Around the Ivies: Women's Lacrosse

1. Princeton Tigers (10-3 overall, 5-0 Ivy League)

After defeating league rival Pennon Wednesday, The Tigers (ranked No. 13 nationwide per the ICWLA poll) have clawed their way to the top of the league. The result hopefully bodes well for the Tigers in the postseason —the team is still smarting after a loss to Penn in the final game of last year’s tournament. As the Tigers return home to face Brown and Columbia, it appears they are in the drivers’ seat as they hope to make waves in both the Ivy League and NCAA Tournaments.

2. Penn Quakers (10-3, 4-1)

Despite their perfect record in Ivy League play coming to a closeon Wednesdayevening, this Penn squad will be a top threat when the Ivy League Tournament takes place. The Quakers are looking to win the tournament for the third year in a row, and it looks like they still have the tools to do it. The dynamic duo of Tory Bensen and Nina Corcoran, who led Penn in points both in 2014 and 2015, will continue to cause defense problems as the postseason rears its head.

3. Cornell Big Red (7-9, 3-2)

A third place ranking fits a team that has had close encounters with the league’s top two, but has been unable to pull out the victory. They certainly have not been at a loss for scoring —this Cornell squad has been on a tear this season, leading the Ivy League in goals per game at 14.06, more than two goals ahead of any other team in the league and a rate good for ninth in the country. Their star attack, Lindsay Toppe, twice an All-Ivy First Team nominee, continues to shine, leading the conference in goals with 42 this season.

4. Harvard Crimson (6-6, 3-2)

They’re tied for third in the league along with Cornell, but this year’s Harvard team isn’t one I’d bet the farm on for upset potential when the Ivy League tournament rolls around. Judging by their results from league play, they look to be a tier below the top dogs in the league, Penn and Princeton. They took losses to both this season: a 8-6 loss to the Quakers, and a 17-12 defeat at the hands of Princeton, on their home field to boot. Their next game, versus Cornell, could be a great chance to inch closer to the top two spots and show they’re legit in this league.

5. Yale Bulldogs (7-6, 2-3)

A thrilling win over Dartmouth may be just what the Bulldogs needed to make a push to get into the Ivy League tournament. It appears that a strong defense (second in the league in goals allowed per game) can’t outweigh what’s been a struggling offense this year, which ranks seventh in goals scored per game. Their road towards an appearance in the tournament won’t come easy —they finish out the season on the road, and would have to grab a win against either the Quakers or the Crimson.

6. Brown Bears (7-6, 1-4)

It seems that success against teams outside the conference does not necessarily translate well to inter-conference play. After starting 3-0 against non-Ivy teams, the Bears have run into a buzzsaw when facing their fellow Ivy foes. It’s a pattern they are continuing from last year, where they went a strong 9-6 overall but 2-5 in league play.Not helping the case has been the Bears’ significant offensive drop-off from last season to now, scoring at a rate of 2 goals per game or less. It seems they’ve been feeling a void after losing last year’s leading scorer, attacker Bre Hudgins.

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7. Columbia Lions (5-8, 1-4)

It’s been the definition of an up-and-down season for an embattled Columbia squad. Their play has gone to both ends of the spectrum this year —starting off the season with a five game losing streak, in turn followed by a three game losing streak.It’s hard to pinpoint whether their issues have been more offensive or defensive. Throughout league play, they’ve found themselves near the bottom in many statistical categories, including goals, goals allowed and shots on goal. They’ll want to correct their errors as soon as possible if they have any hope of competing with Princetonthis Saturday.

8. Dartmouth Big Green (1-11, 1-4)

Long ago feels the year 2012, when the Big Green won the Ivy League championship. Now, Dartmouth is following up a disappointing 3-4 Ivy League record from 2014 with an even bigger stinker this season. While they are almost certainly going to be unable to compete in the postseason, Dartmouth fans can take some solace in the fact that their team will face the league’s two other bottom-ranked teams to finish the year. Indeed, after a year like this, that might be the only bright spot the fans can find right now.