NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Coming off a season where it finished as the NCAA Division II Championship runner-up, Adelphi has been picked as the preseason favorite according to the Northeast 10 Conference Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll on Thursday afternoon.
Adelphi, the reigning NE10 champion, recorded 81 points and all nine first-place votes from opposing coaches to claim the top spot in the poll. Pace finished second with 73 points and one first-place vote, while Saint Anselm (62 points), Bentley (54 points) and Assumption (48 points) rounded-out the top five.
Adelphi, under head coach Pat McCabe, have made two consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championship game. In 2025, the Panthers went 19-4 overall, which included winning their first NE10 Championship since 2017. In the national title game - the program's 12th all-time appearance - Adelphi lost to Tampa, 15-9. The Panthers return all six of their top goal scorers from last year, including Ashley Kolomechuk, who ranked second among all NE10 players with 74 goals.
Pace went 17-5 last year under head coach Tricia Molfetta, losing by one-goal margins to Adelphi in both the NE10 Championship and the East Region Championship. Just three years removed from their 2023 NCAA Division II Championship title, the Setters return leading goal scorer Mackenzie Carita and starting goalie Samantha Tanguay in 2026.
Saint Anselm also qualified for the 2025 NCAA Division II Championship last season. It was only the second time that the program had ever been selected - and the first time since 2014.
Southern Connecticut placed sixth in the Coaches' Poll (44 points), while Southern New Hampshire was seventh (36 points), Saint Michael's was eighth (22 points), Franklin Pierce was ninth (20 points) and American International was 10th (10 points).
The NE10 continues its national dominance in women's lacrosse, as four programs have been selected in the Preseason Top 25 of the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) rankings. Highlighting the group was Adelphi at No. 2 and Pace at No. 7.
Women's lacrosse begins its season on February 12, with Saint Michael's playing in non-conference action. To view the full 2026 schedule, click HERE. Watch all home and conference games this season on NE10 NOW on FloSports.
2026 NE10 Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Votes (1st Place) |
| 1 |
Adelphi Panthers |
81 (9) |
| 2 |
Pace Setters |
73 (1) |
| 3 |
Saint Anselm Hawks |
62 |
| 4 |
Bentley Falcons |
54 |
| 5 |
Assumption Greyhounds |
48 |
| 6 |
SCSU Owls |
44 |
| 7 |
SNHU Penmen |
36 |
| 8 |
Saint Michael's Purple Knights |
22 |
| 9 |
Franklin Pierce Ravens |
20 |
| 10 |
AIC Yellow Jackets |
10 |
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season. The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.