The Division I women's lacrosse is in full swing, and there are a couple match-ups between Top 10 schools that followers should keep an eye on.

No. 6 Georgetown travels to Durham, N.C., for a meeting with fifth-ranked Duke - the Hoyas' third game of a f  our-game road trip.  After falling to No. 1 Northwestern last weekend, the Hoyas fended off first-year program Florida, 13-11, on March 9 to improve to 2-1 on the year. The Hoyas are looking for their first win against a nationally-ranked team this season.  Duke is coming off a 10-6 mid-week victory over No. 9 Boston University for its' sixth non-conference win of the season.

Atlantic Coast Conference powers No. 3 North Carolina and No. 8 Virginia clash in Charlottesville, Va., in a league contest on March 13.  UNC enters the game with a perfect 6-0 mark, but the Cavaliers are looking for their first ACC victory and a chance to climb in the national rankings.  UVa has played four nationally-ranked foes this season, and are 2-2 against those teams, including a win over then-No. 13 Penn State on March 7. UNC senior goalkeeper Logan Riley boasts the nation's third-best goals against average at 5.66.

MAKING STRIDES

Harvard University will battle its' second straight nationally-ranked foe when the Crimson travels to No. 4 Penn on March to the Ivy League opener for both teams.  Penn has won the last nine meetings between the two teams.

The Crimson is coming off a 10-9 upset at No. 15 New Hampshire on March 10, thanks to a game-winning goal by Melanie Baskind in double overtime.  It is the second straight year Harvard has knocked off a Top 20 opponent.

TRIBE TAKE DOWN

No. 18 William & Mary will enjoy the weekend off after handing Navy its first loss of the season with a 14-9 victory on March 10.  Navy entered the game leading the nation in scoring with 17.3 goals per game, and was allowing only 5.9 goals per game.

The Tribe's Mary Zulty contributed her third straight hat trick, and fourth of the season, while junior Molly Wannen posted a career-best six draw controls in the contest.

The Tribe returns to action against No. 8 Virginia on March 17.

Boston University sophomore attacker Hannah Frey garnered America East Player of the Week honors as she helped the Terriers to their best start since 2005 at 3-0.

The  native of Nyack, N.Y., notched a career-high with four goals against Brown and then followed it up with four more against then-No. 16 William & Mary.  In addition to her eight goals on just nine shots, Frey also dished out two assists and two draw controls on the week.

The No. 9 Terriers will look to remain unbeaten as they begin a three-game road trip at No. 6 Duke on March 10. 

One of the top leagues in the nation year after year, the Atlantic Coast Conference came out on top once again following a tough slate of games between nationally-ranked foes last week.

After leading then-No. 10 Virginia by just one goal at halftime on March 5, No. 2 Maryland brought the Cavaliers' offense to a standstill, outscoring UVa, 5-0, in the second half. It was the second straight game the Terrapins held an ACC opponent to five goals.  The Terps outshot the Cavs, 33-11, in the contest.  Senior Caitlyn McFadden extended her point-scoring streak to 28 games with three goals.  Maryland steps out of league play for a match-up at George Mason on March 9.

No. 4 North Carolina earned its first-ever victory over Penn with an 11-6 upset of the third-ranked Quakers on March 6, sparked by Becky Lynch's (pictured) three goals.  The Tar Heels outscored Penn, 5-1, in the second half, outshooting the Quakers 15-3 after the break.  UNC opens its ACC schedule at Virginia on March 13.

No. 6 Duke bounced back from a 17-5 loss against Maryland last week with a convincing 13-6 victory over No. 7 Princeton on March 6.  Junior Sarah Bullard contributed five goals, four ground balls and three caused turnovers for the Blue Devils.  Duke went on a 9-1 run during the middle of the game to pull away for the win.

DOWD DOMINATES

Top-ranked Northwestern passed its toughest test of the season with flying colors, downing then-No. 5 Georgetown, 15-10, in the Wildcats home opener on March 6.

Senior attacker Katrina Dowd posted a career-best eight point outing, tallying five goals and three assists against the Hoyas as the Wildcats stretched their home winning streak to 55 games.  The native of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., also contributed four draw controls and three ground balls to earn WomensLax.com Player of the Week honors.

The Hoyas trailed by just two goals at halftime, but Dowd scored four times after the break as NU pulled away for the victory.

KNIGHTS OUT

Rutgers University is off to its best start since 1990 with a 4-0 record after upsetting then-No. 7 Princeton and defeating Delaware last week. 

Freshman goalies Lily Kalata notched her third and fourth straight double-digit save games of the season as she earned WomensLax.com Rookie of the Week honors.  The native of Nesconset, N.Y., also improved her save percentage to .617.  Rutgers is back in action against Saint Joseph's on March 10.

DUKE IT OUT

James Madison continued to boast one of the top scoring defenses in the nation, limiting Yale to four goals in a 10-4 win over Yale on March 6. 

The Dukes have allowed just 3.0 goals per game in their first three contests of the season.  Senior goalkeeper Morgan Kelly tallied five saves, while the JMU offense kept the Bulldogs on their heels, outshooting Yale, 31-10.

ANOTHER NOTCH

Erin Rawlick's game-high eight points helped spark Navy's convincing 23-2 over first-year varsity program Fresno State, moving the Midshipmen to 7-0 on the year - the program's best start in three seasons of Division I competition.

Rawlick, who leads the nation with 52 points and 34 goals, has netted a goal in 42 straight games.  She has turned in three straight games with five or more goals.

Navy will put its' flawless record to the test, beginning with a home contest against No. 16 William & Mary on March 10, followed by a visit to No. 12 Boston University on March 13.

"This will be our first opportunity to play a nationally-ranked opponent and we are excited and will be ready to go on Wednesday," said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal. "We're going to come out and play hard, but we know this is going to be a very tough and very seasoned William & Mary team. This will be a great opportunity for us to see where we stand."

Top-ranked Northwestern gets its home schedule underway with its' toughest test of the season when the Wildcats host No. 5 Georgetown on March 6.

Northwestern is riding a 32-game winning streak entering the contest after victories over Stanford and California last weekend.  Katrina Dowd, the reigning American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Week, contributed 12 points on 10 goals and two assists as the Wildcats remained flawless early in the season.

The Hoyas, the 2009 BIG EAST regular season champion, opened the season last with a 15-9 win against Johns Hopkins sparked by six goals and an assist from senior All-American Molly Ford (pictured).  The two squads have met each of the last two seasons with NU taking both contests, although the 2008 meeting was a narrow one-goal victory.

'CATS POUNCE

The University of New Hampshire proved worth of its new national ranking of No. 19 this week as the Wildcats posted an 11-8 victory at the University of Massachusetts on March 3, improving to 3-0 on the season.

Sophomore midfielder Hayley Rausch has played a key role in the Wildcats' early success, collected 12 points in the first three games, including two goals and an assist against UMass this week.  The native of Severna Park, Md., was named America East Player of the Week for her efforts, and enters a contest against Colgate on March 6 with a team-leading eight goals.

TOUGH STRETCH

No. 4 North Carolina opens a tough three-game stretch against Top 10 opponents against No. 3 Penn on March 6 in a match-up of two 2009 NCAA semifinal squads.

Penn and UNC have met twice with the Quakers taking both games, including an 11-2 victory last season.  The Quakers have netted 29 goals in their first two contests led by senior Ali DeLuca, who has totaled 10 goals on the year.  The Tar Heels also boast a potent offense, scoring 17.8 goals per game through the first five contests led by senior Kristen Taylor's 16 goals.

SCORING THREAT

Towson senior midfielder Hillary Fratzke opened the 2010 season where she left off in 2008 - making herself a factor for the Tigers' offense.  Fratzke, who sat out last season due to injury, returned to the field with a hat trick in the Tigers' season-opening win over UMBC on March 3.

Fratzke, the Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year, has scored a goal in 49 consecutive games - the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.  She looks to extend that stretch when the Tigers visit No. 11 Loyola on March 6. 

When Virginia women's lacrosse player Brittany Kalkstein wants the ball, she usually gets what she wants.

Kalkstein, a senior midfielder for the No. 12 Cavaliers, has been battling for draw controls since her rookie season, developing into one of the nation's best players in the circle. In fact, her career-high nine draw controls in a 14-13 victory over Syracuse on Feb. 27 pushed Kalkstein past the Atlantic Coast Conference all-time mark. She now owns the league record with 214.

"There's a huge competitive side to the draw, and that's my favorite part about it is the competition within it," said Kalkstein. "I think the hardest thing is being able to collect the draw, know where it's going and then get out of the circle when you have all of these players coming at you full force."

Although Kalkstein credits her coaches for having the confidence in her to take the draw during her four years, Virginia head coach Julie Myers says she immediately recognized the youngster's desire to compete for the ball when she first stepped on the practice field.

"She wants that ball and wants to help her team win, and she's willing to do anything within her power to help influence the outcome of the game," said Myers. "When she takes that draw, if she doesn't win it, she makes sure someone else in our circle has a chance to win it. She takes it really seriously and it's something that she thrives on. She loves the pressure of it. She loves that it starts as one-on-one, and it's the chance to get possession for our team."

Read the rest of the story here:

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-lacros/spec-rel/030410aaa.html

Top-ranked Northwestern capped off its West Coast swing with a resounding 17-3 victory over California that began with a 12-0 run in the first half.  The Wildcats have now won 32 straight contests, which ranks as the program's second-longest winning streak in history.

Seniors Danielle Spencer and Katrina Dowd (pictured) each contributed a hat trick against the Golden Bears as they both moved up the program's all-time goal scoring charts with 143 and 142, respectively.  Spencer is eighth while Dowd in ninth place on the list.  For the season, Spencer and Dowd have tallied 10 and nine goals, respectively, behind sophomore Shannon Smith's team-leading 14 scores.

The Wildcats put their winning streak to the test in a home-opening contest against No. 6 Georgetown on March 6.

DELIGHTFUL DELUCA

Entering the season with its' highest preseason ranking in history, No. 3 Penn doubled up previously unbeaten Drexel, 14-7, for their fourth straight season-opening victory.

Senior Ali DeLuca netted a career-best six goals in the outing, four of which were unassisted.  The total moved DeLuca up to fifth all-time on the Penn goal chart with 106.  She trails the school's all-time leader by 23.

The Quakers travel to nearby Temple on March 3 before heading south to fourth-ranked North Carolina for a showdown between nationally-ranked teams on March 6.

IN CONTROL

Virginia senior Brittany Kalkstein compiled a career-high nine draw controls en route to the Atlantic Coast Conference's all-time record as the No. 12 Cavaliers nipped sixth-ranked Syracuse, 14-13, on Feb. 27.

Kalkstein, who now holds the league's all-time record for draw controls with 214, also contributed two goals and two assists in the upset of the Orange.  The All-American midfielder also assisted on Charlie Finnegan's game-winning goal with 1:33 left in regulation.

The native of Baltimore, Md., was named WomensLax.com National Player of the Week for her performance.  She leads the Cavaliers with 24 draw controls on the year.

Virginia has a pair of contests against nationally-ranked teams this weekend as the Cavaliers head to second-ranked Maryland on March 5, and travel to No. 14 Penn State two days later.  Maryland opened ACC play last weekend with a dominating 17-4 win against then-No. 5 Duke.

NICE START

Navy is off to a 5-0 start to the 2010 season after registering a 14-7 victory at Davidson on Feb. 27, improving to 31-9 (.775) all-time in the program's third season of Division I varsity action.

The Mids are averaging 16.2 goals per game led by senior captain Erin Rawlick, who has 23 goals in the first five games.  The native of Forest Hill, Md., posted six goals and three assists in the victory over Davidson as she pushed her season point total to 36.

It doesn't get any better in women's lacrosse than the Atlantic Coast Conference, and fans can enjoy an early season meeting between two of the best league squads when No. 2 Maryland travels to No. 5 Duke on Feb. 27. 

The game is a rematch of the 2009 ACC Championship, which the Terps won, 12-11.  The two squads also met during the regular season as Maryland posted a two-goal win against the Blue Devils. Duke won both meetings in 2008.

Both teams trailed at halftime against nationally-ranked opponents last weekend, but rallied to remain unbeaten on the year.  Maryland (2-0) and Duke (4-0) are each averaging 17.0 goals per game.

Duke senior Lindsay Gilbride tops the Blue Devils with 17 points, while senior Caitlyn McFadden paces the Terps with 14 points on nine goals and five assists.

A live radio broadcast of the game will be available by logging on to www.wmucsports.com.

LAYING DOWN THE LAW

Drexel University is off to a 4-0 start after turning back Saint Joseph's, 8-2, in a non-conference game on Feb. 24.  Senior attack Katie Lawson led the Dragons in scoring with four goals as she added to her team-leading total of 15 tallies.

Lawson was named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week for her contributions in wins over Virginia Tech, American and George Washington, and leads the CAA in goals (15) and points (19).

Drexel's flawless record will be tested this weekend as No. 3 Penn is scheduled for a visit on Feb. 27.  The contest will open the Quakers season.

GOING TO THE GOLDEN STATE

After opening the season with an 18-6 decision over UMass in San Diego two weeks ago, five-time defending NCAA champion Northwestern returns to action at No. 15 Stanford (Feb. 26) and California (Feb. 28) this weekend.

The Wildcats have won the last four meetings against the Cardinal, and have posted six straight victories against the Golden Bears, including a resounding 21-4 win in Evanston last season.

No. 1 Northwestern has reeled off 30 straight victories dating back to the 2008 regular season finale. 

The University of North Carolina women's lacrosse program reached new heights last season as the Tar Heels appeared in their first-ever national championship game, and with a strong returning contingent from the 2009 squad, they have their sights set even higher this year.

Last season's final game may not have had the result the Tar Heels were hoping for as they lost 21-7 to Northwestern, winner of five straight NCAA titles, but the experience certainly has energized this year's team that returns 10 starters, including national player of the year candidate Jenn Russell, 2009 national goalkeeper of the year Logan Ripley.

"We want to make sure we don't forget last season - the good and the bad, but we still need to realize this is a new team with different people playing different roles," said Russell.  "We're really excited for the opportunity to have another go at it.  We've had a good start, and definitely have a lot to build upon and to get better at."

Read the rest of the story here:

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-lacros/spec-rel/022610aaa.html

No. 5 Duke University rallied from a three-point deficit, sparked by a 9-1 run in the second half, to defeat No. 20 William & Mary, 16-9, on Feb. 21.  The victory gave the Blue Devils a 4-0 start to the season.

After being outshot and turning over the ball 14 times in the first half, Duke rebounded to outshoot the Tribe, 19-9, and caused 10 turnovers after the break to come back for the win.  Nine different Duke players scored a goal led by senior Lindsay Gilbride with four scores and an assist.

"We have a lot of kids who can be a threat on the field," said head coach Kerstin Kimel. "It's great to see kids like Christie Barnes step up and score a big goal for us at a huge point in the game. Anytime you have that many kids scoring, it gives your opponent a lot to worry about."

The Blue Devils will look to build on their momentum as they open Atlantic Coast Conference action against No. 2 Maryland on Feb. 27.

COMEBACK NO. 2

Along the same lines as Duke, Maryland shook off a sluggish start to score 11 unanswered goals en route to a 17-9 comeback win at No. 18 Penn State on Feb. 21.

Caitlyn McFadden, the Lacrosse Magazine National Preseason Player of the Year, netted six goals in the game, including five scores during the Terrapins' 11-0 run as the squad moved to 2-0 on the year. 

McFadden was one of five Terps with multi-goal performances in the contest.

"We really stepped it up in the second half today," head coach Cathy Reese said. "We struggled in the first half but pulled through, showed a lot of determination and played well in the second half. We were able to finish our shots and played good defense."

ORANGE CRUSH

Sixth-ranked Syracuse had no problems getting off to a quick start as the Orange jumped out to a 6-0 lead for an eventual 16-7 win against No. 12 Stanford on Feb. 21. 

Senior Christina Dove tallied five goals as one of six different scorers for the Orange.  Dove also stretched her streak of consecutive games with a goal to 42, while boosting her career total to 190.

The Orange (2-0) will venture outside the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome as they head to No. 10 Virginia on Feb. 27.

HOUNDED

Virginia will be seeking its first victory in its match-up against Syracuse next weekend after falling at home to No. 14 Loyola, 15-11, on Feb. 20.  Loyola's win over Virginia was the Greyhounds' first against the Cavaliers since 1999.

Emily Gibson netted a career-best five goals for the Greyhounds, and three other players contributed three tallies each, in the contest.  She was named WomensLax.com Player of the Week for her efforts.  Three of Grace Gavin's four scores came during the Greyhounds' 7-0 run in the middle of the game. 

The Greyhounds now travel to UMBC for a local rivalry game on Feb. 23.

TERRAPIN TRICKS:  Second-ranked Maryland had four players score hat tricks as the Terrapins opened the season with a 17-7 victory over Richmond on Feb. 14.

Karri Ellen Johnson, Brandi Jones, Caitlyn McFadden and Kate Faas all netted three goals apiece as the Terps moved to 17-0 all-time against the Spiders.  McFadden also contributed four assists for a team-best seven points on the day.

Maryland returns to action on Feb. 21 when it travels to Penn State for a match against the No. 18 Nittany Lions at 1 p.m. in University Park, Pa.   PSU began the new season with a 9-8 upset of No. 14 Loyola over the weekend

"I was so happy with how our girls handled themselves this weekend," head coach Kerstein Kimel said. "First with a game against a really great opponent on Friday, then having to travel and play against another great opponent on Sunday. I thought they played hard from start to finish. I love looking at our scoring and seeing that we had seven people step up and score for us today; I think that says a lot about our team. I'm just really pleased with our effort today."

Against Vandy, junior Virginia Crotty and sophomore Kat Thomas each netted a career-high four goals.

The Blue Devils are back in action at Richmond on Feb. 19.

OPENING ACT: No. 20 William & Mary earned its seventh straight home opening victory with a 15-14 thriller over No. 16 Ohio State on Feb. 14.

W&M used a 5-0 run in the second half to take the momentum in the game, and senior Mary Zulty eventually scored the game-winning free position goal with 4:33 remaining in the contest.  Zulty collected a game-high four goals as well as a two draw controls and a ground ball. After Zulty's score, the Tribe's defense held the Buckeyes without a shot to seal the victory. 

The Tribe returns to action on Feb. 21 when it hosts No. 5 Duke.