combined for seven of the team’s 12 goals.

Amherst (+8)

The biggest mover this week is Amherst. The eight-spot jump is the product of beating then-No. 13 Ithaca but also the combined losses of others in the middle of the pack. Perhaps it’s an overreaction, but teams ranked 11-20 in last week’s ranking combined for eight losses. Amherst went 2-0 with a ranked win, so it’s a jump for the NESCAC contender.

NOT

Tufts (-2)

There’s likely little reason to worry about the long-term outlook for the Jumbos, but the 16-5 loss to Washington and Lee should serve as an eye-opener. Wednesday’s battle at home with No. 6 Salisbury represents a chance to turn things back in the right direction.

Wesleyan (-3)

It’s a slight dip in the Top 20 for Wesleyan after losing to Colby, which was ousted from the rankings last week but has returned after the win. Wesleyan is still in the top 10, and it was only a one-goal loss. The NESCAC schedule only gets more difficult from here, though.

Cortland (-7)

The Red Dragons’ 17-8 loss to Colorado College was quickly forgotten about by the team after a 10-6 win over Endicott a few days later. But it won’t be forgotten about as far as the Top 20 goes.

IN

Colby (No. 15)

It was a short hiatus from the Top 20 for Colby. The team is still under .500 at 2-3, but beating former No. 7 Wesleyan is a great way to reintroduce yourself. The body of work keeps Colby below Wesleyan for now, but perhaps the win is a sign of things to come.

OUT

Bowdoin (was No. 15)

A two-loss week won’t do Bowdoin any favors. The Polar Bears are now 2-3 after falling to William Smith and Williams, meaning they’re out of the Top 20 for now.

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Written By

Kenny DeJohn

Kenny DeJohn has been the Digital Content Editor at USA Lacrosse since 2019. First introduced to lacrosse in 2016 as a Newsday Sports reporter on Long Island (yes, ON Long Island), DeJohn specializes in women's game coverage. His search for New York quality pizza in Baltimore is ongoing.

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