Girls lacrosse: Final Top 10 rankings before Section 1 playoffs begin

This is the final week of regular-season play for Section 1 and will be the final Journal News/lohud girls lacrosse rankings until both local and state playoffs for both public and private schools conclude.

Note: Records reflect games played through May 5.

Top 10 rankings

10. Holy Child (10-2) — The Gryphons keep rolling along. After two wins last week, they face Millbrook School, Canterbury School and Cheshire Academy before entering playoffs next week. There are a few schools just a hair removed from the No. 10 spot, most notably Wappingers. But until Holy Child shows some weakness, its hold is steady here. Previously: 10

9. North Rockland (11-4) — If there's one team that should enter the playoffs knowing how to handle late-game pressure, the Red Raiders are probably it. Six of their games have been decided by one or two goals. They haven't lost since falling by three to Bronxville three weeks ago. Ranked No. 9 now, North Rockland, which fell by just one goal to Suffern, could be a surprise team in the playoffs. Previously: 9

8. Ursuline (7-4) — The good news for the Koalas is three of their losses have come to ranked opponents. The bad is two were last week as part of a three-game skid. Ursuline lost 14-8 to Rye and 11-9 to Bronxville before being upset 12-11 by Scarsdale, which, by Scarsdale standards, has had a disappointing season. A lack of offensive production traces back to Ursuline's 8-7 win over Tappan Zee. This isn't the best time for a slump. But Ursuline still has three games this week to pull itself out of its funk before playoffs begin. Previously: 5

7. Albertus Magnus (10-2) — The Falcons should win both their games this week after an odd week in which they romped to a win over non-Section 1 Kennedy Catholic, got (as many others have) bulldozed by Nyack, and then eeked out a win over unranked Pearl River. Previously: 6

6. Bronxville (7-6)— No good team has a less impressive record — that is, if you just count wins and losses without looking at the scores and schedule. By April 1, Bronxville already had three losses. But one came to a Connecticut team and the others came to Yorktown and Nyack. They've also lost to John Jay-CR, Rye and, last week, Suffern. In other words, this Class D team has had one of the toughest schedules in all Section 1. And it has beaten other ranked and formerly-ranked squads along the way, including, last week, then-No. 5 Ursuline. Barring another huge game from unranked Scarsdale, it should close out the regular season with two more wins. Previously: 8

5. John Jay-Cross River (11-3) — The Wolves had been on a four-game winning streak after a two-goal loss to Suffern. But that ended in another two goal loss, this time to then-No. 7 Yorktown. After its nice rebound win against Section 9's Minisink Valley, John Jay-CR should win its final two regular-season games. Previously: 4

4. Yorktown (12-3) — Squint hard and try to forget the Huskers' inexplicable 18-2 dismantling at the hands of Nyack and you have a team vying for the top rankings spot. That routing was the Huskers' only loss to a Section 1 opponent. Last week, this team, which has been hampered by injuries, upset then-No. 4 John Jay-Cross River. Yorktown doesn't always score a lot of goals but its defense has been solid. It will need to be that and more vs. Nyack on Tuesday. But the Huskers shouldn't be written off. They'll be a very talented underdog, and anything can happen. Previously: 7

3. Suffern (11-2)— The Mounties might not be the very dominant team they were a few seasons ago but they don't appear all that far off. Consider their only in-section loss this season came early to Rye. Last week's 10-5 win over Bronxville, which has been playing very well of late, was a positive sign with playoffs fast approaching. Previously: 3

2. Rye (11-3) — Whether Horace Greeley, which had been recently dropping games it was expected to win, found a way to get everything to click or whether Rye was just off, heavily-favored Rye's one-goal win last week over the Quakers was surprising. But Rye is most likely still Rye, which means elite. It's only loss to a Section 1 opponent was the only close game top-ranked Nyack has had all season. That was an 11-9 Nyack win. Chances seem good those teams will meet in the Section 1 Class C final. Previously: 2

1. Nyack (13-1) — The RedHawks' record speaks for itself. From the start of the season, no team has played better. Nyack's only loss came by two goals to Long Island's East Port-South Manor. It's two wins away from an undefeated season in Section 1 play. Yorktown will try Tuesday to end that goal but it will be difficult to beat this high-scoring squad. Previously: 1

Girls lacrosse: Kauftheil pours in career-high 8 goals as John Jay-CR beats Minisink Valley

On the bubble: Fox Lane (11-3), Harrison (9-5), Horace Greeley (7-6), Mamaroneck (8-6), Pelham (7-6), Pleasantville (11-3), Rye Country Day (9-1), Wappingers (11-2)

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: lohud girls lacrosse: Final Top 10 rankings before playoffs begin