Denver Women’s Lacrosse Finishes 2023 Season Ranked No. 4
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- Final IL Women/IWLCA Poll
DENVER – The University of Denver women’s lacrosse team finished the 2023 season ranked No. 4 in the nation in the final Inside Lacrosse Women/IWLCA Poll that was released on Tuesday.
Denver completed the first undefeated regular season in program history (17-0) and posted a 22-1 overall record after falling in the national semifinals to eventual NCAA champion Northwestern. DU won its first 22 games of the year, setting a program record for the longest winning streak. The Pioneers finished with the most wins and tied for the fewest losses (Northwestern) among all Division-I programs.
DU went 6-0 in Big East Conference play, going undefeated for the fourth straight season and extending its win streak in league contests to 27 in a row dating back to April 28, 2018. The Pioneers earned their fourth-straight regular season championship in the Big East and went on to capture their third consecutive Big East Tournament title with an 11-6 win over then-No. 24 Connecticut on May 6.
Denver played in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year and the seventh time overall, and the program advanced to the national quarterfinals for the second time in its existence. In the Elite Eight on May 18, the then-No. 5 Pioneer beat No. 4 North Carolina 5-4 in Chapel Hill to secure the team’s first berth to Championship Weekend.
Northwestern remained at No. 1 in the final ranking after closing its championship season with a 21-1 record. NU beat Denver 15-7 in the semifinals last Friday before winning by 12 goals (18-6) in the title game against No. 2 Boston College. No. 2 BC beat No. 3 Syracuse 8-7 in the other national semifinal contest; both ACC teams finished the year with the same ranking.
The Pioneers defeated the then-No. 4 Boston College Eagles earlier in the season on March 19 by a 13-8 score in a neutral-site game in Jacksonville, Florida—one of four top-five opponents that DU faced during the campaign (3-1). In addition to the quarterfinal victory at UNC, Denver also won 8-7 at then-No. 5 Maryland on March 5.
Overall, Denver played 12 games against opponents that ranked inside the final top-25 poll of the season or received votes in it: No. 1 Northwestern, No. 2 Boston College, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 11 Maryland, No. 12 Michigan, No. 18 Albany, No. 19 Connecticut (twice), No. 21 Southern California, No. 23 Marquette, No. 24 Jacksonville, Stanford (RV).
About the ILWomen/IWLCA Poll: Unveiled on Mondays throughout the regular season, the poll is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.
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