Way-Early 2027 Rankings: No. 20-No. 16 (Division I Women)
It’s time to look ahead 2027, even if next season’s first lacrosse game is six months away.
USA Lacrosse Magazine will spend the week counting down from No. 25 to No. 1 in our way-early rankings for the 2027 NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse season, continuing today with five teams that fell short of expectations in 2026.
No. 20 Loyola
2026 record: 12-8 (7-2 Patriot League)
Last seen: Pushing Syracuse in an 8-6 loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Notable departures: Makenzie Butler, GK; Elisa Faklaris, M. Emily Scorcia, D; Emma Talago, A (Arizona State);
Notable additions: Ali Rolston, GK, Caitlyn Quinn, M; Winnie Popham, D; Sophia Tray, M
Initial forecast: The run-up to last season involved plenty of questions about how Loyola was going to replace stars, including do-everything middie Chase Boyle, starting goalie Lauren Spence (now an assistant coach) and top attacker Georgia Latch.
The truth of the matter? It was too tall a task for the perennial Patriot League power. The Greyhounds saw their Patriot League winning streak end (to Army) and didn’t reach the tournament final for the first time since joining the conference.
It was, in the end, a rebuilding year for the Greyhounds (which still included an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament).
But that was last summer’s narrative. As the Greyhounds turn the page and look toward 2027, they’ll see plenty of familiar faces returning. Loyola also returns its points leaders — all rising juniors — in Morgan Quade (29 goals, 41 assists), Mim Suares-Jury (35 goals, 22 assists) and Lauren Perfetto (24 goals, 29 assists).
Top goal scorer Elisa Faklaris (43 goals) graduated. The Greyhounds also lose defender Emily Scorcia to graduation, but Reilly Mahon is among the players who can take the keys.
Loyola used two goalies last season. Makenzie Butler (10.50 goals against average and 37.8% save percentage) has graduated. But Kennedy Buntrock, who started five of the last six games for Loyola, returns. The Greyhounds also welcome Ali Rolston (11.29 GAA, 39.5%), an Ontario native who played for the silver-medal Canadian team at the 2024 World Lacrosse Women's U20 Championship.
No. 19 Rutgers
2026 record: 11-9 (4-4 Big Ten)
Last seen: Falling to Big Ten foe Maryland 11-8 in the second round of the NCAA tournament after downing Princeton in a Garden State battle a week earlier
Notable departures: Lilly Dixon, A
Notable additions: Carly Cangelosi, M; Julia Blong. M; Morgan Gunnersen, M; Nevin Sullivan, M
Initial forecast: Save for offensive quarterback and assists leader Lilly Dixon (13 goals, 50 assists), the Scarlet Knights lose very little from last year’s team, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.. Rising juniors Caroline Ling (63 goals, 34 assists), Hilary Elsner (36 goals, eight assists) and Delaney Sytket (28 goals, 11 assists) are among the budding upperclassmen leaders on offense. And Kate Theofield (45 goals, 10 assists) wowed in her rookie campaign.
The Scarlet Knights got a boost when Katie Buck announced she’d be back for the 2027 campaign. Buck paced Rutgers in draws (166) and caused turnovers (28). Rising junior Bianc Chiarella (26 caused turnovers) was also key on defense.
Rutgers split time between two goalies. Simone Koryszewski (11.24 goals against average, 43.8% save percentage) is gone, but Stella Quilty (11.24 goals against average, 43.8% save percentage) saw the bulk of the time later in the season is back as a junior.
The big question for Rutgers, as usual, is how the Scarlet Knights will stack up in the Big Ten, which was the nation’s most competitive conference in 2026. National champion Northwestern is down Madison Taylor (plus Maddie Epke and Jenika Cuocco) but never out, Maryland is coming off another final four run. Michigan is always tough, and Penn State is on the rise. Are the Scarlet Knights also ascending? That’s an answer we’ll have to wait until 2027 to get.
No. 18 James Madison
2026 record: 14-7 (6-1 American)
Last seen: Suffering a 17-5 blowout at the hands of eventual NCAA champion Northwestern two days after edging Notre Dame 13-12 in the first round of the NCAA tournament
Notable departures: Jordan Peterson, A;, Brianna Mennella, M; Olivia Rongo, D
Notable additions: Caroline Ewing, A/M; Rayne Harkins, M/D; Sophie Hortman, M/DS
Initial forecast: The Dukes lost to upstart USF in the regular season, but when the American when it mattered most: The tournament finals, earning JMU the league’s only bid into the NCAA Tournament, despite losing star Maddie Epke to the portal.
James Madison certainly has the talent back to take both the regular-season and tournament crowns in 2027, but will have to contend with a USF team that took the former in 2026 and believed it got snubbed on Selection Sunday after losing the latter.
Still, the Dukes look loaded. James Madison returns swaths of scoring from last year. The Dukes wil have to replace leading goal scorer Jordan Peterson (44G, 11A). But Payton Root (31G, 60A), Olivia Matthews (39G, 14A) and Kaitlyn Carney (39G, 5A) are likely up to the task. New draw queen Harlowe Healey (163DC) is also back to get JMU “instant offense.”
The Dukes will also miss defensive stalwart Olivia Rongo (59CT), but will lean on the likes of Reese Cuviello (36CT) and Ava Bleckley (33CT) and Maddie Weybrecht (29CT). Rising junior goalie Abigail Abigail Beattie (10.20GAA, .392SV%) also returns.
No. 17 Denver
2026 record: 16-4 (6-0 Big East)
Last seen: Ending Florida’s bid for a third straight final four before losing to in-state rival Colorado 11-9 in round two of the NCAA tournament
Notable departures: Ryan Dineed, A; Carly Frohnapfel, D/DS; Megan Klingenberg, D; Landry Grover, D
Notable additions: Chloe Lambert, M; Keira Miles, M; Lyla Palecek, GK; Reed Pinkin, A; Annabelle Walsh, A; Courtney Whittaker, M
Initial forecast: When you think of Denver, you often think of the zone defense that held North Carolina to four goals in the 2023 NCAA quarterfinals. Yet, it’s Denver’s defense that takes the most hits ahead of 2027, with Megan Klingenberg (37 caused turnovers), Landry Grover (27 caused turnovers) and Carly Frohnapfel (25 caused turnover, 41 draw controls) gone.
Defender Ava Welty (19 caused turnovers) and goalie Lexi Gwaku (7.22 goals against average, 52.2% save percentage) will take the lead.
Offensively, the Pios are in good shape, returning their top three goal scorers in Olivia Ripple (73 goals, 15 assists), Eva Thomsen-Marr (44 goals, 33 assists) and Caroline Keil (61 goals, 16 assists).
Though Georgetown has begun to make noise, the Pioneers appear set to retake the Big East. As for their chances of earning a national seed, that will largely depend on their non-conference performance. Last year, Denver’s regular season losses to Colorado and Stony Brook didn’t help, but turning those L's into W's could propel the Pios in 2027.
No. 16 Yale
2026 record: 13-5 (6-1 Ivy League)
Last seen: Bowing out to Boston College in a 10-4 loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament
Notable departures: Ashley Newman, A; Emmy Pascal, D; Bella Savino, D
Notable additions: Giselle DiPietro, A; Emma Mohn, A; Lucia Nash, M
Initial forecast: Yale lost the majority of its starting lineup ahead of last season, but retooled, earning a spot in the Ivy League tournament finals and an NCAA tournament at-large bid.
As the Bulldogs turn the page and eye a third Ivy crown in four years, they’ll have considerable more experience on the field next year. The top three scorers are back in Kate Gould, (36 goals, 28 assists, 77 draw conrtols), Ashley Kiernan (32 goals, 21 assists)and Kelly Holmes (26 goals, 15 assists).
The biggest hole is left by Emmy Pascal, an All-Ivy defender who paced Yale’s fourth-ranked scoring defense (7.61 goals allowed per game) with 35 caused turnovers. But Maggie Bellissimo (29 caused turnovers) and Katie Clare (15 caused turnovers) should hold down the fort.
Niamh Pfaff, a USA Lacrosse honorable mention All-American, returns in net.
Beth Ann Mayer
Beth Ann Mayer is a Long Island-based writer. She joined USA Lacrosse in 2022 after freelancing for Inside Lacrosse for five years. She first began covering the game as a student at Syracuse. When she's not writing, you can find her wrangling her husband, two children and surplus of pets.
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