The Sunday Slide: Upon Further Review

The headline of this week’s edition of “The Sunday Slide” is intended to have two meanings. In this final column of the 2026 Division I women’s lacrosse season, we need to have a talk about replay review. And we also need to take a look back at how we got here.

May, after all, begins Friday.

First, replay review. There were five (yes, FIVE) reviews in the first half of Sunday’s ACC championship game between North Carolina and Stanford. The total number of reviews shouldn’t be the problem. If we have the technology, then let’s get the calls correct. I think most of us are in favor of that.

The problem is how long replays take. Perhaps it has to do with the perceived subjectivity of how rules are enforced. Or maybe all the camera angles officials have at their disposal aren’t as revealing as we’d hope, meaning it takes more time to determine the correct outcome.

Long reviews are such a drain on the emotions of a game for the viewer. I couldn’t imagine how it feels to be a team with momentum only to have to stand there during a five-minute review.

North Carolina head coach Jenny Levy spoke after the ACC semifinals about putting forth a better television product with the Olympics coming soon. Most of what she spoke about had to do with a 10-v-10 style that would help break up zone defenses. Not talked about was the replay situation. We need to keep looking into it.

Second, let’s do a little review of 2026.

Upon further review, we (USA Lacrosse Magazine) were right about a few things. The obvious ones: North Carolina and Northwestern are the elite, the field is wide open with a smattering of competitive teams, and Navy had a big year.

What we missed: Princeton struggled to make good on its preseason billing (as did much of the Ivy League, but more on that below), Boston College has endured more ups and downs than expected, and Notre Dame grew as a team much faster than anticipated with so many young talents.

We throw the word “parity” around a lot in lacrosse media. I don’t know if that’s actually ever been the right word. The same handful of teams are in national title contention every single year, and outside of 2018 James Madison, that’s an exclusive group that’s nearly impossible to crack.

What we have in lacrosse, I think, is more balance. The talent level of each team continues to rise, functionally creating better teams able to compete at a higher level. But the top programs are still getting most of the top players.

That might never change. But this season has seemingly had more balance than we’ve had possibly ever. And that’s made it a fun watch — and certainly fun to cover.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

What an odd year for the Ivy League. The past two seasons were great for the conference with multiple teams extending their seasons well into May. This season, there’s a strong chance only one Ivy League team makes the NCAA tournament field.

That would require Yale, the top seed, to win the league tournament. Bubble teams are certainly rooting chalk, because an upset would mean two Ivy teams make the field.

The thing is, this conference is as wide open as the Patriot League, where any of Army, Navy or Loyola could win the whole thing. Bubble teams might be in for a nail-biting viewing experience if they watch the Ancient Eight.

You thought we were done with the Ivy League? One more for you. Shoutout to Columbia.

The Lions earned their first Ivy League win since 2019 by beating Harvard in overtime, 11-10. It was also Columbia’s first-ever overtime win as a program. Columbia finished the season 7-8, the program’s best record since it went 7-8 in 2017.

BY THE NUMBERS

0 • Chance a team other than North Carolina or Northwestern gets a top-two seed when the NCAA tournament bracket is revealed next Sunday.

13 • Seconds left when Cass Belsito scored the game-winning goal for Siena in the MAAC quarterfinals. The Saints won 9-8 to advance.

18 • Saves for Jenika Cuocco in the Big Ten championship game, matching the conference tournament’s single-game record.

23 • Minutes Loyola held Boston U off the scoreboard in a 13-7 win in the Patriot League quarterfinals.

92 • Goals this season by Chloe Humphrey, setting a new North Carolina record (a record she already owned).

104 • Points for Clemson freshman Alexa Spallina.

108 • Points for Army senior Allison Reilly, a new program record.