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Dominican University New York Athletics
LADY CHARGERS TABBED #1 IN 2026 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
January 30, 2026

LADY CHARGERS TABBED #1 IN 2026 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Courtesy of CACC Athletics

New Haven, Conn. (1/30/26) Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Commissioner Dan Mara has announced the results of the balloting of the 2026 CACC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll. Dominican University New York has been chosen for first place.

Dominican (19-2, 9-0 CACC in 2025) has won the last three CACC championships and is 27-1 in conference regular-season play during that time. Last year, the Chargers became the first CACC women's lacrosse team to ever play in the NCAA Division II Championship tournament. DUNY is ranked No. 15 in the 2026 national D-II preseason coaches' poll.

Dominican received eight of 10 first-place votes and 80 total points in the CACC poll. The Chargers were followed by Thomas Jefferson University, in second place with 72 points, and third-place Wilmington University, which collected 66 points. Jefferson and Wilmington each garnered one first-place vote. Georgian Court University finished fourth in the balloting with 56 points.

The final two projected playoff spots went to Holy Family University and the University of Bridgeport. Holy Family was picked to finish fifth, earning 48 points, followed by Bridgeport in sixth with 43. Rounding out the coaches' choices were Chestnut Hill College (7th, 29 points), Caldwell University (8th, 24), Felician University (9th, 17) and Post University (10th, 15).

The regular season begins on February 15, when Felician faces the University of Lynchburg in Sparks, Md. Most league teams are scheduled to open their season by March 9, with conference action slated to begin on Saturday, March 21.

At season's end, the top six teams in the standings will qualify for the CACC Championship tournament. The opening round and the semifinals will take place on April 28 and April 30, respectively, at campus sites. Wilmington will host the championship final on Saturday, May 2, at its athletics complex in Newark, Del. The CACC champion will automatically qualify for the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship tournament.

 

2026 CACC WOMEN'S LACROSSE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
Rank School Points
1. Dominican University New York (8) 80
2. Thomas Jefferson University (1) 72
3. Wilmington University (1) 66
4. Georgian Court University  56
5. Holy Family University 48
6. University of Bridgeport 43
7. Chestnut Hill College 29
8. Caldwell University 24
9. Felician University 17
10. Post University 15

The aim of Dominican University New York is to promote educational excellence, leadership, and service in an environment characterized by respect for the individual and concern for the community and its needs. Founded by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, the university is an independent institution of higher learning, Catholic in origin and heritage. In the Dominican tradition, it fosters the active, shared pursuit of truth and embodies an ideal of education rooted in the values of reflective understanding and compassionate involvement.  Committed to building its programs upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, the university maintains a student-centered climate and serves a diverse community of students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The university empowers this community of learners to excel, lead and serve with integrity and to engage responsibly in the pursuit of a more just, ethical and sustainable world.  Dominican also sponsors 18 varsity intercollegiate sports that compete at the NCAA Division II level.  To learn more about Dominican University New York, please visit www.duny.edu.