The Middlebury Panthers went start to finish as the top team in the USA Lacrosse Division III Women’s Top 20, presented by CWENCH Hydration, without ever stumbling along the way.
With an 8-6 victory over NESCAC rival Wesleyan, Middlebury won its fifth consecutive championship; the victory also tied TCNJ for the most championships (12) and tournament victories (90) in Division III history.
Middlebury’s run to a title was not without challenges, even if the Panthers finish the spring with an unblemished record. Wesleyan, the end-of-season No. 2 team, gave the Panthers quite a run in each of the three matchups between them. After Salisbury at No. 3, No. 4 Tufts also played Middlebury tough in a pair of one-goal games. Denison rounds out the top five.
USA LACROSSE DIVISION III
WOMEN’S TOP 20
1. Middlebury
2. Wesleyan
3. Salisbury
4. Tufts
5. Denison
6. TCNJ
7. Trinity
8. York
9. Washington and Lee
10. William Smith
11. Christopher Newport
12. Amherst
13. Gettysburg
14. Pomona-Pitzer
15. Williams
16. MIT
17. Stevens
18. Rowan
19. Colorado College
20. Messiah
Also considered (alphabetical order): Chicago, Colby, Franklin & Marshall, Scranton, St. John Fisher
