Rhode Island

Who are the best girls lax teams in Rhode Island? Here’s how we ranked the four divisions

Published

9 months ago

April 14, 2025

Who are the best girls lax teams in Rhode Island? Here’s how we ranked the four divisions

As I was enjoying Southern hospitality and being a patron at that little course in Georgia, you know what message was sent to me via text, email and direct message the most?

What happened to the win-loss standings on the Rhode Island Interscholastic League’s website?

Listen, the only way the RIIL’s website would win a beauty contest would be in a game of Monopoly. But what it lacked in aesthetics, it made up for in functionality. Everything was a click away and wasn’t difficult to find.

The RPI changed that.

With the RIIL using RPI instead of wins and losses to determine playoff seeding – a decision that remains No. 1 on the most overthought and unnecessary things in the history of RI high school sports, as seen by this little lawsuit – it made the tradition win-loss standings page completely irrelevant.

The RIIL did everyone a favor in the fall and kept the page active on its website. While there was an RPI tab, the large majority of people used traditional standings to figure out how things worked. It was the same story in the winter season.

Things have since changed. The RIIL’s traditional win-loss standings are no longer being updated by their website provider, which has caused panic by those looking to find out how teams are doing – present company included.

If you are one of the panicked, I have a solution.

My dumb brain remembered I was using the RPI Standings at the end of basketball season. While it might seem scary and confusion, trust me – it’s not.

So how do you navigate the RIIL’s standing pages now?

Go to the website. Pick you sport, then click the giant blue “standings” button or the RPI Standings in the left tab. That’s the easy part.

When you see the standings, it provides information that’s unnecessary. There’s no explanation for what any of the letters or numbers mean, so here’s my advice – don’t worry about it.

The columns on the right tell you who teams have won and lost against and what teams are coming up on the schedule, but it’s presented in a way that makes me want to throw my laptop across a room. Ignore this stuff too.

There is a simple solution to all of this. When you’re on the RPI Standings page, just click the name of the team whose information you’re after. Once you do, it brings up everything you need to know – when and where it was played, what the score was, and whether or not it’s considered a league game or non-league, plus the future schedule.

Not every game is updated, but that’s on coaches not doing their jobs in a timely fashion. You can cross reference missing games on MaxPreps, provided you love pop-up ads and videos that play at an absurd volume.

Do I like this change? I’m a Rhode Islander, so of course not. Is this change good? No, but only because RPI is inherently stupid and unnecessary for a state this small.

Is the website functional and the information easy to find? Yes.

And that’s what matters, at least for this column.

Now let’s get on to the rankings.

RIIL DIVISION I GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. Moses Brown (1-0)

It can be hard to get ranked first with only one game in two weeks, but when that game comes against a top five team and you win by two touchdowns it makes things easier. The Quakers beat Prout on April 9, but won’t play another RIIL team until April 21 when it hosts Portsmouth. This week MB will stay sharp with a non-league game against St. George’s Monday and a league game against out-of-state Bishop Feehan on Thursday.

2. East Greenwich (3-0)

The Avengers have come into the 2025 season ready to go and haven’t slowed down a step. Two dominant wins over North Kingstown and Chariho got Week 1 going and last week, EG took care of a tough Portsmouth team. If the Avengers have the same kind of success at Prout on Tuesday, it might be time to sound the alarm on this team’s chances of reaching the state final.

3. La Salle (5-0)

Five games into the season and the Rams have won in every possible way – blowouts, close and not-so close. La Salle has the potential to be a contender and just needs the consistency that comes with playing more games. This week the Rams only have one, hosting Barrington on Tuesday night.

4. Portsmouth (2-2)

The Patriots have to feel pretty good about their start so far. They could have easily beaten La Salle in the first week and while getting beat 13-6 by East Greenwich last week didn’t feel good, its only going to hep this young Portsmouth roster in the long run. We’ll see how the Patriots react to the L on Tuesday when they host North Kingstown, followed by a road game at Chariho Saturday morning.

ON THE BUBBLE: Prout (2-1)

RIIL DIVISION II GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. Cumberland (4-1)

The Clippers have wasted little time in establishing their presence as a D-II favorite. Their four wins have all been impressive, either in score or opponent, and the one loss was a battle against a D-I Portsmouth team that could play for a state title. Cumberland is legit and while it won’t play during vacation, it will be back to proving it can win a championship when it gets back on the field on April 21.

2. Westerly (2-2)

Expectations were high coming into the season and right now the Bulldogs are living up to them. Westerly doubled up South Kingstown in its opener and bounced back from two losses – one to D-I Prout, the other to Stonington (Conn.) – with a nice win over D-I Chariho. The Bulldogs have some tests against out-of-state Harrison on Monday and at Ledyard Thursday as it gets ready to boost its resume in D-II.

3. Lincoln School (1-0)

There’s a very good chance the Lynx end up winning it all, but with one only game played this season it’s hard to rank them higher than this. Lincoln School won comfortably against Lincoln School last week and will have a tough challenge against D-I North Kingstown on Thursday. After that the schedule is going to get busy, but we should have a ready on this team by the end o the month.

4. Burrillville (3-0)

Are the Broncos going to be the underrated team in D-II this spring? With wins in its first three games, Burrillville should probably be ranked higher, but it’s tough to gauge how good its opponents were at this point of the year. Wins are wins, and if the Broncos can have two more good showings this week – at Mt. Hope Monday and hosting D-I Prout on Thursday – they might start to gain more attention.

ON THE BUBBLE: South Kingstown (2-3)

RIIL DIVISION III GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. East Providence (2-0)

It’s been a very interesting start to the season for the Townies, who pulled off a one-goal win over Smithfield to start the season before beating up on North Smithfield last week. EP won’t have to travel much this week, hosting neighboring Providence Country Day on Monday before traveling to city rival Bay View on Tuesday.

2. Smithfield (1-1)

Weather postponements haven’t allowed teams to build resumes, so the Sentinels are here almost by default. Smithfield has some talented players and after opening with a win over Pilgrim, the one-goal loss to EP that followed will look better as the season goes on. The Sentinels didn’t play last week because of weather, but have two games this week with a noon start at home against D-IV Scituate Wednesday and a matinee on the road against Toll Gate Thursday.

3. Ponaganset (2-1)

The first week of the season led to two tough games and a .500 record, but last week’s commanding win over Bay View got the Chieftains back to where it wants to be. Ponaganset has a tough road game this week at Mt. Hope, but needs to continue to build off its last win. The schedule gets tougher after break and if this team wants to win a title, it needs to have some momentum once the weather gets warm.

4. Cranston East (3-3)

Six games in and nobody’s been through more battles than the Thunderbolts, who have three one-goal games under their belt already this spring. Going 2-1 in those types of games this time of the season is laying a foundation that could make Cranston East tough later in the season. They’ll look for a second win over Toll Gate this spring when the teams meet in Warwick on Tuesday.

ON THE BUBBLE: Toll Gate

RIIL DIVISION IV GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. Classical (5-1)

The preseason favorite have left little doubt about their standing and while it hasn’t been perfect, it’s exactly what the Purple needed. Classical went 2-1 last week, with a tough win over Lincoln, one-goal revenge win over Tiverton and a loss to D-III Toll Gate, which might have come at a perfect time of the season. The Purple get to hit the refresh button after Friday’s loss, with no games on the schedule until next week.

2. Rogers (1-1)

While there’s a clear No. 1, there isn’t a clear No. 2 and right now the Vikings have the best case. They opened with a tough win over Tiverton which was followed by a one-goal loss to D-II Narragansett. Weather kept the Vikings off the field last week and with no games on the schedule, it looks like they won’t return until April 21. They’ll have to make the most of their practice time and see if they can keep this thing going.

3. Coventry (1-0)

There’s really not a lot to go on with any of these teams, so let’s give the Oakers some credit for pulling out a win in their season opener. The game took place on April 1, but the only joke is that they haven’t had a chance to take the field since. Coventry will have a good test Friday at D-III Toll Gate before playing teams in D-IV the following week.

4. Scituate (0-0)

According to the RIIL website and MaxPreps, the Spartans haven’t played a game yet this season which means they still have a perfect record so they earn this spot here. While it’s a late start, it’s not a bad deal for Scituate, which hosts Lincoln on Monday and plays an afternoon game at D-III Smithfield on Wednesday. If they grab a win in the first week of their season, expect to see the Spartans ranked again next week.

ON THE BUBBLE: North Providence (2-1)

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Rhode Island

RI Foundation plan would overhaul school funding, shift costs to state

Published

1 hour ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

RI Foundation plan would overhaul school funding, shift costs to state

A new report proposes a major overhaul of Rhode Island’s education funding to simplify the system.
The plan would shift many education costs, like teacher pensions and transportation, from cities and towns to the state.
This proposal includes a net increase of about $300 million in overall education spending.

A proposed overhaul of Rhode Island education funding unveiled by a panel of experts and the Rhode Island Foundation on Monday, Jan. 5 would simplify the way public education is paid for and shift spending from municipalities to the state.

A 33-page report from the Blue Ribbon Commission describes the state’s current funding formula as “complex,” “opaque,” and “unpredictable,” the product of years of emergency tweaks and political compromises.

“We are constantly confronted with the limitations of the current funding formula. We hear about it all the time, both as a funder and as a partner in the public education sector,” David Cicilline, Rhode Island Foundation president and former congressman, told reporters at a briefing on the plan, whose release was delayed as a result of a shooting at Brown University.

The commission recommends that the state share the cost of some things now borne entirely by local governments, such as transportation, building maintenance and vocational schooling. And it wants the state to take on some costs entirely − including retired teacher pensions, high-cost special education and out-of-district transportation − that are now shared with municipalities.

The current system places “an outsized fiscal burden on districts,” the report’s executive summary says.

But the price tag for taking that burden from cities and towns is large, and in a time of economic uncertainty might give Rhode Island State House leaders sticker shock.

At the same time that the commission shifts costs to the state, it is also proposing a roughly $300 million net increase in education spending to better reflect what its experts believe is necessary to guarantee.

The commission’s preferred scenario, in which the state covers 58% of school costs, would increase the state education budget by $590 million. Under this plan cities and towns would save $278 million.

Cicilline notes that state leaders could choose to phase the new spending in over two or three years to soften the budget impact.

Recent years have seen significant annual increases in education spending under the existing funding formula. The current state budget saw a $59 million increase in education spending from the previous year.

Cicilline also noted that the state’s unfunded pension obligation is projected to fall dramatically in 2036, at which point the cost of covering those payments for cities would fall.

The state currently pays 40% of teacher pension costs. Picking up the full cost of retiree pensions would push the state cost from a little over $100 million to more than $270 million, according to projections from the commission.

Who participated in the Blue Ribbon Commission?

The commission, hosted by the Rhode Island Foundation and Brown University’s Annenberg Institute, included representatives of nonprofits, municipal government, teachers unions, research academics and public schools, both traditional and charter.

The panel did not include any elected officials or state policymakers, such as members of the Rhode Island Department of Education or members of the General Assembly. However, Gov. Dan McKee, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson were briefed on the recommendations.

How did state officials react to the recommendations?

All reserved judgment on the plan, although many of the ideas in it align with priorities that Lawson, president of the National Education Association Rhode Island, expressed in an interview at the start of the month.

Shekarchi thanked the foundation and said the House will be “carefully reviewing” the recommendations. “A strong educational system is essential in making sure our students are well prepared for the rapidly-changing 21st century economy and is a critical component of our state’s future prosperity,” he said in an email.

The report “reflects a strong commitment to strengthening public education and expanding opportunity for every Rhode Island student – goals my administration has been working towards diligently,” McKee said in an email.

Senate spokesman Greg Pare said the Rhode Island Foundation is slated to give the chamber a presentation on the report Jan. 15.

“The Blue Ribbon Commission’s work raises important issues that we will be exploring, including state support relative to areas such as high-cost special needs and transportation,” Pare wrote.

Municipal winners and losers under new funding plan

Although most cities and towns come out big winners with the Blue Ribbon plan, some do better than others, and a few communities are projected to see a net loss.

In place of the current “quadratic mean” formula, which includes bonuses for communities with expensive real estate but a large number of low-income students, the commission proposes basing municipalities’ aid level entirely on real estate value. (The higher the assessed value of property in a city, the less aid it would receive.)

Newport would lose $7.8 million in state aid, the Chariho school district would lose $7.7 million, Westerly $1.3 million and Middletown $400,000, according to commission projections.

But all other communities would gain.

Providence would see see state aid increase by $186 million and its own projected costs fall from $118 million to $90 million.

East Providence would see state aid rise by $33 million and its own projected costs fall from $65 million to $44 million.

And Warwick would see state aid rise by $35 million while its own projected costs fall from $127 million to $92 million.

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Rhode Island

Revolution Wind developers seek second court order against Trump administration

Published

13 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Revolution Wind developers seek second court order against Trump administration

Revolution Wind developers are asking a federal judge to bar the Trump administration from suspending work on the already 87% completed offshore wind project off Rhode Island’s coast, arguing the Dec. 22 federal order is a constitutional overreach. If work does not resume by Jan. 12, the project may not meet mandated completion deadlines.

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island GOP chairman Joe Powers to step down Jan. 15

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Rhode Island GOP chairman Joe Powers to step down Jan. 15

Journal Staff
| Providence Journal

Rhode Island Republican Party chairman Joe Powers will resign effective Jan. 15, the party announced on Saturday, Jan. 3.

“Chairman Powers is stepping down due to the increased demands of his professional workload and an extensive travel schedule that no longer allow him to give the Chairmanship the full attention the position requires,” the party said in a news release. “The role of Chairman demands constant focus, and daily engagement especially moving into an election year, neither of which Chairman Powers can provide at this time.”

Powers a, real estate agent and unsuccessful 2022 candidate for a Cranston Senate seat, was elected to lead the state’s Republican Party in March 2023. He was reelected to a second two-year term in March.

During his tenure, Powers “oversaw meaningful organizational progress, including the successful update of the Party’s ByLaws and the full staffing of Party committees for the first time in over 20 years, establishing a strong and durable foundation heading into the next election cycle,” the GOP news release said.

Powers will remain on the GOP’s state Central Committee as chairman emeritus and will “continue to support Rhode Island Republicans in a smaller capacity,” the release said, thanking him “for his leadership and service.”

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