It’s going to be tough for this version of the Maryland Terrapins to replicate what last year’s team was able to accomplish. The Terps, then led by Matt Rambo, Colin Heacock, Tim Muller and Isaiah Davis-Allen, delivered the first national championship in 40 years to College Park.

With the core of the 2017 team gone, Maryland went into this season with rising talent wanting to make the most of their opportunities. Names like Connor Kelly and Jared Bernhardt lead the offense, with Bubba Fairman and Logan Wisnauskas providing support along the way. On defense, Chris Corley, Jack Welding and Michael Adler have stepped in and done the job.

Through four games, Maryland is scoring more than last year (13.00) and allowed fewer goals (7.75). With wins over Navy, Marist, High Point and then-No. 17 Penn, the Terps have risen to the No. 1 ranking in the Nike/US Lacrosse Top 20.

So far, so good in Maryland’s encore act, but it gets a lot tougher on Saturday, when No. 5 Notre Dame comes to visit. The Fighting Irish have won four straight game against the Terps dating back to April of 2014.

NO. 5 NOTRE DAME AT NO. 1 MARYLAND
WHEN: Saturday, March 3, 11 A.m.
WATCH: BTN

Notre Dame has not played a ranked opponent, so Saturday’s game will be biggest it has played since Trevor Baptiste and Denver ended the 2017 season with a 16-4 blowout in the NCAA quarterfinals.

Back from last year is a veteran pair of attackmen Mikey Wynne and Ryder Garnsey. But fueling the success of Notre Dame’s offense so far has been its midfield, led by sophomore Bryan Costabile (7G, 2A) and Brendan Gleason (4G, 4A). 

After a scare with Detroit Mercy to open the season, and a four-goal win over Richmond, Notre Dame is looking for a signature win before it hits ACC play. Luckily for the Irish, they’ll have a few chances. The matchup with Maryland starts a brutal stretch that includes another matchup with Denver (March 10) and Virginia (March 17).

Could we have a new No. 1 next week after an upset win by Notre Dame? Or is Maryland the team to beat in Division I men’s lacrosse once again?

Other games highlighting the weekend include:

• No. 13 Syracuse at No. 9 Virginia
  Sunday, 3 p.m., ESPN3
  
  Virginia looks to keep its hot start to the season going as it hosts another Top 20 team at home. So far this season, the Cavaliers have beaten No. 10 Loyola and a then-No. 20 Princeton team that has since fallen out of the rankings. In comes a Syracuse team that has had plenty of mixed results, with a blowout of Binghamton, then being the victim of one against Albany and responding with a triple overtime win over Army. What will we get from 'Cuse this weekend?

• No. 7 Ohio State at No. 16 Marquette
  Friday, 5 p.m., ESPNU
  
  Ohio State is at 4-0 and not without its fear share of tests. First came a battle with Hofstra, in which the Buckeyes couldn’t put away the Pride, but won 9-7. Last weekend, Jacksonville took it to the brink before Tre LeClaire saved his team. A matchup with a stingy Marquette defense in Michigan could post even more challenges. Marquette also just got by Jacksonville, but has had far fewer quality opponents on the schedule so far. It’s a big game for the Golden Eagles to showcase their potential and pick up a win come tournament time.

• No. 6 Villanova at No. 18 Delaware
  Saturday, 1 p.m., Lax Sports Network
  
  After surviving a test from Drexel mid-week, Villanova sits at 4-0 through a challenging start to the season. It’s a run that has seen the Wildcats soar to No. 6 in the rankings, but the road doesn’t get easier. In comes a Delaware team in the first season under Ben DeLuca. The Blue Hens have beaten Mount St. Mary’s, NJIT and Monmouth, so the game against Villanova will be the toughest yet. As it did for Villanova against Penn State and Yale, could a win from Delaware prove that it belongs among the top teams in the country?

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, MARCH 3

10:30 a.m.

St. John’s at No. 11 North Carolina (ESPN3)

12 p.m. 

No. 4 Denver at Furman (ESPN3)
No. 10 Loyola at Holy Cross (Patriot League Network)
Jacksonville at No. 19 Vermont (Severn, Md.) (Corrigan Sports)
UMBC at Towson

1 p.m. 

Cornell at No. 2 Albany (AmericaEast.tv)
Richmond at No. 3 Duke (ESPN3)
Penn State at No. 12 Penn (Ivy League Network)
No. 14 Army at Lafayette (Patriot League Network)
No. 15 Rutgers at Brown (Ivy League Network)
No. 17 Georgetown at Hofstra (Pride Productions)
Princeton at No. 20 Johns Hopkins (ESPN3)
Navy at Bucknell (Patriot League Network)

3 p.m.

No. 8 Yale at Bryant (NEC Front Row)

SUNDAY, MARCH 4

2 p.m.

Ohio State vs. Detroit Mercy