Penn State women’s lacrosse moved down one place in the recent Inside Lacrosse Poll. 

The Nittany Lions did not play this past week. The most recent game the team played was in the Big Ten Tournament against then-ranked No. 7 Michigan. Penn State only lost by one goal against a competitive team, but the NCAA Tournament placements could have impacted ranking decisions.

Penn State finished the regular season 12-6 and 4-4 in conference play. It struggled against top-10 opponents this season, but many games were within three or fewer goals.

The team did not get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and also lost in round one of the Big Ten Tournament. Despite having a winning record, Penn State’s placement in the tournament could have had an impact on its ranking.

The Nittany Lions play No. 5 Stanford, which, on paper, appears to be a tougher matchup, one that a lower-ranked team would get in round one. But the team has proved they can compete with any opponent, no matter what the rankings say.

Penn State plays next against Stanford at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 8, on the campus of No. 6-seeded Michigan.