Weekend One-Liners: What to Watch for in Men's Lacrosse
The Big Ten Network will be buzzing Saturday with a pair of top-10 nonconference showdowns — No. 3 Cornell at No. 8 Ohio State at noon and No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 4 Maryland at 1 p.m.
But those are far from the only appetizing matchups on the slate. Here’s one sentence each on a dozen games to tune into this weekend.
All times Eastern.
TV LISTINGS | NIKE/USA LACROSSE TOP 20
No. 12 Yale (1-1) at UMass (2-1) – Friday 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
A Friday matinee with upset potential to start your weekend college lacrosse binge watching.
Denver (2-2) at No. 9 North Carolina (3-1) – Saturday 11 a.m. (ACCNX)
Brown transfer Andrew Geppert has helped stabilize the Tar Heels’ defense, evidenced by their No. 2 ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency per Lacrosse Reference.
No. 3 Cornell (3-0) at No. 8 Ohio State (3-1) – Saturday 12 p.m. (BTN+)
If it materializes, CJ Kirst vs. Bobby Van Buren is a must-see matchup, considering the hype BVB is generating early in the season and CJ’s continued ascent.
Michigan (2-2) at No. 19 Delaware (3-1) – Saturday 12 p.m. (FloSports)
With Tye Kurtz and JP Ward (22 points apiece) in peak form, imagine how good the Blue Hens’ offense will be if/when Mike Robinson (missed last two games due to injury) returns to the lineup.
Towson (1-3) at UMBC (3-0) – Saturday 12 p.m. (AETV)
The unbeaten Retrievers currently sport the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense (5.6 goals allowed per game) and take excellent care of the ball (12.33 turnovers per game), a sound recipe for sustained success.
UPSET WATCH
Georgetown (0-3) at No. 6 Princeton (2-1) – Saturday 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Hoyas have been the biggest disappointment of the young 2023 season, struggling to integrate transfers while working under a new offensive coordinator, but there’s still game-breaking talent at every level of the field.
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 2 Notre Dame (3-0) at No. 4 Maryland (3-1) – Saturday 1 p.m. (BTN+)
Swiss Army-knife Brian Tevlin (one goal, six ground balls and a caused turnover against Georgetown) might be the most underrated transfer since the advent of the portal, having an impact in all three phases for a Fighting Irish team that comes to College Park with all the momentum.
No. 15 Saint Joseph’s (3-0) at No. 18 Johns Hopkins (3-2) – Saturday 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
We want more…possessions if Hawks faceoff ace Zach Cole (77.2 percent) keeps operating at this pace.
No. 10 Penn (1-1) at No. 19 Penn State (3-1) – Saturday 3 p.m. (BTN+)
The resurgent Nittany Lions have already matched last year’s win total.
Richmond (3-1) at No. 1 Virginia (3-0) – Saturday 6 p.m. (ACCNX)
UVA is giving off 2022 Maryland vibes with the way they’re sharing the ball (49 of 59 goals assisted), finishing the rock (43.4% shooting percentage) and refusing to settle for anything less than the highest-quality opportunities from its superb front six.
High Point (4-1) vs. No. 13 Jacksonville (2-1) (in Charlotte, N.C.) – Saturday 6:30 p.m. (CSE)
The former SoCon rivals renew pleasantries in the Crown Lacrosse Classic, with both teams ranking in the top five in caused turnovers per game.
No. 5 Duke (4-1) at Syracuse (3-2) – Sunday 4 p.m. (ACCNX)
Brennan O’Neill and Joey Spallina share the field for the first time since they were teammates with Team 91 club.
Matt DaSilva
Matt DaSilva is the editor in chief of USA Lacrosse Magazine. He played LSM at Sachem (N.Y.) and for the club team at Delaware. Somewhere on the dark web resides a GIF of him getting beat for the game-winning goal in the 2002 NCLL final.