The Indianapolis Greyhounds, ranked fifth in the preseason, posted the first statement win of the 2021 season with a dominating 15-5 victory at then-No. 2 Queens on Saturday. Holding a two-goal lead at halftime, the Hounds outscored the Royals 9-1 in the second half to claim the marquee win. UIndy jumps to No. 2 in the first regular season Nike/US Lacrosse Division II Women's Top 20 update.
Preseason No. 1 Lindenwood maintains its position in the top spot and stands 2-0 overall with victories over Northern Michigan and Regis. The Lions trailed Regis by three goals midway through the second half of Saturday’s contest but closed with a 7-1 scoring run to register the come-from-behind win.
No. 9 Limestone is the only newcomer in the top ten, climbing two spots from its preseason position on the strength of its 3-0 start.
There’s still a limited schedule of games this week, with teams in the SSC, NE-10, and PSAC not launching in earnest until later this month.
Nike / US Lacrosse
Division II Women’s Top 20
March 1, 2021 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lindenwood | 2-0 | 1 | 3/13 at Tiffin |
| 2 | Indianapolis | 2-0 | 5 | 3/6 vs. Findlay |
| 3 | Le Moyne | 0-0 | 3 | TBD |
| 4 | Adelphi | 0-0 | 4 | 3/17 at Pace |
| 5 | West Chester | 0-0 | 6 | 3/17 vs. Shippensburg |
| 6 | Rollins | 0-0 | 7 | 3/24 at No. 10 Tampa |
| 7 | East Stroudsburg | 0-0 | 8 | 3/9 vs. Frostburg State |
| 8 | Queens | 2-1 | 2 | 3/6 at Young Harris |
| 9 | Limestone | 3-0 | 11 | 3/2 at Catawba |
| 10 | Tampa | 0-0 | 9 | 3/20 vs. St. Leo |
| 11 | Grand Valley State | 1-0 | 10 | 3/20 vs. No. 2 UIndy |
| 12 | Florida Southern | 0-0 | 12 | 3/20 vs. No. 17 Florida Tech |
| 13 | Mercy | 0-0 | 13 | 3/10 vs. St. Thomas Aquinas |
| 14 | Assumption | 0-0 | 14 | 3/17 at No. 19 Bentley |
| 15 | Regis | 0-1 | 15 | 3/1 at McKendree |
| 16 | St. Anselm | 0-0 | 17 | TBD |
| 17 | Florida Tech | 0-0 | 18 | 3/20 at No. 12 Fla. Southern |
| 18 | New Haven | 0-0 | 19 | 3/13 at American International |
| 19 | Bentley | 0-0 | 20 | 3/17 vs. No. 14 Assumption |
| 20 | Concordia-St. Paul | 1-1 | 16 | 3/19 vs. Ashland |
Also considered: Mercyhurst, Millersville, St. Leo
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Indianapolis (+3)
As a rising program, the Greyhounds have reached a number of new milestones recently. Last year’s 6-0 start was the best in the team’s history. This week, UIndy notched its first-ever win over a top-five opponent, taking down Queens as senior Abigail Lagos led the way with seven goals. And on the heels of that win, Indianapolis has claimed the highest ranking in its six-year history, climbing to No. 2 this week.
Limestone (+2)
The Saints have a new conference home in the South Atlantic Conference, but that hasn’t slowed them down. Limestone stands 3-0 on the young season, including wins over SAC foes Mars Hills and Wingate. The upcoming schedule also looks favorable, with no ranked teams looming, meaning the Saints could still be unbeaten by the time they reach their matchup with Queens in early April.
NOT
Queens (-6)
After climbing to No. 1 in the national ranking in the COVID-interrupted 2020 season and starting this season at No. 2, the Royals take a tumble after being outplayed at home by UIndy. A scoring drought of 28 minutes, along with 19 turnovers in the game, contributed to the demise. Queens will try to start its rebound with a visit to Young Harris this week.
Concordia-St. Paul (-4)
After moving into the national rankings for the first time last season, expectations were pretty high for CSP entering the 2021 campaign, with an opening test against UIndy potentially setting the tone for the rest of the schedule. Unfortunately, the Golden Bears were completely dominated in that opener, falling 20-1. CSP did capture its first win with a 13-3 victory over Lewis.