With the top two teams in the nation firmly solidified, everyone else in the nation is playing catch-up.
Top 10 Talk is back! As Northwestern took its academic spring break, I took one as well. I’m aware I missed a lot of great action, but I’m going to primarily focus on the last week and treat this as a normal column. And my goodness, has there been a lot of action. The top three are still the top three, and after North Carolina’s 15-12 victory over Northwestern, that upper echelon has been whittled down to two teams. Outside them, though, this season’s been incredibly fun. Enough with the monologue — let’s get this piece started!
1. Boston College (13-0, 6-0 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: W vs. Pitt 18-6
This Week: at No. 2 North Carolina
Surprise, surprise: Boston College got another running clock. That’s now 11 times in 13 games in which the Eagles have built at least a 10-goal lead (though neither the Duke nor Stanford games ended with a double-digit margin). The defense has given up 85 goals through 13 games. For reference, Ohio State, which has the fourth-best scoring defense in the nation, has given up 86 goals…in 11 games. Shea Dolce still leads the nation in save percentage, and Rachel Clark’s 4.69 goals per game mark is fourth nationally. That clash with North Carolina this weekend has Game of the Decade potential.
2. North Carolina (11-0, 6-0 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: W at No. 3 Northwestern 15-12, W at No. 20 Notre Dame 14-3
This Week: vs. No. 1 Boston College, at East Carolina
What an incredible week for the Tar Heels. Chloe Humphrey walked into Evanston and went shot for shot with Madison Taylor in one of the most exciting games of the year. North Carolina went up 4-1, then promptly gave up seven of the next eight goals. But an Olivia Vergano goal just before halftime gave the Tar Heels some momentum, and they went on an 8-0 run that involved holding Northwestern scoreless for nearly half an hour. And poor Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were blanked in the second half and didn’t even take a shot in the fourth quarter. North Carolina is my Top 10 Team of the Week, and they have a chance to become the team of the season with a win on Saturday.
3. Northwestern (9-2, 3-0 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: L vs. No. 2 North Carolina 12-15, W at No. 18 USC 17-8
This Week: at No. 4 Johns Hopkins, at Rutgers
Well, Northwestern can’t seem to beat the top two teams in the ACC. All that means is that the Wildcats are in the same boat as every other team in the country. Northwestern had a narrow draw advantage (16-13) against UNC, but trouble with turnovers (15) and ground balls (the Tar Heels took that battle 14-9) spelled doom for the Wildcats. The USC victory looked much more like what Lake Show fans are used to — a 22-7 advantage in the draw circle, seven goals from the free position, and a 27-17 edge in shots on goal. I am unreasonably excited for the Madison Taylor-Ashley Mackin clash tonight.
4. Johns Hopkins (9-2, 3-0 B1G)
Movement: up one spot
Last Week: W vs. Oregon 22-8
This Week: vs. No. 3 Northwestern
Don’t look now, but if they win tonight, the Blue Jays will take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. Ashley Mackin’s scoring is starting to reach mythical proportions. Since the season started, her goals by game: five, five, four, six, four, four, six, two, nine, eight. Since March 24, she’s outscored Hopkins opponents BY HERSELF. And the offense isn’t a one-woman show: at 37 goals in 11 games, Ava Angello is tied for 31st in goals per game right now. Admittedly, the goalkeeping might need some shoring up — Morgan Giardina hasn’t made more than nine saves in a game since February 22. However, she’s only faced more than 25 shots twice in that span. The Northwestern game tonight will tell us a lot about the 42nd-ranked scoring defense in the nation.
5. Florida (9-2, 1-0 Big 12)
Movement: up one spot
Last Week: W at UC Davis 16-10
This Week: vs. San Diego State University, at Jacksonville
The Gators are back! After dropping two contests in a three-game span back at the beginning of last month, Florida has ripped off six straight wins, including four triumphs over ranked opponents. There are four players on this team with at least 20 goals already, including first-year attacker Clark Hamilton. But the offense isn’t the worry with this squad — it’s the defense. Georgia Hoey has started seven games in between the pipes, but Elyse Finnelle is still receiving fairly consistent action. There are no ranked opponents on the rest of the regular season schedule, so the Gators have plenty of time to decide their goalie battle.
6. Syracuse (8-5, 4-2 ACC)
Movement: up two spots
Last Week: W vs. No. 11 Virginia 13-12, L vs. No. 12 Yale 10-13
This Week: at Cal
Just when it seemed like the Orange were rounding into form…they fall to Yale at home to snap a four-game winning streak. Having the 37th-best offense in the nation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when your defense is tied for 57th, the scoring has to step up. Emma Ward and Caroline Trinkaus combining for only one goal is just not a recipe for success. As for the defense, the Yale loss is now the seventh straight game in which Syracuse has given up at least 11 goals. Most of the worst of the schedule is behind the Orange, but it might already be too late for them to make a run at the ACC crown.
7. Maryland (7-3, 3-1 B1G)
Movement: down one spot
Last Week: W vs. Oregon 16-4, L at No. 15 Penn 12-13
This Week: at Arizona State, at No. 18 USC, vs. No. 9 Virginia
Just when it seemed like the Terrapins were getting a handle on things, they fall to a Penn team whose best win prior was Loyola Maryland. The offense for Maryland is simply not where it needs to be as a contender — if you’re getting outscored by Quinnipiac and Vanderbilt, something needs to be shifted. The main issue is that outside of Kori Edmondson, this team doesn’t really have a player who can take over games. And even Edmondson’s season high is a paltry four goals. She reached that total against Penn, but on just six shots. This team has to force-feed its playmakers if it wants to make a run.
8. Princeton (8-1, 2-0 Ivy)
Movement: up one spot
Last Week: W at No. 12 Yale 13-11
This Week: at Cornell, vs. No. 20 Stony Brook
The new darling of the Ivy League, everyone! The third-ranked offense in the nation proved that it can win in a slugfest, and putting up 13 goals on the third-best defense in the nation has to feel good. The key for the Tigers was McKenzie Blake, who scored all five of her goals after her team went down 4-2 in the second quarter. The contest was the fourth straight five-goal game for the senior, who will almost certainly be a First Team All-Ivy League player for the third straight year. And goalkeeper Amelia Hughes has quietly crept into the top 20 in save percentage. Princeton could easily continue to climb this list.
9. Virginia (8-4, 3-3 ACC)
Movement: up two spots
Last Week: L at No. 8 Syracuse 12-13, W at VCU 14-5
This Week: vs. Louisville, at No. 7 Maryland
I don’t really know what to make of this team. The Cavaliers are outside the top 25 in scoring offense and outside the top 50 in scoring defense, and yet, they’ve consistently been able to give top 10 teams a fight. Madison Alaimo and Jenna Dinardo have done a great job running the offense, but there’s only so much they can do on a team with a negative ground ball differential. Kate Galica has already surpassed 100 draw controls on the season, but this team definitely needs to clean up some sloppiness if it wants to stay in this exclusive club.
10. Stanford (10-3, 4-2 ACC)
Movement: down six spots
Last Week: W at Louisville 15-2
This Week: at No. 21 Notre Dame
Well, so far, no team to run into the Boston College juggernaut has emerged victorious, so no shame in that loss. But the Army loss last Wednesday? Not ideal. The Cardinal bounced back nicely with a win over Louisville, but a third loss likely takes them out of ACC contention. That’s especially a shame because it means Lucy Pearson won’t get the recognition she deserves. The junior is now up to four games with double-digit saves, and her save percentage of 45.2% is a top-50 mark in the nation. With Pearson in goal, Stanford is a formidable opponent for any ACC foe and should continue to push Syracuse for third place in the conference.
Just missed the cut: Duke (winners of four in a row), Yale (just beat Syracuse to snap a three-game losing streak), James Madison (recovering from 17-8 defeat by Johns Hopkins)