Welcome to the Gameday Guide.

Every weekend during the college lacrosse season, USA Lacrosse Magazine staff will riff on the juiciest matchups, trendiest topics and biggest storylines.

Check out the rankings and TV listings for more.

SPRING SPORT, AMIRITE?

It’s been cold across the country this week. Really cold. Boston College’s 9-5 win over Denver became final after just three quarters because wind chills made it feel like 2 degrees in Colorado.

More weather’s on the horizon. An impending snowstorm on the East Coast — a bomb cyclone, as they’re calling it — caused more than a handful of teams to shift game schedules to avoid outright cancellations. Even by moving games up (whether that be by a few hours or even a full day), teams could still face inclement conditions this weekend.

So, what does that mean? Not much. But it does present the possibility of less-than-perfect lacrosse, meaning the teams that can execute best might be able to overcome talent gaps to pick off a better opponent.

Get ready for muddy fields, blustery conditions and some precipitation. It’s about to get wild.

GAMES TO WATCH
ALL TIMES EASTERN

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 14 Florida at No. 9 Loyola

Originally scheduled for Saturday, this marquee matchup between Florida and Loyola is now Friday night at 6 p.m. because Maryland is in the path of major storms. Florida’s hoping to bring a storm of its own up north.

Apologies for the pun. But this is pretty close to a must-win game for a Florida team that needs to start building its confidence. The Gators, of course, are still AAC favorites and their NCAA tournament future isn’t in doubt as of now, even with the emergence of Vanderbilt and the steady climb of Temple since 2020.

Florida (2-3) has lost to three ranked teams this year and beaten Kennesaw State and Liberty. A loss would drop Amanda O’Leary’s team to 2-4 with Syracuse next during a midweek clash on March 16. Not a great situation to be in.

But this team has the potential. It’s just young. Loyola is 5-0 with two-goal wins over Towson and Penn, which should at least inspire some confidence in a Florida team that has superior talent to those two teams.

UPSET WATCH

No. 12 Rutgers at James Madison

Rutgers is 7-0 for the first time ever, and James Madison is 3-3 with unexpected losses to Virginia Tech and Penn State. At least at this point, it would appear as if these teams are moving in different directions.

But JMU isn’t far off. Outside of an understandable 15-8 loss to North Carolina, the Dukes have been right there in every single game. Sunday’s Rutgers game kicks off a stretch of four straight ranked opponents — Richmond, Virginia and Maryland follow — and you can rest assured that Shelley Klaes’ team won’t go winless during that stretch. History is on her side, after all.

Rutgers handled its toughest test of the year on Wednesday with a 15-9 win over Temple, but the Scarlet Knights have yet to face a team of JMU’s caliber.

BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT

No. 11 Denver and No. 8 Michigan

Maybe it’s a game no one’s talking about because neither team resides on the East Coast. There’s a chance of snow Sunday in Michigan, but both the Pios and Wolverines are not averse to shoddy weather.

Denver only recently took its first loss, falling to 6-1 after that shortened BC game. The Denver defense looked excellent against one of the most dynamic teams in the nation, with both Sam Thacker and Emilia Bohi causing four turnovers.

Michigan hasn’t faced a defense of that caliber since February 13 against Notre Dame, otherwise known as the game that put the Wolverines on the map. This one should be fun, and there’s a place in the top 10 of the Nike/USA Lacrosse Top 20 potentially at stake.

UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS

Ashley Campo, Rutgers

Campo emerged as a reliable contributor last season, but the junior seems to be doing even more. She’s started every game, notching nine goals, seven assists, 14 ground balls and nine caused turnovers as an all-around threat.

Devon Bayer, Colorado

Bayer has 33 draw controls in Colorado’s 5-0 start and had a season-high 14 in Sunday’s 17-13 win over UC Davis. Her 6.60 draws per game are tied for 16th nationally. A defender, she also has 10 ground balls and four caused turnovers.

Deanna Balsama, San Diego State

Per-game scoring metrics aren’t the end-all statistics, but Balsama leads the nation with 5.20 goals per game. The senior attacker and George Mason transfer has 26 goals on 53.1-percent shooting and is coming off a nine-point game against Oregon on February 27.

SMALL COLLEGE GAME OF THE WEEK

Division II — No. 1 Indianapolis (4-0) at No. 2 Le Moyne (2-0)

Can the Dolphins do it again? One week after handing defending champion and former No. 1 Lindenwood its first loss of the year, Le Moyne will try to once again topple the team at the top. The Dolphins and Greyhounds are both well rested for Sunday's battle in Syracuse's Carrier Dome, having not played since last Sunday. There's lots of offensive firepower on both sides, with UIndy led by All-Americans Abigail Lagos and Peyton Romig, and Le Moyne paced by Erin McMullen and Jessica Meneilly, who registered a career-high seven goals against Lindenwood. Le Moyne has won both prior matchups between the teams (in 2019 and 2020), but UIndy's program has taken a significant step forward since the last meeting. — Paul Ohanian

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