Around the Ivies: Women’s lacrosse

As the women’s lacrosse team heads into the heart of Ivy League play, it find itself up against a strong class of Ivy teams. Currently six of the eight teams have winning records and four teams — including the Tigers — are ranked in the current NCAA top 25 poll. With five league games left for Princeton, everything is still up for grabs. Here is a look at where things currently stand just past the halfway mark of the season.

Dartmouth (7–1 overall, 3–0 Ivy): The Big Green has won its first three league games — including a 15–12 victory over Princeton earlier this year — and have won seven straight after losing their first game of the season. Dartmouth currently leads the Ivy League but faces a brutal two game stretch next week; they host No. 11 Penn on Saturday then travel to No. 2 Boston College (13–0) on Wednesday. This two game set will be critical to the Big Green’s season.

Penn (8–2, 2–0): Penn is currently ranked No. 11 in the nation and is undefeated in the Ivy League. Their only two losses have come against ranked teams, losing to No. 3 Maryland (10–1) and No. 9 Northwestern (9–3) in a heartbreaking 12–11 loss the last time they played. After already notching a win against Cornell, the Quakers have a chance to take the early lead in the Ivy League with a win against Dartmouth on Saturday.

Yale (7–4, 2–1): The Bulldogs are third in the Ivy League, yet are the only team in the top five of the league not to be in the NCAA Top 25. Part of the reason came from an earlier 10–9 loss to Canisius (6–5) in triple overtime, an absolute killer for Yale. They currently sit third in the league but have already lost to Cornell, who is right on their tail. Yale doesn’t play Penn or Dartmouth until the final two games of the season; depending on its play until then, those games could decide it all.

Cornell (6–4, 2–1): Cornell currently sits at fourth in the Ivy League and is ranked No. 25 in the NCAA, one spot behind the Tigers. Cornell has already beaten Yale, but lost to Penn in its Ivy League opener. After being blown out by Stony Brook (10–0) yesterday, the Big Red has nearly two weeks of rest until its next game, a showdown with league-leading Dartmouth.

Princeton (5–4, 1–1): The Tigers have currently played the fewest overall games and Ivy League games in the Ancient Eight and therefore lag behind a bit in the standings. However, the Tigers have started off league play strong with a win over Brown and a close loss to Dartmouth. The Tigers face Harvard this Saturday, then face a brutal five-game stretch that will certainly define their season.

Columbia (4–7, 1–2): Columbia has given up many goals this season and as a result of its poor defense, finds itself as one of only two Ivy league teams with a losing record. The Lions beat Harvard to climb out of the league’s basement, but with upcoming games against Yale and Penn, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them back there soon.

Brown (7–4, 0–3): Brown has been victimized by its schedule, as the team is much better than the current record shows. Brown has faced Yale, Penn, and Princeton — the top half of the league — and as a result is off to a slow start. While the Bears may not be able to make up that lost ground, they should be able to finish the season in the middle portion of the league.

Harvard (3–6, 0–3): Harvard is 0–3 in the Ivy League. The Crimson has lost four straight games and is struggling to find success on the field as Ivy League play commences. After losing in overtime to Yale, the Crimson has only gotten worse. While there is still time to make up ground, the chances for Harvard seem slim.