Washington and Washington & Lee hold at top spots while rest of DIII United Soccer poll shuffles

The top two hold strong week to week but the rest of the field is still vying for a higher position.

The latest Division III women’s soccer rankings brought plenty of movement beyond the top two, with several teams making significant jumps after strong results against ranked or previously unbeaten opponents.

Chicago took the biggest hit after its first loss of the season, while Tufts, Colby and Rochester climbed in the poll.

United Soccer Coaches released its Week 3 poll Tuesday. The rankings, based on votes from the organization’s members, reflect games played through Sunday.

Tufts rose from No. 5 to No. 3 after handing then-No. 4 MIT its first loss of the season, 2–0. The Jumbos scored twice in the opening 22 minutes, shut out MIT the rest of the way and improved to 4–0–2. MIT fell to No. 5 and 7–1–1.

Rowan also climbed two spots, landing at No. 4 after a 5–0–0 start. The unbeaten Profs moved ahead of MIT in the latest rankings.

Colby made one of the largest moves near the top, jumping from No. 13 to No. 8. Madison Genser assisted on both goals in a 2–0 victory over Trinity, the Mules’ fifth straight win, as Colby improved to 6–1–0.

Rochester made an even bigger leap, rising from No. 22 to No. 10. After opening the season with seven consecutive wins, the Yellowjackets played Misericordia to a 1–1 draw Saturday. Rochester remains unbeaten at 7–0–1 and entered the top 10 for the first time this season.

Wesleyan continued its strong start, moving from No. 7 to No. 6 after a 3–1 victory over Bates. The Cardinals scored all three goals in the second half and improved to 7–1–0.

Swarthmore kept climbing as well, moving from No. 21 to No. 17 after a 1–0 victory over Franklin & Marshall. The Garnet have won four straight and sit at 6–1–1.

Chicago endured the week’s steepest fall, tumbling from No. 3 to No. 21 after a 1–0 loss to Calvin ended its six-game winning streak. The Maroons bounced back with a 2–0 victory over Hope, but still dropped 18 spots. Calvin entered the poll at No. 20.

North Central remained unbeaten at 7–0–1 but moved from No. 16 to No. 13 after a 2–2 draw with Illinois Wesleyan. The Cardinals had won their first seven games before the tie.

At the top, Washington University remained No. 1 after improving to 9–0–0, while Washington & Lee held at No. 2 with a perfect 7–0–0 record. The biggest movement came behind the two leaders.

Several teams entered the rankings this week: NYU at No. 22, Carnegie Mellon at No. 23 and Johns Hopkins at No. 24. Montclair State remained No. 25, while Vassar and Williams stayed in the top 20 despite sliding.

As conference play intensifies, the results are beginning to create separation across Division III. Tufts, Colby and Rochester have converted strong stretches into upward momentum, while Chicago will try to regain ground after its first loss.

The United Soccer Coaches poll is voted on by coaches and reflects the week-to-week standing of Division III programs. The rankings are not used to determine NCAA tournament eligibility or selection.

25. Montclair State, 6-0-1 (23)

24. Johns Hopkins, 6-1-2 (RV)

23. Carnegie Mellon, 6-1-1 (RV)

22. New York, 3-1-2 (RV)

21. Chicago, 7-1-0 (3)

20. Calvin, 6-1-0 (NR)

19. Hartford, 5-0-1 (19)

18. Williams College, 5-1-0 (18)

17. Swarthmore College, 6-1-1 (21)

16. Vassar College, 4-0-3 (10)

15. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 9-0-0 (11)

14. Penn State University-Behrend, 7-0-2 (14)

13. North Central College, 7-0-1 (16)

12. The College of New Jersey, 5-0-2 (14)

11. Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, 5-1-1 (12)

10. University of Rochester, 7-0-1 (22)

9. Emory University, 6-0-3 (9)

8. Colby College, 6-1-0 (13)

7. Messiah University, 4-2-2 (8)

6. Wesleyan University, 7-1-0 (7)

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 7-1-1 (4)

4. Rowan University, 5-0-0 (6)

3. Tufts University, 4-0-2 (5)

2. Washington & Lee, 7-0-0 (2)

1. Washington (Mo.), 9-0-0 (1)

* Luci Palacios is a student-intern at Penn State University.

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