Teams are back from spring break and back in action! The WCLO had 42 games played over the weekend. Twenty-one of those games were from teams within our Top 20 where we saw some close wins and major upsets!

The University of Vermont sits steady at #1 after three wins this weekend over #12 Cornell, #13 Binghamton, and #16 Syracuse. The Catamounts sit at a perfect 8-0 record with three weeks left of the regular season. With the biggest win of the weekend, the US Naval Academy took down Loyola-Maryland 11-7. The Midshipmen are our biggest mover of the week, up 8 spots from #11 to #3.

With Loyola-Maryland’s loss, the reigning runner-ups, University of New Hampshire, return back to the #2 spot for the week while the Hounds fall to #4. Boise State took on two out of conference opponents over the weekend (WCLA Utah and WCLA Utah State), while they did not pick-up a win, their strength of schedule wins keeps them comfortably at #5.

Just behind them in the #6 spot we have the University of Minnesota. Minnesota captured four more wins this weekend, most notably a 11-4 win over #11 University of St. Thomas. The Gophers are 8-1 on the season with their only loss coming to Boise State in the opening week of the season.

Rounding out our Top 10 are #7 Fairfield, tied for #8 West Virginia and #8 Grand Valley State, and #10 Georgetown. Continuing on the rise, Cornell moves up two spots to #12 after a couple of close losses to #1 Vermont and wins against #13 Binghamton and #16 Syracuse.

It’s not too late to be recognized in our Top 20 this season as two of our newcomers have discovered this week. The University of Wisconsin and Syracuse have discovered. They join us at #14 and #16 respectively this week. Both of these teams had a strong schedule posted at the beginning of the season; many of which were unfortunately cancelled due to weather, but that has not stopped them from showing their worth in the second half of the season. Wisconsin had a close loss to #11 St. Thomas and showed strong against #5 Minnesota. The Badgers are in their first season with the WCLO and look to make a late season push in the poll. Syracuse also saw top 20 competition with close losses to Vermont, Cornell and Binghamton this weekend.

This weekend will be the largest weekend of games with 72 games slated to occur Saturday and Sunday. Check out the hot games to watch below.

Week 5 Top 20:
Rank      Team Name        Points
1.  University of Vermont - 200
2. New Hampshire - 172
3. US Naval Academy - 166
4. Loyola- Maryland - 165
5. Boise State University - 158
6. University of Minnesota - 157
7. Fairfield University - 155
T8. West Virginia University - 116
T8. Grand Valley State University - 116
10. Georgetown University - 106
11. University of St. Thomas - 105
12. Cornell University - 96
13. Binghamton University - 73
14. University of Wisconsin - 70
15. Purdue University - 60
16. Syracuse University - 59
17. New York University - 43
18. Towson University - 41
19. Worcester Polytechnic Institute - 18
20. William & Mary - 5
Others Receiving Votes: Marist, Sacred Heart, Dayton, Fordham, University of Richmond, Onondaga, Duquesne, Kentucky-Black, Johns Hopkins

Upcoming Games to Watch:
Saturday 3/28
#4 Boise State vs. WCLA D2 Montana State
# Towson vs. Salisbury
#T8 West Virginia vs. # Purdue and Michigan State B
#T8 Grand Valley vs. Michigan State B, Bowling Green
Fordham vs. Marist

Sunday 3/29
#18 Towson vs. St. Joseph
#18 Towson vs. #17 NYU
#17 NYU vs. St. Joseph
#16 Syracuse vs. RIT and Sacred Heart
#15 Purdue vs. Bowling Green and Michigan State B
#6 Minnesota vs. Minnesota State- Mankato
#1 Vermont vs. Tufts
 #T8 West Virginia vs. #T8 Grand Valley State
#3 US Naval Academy vs. #10 Georgetown 
#3 US Naval Academy vs. George Washington
#10 Georgetown vs. George Washington

Week four saw little to no movement in the Top 20 as most of our schools were enjoying some R&R with spring break. One lone game was played this week with #10 University of St. Thomas putting up a large margin victory over Macalester on Tuesday. Teams are back in action this week and eager to play games. Seven of our Top 10 teams play multi-game weekends this weekend, as well as 13 of our Top 20 teams. We will be back here in one week reporting who came out on top! Stay tuned. Check out the full Top 20 below.

Others Receiving Votes: St. Joseph, William & Mary, Brown, Wisconsin, Dayton, Sacred Heart, Onondaga, Johns Hopkins, Kentucky-Black
Note: Teams who have not played a game in the 2026 season cannot be considered for National Ranking

Upcoming Top 20 and Hot Games to Watch:

Saturday 3/21
#2 Loyola Maryland vs. #11 US Naval Academy 
#2 Loyola vs. #18 Richmond
#11 Navy vs. #18 Richmond
#18 Richmond vs. St. Joseph
#1 Vermont vs. #14 Cornell
#5 Minnesota vs. Creighton
#5 Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
#10 St. Thomas vs. Wisconsin
#10 St. Thomas vs. Creighton
#4 Boise State vs. WCLA D2 Utah State
 
Sunday 3/22
#17 WPI vs. Holy Cross
#1 Vermont vs. #14 Cornell
#1 Vermont vs. #12 Binghamton
#12 Binghamton vs. Syracuse
#12 Binghamton vs. #14 Cornell
#14 Cornell vs. Syracuse
#5 Minnesota vs. #10 St. Thomas
#4 Boise vs. WCLA D2 Utah
#6 Fairfield vs. RPI
#20 Fordham vs. Central Connecticut
#7 Georgetown vs. American

We are on to Week 3 of the Top 20! With Spring Break approaching for many of our teams, this past week was a great week for a couple teams to sneak into the Top 20. 

Joining the Top 20 for the first time this season are the Purdue University Boilermakers and the Marist Red Foxes. Purdue is starting out their first season with the WCLO with confidence and excitement. They took a trip to West Virginia this past weekend and had a great showing against the #8 team in the country but unfortunately fell just short, losing 6-7. Here's what Purdue Coach Madeline Lenkart had to say about the matchup:

"Our game against West Virginia was exciting to the very end. Both teams were focused and gritty which led to a back and forth game through the four quarters. Our defense held strong for most of the game only giving up 7 points with three saves from each of our goalies (Adele Zyniewicz, Shaye Ledyard, Giulia Sweet). We also had some big plays on offense which resulted in a series of goals led by Alexis Owen (3G) and Mandy Taylor (2G). Though we ended up falling a little short, West Virginia is a great program and we look forward to playing them again at MSU.”

Both the Moutaineers and Boilermakers had hopes to play another on the cusp team, the University of Wisconsin out of the NCWLL in this round robin, but due to weather and flight cancellations, Wisconsin was unable to make the trip. Wisconsin sits just outside of our Top 20 for now, but will face some Top 10 competition in the coming weeks in both #4 University of Minnesota and #10 University of St. Thomas later this March. 

Marist on the other hand has seen the in's and out's of the Top 20 throughout all four seasons of the WCLO and look to make their way up the ranks. While they currently sit without a win to their record, the Red Foxes play in one of the toughest conferences, the New England Lacrosse League, and have played a gauntlet of only ranked teams so far in 2026. They will round out their regular season in a few weeks against #20 Fordham. Take a look at what Senior, Attacker, Amanda Iglio had to say about Marists game play so far this season:

"We enjoyed playing both teams as they were both competitive games. We are disappointed that we lost but are looking forward to practices and working together in the next few weeks to play our best against Fordham!”

We expect to see little movement between Week 3 and Week 4 rankings with only a couple games on the schedule, but welcome another 50+ games in week 5. Stay tuned for the second half of the 2026 season to kick off strong!

Full WCLO Top 20:

Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin, Duquesne, William & Mary, St. Joseph, Dayton, Kentucky-Black, Onondaga, Sacred Heart, Cortland, Brown

Upcoming Top 20 and Hot Games to Watch:

Tuesday 3/10:
#10 St. Thomas vs. Macalester

Sunday 3/15:
Sacred Heart vs. RPI

Want to be considered for our weekly rankings? Enter your game scores after each game and stay in conversation with your League Representation to make sure your voice is being heard! 

Teams it's time to mark your calendars! The 2026 National Championship will take place Wednesday, May 6th through Friday, May 9th in Chesterfield, Virginia! The tournament will again run concurrently with the MCLA National Championships. We are bringing this tournament close to home for many of our teams to create an incredible, but cost effective tournament. The WCLO National Championship will consist of the Top 12 Teams in the country with the field being selected following the completion of Regional Playoffs on April 12/13th. Stay tuned for more information to come!

This season we have partnered with Powell Lacrosse to present our National Players of the Week. Week 1 of Powell Player of the Week kicks off with a Goalie out of the Rocky Mountain Region and an impactful Midfielder out of the New England area.

From UAlbany, Senior, Midfielder, Carly Neville was nominated twice this week for her impact so far this season. Take a look at what the nominators had to say about Carly:

"Carly is a very passionate player. She leaves it all on the field and is an inspiration to the Ualbany Women’s club lacrosse team. She is a transfer student from The College of Saint Rose. After transferring and coming to Ualbany, she has made a permanent mark for our team. On and off the field she is the heart of our team and has helped us have our first ever winning season this past fall. We truly believe she deserves this award for her passion, dedication, and mindfulness on and off the field!"

"Our player is truly deserving of this award because of her relentless work ethic, competitive spirit, and unwavering dedication to the team. Carly is a fierce competitor who consistently leaves everything on the field, setting the standard for intensity and commitment. As a standout midfielder, she plays a pivotal role on both ends: bringing tenacious defense, securing critical draw controls, and attacking the cage with confidence and purpose.  In the fall season, Carly led the team to its first-ever winning streak, recording an impressive 19 goals in just five games. She carried that momentum into the spring, already tallying 12 goals in only three games. Her ability to perform at such a high level, especially in crucial moments, speaks volumes about her impact and leadership.  Her grit and determination have been instrumental in helping UAlbany grow into the team we are today and in pushing us toward regionals. Her influence extends far beyond the stat sheet. She elevates those around her, holds herself and her teammates accountable, and represents the heart of this team.  This recognition would not only honor her individual excellence but also reflect the resilience, growth, and belief she has helped build within our program!"

Our Second Player of the Week is Boise State University, Freshman, Goalie, Giada DiMarco. Giada kicked off her first collegiate games in style at the Santa Barbara Shootout in Santa Ynez, California playing Top 10 teams, Grand Valley State and University of Minnesota. Boise State ultimately came out on top 6-5 in both of the match-ups with the game against Minnesota being decided in triple overtime. Take a look at what the nominator had to say about Giada:

"Giada had 12 saves in 3 games in the SB tournament, 7 of which were against Minnesota. Her 7 saves led to a shut out for the second half including THREE overtimes! She stepped up huge for the team and got us a win that we needed!"

Congratulations to both of these athletes for the impact they are provided already this season. Thank you to Powell Lacrosse for your continued support of the WCLO and being a part of giving back to our players.

Want to Nominate someone you know for Powell Player of the Week? Click the Nomination Link below. Winners will be selected every Wednesday for the remainder of the season and will recevie a custom Powell stick. 

Powell Player of the Week Nomination Form