Way Early 2025 Rankings: Nos. 25-21 (Division I Women)

College campuses are awakening again with students reporting for the 2024-25 academic year.

But forget the 2024 part. We’re already looking ahead to 2025.

With the launch of a new college year soon comes the beginning of fall ball, meaning it’ll soon be time to count the days before the next college lacrosse season begins.

Here’s our first stab at putting together a Division I Women's Top 25 for 2025.

First up: Five teams with enough star power at key positions to make a run at May.

25. BROWN

2024 record: 10-5 (3-4 Ivy League)

Last seen: Just missing out on the four-team Ivy League tournament field, playing its last game of 2024 on April 27 and depositing 23 goals on Cornell in a 23-17 win.

Notable departures: Mia Mascone, A; Julia Ford, M; Nathalie Ahn, A; Leah Caputo, A; Maddie Joyce, M; Lydia Bongiorno, D/M; Emmie Lau, M

Notable additions: Anne Booth, G; Bae Bounds, M

Initial forecast: The Katrina Dowd era started with a bang, as Brown handed UMass its first home loss since May 2022. It was sign of things to come, as the Bears surprised the nation to firmly put itself in the postseason conversation. But in a stacked Ivy League, Brown missed out on the conference tournament and then the NCAA tournament.

Mia Mascone (62 goals, 36 assists) ran the show, and she’s gone to graduation — as are fellow starters on attack Nathalie Ahn (11 goals, 15 assists) and Leah Caputo (21 goals, four assists). That means Greta Criqui (46 goals, 62.2 SH%) is next in line for the go-to role, with support coming from midfielder Annie Burton (21 goals, 38 assists).

The offense should be just fine, especially with Dowd running things. It’s the defense that remains a large question mark — especially in the cage. Claire Mahoney (six starts, 34.2 SV%) and Tara Reilly (five starts, 33.3 SV%) split time last spring, and neither took firm hold of the job. Someone needs to step up between the pipes to put Brown among the Ivy League’s elite.

24. COLORADO

2024 record: 13-6 (5-2 Pac-12)

Last seen: Falling in the last-ever Pac-12 women’s lacrosse championship game to Stanford, 11-8, and missing out on an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.

Notable departures: Madeline Pisani, M; Ashley Stokes, M; Eve Hritzuk, A; Sydney Zimmerman, M; Camryn Stoner, D; Jordan Johnson, M; Danielle Heintz, G

Notable additions: Briley Volpp, M; Jenna Morley, M; Addison Brower, A; Kendall Havill, A

Initial forecast: Colorado will go from one conference (the Pac-12) in which three teams battled for the top spot each year to another conference (the Big 12) in which Florida is expected to dominate. That means the Buffs will have to bolster their resume elsewhere if Florida makes good on the preseason expectations.

Colorado will enter its new era on the field, too, after losing 162 of the 253 (64 percent) of its goals scored from a year ago. Three of the Buffs’ top four scorers — and four of their top five — are graduating, but the door is open for Rachel Kennedy (19 goals, nine assists), Emily Dodd (15 goals, 12 assists), Maddie Shoup (21 goals, four assists), Lily Assini (12 goals, 10 assists) and Molly Reed (13 goals, one assist) to step up. Two-time IWLCA All-American Kendall Havill has transferred in from Colorado College, adding another weapon.

Luckily, possessions shouldn’t be at a premium with Aidan Carr (120 draw controls) returning, too.

Two defensive starters — Camryn Stoner (32 ground balls, 14 caused turnovers) and Jordan Johnson (14 ground balls, nine caused turnovers) — graduate, leaving a couple veteran holes to be filled in front of a new goalie. Danielle Heintz saved 35.2 percent of shots a year ago, and Caity Brower was the only other netminder rostered in 2024. She made nine saves (42.9 percent) in a shade under 60 minutes of playing time.

23. STANFORD

2024 record: 13-5 (7-0 Pac-12)

Last seen: Giving Denver all it could handle in the first round of the NCAA tournament but ultimately ending its season with a 13-12 loss in Evanston against the Pios.

Notable departures: Jay Browne, A; Ailish Kelly, M; Katy Gilbert, M; Emma Capanna, D

Notable additions: Amanda Lawson, M; Martha Oakey, A; Lexi Rodell, M

Initial forecast: Goodbye, Pac-12. Hello, ACC. In joining the nation’s toughest conference, Stanford will have to do it without two leaders — Jay Browne (31 goals, 30 assists) and Ailish Kelly (27 goals, two assists). But the Cardinal are in an incredible place in terms of offensive depth, as they return a cupboard full of stars-in-the-making.

Aliya Polisky (53 goals, 18 assists) was a national standout in her rookie season, narrowly beating Jordyn Case (48 goals, 14 assists) for the team lead. Sarah Jaques (29 goals, 19 assists) carved out a big role, and Rylee Bouvier (20 goals, nine assists) could step into the role left open by Browne’s graduation. And Annabel Frist (19 goals, eight assists), who missed six games last spring, could be in for more, too.

Boosted by what Inside Lacrosse deemed the No. 6 recruiting class in the country — anchored by five-star midfielder Amanda Lawson and four stars Martha Oakey and Lexi Rodell — Danielle Spencer’s team shouldn’t lack offensive punch.

The question is how the defense will hold up in the ACC. It ranked No. 11 nationally by allowing 9.00 goals per game last season, but the competition is about to be far tougher.

22. DUKE

2024 record: 10-9 (4-5 ACC)

Last seen: Somewhat controversially earning an NCAA tournament at-large bid and falling 16-11 to Loyola in the first round.

Notable departures: Katie DeSimone, A; Caroline DeBellis, A; Katie Keller, M, Maddie McCorkle, M; Olivia Carner, M; Lexi Schmalz, M; Kay Conway, D; Margaret Anne Warner, D

Notable additions: Sadie Stafford, M; Hope Schoudel, G; Maddie MacDonald, M; Amanda Paci, D

Initial forecast: Nobody would chastise you for being deterred by the sheer volume of scoring Duke loses to graduation — 184 of 237 (77.6 percent) goals scored. Part of that production will now fall on the likes of Carly Bernstein (18 goals, 28 assists), Mattie Shearer (13 goals, 13 assists) and others. Perhaps incoming five-star midfielder Sadie Stafford and incoming four-star midfielder Maddie MacDonald can carve out early roles for themselves, too.

There’s help coming in on the defensive end, too, with the Blue Devils losing Kay Conway (17 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers) and Margaret Anne Warner (28 ground balls, 20 caused turnovers) after they turned their tassels in May. Four-star defender Amanda Paci could find playing time immediately — if not, soon after — while Courtney Kaufman and Sydney Smith could be next in line for starting roles.

The ACC is only getting tougher with the addition of Stanford and the continued growth of newer programs like Pitt and Clemson, making Duke’s return to dominance more difficult. In what could be somewhat of a transition year offensively, the Blue Devils still have enough talent to compete.

21. DREXEL

2024 record: 13-6 (7-1 CAA)

Last seen: Celebrating an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament for the fourth year in a row before falling 14-9 to Princeton in the tournament’s opening round.

Notable departures: Corinne Bednarik, A; Allison Drake, A; Alex Wall, M; Maddie Fowler, M; Molly Weygand, M; Alli VanSlyke, D; Belle McHugh, D; Maddie White, D

Notable additions: Amelia Bentley, M

Initial forecast: Drexel loses six starters. Still, something similar happens every year, and the Dragons have made a habit of plugging holes and making a run at the NCAA tournament.

Corinne Bednarik (58 goals, 41 assists, 75 draw controls) and Allison Drake (40 goals, five assists) will be a difficult 1-2 punch to replace, though Kate Marano (16 goals, 18 assists), Bea Buckley (14 goals, 19 assists), Anna Maria Gragnani (17 goals) and Ellie Wall (15 goals) are more than capable of stepping in.

The defense loses three mainstays. Belle McHugh started all 80 games she played at Drexel, while Maddie White started 42 of 50 and Alli VanSlyke started 29 of her last 34. That’s a massive leadership group leaving.

But Drexel got a gift via the transfer portal. Instead of departing for a new school, All-American goalie Jenika Cuocco decided to stay in Philadelphia and build upon what’s been an incredibly successful career. That alone represents a big offseason win for a team with hopes of dethroning Stony Brook in the CAA.