It’s Week 2 of the college lacrosse season, but we might already have one of the games of the year. With No. 1 Duke hosting No. 3 Denver on Friday, the storylines attached are endless.

John Danowski and Bill Tierney, the two winningest coaches in Division I history, meet in a Top 3 battle. Arguably the top two players in the country face off — Justin Guterding, who has 27 points in his first three games, and Trevor Baptiste, the historic faceoff man who could become the first in his position to win the Tewaaraton.

And then there’s the matchup between two of the nation’s top teams. Might this be a national championship game preview?

There is no shortage of reasons that Friday’s game will be one of the more intriguing ones in 2018. The history of the two teams and head coaches adds an element to this game, but the 2018 versions of the Blue Devils and Pioneers provide enough excitement alone.

NO. 3 DENVER AT NO. 1 DUKE
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 16, 5 p.m.
WATCH: ESPNU / ESPN3

Let’s start with No. 1 Duke, which has blown out three opponents (Air Force, High Point and Jacksonville) to begin the year. In those three games, the Blue Devils dropped 55 goals, with 12 of them coming from Guterding.

Guterding missed out on being a Tewaaraton finalist last year, but he’s well on his way to getting that honor when the season is over. His 9.00 points per game lead the nation, and Duke’s 18.33 goals per game trails only Syracuse’s 21-goal blowout and Colgate (19.50).

On the other side, Trevor Baptiste has entered his senior season after finishing fourth in college lacrosse history with a 74.4 faceoff percentage. His impact on the game is enormous, with Denver gaining more possessions than its opponent in almost every game.

Baptiste could have an advantage over Duke’s faceoff crew of Brian Smyth (30-for-62) and Joe Stein (7-for-16) in Friday’s matchup. If Baptiste has his way, Duke will have to depend on its defense for help.

Luckily for John Danowski’s staff, Duke is in good hands with Cade Van Raaphorst and JT Giles-Harris anchoring the defense. The Blue Devils have allowed just 18 games on the young season.

On Friday night, lacrosse fans will be glued to televisions, tablets, laptops, and mobile devices to watch what could be the game of the year in college lacrosse. And it’s just one of many compelling games this weekend.

Other games highlighting the weekend include:

• No. 10 Johns Hopkins at No. 14 Loyola
  Saturday, 1 p.m., Patriot League Network and Facebook Live

Johns Hopkins enters Ridley Athletic Complex after dismantling a 2017 final four member in Towson last weekend. The Blue Jays will have another test in a Loyola team that squandered a five-goal lead and lost in overtime to Virginia last Saturday. The Greyhounds will be happy to open their home slate, but will want to avoid an 0-2 hole to start the season.

• No. 8 Rutgers at No. 16 Army
  Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Patriot League Network

Rutgers travels to West Point in its first real test of the 2017 season. The results so far have been less-than-dominant, with four-goal wins over Robert Morris and St. John’s. The powerful Scarlet Knights offense will face an Army defense that has allowed 11 goals in two games this season. Look out for the Army offense, though, which already boasts four players with five or more goals.

• No. 4 Albany at No. 9 Syracuse
  Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN3

What a blockbluster matchup to kick of the Great Danes’ season in the Carrier Dome. For Albany, it’s the debut of freshman phenom Tehoka Nanticoke and the return of Tewaaraton finalist Connor Fields. Syracuse, though, looked like a powerful offensive force itself in a 21-4 win over Binghamton last week. Brendan Bomberry, Jamie Trimboli and Stephen Rehfuss form a strong attack core.

• No. 5 Yale vs. No. 12 Villanova
  Saturday, 1 p.m., (Lax Sports Network)

Yale and Villanova meet again in a big matchup to kick off the season for the Bulldogs. Villanova has upset on its mind — and it’s already knocked off Penn State this season. Ben Reeves and Co. will have to be ready to play at the Star in Frisco, or it could be an 0-1 start. Christian Cuccinello will look to follow up his five-goal performance against the Nittany Lions.

MORE GAMES ON OUR RADAR

All times are listed in ET. For a full list of broadcast games, please visit our US Lacrosse TV listing page, presented by Nationwide.

SATURDAY, FEB. 17

12 p.m. 

High Point at No. 2 Maryland (Big South Network)
Lehigh at No. 11 North Carolina (ESPN3)
Michigan at No. 18 Penn (Ivy League Network)
No. 20 Brown at Quinnipiac (Quinnipiac All-Access)
No. 15 Hofstra at No. 7 Ohio State (Buckeye Vision)

1 p.m. 

Jacksonville at Marquette (GoMarquette.com)
Monmouth at No. 19 Princeton (Ivy League Network)
Cornell at Colgate (Patriot League Network)
No. 13 Virginia at Drexel (DrexelDragons.com)

1:30 p.m.

UMBC at Navy (Stadium)

2 p.m.

Stony Brook at No. 17 Penn State (Big Ten Network)