© 2026 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
The Middlebury dynasty has reigned supreme the past four years, and the challengers to the throne during that time have been the usual suspects.
The 2026 season feels a little more wide open, as the top programs will undergo a major changing of the guard after the graduation of seniors and graduate students who had an extra year of eligibility.
Can Middlebury make it five consecutive national championships, or will someone new take over the top spot after Memorial Day?
1. Middlebury
2. Tufts
3. Salisbury
4. Gettysburg
5. Franklin & Marshall
6. Colby
7. William Smith
8. Wesleyan
9. Stevens
10. St. John Fisher
11. Washington and Lee
12. Amherst
13. York
14. MIT
15. Denison
16. Babson
17. Pomona-Pitzer
18. TCNJ
19. Springfield
20. Trinity
Also considered (alphabetical order): Chicago, Christopher Newport, Colorado, Ithaca, Rowan
1. Middlebury
Yes, the Panthers graduated a large senior class (14 players), but the program has won four consecutive championships and five of the past six. It has also played for six of the past seven titles. Someone is going to have to actively knock them off the top spot.
2. Tufts
The Jumbos triumphed over every opponent in 2025 with the exception of Middlebury. Tufts will miss the 14 seniors and graduate students from last year, but it does return three starters, including Allie Zorn, who is one of the best scorers in the nation.
3. Salisbury
The battle-tested Sea Gulls fell a game short of the national semifinals, and they return several key players — including two IWLCA All-Americans in top scorer Audrey Harrington and defensive leader Abby Fleishell. Salisbury’s defense is stingy, and its offense will be deep with seven of the team’s top eight scorers return.
4. Gettysburg
Julia Daly has been a 60-goal scorer each year of her career, but last year, she added feeding to her repertoire with a career-high 51 assists. She, Michaela Kelly and Sarah Scollin should continue to provide the Bullets with plenty of offense.
5. Franklin & Marshall
The Diplomats defense allowed only 8.43 goals per game last season, and they return a lot of experience on the defensive end. Bell Dintino — a three-time second-team USA Lacrosse All-American selection — leads the way and is joined by Sophia Geibel and Lucy Rogers. The three combined to cause 48 turnovers last season, nearly a third of the team’s entire total.
6. Colby
With Jillian Kane graduated, there will be a lot of minutes for the Mules to fill between the pipes. While Gigi Peloso only made nine appearances last year, she did see time in the NCAA tournament semifinal against Middlebury and made three saves. The team also graduates its top four scorers, but there are several attackers on the roster — Tate Ban, Charlotte Michener, Zoey Verbesy and Olivia Kraus — that could make an impact in expanded roles.
7. William Smith
Midfielder Natalie Daniels suffered an injury late in the 2025 season and may not be able to play in 2026, which would be a big blow for the Herons, but there are still plenty of returning players on offense. The combo of Janey Sypeck and Lily Kuhn is a formidable pair on defense.
8. Wesleyan
While the team’s claim to fame in 2025 was snapping Middlebury’s 67-game winning streak, the program has been consistently strong the past few years. The Cardinals have won at least 15 games in each of the past three seasons and played in the NESCAC championship in the last two seasons. They’ve qualified for the NCAA tournament in each of the past seven seasons and are in good position to do so again.
9. Stevens
The Ducks were one of the higher scoring teams in Division III last season, and Stefanie Stellitto and Maddie Hogan each scored more than 55 goals and tallied more than 65 points. The defense was even better, finishing in the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense, and it will be anchored by USA Lacrosse second-team All-American Lauren Sullivan.
10. St. John Fisher
Nobody went undefeated longer in 2025 than the Cardinals, whose first loss didn’t come until the NCAA tournament round of 16 to Salisbury. They did so behind a dominant unit that was first in the country in scoring defense, and goalie Kaylee Gadol led the nation in save percentage. There is a coaching change, as long-time head coach Linda Michele retired. Former Cardinal Marykate Edmunds is the new coach after four years with SUNY Geneseo.
11. Washington and Lee
Not only did the Generals have a strong offense in 2025, they did so behind some young players contributing. Hannah Van Son and Lara Baki — a sophomore and freshman in 2025, respectively — combined for 31 percent of the team’s goals themselves.
12. Amherst
The Mammoths might have sputtered out of the gates in 2025 — playing Middlebury and Colby in the first four games didn’t help — but they won nine of their last 11 regular season games to earn spots in the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments. They bring back two first-team All-NESCAC selections (Emily Petersen and Mia Raven), another 40-goal scorer (Briget Finley), and a second-team All-Region defender (Ella Bobbett).
13. York
In 12 NCAA tournament appearances, the Spartans have reached the quarterfinals six times. Sydney Mentzer makes an impact in all facets of the game, and there are a number of underclassmen that contributed last year who will be counted on to have increased roles in 2026.
14. MIT
The Engineers got off to a rough start in 2025 at 1-4, but they turned it around by going 12-3 and winning a NEWMAC championship to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. The team earned eight All-Conference selections, six of whom were underclassmen.
15. Denison
If Bridget Sheehy tallies 34 assists (one fewer than in 2025), she’ll break the program’s all-time assists record. She and do-it-all midfielder Mary Martinson (53 goals, 30 ground balls, and 94 draw controls) look to buoy the Big Red in 2026 after an impressive run to the NCAA quarterfinals.
16. Babson
The Beavers graduate 14 players, but a pair of rising junior defenders, All-NEWMAC selections Claire Jones and Lyndsey Newsome, will keep the team competitive.
17. Pomona-Pitzer
The SCIAC championship game MVP (Taylor Glanville) and SCIAC defensive player of the year (Shelby Stanton) return, as do IWLCA All-West Region selections River Buechner and Caroline Donegan. The Saghens look to make a fifth-straight trip to the NCAA tournament round of 16 and more.
18. TCNJ
The Lions were a top 25 offense in the nation, and they return a horde of top scorers, including Marissa Lucca, whose 193 points in just two seasons is already top 25 in program history.
19. Springfield
The Pride enjoyed a nine-game winning streak in the middle of the season, scoring at least 18 goals eight times in that stretch. There are some talented, young goal scorers like Izzy Lalancette that could help the team break through this year.
20. Trinity
The Bantams graduated a small senior class, meaning there were many opportunities for underclassmen to get experience and contribute. Head coach Katy Szymanski hopes that year of growth will pay dividends in 2026.
Phil Shore has covered lacrosse for a variety of publications. He played Division III lacrosse at Emerson College and is the current head coach at Osbourn Park High School in Virginia. His first book, Major League Life, was published in June 2020. Shore has contributed to USA Lacrosse Magazine since 2011.
