Hot and muggy conditions for fans and players at Homewood Field, which was draped in Maryland Terp colors for the hometown Whipsnakes.

New York handled Philadelphia. Boston held on to defeat Maryland 13-12. Denver, bolstered by Jared Bernhardt, rallied down 10-5 to pull away from Utah. Maryland steamrolled Carolina, putting up 20 goals and staying in playoff contention.

Six teams have two wins. They are sandwiched by 3-1 Boston at the top and 1-3 Carolina at the bottom. Good luck separating the six in the middle. Margins are tight in the PLL 2025.

Boston (3-1)
Coach Brian Holman, back at Hopkins where he graduated in 1983, had to be pleased with the vision of Asher Nolting (5 assists) and the playmaking of Cannon midfielders Matt Campbell and Ryan Drenner. Nolting remains mired in a shooting slump, which will be temporary as he continues to flash his distribution skills. In week three’s loss to Philadelphia, the Cannons made horrible defensive pick decisions. They beat themselves. LSM Owen Grant has met expectation as a cover man and in transition. Rookie SSDM from Notre Dame bounced back after a rough outing in Philadelphia with a solid game of coverage.

They clamped down on Maryland in the third quarter, expanding a 7-5 advantage to 12-8. Nolting made it 13-8 early in the fourth quarter and, while going scoreless the last 11:17, Boston held on for the 13-12 win. Rookie Coulter Mackesy hit his shots from the lefty wing and DU rookie Mic Kelly had some dodging success from uptop. Boston will be big favorites over Carolina in San Diego this week.

Denver (2-2)
60% of Logan McNaney’s saves have been clean—that is, caught. The next highest goalie in the PLL is at 47%. The rookie from Maryland has the ability to snare shots without rebounds and throw aggressive outlets. Those runouts have been a difference maker for Denver. McNaney’s humble poise and demeanor are icing on the cake. He celebrated his 24th birthday in style on Sunday at Homewood and is 2-0 as the starter.

Coach Tim Soudan has multiple options with Jared Bernhardt. Do you run him at midfield or on attack? Bernhardt’s speed and acceleration is a unicorn even amongst elite PLL players. After scoring four against Utah, he’s going to be demanding immediate double teams.

Brennan O’Neil, now healthy, is in a little bit of a shooting slump but still impactful with the ball in his pocket as a catalyst. Not everybody in the league has a Graeme Hossack to mark him. I’d like to see O’Neil get more involved in the picking game and cutting off ball.

Denver’s DNA has been transition. Clean saves have led to runouts by Jake Piseno and Ryan Terefenko. The SSDM from Ohio State is tough, sturdy, and likes to stay on the field in the picking game for some pass-down, pick-down looks on the wing arc.

Very veteran defense kept Utah off the doorstep. JT Giles-Harris, Mike Manley, and Jesse Bernhardt have loads of experience. Poles Jake Piseno and AJ Pilate were stable and the Denver shorties played better as the game went on.

Down 7-3 and being outplayed, Denver got goals from Pat Kavanagh and Logan Wisnauskas prior to halftime. The Utah margin swelled to 10-5 and it didn’t look good. Three goals, including a deuce by Bundy, to end the third quarter made it 10-9. Bernhardt tied it at 10. 8-0 run was a shocking finish. Denver held Utah scoreless for the final 19:55 while shooting 0-10 to end the contest. That’s two straight wins for the Outlaws and momentum.

If Denver can get Bernhardt and O’Neil drawing double teams, Kavanagh can become a dissector, with Graham Bundy and Dalton capitalizing on the defensive movement. The midfield offense has been subpar, so it was positive to see Justin Anderson and Young contribute. Denver offense is still a work in progress, with room for growth, which is a good thing if you’re an Outlaw fan.

Denver is a different team with goalie Logan McNaney and playmaker Jared Bernhardt in the lineup. Outlaws meet California in a key Western Conference game this week.

New York (2-2)
Coach Mike Pressler shook up his midfield personnel group, sitting Myles Jones and Kyle Jackson. Reid Bowering, a lefty from BC, was activated and gave Jeff Teat some wonderfully solid picks to run off of. SSDMs Danny Logan and Chet Comizio were back in the lineup. Logan, regarded as the best in the business at that position, may be a two-goal swing himself.

New York showed up with the eye of the tiger. They led 4-1 after 12:00 and 8-4 at half. They haven’t played a full 48 minutes to date, so finishing with a 17-9 victory over Philadelphia felt like a statement win.

Bryan Costabile was dealing from the outside. Jeff Teat was in MVP form. They put together a pair of 6-1 runs to silence the critics. Defenseman Gavin Adler was tenacious covering Michael Sowers and goalie Liam Entenmann was on fire.

Rookies Max Krevsky and Hugh Kelleher were solid in their two-way roles. Some say lacrosse is a young man’s game. Atlas square off with Utah this week.

Utah (2-2)
Built a 10-5 lead and then hit a wall, outscored 8-0 to end the game. 13-10 loss stings. Multiple pass goals have been in short supply. Picking game has no punch. Mac O’Keefe and Grant Ament not producing to prior levels. Archers missing Tre LeClaire as a valuable chip. Transition goals have been in short supply. Connor Fields isn’t getting to the rack like he did as an isolation dodger in 2024. Utah ranks low in face-off percentage and offensive efficiency. Turnovers continue to be an issue.

Rookie Sam King has provided a burst of energy and been highly productive when he gets touches. Tom Schreiber remains impactful but he can’t do it alone. I’m not seeing multiple pass goals or ball reversal. Utah skip lanes have been jammed.

Philadelphia (2-2)
Offense wasn’t flowing, which was frustrating if you kept your eyes on Coach Bill Tierney during the broadcast.

It felt as if Philadelphia failed to match New York’s intensity, urgency, and fight level from the opening face-off. Down 4-1 and 8-4 at half in the heat wasn’t ideal.

D-man Jack DeBenedetto from Denver dressed and covered Xander Dickson well. Ben Randall didn’t have his best game, trying to navigate through picks chasing Teat around for 48 minutes. Jack Hannah and Thomas McConvey were too quiet. Philly didn’t use the pick game for Michael Sowers as much this week and Jake Taylor got face guarded by Michael Grace.

Will we see CJ Kirst this week in San Diego? The Tewaaraton winner is coming off surgery. Certainly July 11 in Chicago looks likely. Where will he play—attack or midfield? That’ll be an interesting decision for the veteran coach.

Two bright spots on defense were Kenny Brower, who covered Connor Shellenberger, and Marcus Hudgins at the LSM spot. Hudgins’ diving ground ball play along the sideline may have been the hustle play of the week. Philly plays California out west this weekend.

California (2-1)
The Redwoods enjoyed a bye weekend, avoiding the tropical temperatures in Charm City, and now host a pair of games from San Diego on Friday (Denver) and Saturday (Philadelphia). All PLL games can be seen on ESPN+.

Maryland (2-3)
The Whips split games this weekend, dropping a close contest to Boston and thrashing Carolina on Sunday in the finale. That emphatic win keeps them in the hunt.

On Sunday, rookie goalie Emmet Carroll earned another starting nod after playing well in the rout of the Chaos. Levi Anderson was dressed and made an impact off the dodge from the wings. Look for the lefty from St. Joe’s to be back in the lineup. Rob Pannell set the all-time assists record on Saturday and found the net twice on Sunday, ending a tough string of bad shooting luck. Matt Brandau and Aidan Carroll are surging and finding their role definition. FOGO Joe Nardella takes a back seat to nobody.

My concern about Maryland revolves around their SSDM position group and the close defense’s inability to slide, rotate, and recover against the Cannons. Too often they left their SSDM group on an island in disadvantageous areas and offered no help.

Maryland deserves a bye after two games within 16 hours in intense heat and humidity. You won’t see them again until Chicago on July 11 and 12.

Carolina (1-3)
The Chaos had no answers for Maryland, trailing 4-2 after one quarter and 12-4 at half. Offensive inefficiency was rampant in the 20-6 loss, one of the worst in PLL history.

Aside from the dysfunction on offense, which was untestable given new personnel in the lineup with Sergio Perkovic, Shane Knobloch, and Owen Hiltz, it was the lack of defense that was startling because the Chaos usually play above par at that end. Short stick coverage was awful, slides were disjointed, pick play was poor, and interior coverage non-existent as Maryland got every look they wanted and controlled all the matchups. Blaze Riorden got shelled in an unusually poor effort for the normally stellar netminder. The offense was held scoreless for the last 17 minutes in a game that can be best described as forgettable. Jackson Eicher and Knobloch were positives. Coach Roy Colsey has to continue to rotate the lineup to find combinations that fit. The defensive communication and execution must improve. Carolina looked like the B league team playing in the bigs. Get back to work and see if you can make baby steps towards being competitive in San Diego.

San Diego is up next with games on Friday and Saturday night from Torero Stadium.

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Three weeks into the PLL summer and every team has absorbed a loss. Margins are tight. Four teams are 2-1, and four are 1-2. Winning a game isn’t easy. At this stage, the race is wide open. The PLL visits Baltimore on June 21 and 22, with four games from historic Homewood Field on the campus of Johns Hopkins. Saturday’s games can be seen on ESPN and ESPN2. Sunday’s noon face-off will be televised by ABC. The Sunday Funday finale will air on ESPN+.

Utah Archers
Harvard rookie Sam King scored a critical two-pointer in a one-goal win over California on Friday night. King has a snappy release, the clocking hot at 91 mph, and appeared to catch goalie Chayse Ierlan off guard. The Redwoods hung around and, to their credit, took the two-time champs into deep water. Last week, Utah committed 23 turnovers against Boston while shooting 0-6 from two-point range. Brett Dobson was 66% in the loss, fighting an ankle injury.

Utah isn’t humming like they did in 2024. They miss Tre LeClaire in the pick game. The offensive ball movement is stagnant. Skip lanes are being clogged. Utah is trying to hit home runs instead of singles. They squandered a 5-0 lead.

The defense remains formidable. Mike Sisselberger and Tom Schreiber scored clutch goals, breaking open a 10-10 tie game midway through the final quarter. California was held to one goal over the final 7:46. Utah and Denver can be seen on ABC, Sunday at noon. If you live within driving distance of Baltimore, I highly recommend you check the PLL product out in person. To see these players operate in person is truly unbelievable.

Philadelphia Waterdogs
2-8 in 2024 but now in the upper echelon after handling Boston on Friday night. Home court rules dictate a tight turnaround for a Saturday night PLL sequel against Denver. The Dogs ran out of gas, suffering a 9-7 setback. Home teams are at a competitive disadvantage in game two of their exhausting weekend.

Shooting 7 of 34 against the Outlaws was a primary issue. Hitting 4 of 8 in the first quarter is the good news. Going 3 of 26 the rest of the way versus rookie Logan McNaney became the headline.

Philly’s offense is scary with Michael Sowers, Jake Taylor, and Kieran McArdle on attack. Add in midfield dodgers Jack Hannah and Thomas McConvey and teams have slide decisions to make. Throw in playmaker Connor Kelly, now being covered by a shorty, and you get a feeling as to why I think the Waterdogs have the best offense in the league. Tewaaraton winner CJ Kirst was at Nova, in a sling, post-surgery, masquerading as a water boy. I would expect him back after the July 4 All-Star weekend in Kansas City. Coach Bill Tierney will have lineup decisions to make.

Boston Cannons
Cannons (2-1) came up short against Philadelphia after scoring a mere one goal in the third quarter. An 8-7 nail-biter quickly escalated into a 13-8 Philly lead.

Kingpins Asher Nolting and Marcus Holman had just two points apiece. LSM Owen Grant converted once in transition. Cannons defense had no answers for Michael Sowers (2,5) and Thomas McConvey (4,0). FOGO Zac Tucci continues to live on the edge, puking into a bucket between face-off reps, and playing to the echo of the whistle.

Maryland Whipsnakes
Gutsy comeback for the Whips, diverting the trajectory of their season with the late rally. They executed an 8-0 run to finish the game and iced the Atlas on ABC. Maryland trailed 6-0 early and 12-8 with 9:56 to play. They shot 0-10 in the first quarter. A Brad Smith two-pointer cut the deficit to 12-10. Adam Poitras made it 12-11. Aidan Carroll fired a right-hander to tie the game at 12-12. Smith, TJ Malone, and Poitras piled on. 16-12 final was an unpredictable outcome until it happened. This game spun on its axis.

D-man Tim Muller blanketed Xander Dickson and Matt Dunn held Jeff Teat to one point. Matt Rambo ran out of the box with Matt Brandeau starting on attack. Penalty kill unit has killed off 14 straight power plays over the 2024 and 2025 calendar. Life without midfielders Ryan Conrad, Tucker Dordevic, and Mike Chanenchuk has been a struggle. Colin Heacock scored three times for Maryland, playing smart in settled sets and cutting well. Goalie Brendan Krebs, playing against his high school teammate Liam Entenmann, saved his best for the fourth quarter with a couple of timely stops to squash New York’s hopes.

California Redwoods
Lost a hard-fought, one-goal game to Utah on Friday night. Started slowly and climbed back, which has been a trend, only to fall short with an L to an upper-tier team. For some, the loss will feel like validation. But a loss is a loss. Winning games is difficult in the PLL. Turn the page and move on. California (2-1) has a bye week prior to hosting on June 27 and 28 in San Diego. Without question, you have to respect the effort that this team is putting on the field each game. They’re flying around, trying super hard, making all the hustle plays—I have huge respect for them for their attitude and demeanor.

The Chris Merle (SSDM) injury did not look good. Merle was playing at an All-Star level and GM Joe Spallina will have to tinker with the lineup. SSDMs Brian Tevlin and Carter Rice, who are doing great work, will need assistance. They can’t run every shift. ‘Trader Joe’ is probably on the phone as you’re reading this.

Dylan Molloy played in seven games during the last two seasons and accumulated nine points. Going into action in Philadelphia, he led the PLL with ten points after two games. Molloy’s body dodges create separation. He’s incredibly productive given his lack of speed and a left hand. What he does with the tools he has is downright amazing. He is very much in tune with his own skill set, toolbox, and picks his spots to employ them. I’m constantly in awe of the subtleties and nuances that pro players bring to the dance, and Molloy is a case study and a reminder that it’s not about what skills you don’t have—it’s about how you can maximize the ones that you do possess.

The new-look Redwoods welcome the league to San Diego on June 27 and 28. Hope to see you there. You can find me at Windansea Beach in La Jolla, or the Saturday morning farmers market in Little Italy.

New York Atlas
Atlas blew a 6-0 lead, an 8-1 advantage, and a 12-8 margin with 9:56 to play in the fourth quarter. They got tired. Coming off a bye week, it appeared as if their legs went rubbery. Like they were breathing fire. Not sure if dressing fewer true SSDMs came back to haunt them, but they fell apart during the last ten minutes. Unable to win face-offs, ground balls, or make stops—it was an epic and improbable collapse to the Whipsnakes and shines a light on NY’s defensive deficiencies. Over-reliance on goalie Liam Entenmann has to end. Defense has been sold separately. And without ace shorty Danny Logan, the unit was exposed.

Midfielder Myles Jones now has 98 career assists. At 100 career assists, he joins Paul Rabil, Tom Schreiber, and Matt Striebel. Jones was unusually quiet in the loss to Maryland.

Denver Outlaws
A PLL 9-7 Saturday nightcap win, the first for rookie goalie Logan McNaney, puts the Outlaws in the winning column. 14 saves and seven goals against, combined with flawless passing and some instinctual grounders around the crease, indicate that the likable McNaney has arrived. He is comfortable in big games with a 13-3 NCAA tournament record, the most postseason wins all-time for a goaltender. Logan played in four national championship games.

Pat Kavanagh scored a hat trick and the transition offense had some bite with Jake Piseno, Nick Grill, and Ryan Terefenko running hard from defense to the offensive arc. A win, however unimpressive, is a giant step in the right direction.

Jared Bernhardt scored his first career PLL goal, a question mark up the left hash. His agility, cutting, and movement skills are next level, freakishly efficient, and visually obvious—even to the most novice lacrosse viewers. He just moves differently.

Outlaws haven’t shared the biscuit. Graham Bundy and Justin Anderson have to make more of an impact. Prior to the win, only 23.4% of Denver’s shots had been assisted. That’s down from 38.1% last summer, and last in the league by a wide margin.

So the focus in Philly was on upgrading the passing. Coach Tim Soudan utilized Dave Urick’s “Hippo” drill in practice on Friday night. Play half-field with a 3-second time clock on every ball carrier. Offensive players must move the ball, shoot, or go to the goal within 3 seconds of receiving possession. Playing faster has virtues. Avoiding black hole (ball hog) moments is critical to unit success. Expect to see veteran Eric Law in the lineup sooner than later. Law makes others better. Denver and Utah square off on Sunday at noon on ABC.

Carolina Chaos
Last in the league in possession time. Troy Reh has 15 ground balls, which leads the league for non-FOGOs. Carolina had a bye weekend and plays Maryland on Sunday at 2:30 PM.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Listen to his podcast in our media section. Anthony Kelly, the head coach of the California Redwoods, joined Quint this week.

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The PLL train rolled through Charlotte with big wins, highlight goals, and a couple of teams starting to separate from the pack. Through two weeks, we’re already seeing who’s got juice and who’s still stuck in neutral.

1) Boston Cannons

Princeton rookie Coulter Mackesy made his debut in Charlotte, which shipped Will Manny to the pine. Veteran Marcus Holman’s dive shot at the buzzer gave Boston (2-0) a 9-8 win over Utah. Cannon Colin Kirst and Utah’s Brett Dobson staged the goalie battle of the week, the duo putting on a show, both north of 60%. Goalie play has improved with the new neon ball. Better optics. Offense, across the league, is not where it needs to be. Offensive flow takes time to develop. Not enough teams are pushing transition.

Rookie SSDM Ben Ramsey, the bagpiper from Notre Dame, had three caused turnovers in his first game in Albany and scored his first PLL goal against the Archers. In South Bend, Dickie V’s grandson, Ryan Sforzo, is the new pied piper for the Irish.

2) Utah Archers

Firepower lacking in a Saturday loss to Boston. Middie Tom Schreiber uncharacteristically committed costly mistakes at crunch time—tossing the ball away high in the offensive zone which led to a transition goal. Then Boston’s LSM Owen Grant stripped him on the next possession that led to the Marcus Holman drama. Look for Schreiber to bounce back with a big game following this setback. That’s how the greats react.

Connor Fields, the hero of week one, had just two shots on 25 touches. Goalie Brett Dobson, who’s fighting an ankle injury, was 68% in the Maryland win week one and again stellar in defeat, showcasing his high arc. Grant Ament tweaked his left hamstring. His availability is questionable.

3) New York Atlas

Charlotte was a bye week for the Bulls, not ideal when you’re trying to build continuity and solidify a lineup. NY split their two games as the host in Albany, defeating Carolina 10-8 and falling to Boston 16-12. Atlas passing offense not clicking this summer like in 2024, held scoreless for 17:38 against the Chaos. Trevor Baptiste (74%) face-off wins have not been parlayed into grade A scoring chances in the :32 second shot clock. Opponents have shut off Xander Dickson on the crease and he has shot 22% in the first two games on just 37 touches. Boston put a pole on lefty midfielder Kyle Jackson to deter two-man games with Jeff Teat. Carolina was slow to slide, making NY score unassisted goals. OC Stevens Brooks must come up with schematic answers in order to adapt, react, evolve and succeed. If teams are hesitant to slide, run some clear outs for dodgers. Use Dickson in the pick game. Activate Connor Shellenberger. Meanwhile, goalie Liam Entenmann (57%) was razor sharp in Albany. He was in mid-season form.

Rookie Matt Traynor contributed 4 goals and looked the part from the midfield. Myles Jones (4 assists) had his eyes up as a ball handler. Veteran LSM CJ Costabile found the net on Friday, although he was the only rope member to collect a point. Atlas will be well served to run upfield with intent off of Entenmann clean saves. New York plays Maryland on June 14 at Villanova.

4) Philadelphia Waterdogs

Tale of two halves for goalie Matt Deluca. First half he made 7 saves with 11 scores against, then in the second half he made 8 saves with only 2 scores allowed. After trailing 11-8 at half, Philly outscored Maryland 8-1 in 2nd half to grab their first win of the summer. Good start for Coach Bill Tierney. Catalyst Michael Sowers reminded us that he’s an MVP candidate with 7 assists. His quicks and vision were too much for Maryland. Sowers is an outlier. That’s one short of the PLL record (Matt Rambo had 8 in 2020). Dogs ran Sowers off razor picks and picks at X to keep MD on their heels. He fed the crease for layups.

5) Maryland Whipsnakes

Shot 7 of 41 (17%) in a week one loss to Utah. TJ Malone went 3 of 7 and the rest shot less than 12%. This weekend in Charlotte they hit three 2-pt goals in first half. One by rookie Scott Smith and two by midfielder Brad Smith and then the offense hit the wall. Whips didn’t finish. They missed their last 9 shots of game, going 1-16 in the final 24:00. Lefty Matt Rambo was held scoreless for second straight game. He is 0-6 after two games. Rambo was yanked by coach Jim Stagnitta in the fourth quarter. Is Rob Pannell next? Father Time is undefeated.

Is that the last time we will see Matt Rambo in a Whips uniform? With the PLL coming to his hometown Philadelphia this weekend, the league should celebrate Matt Rambo Night to honor his career. Parade Rambo around the stadium holding a giant QR code that unlocks free hot dogs from Wawa.

6) California Redwoods

11 of 15 goals in a week one win came from newly acquired talent. In week two, California turned a four-goal early deficit into a lopsided 16-10 win over Carolina. Woods took 58 shots, a PLL record. I love the diversification with seven unique goal scorers and six different players having an assist. Carolina goalie Blaze took himself out early, because he was getting pummeled. Woods took 50 shots thru three quarters. If it were a fight, the towel would have been thrown.

This California team has the magic, no doubt, but I’m not believing the hype. Viral circus goals by Chris Kavanagh and Ryder Garnsey are coming to your timeline this week. Woods are (2-0) only because they’ve faced the two worst teams in the PLL. Let’s talk after the Woods play a real contender.

7) Carolina Chaos

Defense is elite. Offense not so much with midfield scoring sold separately. Carolina split games as the host—beating Denver and losing to California. Lefty goalie Blaze Riorden made 25 saves on Friday night, nine in the first quarter. That’s a new PLL record. Carolina outscored Denver 7-2 after trailing 6-5 at half. They ran out of steam in game two, giving up a record 58 shots in defeat. Their SSDM’s got scratched like my poison ivy. Saturday’s collapse is a notable trend for double header home teams playing in their second game in 24 hours. Fast starts. Slow finishes. Two games back-to-back is a competitive disadvantage.

8) Denver Outlaws

Added Jared Bernhardt to their roster late last Monday night, joining older brother Jesse as an Outlaw. Jesse (Maryland 2013) and Jared (2021) have never played together. Jared went 0-5 shooting with no points in his Charlotte debut. The rust was notable and expected off a multi-year layoff but if you watch closely, you’ll see movement skills that are rare. According to Paul Carcaterra of ESPN, “Bernhardt will be a problem for PLL defenses.” The Outlaws have assembled four Tewaaraton winners (Bernhardt 21, Wisnauskas 22, O’Neill 23, Pat Kavanagh 24). Sometimes talent doesn’t equate to chemistry. Sometimes the ingredients don’t complement each other. And sometimes the chef is to blame. I don’t love the orbital energy of their electrons.

Friday night loss featured a second half 2-22 shooting performance. Brennan O’Neill hit on 3 of 5 shots in first half. Then he quieted to an 0-5 performance in second half. Wisnauskas, Jack Vanoverbeke and Justin Anderson have not produced to their prior levels. Dalton Young finally woke up. Graham Bundy Jr hit a deuce. Midfielder Sam Handley did not dress. This ensemble is a work in progress.

The PLL shifts to Philadelphia this week, with games on the campus of Villanova University on Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14. The New York vs Maryland matchup on Saturday at 1 PM will air on ABC. Saturday Night Lacrosse features Denver and Philadelphia. All PLL games are available on ESPN+. For tickets, visit PLL.com.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Listen to his podcast in our media section. Anish Shroff, the lyrical poet of lacrosse, was this week’s guest.

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The 2025 PLL season is underway after four games this past weekend in Albany, NY.

Coaches and general managers finalized their rosters following the draft and a week of training camp in Albany. Philadelphia had the bye. First-round draft choice and Tewaaraton winner CJ Kirst is currently on the PUP list with an upper-body injury, and his status remains uncertain.

The Jared Bernhardt sweepstakes has emerged as a major storyline this week. Which team will land the former Tewaaraton winner, who’s been playing in the NFL and CFL since 2022?

Saturday’s games were played in unseasonably chilly, windy, and rainy conditions.

1) New Faces Make Their Debuts

The 2025 rookie class may have a lasting impact after an exceptional opening weekend. Rookie success in May and June isn’t shocking, often due to sharpness and the lack of scouting reports on these new faces. The influx of new blood was a primary theme in Week One.

Jackson Eicher, the Army rookie, fit in seamlessly on Friday, pumping in three goals and stamping himself as the top offensive threat on the Chaos. He’s more mobile than you’d expect, gigantic, and has a right-handed cannon.

Chris Kavanagh had a monster debut for California as they took down Denver. Kav, out of Notre Dame, scored three times and added an assist while running alongside his former college teammate and current ND assistant coach Ryder Garnsey.

Matt Traynor, the Penn State rookie, is going to be a matchup nightmare from the midfield against shorties. He can play multiple spots within the New York offensive system and is a dual threat to dodge to the goal or shoot from range.

Andrew McAdorey showcased rare speed and acceleration, upgrading California’s 32-second offense in transition. The Duke graduate is wicked off the wings during the abbreviated shot clock and remains a legitimate invert threat.

Josh Balcarcel, the Marist rookie, brings insane dodging ability. He’s an outlier at 5’7” with a change-of-direction move that could send defenders to the emergency room. His success story from a smaller D1 school is heartwarming.

Sam King (Harvard) tallied three assists for Utah and has the processing speed to contribute at the pro level. Bryce Ford (Maryland) was part of the Archers’ midfield rotation in Albany. Aidan Carroll (Georgetown) scored his first career goal for Maryland, while Christian Mazur (Army) ran SSDM for the Terps.

Brendan LaVelle (Penn) started at close defense for Utah. Ben Ramsey (Notre Dame) filled the SSDM role for Boston, and Carter Rice (Syracuse) was a mainstay for California’s rope unit. Ray Dearth (Harvard) looks like the prototypical shorty and earned a starting spot for Carolina.

Logan McNaney (Maryland) and Emmet Carroll (Penn) both picked up checks in Albany as backup goalies for the Outlaws and Whipsnakes, respectively. Training camp reports were stellar for both stoppers.

Among second-year pros, Aidan Danenza and JJ Sillstrop scored their first career goals on Friday night. Graydon Hogg played well for the Cannons, and Jack Posey (PSU 2024) saw all sorts of playing time on defense for the Chaos.

2) Chaos Defensive DNA

Carolina may struggle on offense in 2025, but the defense still has bite. Jack Rowlett was effective in blanketing Jeff Teat, while Jared Neumann bumped up top to shadow Bryan Costabile and Myles Jones. LSM Troy Reh slid down to the crease area and essentially put Xander Dickson into witness protection.

Meanwhile, for the Chaos, the biggest question marks lie in the midfield—specifically, finding dodgers who can separate and create. It’s a key challenge for first-year head coach Roy Colsey. On the other end, the defensive nucleus remains stable under DC Kyle Sweeney, whose no-slide mentality frustrated New York on Friday.

Blaze Riorden continues to be the standard in the PLL, although New York’s Liam Entenmann (16 saves) is closing the gap. Two-point shots were in short supply during Week One, adding to the defensive edge that shaped early-season play.

3) The 32-Second Game

Short-clock offensive efficiency remains a key storyline in 2025. After winning a faceoff, teams have a 32-second shot clock, which shifts the offensive mentality. Rather than working the ball for the best possible look, teams often hunt the first available shot. That urgency makes quick substitutions critical and increases the value of faceoff wingers who can play both ways.

Here’s a look at 32-second offensive efficiency from the 2024 season:

1. Atlas – 32.4%
2. Outlaws – 26.0%
3. Archers – 25.5%
4. Chaos – 20.6%
5. Whipsnakes – 19.8%
6. Waterdogs – 19.8%
7. Cannons – 19.3%
8. Redwoods – 16.1%

League average: 22.9%

4) Redwoods Reboot

The California Redwoods remodel is officially underway. Coach Anthony “A-Train” Kelly picked up his first win and broke it down in the locker room, while GM Joe Spallina’s offseason moves brought in a wave of fresh faces that made an early impact.

Key additions included Andrew McAdorey, Sam English, Chris Kavanagh, Carter Rice, Brendan Nichtern, Cole Kastner, and Ryan Aughavin. Some made their debut in Week One, while others were unavailable or did not dress.

Departures from the roster included Rob Pannell, who signed with the Whipsnakes, Garrett Degnon, who was traded to the Chaos, and Ricky Miezan, who was released. Isaiah Davis-Allen and Chris Gray both retired.

5) Boston’s Defensive Backbone

Boston LSM Owen Grant (Delaware 2023) looks like he’s going to be a force in the middle of the field for head coach Brian Holman. With Jack Kielty returning from an Achilles injury, the Cannons appear poised to be strong on the defensive end.

Goalie Colin Kirst played well on Saturday night in horrendous conditions, helping Boston pull away from their eastern rival, New York.

The PLL heads to Charlotte, NC this week with games on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7. Saturday’s Utah vs Boston matchup at 1 PM will air on ABC, while Saturday Night Lacrosse features California taking on Carolina. All PLL games are also available for streaming on ESPN+. For tickets, visit PLL.com.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. You can listen to his podcast in our media section—his latest guest was Brendan Staub, a defender from Cornell.

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Cornell’s road to the 2025 national championship wasn’t just a story of talent—it was a masterclass in experience, depth, and resolve. From seasoned seniors to unsung heroes, the Big Red checked every box when it mattered most. Here are 21 reasons why the Cornell men’s lacrosse program is back on top.

1. Sixteen seniors. Thirteen had played in the 2022 championship game. You can’t put a price tag on experience.
   
   
2. Goalie Wyatt Knust’s improvement from moments in 2024 to the playoff run of 2025. He grew up in 2024 after having to fight for his position. His first-quarter saves in the Maryland final were tone-setters for the Big Red defense. The lefty senior from Tampa finished the year at 18-1 with a 54% save clip and was more than steady in clearing the ball and aligning the defense.
   
   
3. A healthy FOGO Jack Cascadden. The Garden City, LI native played in one game in 2024, going 21-of-28 against Lehigh before being injured and sidelined the entire campaign. That absence was a major reason the Cornell men’s lacrosse program missed the NCAA Tournament. Cascadden finished this season with 10 goals while going 61% at the dot. He was the Ivy League FOGO of the Year but proved his mettle in the NCAA Tournament. Backup FOGO Mike Melkonian, a freshman from South Side HS in Nassau County, won 2-of-3 draws in the final. Say Melkonian comes into the game in the third or fourth quarter and goes 0-for-3 and allows Maryland to come back? That didn’t happen.
   
   
4. Hard Hat plays. Cornell won the middle of the field and continually got their sticks on loose balls. They earned a few run-outs and won the hustle stats on Monday.
   
   
5. An experienced and potent second midfield line. Ryan Waldman, a sophomore from NJ, scored against Penn State during the CU 6-1 third-quarter run. Brian Luzzi, a junior from Bethpage, LI, had goals in the semis and final. Ryan Sheehan, the senior of the group from West Genny, was rock solid. This line did exactly what they were designed to do—timely production and quality possessions in critical moments. You can’t win an NCAA title without a serviceable second midfield trio.
   
   
6. The Big Red found different ways to score when CJ Kirst was in a shooting funk—hitting just 2-of-20 in the quarters and semis. Long poles and shorties stepped up offensively, and Cornell clicked in transition.
   
   
7. Unassisted goals. Maryland was either slow to slide or discombobulated on defense. So Cornell, a team known for their passing and high assist rate, scored unassisted goals in the national championship game off dodges by CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein. Goldstein proved to be a nightmare matchup for Maryland on Memorial Day. The sophomore from Radnor, PA—a legacy with both parents in the Cornell Hall of Fame—danced his way to destiny with four goals. He had a monster game against Richmond and is the heir apparent in Ithaca once CJ graduates. Goldstein is a true X quarterback attackman who breaks ankles with sudden cuts and unpredictable movements. His vision and passing accuracy are both pro-level.
   
   
8. Hugh Kelleher playing like a pro. The senior from MacArthur HS in central Long Island was drafted by the NY Atlas of the PLL and played to that level. At 6’3″ and 220 lbs, he was rumbling downhill in the semis and finished that game with three critical goals.
   
   
9. Defensive cohesion after getting abused by Yale in the Ivy League semifinal. It was so bad that DC Jordan Stevens had to play zone. After beating Princeton 20-15, the defensive unit found a new gear. Slide packages were clean. D-men made great decisions. Shorties covered in space. The entire six-man unit stepped up and held Penn State to nine goals and Maryland to ten. The tactically sound man-to-man scheme, with a little zone sprinkled in, kept opponents off balance. CU defended the pick game well and didn’t surrender cheap goals in transition.
   
   
10. Depth of contribution at the SSDM position. TJ Lamb, Chris Davis, Luke Gilmartin, Michael Bozzi, and Charlie Box all got runs. A good player, when tired, becomes a bad player. A good player, when fresh, is good. Cornell used depth to upgrade this position group.
    
    
11. Long poles with an offensive mindset. Walker Wallace, Walker Schwartz, and Brendan Staub all carried the ball upfield with confidence. Staub played 2024 at LSM and that positional versatility was apparent. Schwartz scored against Richmond. Cornell owned the middle of the field and these LSMs jumped off the screen.
    
    
12. A simple 3-3 zone ride was effective because of hustle. Ryan Goldstein became a menace on the ride. CJ Kirst has always been a terror while forechecking. The hustling group shrunk windows and time, and Maryland had three failed clears at crunch time.
    
    
13. Brendan Staub elevated his game to All-American level. He was smooth with first-time grounders and had goals against Penn State and Richmond.
    
    
14. Coach Buczek called Michael Long the brains of the operation. The sixth-year senior went for 4-13 in the four NCAA Tournament wins, quietly dissecting defenses and making the right play every time. He was the silent assassin.
    
    
15. Health. The Cornell men’s lacrosse program started the same lineup in all 19 games this season. Their strength and conditioning staff deserves credit. That group is the proactive portion of staying healthy. Diet, sleep, and workload management are three critical factors in maintaining peak health. When you win physical confrontations, you generally stay healthy. When you lose those same moments of contact, you can get hurt. The reactive branch of a team is the athletic training staff. They’re responsible for keeping guys on the mend and in the lineup once they’re banged up. Cornell had perfect attendance. That’s right out of Hard Hat 21. Be dependable.
    
    
16. A 2024 NCAA Tournament snub and no titles since 1977 provided fuel for 16 seniors to hunt excellence.
    
    
17. A disappointing and improbable loss to Penn State provided a lesson in finishing. Up 12-8 with 6:08 to play, and up 12-9 with 2:27 left in the game. Somehow Cornell gave that game away. It wouldn’t happen again. They learned to finish. Without that setback and painful loss, maybe they lose to Richmond in the quarterfinals after being down 12-11 in the fourth quarter. The Big Red finished that game on a 5-2 run. They wouldn’t be denied.
    
    
18. In his fifth year at the helm of the Cornell men’s lacrosse program, Coach Connor Buczek made all the right moves. The 31-year-old is the right combination of raw leader and tactical maestro. Cornell’s biggest challenge will be retaining him when high-profile jobs open up. He’ll be everyone’s top choice, and for good reason. He’s the real deal—but we knew that back in 2022.
    
    
19. DC Jordan Stevens is ready to be a head coach. His work with this defense was imperative to the late-season success. The 2015 alum is one of the best young leaders in the country.
    
    
20. CJ Kirst played like a bona fide star, taking over the NCAA title game every time Maryland defender Will Schaller wasn’t matched up against him. But for me, CJ’s relentless effort and positivity were most apparent in the two games where his offensive production lagged—ten ground balls and three caused turnovers against Richmond. No whining after going o-fer in the semifinal. Who knows how severe his right hand/wrist injury is? No complaints. No excuses. Just play. It didn’t matter. CJ caps off one of the most dominant seasons in the sport’s history with an NCAA title. He will always be remembered by how he played—not by gaudy stats. Well done > well said.
    
    
21. This was a win for culture. After nearly 50 years, Cornell men’s lacrosse finished on top. Their core beliefs are anchored by former player George Boiardi, who passed away in 2004 after being hit by a shot during a game. George wore #21. His parents were in Gillette Stadium. And for Cornell, #21 has always been a special number. Twenty-one years after he lost his life, this band of brothers pushed the proud program to gold. It’s a story that will be told for decades.

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There is nothing better than the NCAA lacrosse semifinals. Championship weekend returns to Gillette Stadium with a pair of high-stakes semifinals on Saturday. Cornell vs. Penn State at noon. Maryland vs. Syracuse to follow. Two games, four power programs, one shot at the title. Let’s break it down the NCAA lacrosse semifinals.

1 Cornell vs 5 Penn State

NCAA Lacrosse Semifinals | Saturday | ESPN2 @ 12:00pm
(Anish Shroff, Paul Carcaterra, Quint Kessenich, Dana Boyle)

Who are the stars?
CJ Kirst (Cornell) and Matt Traynor (Penn State) are the headliners. Kirst will win the Tewaaraton in a landslide. He leads the nation in points per game at 6.35. Traynor, #22, was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and scored six goals in the quarterfinal win over Notre Dame. He was unstoppable during the Nittany Lions’ 8-0 comeback run to end the game.

Offense vs. Balance
Cornell ranks #1 in scoring offense, shot percentage (36.7%), and assists per game. They’ve been a juggernaut, held to fewer than 12 goals just once all season—by Dartmouth on April 26. The Big Red (16-1) have the nation’s most potent attack with Kirst, Ryan Goldstein, and Michael Long. Their first midfield of Hugh Kelleher, Willem Firth, and Andrew Dalton has combined for (74,34).

Penn State’s strength is balance. All units are solid. They don’t have a glaring weakness, and their even stats in all departments reflect that. They rank #18 in scoring offense and #8 in both scoring defense and face-off percentage (60%).

X-Factor
The Cornell close defense is sound, and DC Jordan Stevens uses up to four LSMs and six SSDMs. They’ve played both man and zone. After a shaky outing in the Ivy League semifinals against Yale, their slide and recovery execution has been much improved against Princeton, Albany, and Richmond. The Big Red have created transition looks directly off face-offs and the ride, with ten pole goals and nine from FOGO Jack Cascadden.

Cornell has 16 seniors who are on a mission. They lost in the 2022 NCAA final 9-7 against Maryland and are back on the hunt. Penn State’s senior class is elite as well, with players like Traynor, Ethan Long, Luke Walstrum, Will Peden, Kevin Parnham, Jack Fracyon, and Kyle Aldridge. They, too, have championship weekend experience to draw from.

Matchup that Matters
Penn State lefty defender Alex Ross (#6) draws the CJ Kirst (#15) assignment. Ross did excellent work in the regular season meeting between these teams. Penn State won that game in overtime after a miracle comeback, aided by a Cornell non-releasable penalty on Cascadden late in regulation.

Kirst has all the tools to be a future PLL all-star. His cutting ability jumps off the screen. After a summer in Canada sharpening his eyes and hands, his shooting percentage has taken off. He buckles goalies with deception and uses head and shoulder leaner fakes to make it look easy.

Penn State’s defense must also account for Big Red catalyst Ryan Goldstein (#30). The sophomore’s foot speed and change of direction at X can break ankles and hearts. Albany did a terrific job pressing out at X in the first round, limiting ball reversal and holding Cornell to five goals in the first half. Kevin Parnham (#16) or Will Costin (#28) likely draws that assignment.

Important Stats
Cornell FOGO Jack Cascadden has nine goals on 28 shots. Goalie Wyatt Knust made just five saves last week in the close win over Richmond. Penn State netminder Jack Fracyon had been only 34% in the three outings prior to Notre Dame but played a very strong game in Annapolis and has big stadium experience from 2023.

Under-the-Radar Hero
For Cornell, it could be Ryan Waldman, who has 20 points running on the second midfield. Penn State’s Jon King is a scrappy SSDM from Draper, Utah, with over 40 ground balls. He’s a weapon on face-off wings, attacking the draw man’s butt end. With Colby Baldwin injured, freshman Reid Gillis has done great work, but King is a big reason why the Nittany Lions are above 60% at the face-off dot.

2 Maryland vs 6 Syracuse

NCAA Lacrosse Semifinals | Saturday | ESPN2 — 35 minutes following Game #1
(Anish Shroff, Paul Carcaterra, Quint Kessenich, Dana Boyle)

Defense vs. Offense
Terp structure and discipline vs. Orange free-flowing creative skill. Maryland relies on high-percentage shot selection and endless ball movement to generate layups. Syracuse has soft hands, deft passers, and magical abilities in the offensive gray areas.

X-Factor
FOGO John Mullen (SU) and Syracuse’s game management will be critical when matched against Maryland’s iron will. The Terps are the poster child for structure and discipline. Too often in 2025, Syracuse has mismanaged late-quarter or end-game scenarios—giving the ball away prematurely and then conceding goals in the final 30 seconds. It’s happened against Harvard, Princeton, and in the regular season meeting with Maryland.

Matchup that Matters
Maryland defender Will Schaller (#27) is likely to cover Syracuse quarterback Joey Spallina (#22). Schaller is a sturdy left-handed jackhammer, but his off-ball play can be vulnerable. With that in mind, Syracuse should use Spallina as a picker—both from the wings and from X. This would be my bread and butter if I’m Pat March, SU offensive coordinator.

Injury impact
Syracuse SSDM Nathan Levine was injured at Duke and is out for the remainder of the year. That’s significant. Levine was quietly outstanding and gave DC John Odierna the freedom to short-stick opposing attackmen. Without Levine, Syracuse has had to dig deeper into their bench. After Carter Rice, the shorties (#50, #1, and #2) have been exposed. Expect Maryland to target them like an itchy scab.

Important Stats
Maryland has only 70 unassisted goals in 16 games. They prefer to pass, pass, pass. When possessions bog down, the Terps won’t force bad shots—instead, they’ll toss the ball into the parking lot and take a shot clock violation. Maryland has 32 such violations. Coach John Tillman eschews the ride—attackmen drop to the midline or sub box, middies run off, and opponents clear at a 91% rate (ranked 73rd out of 74 D1 teams). Tillman wants a six-on-six game.

It would benefit Syracuse to grab an early lead—Rutgers and Ohio State did that in wins over Maryland. The Orange must inject tempo into this game. If it becomes a strictly half-field affair, the edge shifts to Maryland.

Under-the-Radar Hero
Terp veteran Daniel Kelly—a lefty finisher from the slot and midrange—has been money lately. He’s shooting 32-for-72 this season. Syracuse’s do-it-all midfielder Sam English will log heavy minutes, playing first midfield, man-down, and in transition. He reminds me of Matt Abbott. His overall impact can’t be overstated. Cooler temps (56° and rainy) are ideal for marathoners—and English will be asked to run.

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The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament quarterfinals are the payoff round, with a trip to Championship Weekend up for grabs. Last week, we broke down each of the first-round matchups. Now, let’s take a look back at the first-round action and how it all played out.

#1 Cornell vs Richmond

The Big Red moved past Albany on a gorgeous Sunday night in Ithaca behind a superb performance from CJ Kirst. In his last home game, he delivered in front of a robust crowd that included his mom Michelle and his brothers.

The defense was dialed in early, as the CU shooters didn’t have their best night. Between two games last weekend and Slope Day on Wednesday, I wasn’t expecting a peak performance. Cornell had a season-low five goals at halftime.

Albany’s Silas Richmond is a scorer worth following next year. He could be a PLL first-round draft choice. The Danes face-guarded Ryan Goldstein at times, and that seemed to hamper the #1 rated offense.

The 15-6 final saw Kirst shoot 6-for-12. Hugh Kelleher is playing in career form, putting up a hat trick, and Michael Long, the brains of the operation, had a stealthy six points. Goalie Wyatt Knust was 67%, showcasing his quick hands and feet. The CU defense was quite good. They are playing boatloads of SSDMs and LSMs, which could come in handy as the temps hit 80 degrees plus. FOGO Jack Cascadden was 65%.

Richmond opened the first round with a rousing comeback win, 13-10, at North Carolina. Congrats to Richmond for their first NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament win in program history (12th season, beginning play in 2014). It’s their ninth straight win overall. They were the first of three unseeded wins over the weekend.

The Spiders seemed stuck in the mud early on, scoreless and juiceless for the first 24 minutes. Nerves usually impact clearing patterns and offensive flow. Down 4-0, Richmond cut into the deficit, trailing 5-2 at halftime. Veteran leader Max Merklinger spoke up at halftime. Richmond looked like themselves in the second half, outscoring UNC 11-5 and closing the game on a 4-0 run. The Heels looked like burnt toast — too many players injured, too few offensive options not named Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala. Their no-name defense, a group of incredible overachievers, didn’t get enough help.

Spider crease man Lucas Littlejohn scored four times. Richmond goalie Zach Vigue, who grew up a Heels fan in Apex, NC about ten miles down the road, was solid as a rock between the pipes. Smith, Dunham, and Farrell are a terrific close defense. Spider fans rejoiced at Dorrance Field.

Richmond plays Cornell at Hofstra. The two teams played at Robbins Stadium during the regular season. Richmond led Cornell 6-1 and 11-8 in the fourth quarter but lost by a goal. Richmond now has wins over Virginia, Georgetown, and UNC. They own close losses to Duke and Cornell. This is exactly where they belong.

#6 Syracuse vs #3 Princeton

On Saturday, Towson — the CAA champs — hung tough in the first half at Princeton. Shawn Nadelen’s squad, wearing throwback black porthole mesh jerseys, got mini-runs by Mikey Weishaar and a Ronan Fitzpatrick hat trick to stay within shouting distance.

Princeton coach Matt Madalon was angry at halftime because his team was not making tournament-level decisions. Tiger FOGO Andrew McMeekin dominated face-offs, yet Princeton turned the ball over eight times, had six failed clears, took a too many men penalty, and had an equipment infraction — all in the first 30 minutes to keep Towson down just four goals at the intermission.

Princeton sharpened their swords at halftime and bombarded Towson with an array of dazzling shots. The Tigers exploded for nine goals in the third quarter. Nate Kabiri and Tucker Wade each finished with five goals. Barbecue Burns added four. Along the way, Coulter Mackesy became the all-time leading goal scorer in Princeton history.

The Tigers of New Jersey advance to the quarterfinals after losing first-round games on the road in 2023 and 2024.

In the Dome on Mother’s Day, the ACC champion Syracuse squad started slowly. Harvard was flowing on offense and up 8-2 at halftime. #HHH was generously turning the ball over, and Harvard freshman goalie Graham Stevens made some grade-A saves for the Crimson.

Coach Gary Gait maintained his poise — a trait that made Gait elite as a player. Syracuse edged Harvard 3-1 in the third to pull within four goals after 45 minutes.

Harvard scored at the 10:59 mark in the fourth to go up 11-6. Things didn’t look good for the Orange. Johnny Mullen was winning face-offs at a historic clip, plus-27 possessions on the evening. That triggered an epic season-saving run. Syracuse scored six in a row to go up 12-11, including a trio of extra-man goals on a one-minute non-releasable penalty. Harvard forced a turnover with :23 seconds left, and Owen Gaffney scored with :06 left to tie the game and send it into sudden death. Mullen won another draw and lefty Owen Hiltz got the game-winner off a cut from eyes-up Joey Spallina. Midfielder Luke Rhoa had four goals for Syracuse. Survive and advance.

The Orange lost to Denver in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament quarterfinals at Towson. SU is now 19-1 all-time against Harvard and turns its attention to Princeton. This matchup features some of the slickest and most skilled offensive players you’ll ever see on a college field. The two-man game expertise will be notable.

#5 Penn State vs Notre Dame

After a slow start, Notre Dame overwhelmed Ohio State in Columbus, 15-6, as FOGO Will Lynch and the defense were too much for the Buckeyes. Ohio State won the B10, and many people felt they got shafted in the bracket with this pairing. Should ND have been sent to Penn State? The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament bracket isn’t seeded 1-16. Geography has always determined first-round matchups. With 10 AQs and two play-in games, it feels like the committee protects the top two seeds. After that, you are on your own. The emphatic win by the Irish mutes any argument. Had Ohio State beaten Utah and not scheduled RPI anchors Bellarmine, Cleveland State, and Detroit, they would have been seeded #2 or #3.

OSU goalie Caleb Fyock made 15 saves in defeat. The possession advantage was overwhelming. Eleven players had a point for ND. The inconsistent and sporadic offense found more for coach Kevin Corrigan, who didn’t wear his superstitious old baseball cap. Chris Kavanagh had five goals. Finisher Jake Taylor was impactful — usually a sign of ball movement. When the two-time champions were backed into a corner, they responded.

On Saturday, Penn State held serve over Colgate in a 13-11 final in a game that went the full 60 minutes. The Nittany Lions didn’t score in the first quarter and didn’t lead in the first half. The tempo favored Colgate early. The Raiders created chaos and forced eight PSU turnovers in the first quarter. PSU didn’t unravel. Jeff Tambroni’s team settled down.

Penn State FOGO Reid Gills went 21-of-28 — after going 18-of-22 in the B1G semis against Maryland. Colby Baldwin was their top FO guy for most of the season; he’s injured, and freshman Gills has been clutch. With that advantage, and forcing 23 Raider turnovers, the Nittany Lions dominated possession and outshot Colgate 46-26.

A lefty wearing #51 from Canada, Liam Matthews, had four goals and a critical one near the end. Big Ten OPOY Matt Traynor had three goals. He’s a star. Ethan Long had four points. Colgate’s attack combined for a dozen points. Lion goalie Jack Fracyon fought through a tough night and returns home to Annapolis for the quarters. Penn State is now looking for a third trip to Championship Weekend (2019 & 2023).

#2 Maryland vs Georgetown

Maryland advances over Air Force 13-5, making their 22nd consecutive NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament appearance — the longest active streak by a kilometer (Georgetown is second with 7). That’s remarkable consistency.

The Terps scored 56 seconds into the Sunday afternoon game and led wire-to-wire. Conductor Eric Spanos had a career-high six goals. Corning’s favorite goalie, Logan McNaney, made 10 saves with only three goals against, extending his Maryland records to 753 saves and 58 wins. He is built for May.

Air Force had won seven straight after a 2-7 start to get to the round of 16. They handled Robert Morris in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, visited Gettysburg on Thursday, and saw the Washington Monument on Saturday. A lifetime of memories in one week. That’s great stuff.

Georgetown, the Big East champs, lost to Denver 7-3 on April 12 and are undefeated since, averaging 18 goals per game. It’s been an amazing transformation. They’ve settled in with a stable midfield and attack personnel rotation. They have better field balance with a few lefties now in the mix. The ball movement and skip passes have been vastly upgraded. Huge credit to OC John Hogan and assistant David Shriver.

The usually slow-starting Hoyas were ready to play under the lights at Koskinen. Kevin Warne’s squad led 3-0 and 3-1 after the first quarter. It was 5-2 when Duke finally woke up. The Devils tied it at 6-6 on a Ben Johnston skimmer off the grass from 20 yards with 19.4 seconds left in the half. Hoyas hero Aidan Carroll countered with :04 seconds left. Then Duke FOGO Cal Girard tied it at 7-7 with a bounce shot from 21 yards at the buzzer. He was outside the box. It was a crazy sequence — three goals in 19 seconds — and Duke went to the locker room buzzing and sensing a tidal shift. Or so you would think.

That’s when Aidan Carroll took over. Carroll, the GT grad student and PLL draft pick, scored six straight goals for the Hoyas over the second and early third quarters combined. Six in a row for Carroll, the takeover artist. He would not be denied. The late-developing righty had (8,2) in the Big East final against Nova and a monster eight-point game on Saturday night. He joined GT legends Dan Bucaro and Jake Carraway in the pantheon of epic NCAA performances.

His Hoyas pushed the lead to 11-7. Fulton Bayman (4,1), the Notre Dame graduate transfer who has fought through five ACL tears, played an inspired game. Defender Ty Banks was outstanding, bumping up to cover Ben Johnston. Duke’s offense never really got on track. Assisted goals were in short supply.

It was 12-8 GT after 45 minutes. Devil Eric Malever cut it to 12-9. Hoyas answered. Freshman crease man Jack Ransom from Charlotte, NC made it 13-9 and 14-9 before Bayman stretched the lead to 15-9.

The game went sideways — drunk — in the last five minutes as Duke pulled the goalie, applying pressure all over the field in a ten-man ride. The sloppiness was a net equal — fun to watch and unique — as both teams staggered to :00.

GT found the finish line and captured the road win on ACC soil. It was a rough day for the ACC on Tobacco Road.

Hoyas were the better team. Midfielder Patrick Crogan was very good and had three goals. FOGO Ross Prince went 20-of-30. Stopper Anderson Moore had shaky moments but made some decent saves when needed and played an A+ game out of the net with two runouts and precise clearing.

Duke once again falls short of expectations in May. Georgetown turns the page and gets another week together. They have not won an NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament quarterfinal game in their last ten tries. Kevin Warne began his coaching career at UMBC as an assistant to Don Zimmerman before working two years at Maryland as the DC for John Tillman. Maryland and Georgetown know each other very well. MD OC Mike Phipps spent five years in DC working for Warne. The Hoyas’ last trip to Championship Weekend was in 1999. Meanwhile, Maryland under John Tillman is (10-1) in the quarterfinal round. No secrets here — the teams scrimmage annually in January. The stakes are higher this time.

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The 2025 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament has arrived, and every game will be available for fans on ESPN platforms. First-round matchups begin this weekend, with coverage on ESPNU, ESPN+, and a marquee showdown between Ohio State and Notre Dame airing on ESPN2. The quarterfinals will take place at Hofstra on May 17 and at Navy on May 18, leading into NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament Championship Weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the men’s and women’s semifinals and finals will be held. Anish Shroff contributed to this article.

Wednesday, May 7th

Siena grabbed the MAAC automatic qualifier for the first time in 11 years. Pratt Reynolds scored five times in the 12-8 final win over Sacred Heart. Ryan McCarthy had five assists, and goalie Andrew Arcuri made 15 saves. Coach Liam Gleeson is a former Great Dane assistant.

Albany defeated Bryant 12-7 for the first time since 2015 on their way to the America East AQ. The Danes played in the 2018 Final Four. They are a five-time quarterfinalist and appeared in the 2024 bracket, defeating Sacred Heart in the play-in game before losing to Notre Dame 14-9. Coach Scott Marr has led his team to 12 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament.

Robert Morris beat Detroit Mercy 17-8, capturing the NEC automatic bid. The four-time NEC champs from the Steel City meet Air Force on Wednesday.

Air Force makes its first NCAA appearance since 2017 after hoisting gold in the Atlantic Sun tournament.

Opening Round Wednesday Results

Albany defeated Siena 11-9
Air Force beat Robert Morris 14-9

Join Chris Cotter, Paul Carcaterra, and Quint on their drive from Ithaca, NY, to the ESPN studio in Bristol, CT. They provide the pizza, laughs, and opinions on this week’s episode of the Quintessential Podcast.

Saturday, May 10th

Richmond at #8 North Carolina

12:00 pm on ESPNU (Anish Shroff and Quint Kessenich)

The Spiders captured the A10 and make their sixth tourney appearance after ending the regular season with eight consecutive wins. They haven’t lost since March 15 and are battle-tested in 2025 with wins over Georgetown and Virginia, and close losses to Maryland, Duke (OT), and Cornell, 12-11. Richmond ranks in the top 10 in both scoring offense and defense. They allow opponents just 27 shots per game. Quarterback Aidan O’Neil and defender Hunter Smith are the marquee names. Lucas Littlejohn and Max Merklinger spearhead a diverse scoring unit.

North Carolina hosts with health concerns looming about their most impactful player, Owen Duffy. The sophomore is freakishly mobile — a catalyst and party starter for Joe Breschi’s offense. Lefty hammer Dom Pietramala has been unstoppable with hands free. FOGO Brady Wambach is a reliable commodity in the possession department, and grad goalie Michael Giofrancaro maintains a level pulse. The Heels’ “no-name” defense continues to overachieve. If Duffy isn’t 100%, freshman and complimentary midfielders will have to raise their game.

This pairing is a true #8–9 matchup and kicks off a full day of television coverage on ESPNU and ESPN+ at noon, live from Dorrance Field.

Towson at #3 Princeton

2:30 pm on ESPNU (Chris Cotter and Paul Carcaterra)

Towson earned their second consecutive CAA title last weekend. The Tigers (11-5) began the year at 1-5 and have since won ten straight. The defense is most responsible for league success. Ronan Fitzpatrick scored five times in the championship game win over Drexel. Towson lost at Syracuse 20-15 in the 2025 NCAA first round after putting a scare into the Orange. They haven’t won a playoff game since making the Final Four in 2017.

Princeton lost to Cornell in the Ivy League final. The Tigers have dropped two consecutive NCAA first round games. This senior class played in the 2022 Final Four in Connecticut. The offense is one of the nation’s best. They heavily rely on two-man games. There is an abundance of skill with players like Coulter Mackesy, Nate Kabiri, Chad Palumbo, and Tucker Wade. While it appears as if the defense tightened later in the season, the jury is still out on whether that was due to true improvement or the declining quality of opponents faced in the lower half of the Ivy League. They have played both man and zone schemes on defense but rely heavily on goalie Ryan Croddick. Face-off success has too often been sold separately. With a track record of playing poorly in the first round and coming off two hard games last weekend, this Tiger vs. Tiger matchup won’t be a cakewalk.

Colgate at #5 Penn State

5:00 pm on ESPNU (Drew Carter and Matt Ward)

Colgate upset Army in the Patriot League semifinals and kept it rolling with an emphatic win over BU to grab the AQ. They haven’t been to the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament since 2015. Their ten-man ride and pressure defense can be overwhelming. The offense is #3 nationally in scoring. The Connor brothers steer the offense, and goalie Matt LaCombe was a brick wall in the Patriot League tournament. The performances of specialists are heightened in May.

The Nittany Lions defeated Colgate in the first game of their season, a year after losing to the Red Raiders. PSU is led by Matt Traynor, Kyle Lehman, Alex Ross, and goalie Jack Fracyon. Freshman midfielder Hunter Aquino has cooled off lately and needs to bust through the freshman wall. If Penn State can make this a half-field game, they’ll win. But if Colgate speeds the game up and makes Penn State uncomfortable in the middle of the field, this will be a 60-minute game.

Georgetown at #7 Duke

7:30 pm on ESPNU (Anish Shroff and Quint Kessenich)

The Hoyas took the Big East AQ as Nova slid recklessly and got diced by ball movement. That’s an amazing seven straight league titles. GT coach Kevin Warne, who played for John Danowski at Hofstra, saw his offense shoot 45% in two wins last weekend. Aidan Carroll had a career day with eight goals and ten points. Fulton Bayman has been terrific after graduating from ND. Georgetown can pass. Jack Ransom can shoot.

Guessing that the Duke defense will be slow to slide/double and force Georgetown to score unassisted goals. Seventy-five percent of Hoya goals are assisted. Duke’s defense has been outstanding in the last month, holding six straight opponents to fewer than 10 goals. Defender Charlie Johnson is likely to cover Aidan Carroll. Johnson is exceptional. The Blue Devils’ Achilles heel has been sluggish attack production and clearing woes at key moments. Does Georgetown try to ride them? Can Duke generate goals outside the six-on-six? SSDM Aidan Maguire and LSM Mac Christmas have transitional firepower. Georgetown will be playing on grass — a rarity outside the ACC — in a night game at Koskinen.

First team to 10 wins.

Sunday, May 11th 

Notre Dame at #4 Ohio State

12:00 pm on ESPN2 (Chris Cotter and Paul Carcaterra)

CFP National Championship rematch on the lacrosse field in front of an ESPN2 audience—what more could you ask for? This pairing in the first round could easily be a final or semifinal-quality matchup. Grab the Hefty bag and clean out your locker. Somebody is going home early.

The Irish rank in the top ten in scoring offense and defense but have been prone to lengthy scoring droughts over the last month. Midfield production and offensive flow have been disjointed and inconsistent. Chris Kavanagh is the spark, but he may be silenced by Bobby Van Buren. Midfielder Jordan Faison, splitting time between spring football and lacrosse, has not had the same impact this season. Notre Dame has excellent short stick defensive midfielders and stopper Shawn Lyght down low. Goalie Thomas Ricciardelli was dropping, flopping, and guessing low in the ACC Tournament—which can be corrected in practice this week. Notre Dame is talented and experienced, but what makes you believe the lightbulb can flip on just like that?

The Buckeyes (14-2) grabbed their first Big Ten title with a win over Maryland last Saturday night. They played in the 2017 national title game but haven’t won an NCAA playoff game since. Ohio State picked up a win over Notre Dame in South Bend earlier this season. Goalie Caleb Fyock—aka Big Tasty—leads the country in save percentage. Coach Nick Myers pulled talent out of the transfer portal, and his offense is diverse and deep with contributors like Alex Marinier, Liam White, Garrett Haas, and Jack McKenna. At the core, OSU is a defense-first team (#6 in scoring defense) with Van Buren and stout shorties playing at an elite level.

Air Force at #2 Maryland

2:30 pm on ESPNU (Drew Carter and Matt Ward)

Terps coach John Tillman is hunting his 11th Final Four in year #14. He’s an incredible 10-1 in the NCAA quarterfinal round. Maryland lost to Ohio State in the Big Ten final. Goalie Logan McNaney is Mr. May. His story is featured in “Game On,” which includes segments on CJ Kirst, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Keep your eyes peeled for air times and networks—ESPN’s best storytellers are giving lacrosse some love.

Maryland’s defense is its identity, ranking #3 in the country in scoring defense. This team rarely beats itself. They are masters of restarts and win the inches. The LSM group—Jack McDonald and AJ Larkin—is excellent. Close defender Will Schaller is a burly lockdown artist. The offense is methodical, not spectacular, and led by Eric Spanos and Braden Erksa.

Harvard at #6 Syracuse

5:00 pm on ESPNU (Mike Corey and Mark Dixon)

Crimson upset Syracuse in the Dome earlier this season despite not winning face-offs. The Harvard ride has teeth. Harvard hasn’t won an NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament game since 1996. Sam King, Jack Speidell, and athletic midfielders Owen Gaffney, Logan Ip, and Miles Botkiss play an aggressive style in settled situations, ranking #6 nationally in scoring. That group looked hesitant against Princeton’s zone defense in the Ivy semifinal. Finding solutions to a possession disparity is job number one for coach Gerry Byrne.

Syracuse hasn’t been to Championship Weekend since 2013. The ACC Tournament champs are led by junior attackman Joey Spallina and PLL draft picks Owen Hiltz, Sam English, and defender Michael Grace. Goalie Jimmy McCool is trending in the right direction. This is a rematch game that coach Gary Gait and #HHH should crave. On paper, it appears to be the highest-scoring game of the opening weekend.

Albany at #1 Cornell

7:30 pm on ESPNU (Jay Alter and Jules Heningburg)

Cornell has the nation’s #1 scoring offense and the best player in the game: lefty scorer CJ Kirst. Thirteen seniors were part of the runner-up finish in 2022. The Big Red hasn’t won the national title since 1977 and have lost five finals along the way (1978, 1987, 1988, 2009, 2022). The offense is elite with Ryan Goldstein and Michael Long flanking Kirst on attack. Ball movement has been dazzling. Midfielder Hugh Kelleher, a PLL draft pick on Tuesday night, is a north-south Mack truck dodger. Lefty Liam Firth and Dalton provide skill and savvy inside and on the wing.

Cornell plays a boatload of SSDMs and LSMs and utilized both man-to-man and zone schemes against Yale. Their slide and recovery patterns were dreadful in that Ivy semifinal, but those areas looked cleaned up in the Ivy final win against Princeton. Goalie Wyatt Knust, a bouncy lefty from Tampa, Florida, is battle-tested and clutch. Jack Cascadden has gaudy faceoff stats after shredding sub-par Ivy FOGOs all season and can strike in transition—he has nine goals in 2025.

This veteran team feels like they’re on a mission, and coach Connor Buczek knows how to navigate the road to Boston, having led the Big Red to the 2022 title game, falling to Maryland 9-7 on Memorial Day. After two hard games in the Ivy Tournament and “Slope Day” festivities on campus Wednesday, I don’t expect Cornell to be razor sharp in the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament opening round.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include players Ryan Goldstein (Cornell), Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), and Eric Spanos (MD).

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Championship Week is here for college lacrosse. If you’re involved in any fashion, bring the attitude of gratitude into May. Here’s the final Top 20 of 2025. Don’t get my poll confused with bracketology. They are different exercises. It’s my opinion.

Feels like the Big Ten can’t score, and the Ivy League is light on defense. ACC teams lack consistency. Who can play both offense and defense at a high level? Who can play complimentary lacrosse? We find out in May.

This is a huge week. Ten AQs are earned across the D1 landscape. Champ Week is an extension of the 18-team NCAA bracket. Seventy-four D1 teams get paired down to 18 by May 4. Let’s celebrate these moments and put these programs on a pedestal.

The NCAA tournament selection show is on Sunday, May 4 (ESPN+) at 9:30 p.m.

20) Sacred Heart
The Pioneers (11-2) pulled off a dramatic second-half comeback to secure an 11-7 victory over Manhattan in their MAAC finale. They’ve won seven straight and are the number one seed in the MAAC Championships. John Murray, Ryan Rooney, and Michael Moreschi had three points apiece. Dom Basti scored twice. The Pioneers host the MAAC Championships (ESPN+).

Coach Jon Basti was my guest on the Quintessential Podcast this week. The Sacred Heart success story is layered with an intense compete level in practice, guitar music, pizza, and a culture based on communication and relationships.

19) Fairfield
Fairfield (12-2) — Coach Andy Baxter has done an amazing job winning a dozen games in Connecticut. A 14-8 win over Monmouth featured a defensive lockdown, holding their opponent scoreless for a span of 28:49. During that time, the Stags caused seven turnovers and goalkeeper Owen Hirsch made seven of his 11 saves as Fairfield built an insurmountable 10-3 lead.

18) Towson
The Tigers (9-5) are winners of eight straight games after a 9-7 win over Hofstra on Long Island. The Pride’s Ben Niesman won 12 of 17 face-offs. The Tigers used a five-goal third quarter to capture the win. Goalie Matt Nilan made 14 saves and only gave up three goals in the second half. Towson went (7-0) in the CAA.

Shawn Nadelen’s team faces Hofstra (8-6) again on Thursday at 4 p.m. while Fairfield (12-2) and Drexel (7-7) take the field later that evening at 7 p.m. The winners of Thursday’s semifinal contests will face off for the CAA title on Saturday afternoon at Towson.

17) Michigan
Season is done at (7-7).

16) Rutgers
With their backs against the wall, the Scarlet Knights (7-8) found a way to defeat Michigan in an elimination game. Led by four goals and two assists from Colin Kurdyla, the Scarlet Knights earned an 11-8 win to stay alive. The defense held its ninth opponent to single digits.

Rutgers will return to Ann Arbor for a semifinals matchup against Ohio State at 5 p.m. ET on BTN.

15) Virginia
Forgettable 2025 season is officially over. The Cavaliers had their season ended by Duke in overtime on Saturday afternoon. Virginia kept fighting. The eight losses were to Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Maryland, Richmond, Johns Hopkins, and Ohio State. The Wahoos finished #43 in scoring offense and #42 in scoring defense. Midfield production was lacking all season. Their shooting percentage was rated at #51 at 27%.

Now let’s see how the program reacts. National champs in 2019 and 2021, Virginia may have player defections into the portal and staff changes. Nothing would shock me.

14) Boston University
The Terriers (10-4) are the #2 seed in the Patriot League after a come-from-behind 14-12 win over Colgate. Jimmy O’Connell had eight points. The Patriot League tournament can be seen on CBS Sports on Friday, May 2.

13) Georgetown
I watched the Swamp Dogs (8-4) dispose of Villanova on Friday night in the rain. This game was sloppy. Fulton Bayman was terrific for the Hoyas and Jack Ransom couldn’t miss the net. Villanova was their own worst enemy with countless careless turnovers. The Big East is a one-bid league. Marquette, improved in 2025, plays Georgetown in the semifinals while Providence takes on Villanova. These games are on Thursday in Denver.

12) Richmond
The Spiders (11-3) sit at #9 in the RPI with quality wins over Virginia and St. Joseph’s. Unfortunately, their victories over Lehigh and Georgetown are currently outside the Top 20. Close losses to Duke and Cornell are viewed as just losses. So I don’t see Richmond landing an at-large bid if they lose in the conference tournament. If they capture their league AQ, they will be somebody’s first-round nightmare. They could potentially land the #8 seed and a home game.

Richmond will open the A10 Championship against fourth-seeded Massachusetts in the first semifinal, on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. High Point plays Saint Joseph’s at 2:00 p.m. Both games are in Philadelphia.

11) Syracuse
The Orange (9-5) were outplayed by North Carolina in the Dome and now find themselves living in the danger zone on the bubble, hoping for no chaos. Otto is a big fan of Army.

The Syracuse offense was stagnant for much of the UNC loss. Patterns rely on high wing dodges from Luke Rhoa, Michael Leo, and Sam English. They have more Canadian personnel than anybody but eschew the pick-and-roll game. Why is that? Joey Spallina needs to set more picks. They don’t have an attackman who can win a matchup. The biggest issue is the lack of separation speed on offense. So using picks is ideal. Their sticks are elite. But smart opponents just back in and pack it in.

Clearing woes hurt the cause on Saturday. Dodging success by midfielders was sold separately. Goalie Jimmy McCool kept his team in the game as UNC peppered him. SSDM Nate Levine is done for the season with a lower-body injury. That hurts. Syracuse allowed Dom Pietramala to take 20 shots. They paid the price. How many times this season has Syracuse taken dumb penalties at critical moments? #HH should be their hashtag. They aren’t playing with their heads. They don’t play with discipline.

The Orange drop into the #4 spot in the ACC and play Notre Dame on Friday in Charlotte, NC.

10) Harvard
The Crimson (10-3) squeezed past Brown on Saturday. A gritty 11-10 comeback win was essential for at-large survival. Logan Ip was the hero.

Their RPI is #10. Holding a head-to-head win over Syracuse may be critical on Selection Sunday, especially if Army stumbles. Harvard plays Princeton on Friday in Ithaca.

9) Ohio State
The Buckeyes (12-2) had a bye week. They needed it after only being able to manufacture five goals through 55 minutes against Michigan. They may have won that game, but to me it’s a red flag. Did you watch the game? Those who prefer final-score-based analysis will complain about their placement in this poll. That’s fair. They beat Penn State and Notre Dame. I was impressed with the comeback at Michigan, but I can’t just dismiss what went on for the majority of that rivalry game.

And if Ohio State played Notre Dame tomorrow on a neutral field, the Buckeyes would be Vegas underdogs. Goalie Caleb Fyock and the defense, I love. I just don’t see Ohio State as the fifth-best lacrosse team in the country. This isn’t about resumes. It’s not bracketology. It’s about who I think is best. It’s my opinion. And lastly, I’m becoming a little skeptical about the Big Ten as a league in 2025. Conference games have been rock fights. It’s an extremely well-coached, defensive-based league. Let’s see how that shakes down in May.

Ohio State plays Rutgers in the Big Ten semis. The Scarlet Knights rank #61 in scoring offense.

8) Duke
The Devils (11-4) moved a step closer to the NCAA tournament with a 10-9 overtime win at Virginia. Goalie Patrick Jameison was terrific. He made a flopping save in overtime when the ball bounced up his shorts. If you’re a goalie and wearing shorts, it pays to make them as baggy as possible. When you bend your knees and sit down on bouncers, the excess fabric can be your friend. Benn Johnston nailed the game-winner. Tomas Delgado found the net twice. Duke is RPI #7. They have a Top 5 defense in my estimation, but their attack production lags behind the serious title contenders.

Hard to believe that Denver beat Duke just a few weeks ago by a large margin. The Pios’ season ended abruptly on April 25. Along with fellow 2024 quarterfinalists Virginia and Johns Hopkins, the premature endings in 2025 will require reflection and adaptation. Things change quickly these days in college sports, and I expect to see major overhauls at Denver, Johns Hopkins, and Virginia during the offseason.

7) North Carolina
Just when you thought the Heels (10-3) were ready to fold up camp and hike into the woods, they delivered a gutsy and energetic road win in the Dome. I would estimate that the win and current resume are worthy of a Top 8 seed and home game in the NCAA tournament, regardless of what happens on Friday against Duke.

I said it last week and I’ll say it again. Dave Pietramala is the national assistant coach of the year. The work he’s doing with an inexperienced Carolina close defense has been remarkable. Dom Pietramala was unstoppable. The lefty took a whopping 20 shots himself, scoring six times with a stunning variety of releases. Owen Duffy didn’t look 100%, but Carolina got production from James Matan, Ryan Levy, Brevin Wilson, and Spencer Wirtheim. Syracuse finished the game with a 4-0 run to make it tense.

Carolina plays Duke in Charlotte next.

6) Army
The Black Knights (12-1) dusted Loyola and will now host the Patriot League semis and final. Jackson Eicher was once again lethal with his right-handed shot. When he can set his feet, the velocity overwhelms goalies. Army has dropped six RPI spots since the committee reveal.

Colgate is at Lehigh on Tuesday and Navy is at Lafayette in the Patriot League quarterfinals. Army and Boston University await the winners. Army’s RPI is #12. Their SOS is #27. An Army loss would drop them into bubble territory. They may get bypassed as an at-large team because of a low RPI. If they win out, will they host an NCAA tournament game? Their RPI says no. The eye test says yes. The Cadets are clinging to a win over North Carolina.

5) Penn State
The Nittany Lions (10-3) held off a late run by Johns Hopkins, advancing 13-12 to the league semis and likely locking up a home game in the NCAA tournament. Their RPI is currently #4. Kyle Lehman scored four times, while Luke Walstrum had four assists. JHU took seven of eight faceoffs in the fourth quarter while closing ground late.

Meanwhile, Hopkins started (6-2) and then lost all six Big Ten games. Dreadful. The last time JHU did not play a lacrosse game in May was 2020 with the Covid shutdown, and prior to that in 1945 during WWII.

Penn State will take on Maryland in the semifinals on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor.

4) Notre Dame
The Irish (7-3) repeated scoreless streaks have to be a concern. They had a drought of 29:00 minutes against UNC, only scored one goal over 32:00 minutes on April 12 versus Virginia, and went without a goal for 40:00 in the Dome. It happened again on Saturday against Penn, trailing 6-1 through the first 28:00 minutes before unleashing a quarter of excellence on their way to a closer-than-expected home win on Senior Day. Bottle the seven-goal third quarter. 10-8 final highlighted by Devon McClane and Chris Kavanagh. But these types of dry spells forecast doom. Give Penn credit for their defensive effort and intensity. I expect Quaker defenseman Brendan LaVelle to get selected early in the PLL draft on May 6 (ESPN+).

ND has now won 14 straight games in May.

2025 ACC Tournament / Charlotte, N.C. / ESPN+
Friday, May 2 – Semifinals
5 p.m. – Syracuse vs. Notre Dame
8 p.m. – Duke vs. North Carolina

Sunday, May 4 – Championship
Noon – ???

3) Princeton
The Tigers ambushed Yale, jumping up 4-0 in the first five minutes on their way to a dominating 18-7 home victory. Goalie Ryan Croddick made 19 saves, Nate Kabiri hit the 100-point plateau, and senior Coulter Mackesy now has 160 goals, just three away from Jesse Hubbard. The 11 seniors honored were: Billy Barnds, Michael Bath, Sean Cameron, Liam Fairback, Koby Ginder, Michael Kelly, Coulter Mackesy, Colin Mulshine, McKnight Pederson, Jack Ringhofer, and Braedon Saris.

Princeton plays Harvard in the Ivy League semis on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. in Ithaca. They’ve sewn up a home game in the NCAA tournament first round.

2) Maryland
‘Be the Best’ (10-2) has losses to Michigan and Rutgers. That has to temper exuberance. John Tillman’s track record during standard prep weeks (five practice days) is without peer. He’s (10-1) in the NCAA quarterfinals and (8-2) in the NCAA semis. That’s incredible. On short rest, the Terps have been more vulnerable — they are (2-6) on Memorial Day and (4-2) in the Big Ten final.

The bye week was an opportunity to rest, reset, recover, and develop the back half of the roster. Maryland faces Penn State in Ann Arbor in the Big Ten semis. The Terps have locked up a Top 8 seed.

1) Cornell
The Big Red (12-1) got a record-setting day from CJ Kirst and strong outings from their specialists — goalie Wyatt Knust and FOGO Jack Cascadden — in a bland home win over Dartmouth.

The Big Red host Yale on Friday in the Ivy semis (ESPN+). I’m not sure how Yale will defend CJ Kirst and company.

Championship Week features 10 automatic qualifiers in leagues all around the nation.

NEC Tournament
Robert Morris vs. LIU
Le Moyne vs. Detroit Mercy

Thursday and Saturday on ESPN+

America East
The tournament kicks off on Thursday with semifinal action. Host Bryant takes on Binghamton in the first matchup at 4 p.m., while UMBC and UAlbany face off in the nightcap at 7 p.m.

The semifinal winners will go head-to-head for the 2025 conference championship on Saturday at 1 p.m. All games will air on ESPN+.

ASUN
Utah faces Bellarmine
Jacksonville plays Air Force

Semifinals on May 2 and the final on May 4, Sunday at noon from Jacksonville, FL (ESPN+)

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include players Ryan Goldstein (Cornell), Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), and Eric Spanos (Maryland).

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Robust lacrosse crowds showed up at Maryland, Duke, Albany, and Harvard. There was no shortage of drama and upsets this weekend. League tournaments are taking shape, and you can feel the urgency.

A theme will emerge in the 2025 conference and NCAA tournaments. I used to identify the senior class of contending teams because I felt like you could follow the seniors to championship weekend. This year, it might be the goalies. Goaltending makes the difference in championship games. Or face-offs may prove to be the tipping point in the tournament. Maybe it’ll be elite attack units. Or star power. Or coaches. Or the team with the best shorties. I’m not sure what it’ll be. But it’ll be something, as the group of title contenders looks to be ten deep. And that’s what makes 2025 so intriguing. The race for the gold trophy is wide open.

20) Sacred Heart
The Pioneers (10-2) have gone to overtime four times this season, finding a way to win three of those nail-biters. They are riding a six-game winning streak after beating Mount St. Mary’s 13-12 this weekend. Sacred Heart faces Manhattan on Wednesday. MAACtion is always a highlight of champ week.

When in Connecticut and craving pizza, coach Jon Basti recommends Capone’s Pizza in Branford or North Branford, and John and Maria’s Pizza in East Haven.

19) Saint Joseph’s
The Hawks (9-4) dropped a shocker to High Point. Hawk Hill will be buzzing as the Spiders travel to Philadelphia on Friday at 4pm. Richie LaCalandra has 24 of the Hawks’ 90 assists. Ben Dutton has scored 41 goals and Mark Watters is (24,0).

18) UMass
The Minutemen (9-4) lost to Richmond in a one-sided 14-5 affair. UMass has defeated Dartmouth, Albany, Vermont, Rutgers, and Saint Joseph’s. Hobart comes to Amherst on Friday in an elimination game.

17) Towson
The Tigers are (8-5) after starting the season (0-4). They have OT wins over Delaware and Stony Brook. Towson took care of Fairfield on Saturday and will host the CAA tournament. A trip to Hofstra is next. Ronan Fitzpatrick has scored 30 goals and Mikey Weisshaar has 53 points. Towson goalies have combined for a 45% save percentage while opponents are shooting 31%.

16) Georgetown
A week after scoring just three goals in a loss to Denver, the Swamp Dogs (8-4) crushed St. John’s 21-8 in Queens. They took 63 shots. Jack Ransom scored six times and Aidan Carroll added five goals. The Hoyas play Villanova this week.

The Big East feels wide open after Providence defeated Denver for the first time in program history.

Big East Standings
Villanova 4-0
Georgetown 3-1
Providence 2-2
Denver 2-2
Marquette 1-3
St. John’s 0-4

Upcoming games this week include Villanova vs. Georgetown, Providence vs. St. John’s, and Marquette vs. Denver. The Big East tournament during champ week is hosted by Denver. Somebody will emerge with the AQ and advance into the bracket of 18.

15) Virginia
The Cavaliers must run the table to secure an NCAA bid, and that starts with defeating Duke on Saturday. The winner of Duke–UVA gets an invite to the ACC tournament. The loser stays home. Virginia handled Lafayette by five on Senior Day.

Noah Chizmar is a great story for the Cavaliers. Originally a Marquette commit, the attackman from St. Paul’s in north Baltimore chose to walk on at UVA after getting accepted to the school without help from the lacrosse coaches. After a position switch to SSDM, he’s become a mainstay in the lineup and is now a senior captain. He’s earned everything, nothing has been given to him, and he competes with a spirit of gratitude.

14) Boston University
The Terriers (9-4) earned a 12-7 victory over Lehigh, highlighted by 23 saves from Will Barnes and four goals from Jimmy Kohr. Boston University owns a win over Army, and a victory over Colgate on Friday night would lock up the #2 seed in the Patriot League tournament.

Patriot League Standings
Army 6-1
Boston University 5-2
Lehigh 4-3
Colgate 4-3
Lafayette 4-3
Loyola 3-4
Navy 3-4
Bucknell 2-5
Holy Cross 1-7

13) Michigan
Yikes. This one had to hurt. The Wolverines (7-6) were up 8-5 with 5:40 to play and lost 10-8. Michigan blew a fourth-quarter lead at home to their archrival, and instead of winning the Big Ten and earning a bye in the league tournament, they now have to play Rutgers on Saturday. Any chance of an at-large NCAA tournament bid was likely squandered during the collapse.

12) Richmond
The Spiders (10-3) have won five straight. Their 14-5 win against UMass was a defensive flex, holding the Minutemen to just 22 total shots and 13 on goal. Joe Sheridan finished with four goals, and Gavin Creo scored twice. Richmond travels to Saint Joseph’s on Friday, April 25. The Spider defense ranks #5 in scoring defense nationally.

11) Harvard
In front of 4,000 fans at home, the Crimson (9-3) got dusted by Cornell 20-12. Harvard drops to the NCAA tournament bubble and will need more wins to feel comfortable.

The Crimson face Brown to close out their regular season. Their offense has been ranked in the top five in scoring for most of the spring. Holding head-to-head wins over Syracuse and Michigan may prove critical on Selection Sunday.

10) Ohio State
The Bucks (12-2) started the season with no preseason All-Americans and no Top 50 players. Goalie Caleb Fyock and defenseman Bobby Van Buren are now part of the Tewaaraton Top 25 group. They trailed Michigan 8-5 with less than six minutes to play and somehow left Ann Arbor with a 10-8 victory. Gannon Matthews was the hero. It’s their first Big Ten regular season title. OSU earns a bye as the #1 seed. The Big Ten semifinals and final will be played at Michigan.

9) North Carolina
The Heels (9-3) won four of the first five draws, took 16 shots, and scored four times while holding Notre Dame to zero shots on goal in the first quarter at Dorrance Field. That dominance quickly evaporated into a 12-6 loss. The Irish went on a 12-2 run, quashing Tar Heel momentum. Dom Pietramala and Owen Duffy shot a combined 1 for 15.

Carolina plays at Syracuse on Saturday at 5pm (ACCN). Defensive coordinator David Pietramala has his young close defense ranked #4 in scoring defense—quite an accomplishment considering the inexperience down low. Does Carolina have gas in the tank? The offense has struggled to hit double digits in their last two outings.

8) Syracuse
The Orange (9-4) fell behind 4-0 in Durham on their way to a sobering 11-7 road defeat. Syracuse just isn’t the same team outdoors—they’ve lost three of four this spring outside. Lack of offensive depth was evident as Owen Hiltz looked less than 100% healthy. Finn Thomson returned and ran a few shifts, which was a positive, but bench scoring was sold separately. The first midfield shot 3 of 17, and the second went 0 for 7. Two offsides calls in the first half were buzz kills. Syracuse doesn’t ride, and Duke, a bad clearing team, was given an EZ Pass. Not only did Duke clear effectively, but they also scored in transition—something Syracuse couldn’t duplicate.

North Carolina visits the Dome on Saturday at 5pm (ACCN). The #HHH offense ranks #5 in scoring, commits fewer than 13 turnovers per game, and is #2 in assists per game. A bounce-back is expected.

7) Duke
The Devils (10-4) changed the trajectory of their season with an 11-7 home win over Syracuse. Sunny skies and warmer temperatures greeted a packed house at Koskinen as the Devils jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Defender Cole Krauss, subbing in for Nikolas Menendez, was sensational. Eric Malever had a monster day with five goals. Syracuse cut the margin to 5-4, but Duke rattled off six straight to take control. Goalie Patrick Jameison, from Episcopal in Virginia—the same school as Army’s Jackson Eicher—made 13 saves. Aidan Maguire scored twice, and Mac Christmas rifled one from 15 yards as the rope unit contributed. Even Keith Boyer recorded a hockey assist. Duke has serious athletes on defense. This was a giant step in the right direction.

Head-to-head wins over Syracuse, Michigan, Richmond, and St Joe’s offer legitimate value on Selection Sunday. Duke has struggled in clearing and on man-down, but those issues disappeared against Syracuse.

Duke challenges Virginia on Saturday at 3pm on ACC Network. The winner plays in the ACC Tournament.

6) Army
The Black Knights (11-1) saw their RPI drop to #11 and their street cred take a hit as UNC lost to Notre Dame, and Rutgers, Navy, and UMass also fell. Army destroyed Bucknell 20-11.

The #1 ranked scoring defense is slow to slide and leaves personnel on the island. What will the committee do with Army if they don’t win the Patriot League AQ? Their strength of schedule sits at #27. Loyola comes to Michie Stadium on Friday.

5) Penn State
The Nittany Lions (9-3) abused the Rutgers ten-man ride, jumping out to a 10-3 halftime lead on Friday night. Goalie Jack Fracyon hit the empty net from 62 yards out—a one-hopper—and scored the first goalie goal for Penn State since 2008. The senior finished with 13 saves and is trending in the right direction, having eclipsed the 600-save mark on Saturday. Penn State’s 12-4 win further illustrated just how much Rutgers struggles to score.

Big Ten teams by scoring offense:
Ohio State – 13
Michigan – 42
Maryland – 37
Penn State – 14
Rutgers – 57
Johns Hopkins – 54

Penn State has had an incredibly successful 2024-25 athletics year, with the wrestling team and women’s volleyball both capturing NCAA titles. The men’s hockey team made the Frozen Four, and the football team was a playoff semifinalist after beating SMU and Boise State in the first two rounds. Success on campus is palpable.

4) Notre Dame
The Irish (7-3) turned a 4-0 deficit into a 12-6 win on Tobacco Road, alerting the nation that Notre Dame may be on an upward swing. Chris Kavanagh’s compete level was on full display. Matt Jeffrey is a budding superstar. Jordan Faison is inching back to being 100%. Shawn Lyght gave a defensive clinic. Kavanagh now has 140 career goals and Jake Taylor is at 124—both ranking top five all-time in South Bend.

Penn travels to Arlotta on Saturday at 2pm (ESPNU). How is Penn going to score on the Irish?

3) Princeton
The Tigers (10-2) were down three at halftime to Penn, but went on a 5-0 run to defeat the Quakers 12-8. Penn shot 1-for-14 in the second half and committed 11 turnovers. Peter Buonanno had four points for Princeton. Kabiri, Burns, and Mackesy combined to shoot just 2-for-17.

Yale visits Princeton this Saturday at noon on ESPNU. The Tigers are ranked #62 in face-off percentage, which will be worth watching in both the Ivy League and NCAA tournaments.

2) Maryland
I was not overly impressed with ‘Be the Best’ (10-2) on Friday night as they disposed of Johns Hopkins 11-8 in front of a raucous crowd. The TV product, shot from the sixth floor roof, was unwatchable. The Terps weren’t bad—just not exceptional. They were solid. The Jays won the majority of the face-offs. Terp Braden Erksa finished with five points.

Maryland ranks #63 in ground balls per game—not stellar—yet out-ground balled Hopkins by plus 11. Considering the face-off disparity, that’s dominance of non face-off ground balls. Hopkins won 14 draws and had only 16 ground balls for the game. I’ve never seen such a low total—that had to be a mistake in the stats. Blue Jays didn’t emerge from any piles with the ball? Maryland put 31 of 36 shots on goal. The Terps enjoy a bye week to rest, recover, and sharpen their swords.

1) Cornell
The Big Red (11-1) torched Harvard, scoring 20 goals in Cambridge and clinching the host spot in the Ivy League tournament. CJ Kirst tied Payton Cormier for the most career goals all-time at 224. Cornell used a 5-1 first quarter and a 5-1 run in the fourth to ice the Crimson. They were plus-15 in face-offs and shot 20-for-41. Willem Firth scored four times and Ryan Goldstein had six points. Jack Cascadden had 14 ground balls and went 23-for-29 at the face-off dot.

Big Green at Big Red on Saturday—a tricky game for the color blind. The Cornell offense ranks #1 in scoring.

he NCAA Tournament Selection Show is on Sunday, May 4, at 9:30pm on ESPN+.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include players Ryan Goldstein (Cornell), Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (Ohio State), Max Sloat (Duke), and Eric Spanos (Maryland).

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Rivalry lacrosse games dot the menu this week and next. League races are beginning to crystallize. The weather is perking up. What more can you ask for?

Eleven teams are in the hunt for an NCAA tournament seed. League tournaments in the Big Ten, ACC, and Ivy will shape the bracket. The questions are simple—who can keep improving? Who can stay healthy? Who can find that extra gear when the calendar flips to May?

In terms of hosting a playoff game, eleven teams appear to be in the mix (in my opinion). Based on current RPI order, the list includes:

Princeton
Maryland
Penn State
Cornell
North Carolina
Army
Harvard
Syracuse
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Duke

Perhaps Michigan can leapfrog into the conversation with two more wins. Duke holding head-to-head wins over Saint Joe’s and Richmond is critical. But remember, three of the above will fall out of the top eight and end up with road games in the first round. If Army doesn’t win the Patriot League, someone on this list may be bumped entirely from the at-large picture.

20) Sacred Heart
Pioneers (9-2) have won five straight, the latest over Quinnipiac, and are now (5-1) in the MAAC. Canisius and Siena are front and center for the league AQ. Graduate goalie Alex Pazienza has made over 500 career saves. The bouncy righty is stopping shots at a rate north of 57%.

19) Yale
Welcome back. Three straight wins over Brown, Penn, and Dartmouth have Yale and coach Andy Shay in the Ivy League tournament mix. A 21-12 win over the Big Green marked a step in the right direction in a season filled with injuries. Don’t forget about Chris Lyons and Leo Johnson. The Bulldogs finish the regular season with Hofstra, Albany, and Princeton.

18) Rutgers
Scarlet Knights (6-7) missed the net 13 times in the first 30 minutes. Minimally invasive offense never wins. Dodge to the dirt. It’s hard to believe this squad beat Maryland. Scarlet Knights try hard, they’ll hit you, but the 24 turnovers and lack of separation quickness on offense prove fatal. RU tries Penn State on Friday night (BTN).

17) UMass
Minutemen are on the verge of a ten-win season (9-3) for coach Greg Cannella, with victories over Rutgers, St. Joe’s, Dartmouth, Albany, and Vermont. Trace Hogan, Aidan Drunsic, and Robbie Granara are leading the way. The Gorillas face Richmond on Saturday.

16) Denver
Following Army-Navy, the televised 7-3 win at Georgetown was tough on the eyes. Pios (6-5) mixed zone and man-to-man defense. Malcolm Kleban made 11 saves in the swamp. The EMD unit was in shutdown mode. Hoyas shot 3 of 33. Noah Manning had four goals for coach Matt Brown. It’s hard to trust anybody in the Big East this year. Expect chaos the rest of the way. What’s up with scoring goals this year? Marquette scored two. Georgetown scored three. Duke scored seven. Hopkins just four. Hofstra, High Point, and Penn managed only six.

15) Fairfield
Stags (11-1) picked up a giant win at Delaware as Will Consoli had seven points and goalie Owen Hirsch made 16 saves. Fairfield heads on the road to face Towson this week. The CAA race is no joke.

14) Saint Joseph’s
Hawks (9-3) have won nine of their last ten games, the latest over Hobart. Richie LaCalandra put up eight points and Ben Dutton scored five times. Hawks face High Point next.

13) Richmond
Spiders (9-3) stung High Point 11-6 on Senior Day to improve to (3-0) in the A10. Going 7-for-21 on face-offs wasn’t ideal, but the defense, led by Mitchell Dunham (6 GBs and 5 CTs), limited High Point to 25 shots. A critical game with UMass is next on the calendar. The Atlantic 10 trio of UMass, St. Joe’s, and Richmond are all having stellar seasons. The A10 winner is a nasty draw in the round of 16.

12) Michigan
Wolverines (7-5) were tied 3-3 at halftime in a defensive battle and went over 23 minutes without a goal. It was a hard-fought game at Rutgers, devoid of transition. Ryan Cohen pumped one past the wide-stanced RU goalie Cardin Stoller for an 8-6 lead with 8:00 to play. Big Blue held on for the 8-6 win. Not impressed with Big Ten offenses right now. Michigan (3-1) in conference currently sits in first place with OSU. The rivalry game in Ann Arbor with Ohio State is always theatre.

11) Duke
Devils (9-4) couldn’t find the net in an 8-7 loss to UNC. When the starting attack combines for three points, you’ve got problems. Six failed clears didn’t help, and scoring just two goals over the final 30 minutes is a recipe for disaster. The defense was excellent—holding Carolina to eight goals is a winning effort.

Junior FOGO Luke Engelke has exceeded expectations in Durham. Close defender Charlie Johnson has helped lessen the blow of losing Kenny Brower. Johnson covered Brennan O’Neill daily on the scout team last spring, and matchups with Owen Duffy, Joey Spallina, and McCabe Millon will define his season. Devils entertain Syracuse on Saturday at 2pm (ACCN). Duke could use another quality win to elevate off the bubble.

10) Penn State
Penn State (8-3) dominated Hopkins 10-4 as Matt Traynor poured in seven goals. “We Are” leaves Hopkins wanting more, with the Jays having now lost four straight in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions rank #3 in both RPI and strength of schedule.

Rutgers and Penn State meet on Good Friday, April 18, on BTN.

9) Harvard
Crimson (9-2) had too much firepower for Penn, as Jack Speidell continued his magical ways with five goals. This kid is a star, and the combo with Sam King is lethal. For once, Harvard won the majority of the face-offs. Martin Nelson, their top defenseman, deserves All-American status. He plays close, takes LSM runs, and lines up on the wing when they double pole face-offs. He creates mayhem and causes turnovers. Ray Dearth and Owen Guest are two underrated SSDMs for coach Gerry Byrne. Harvard plays a lot of defense because they win under 40% of their draws, but they create possessions with a relentless ride.

Crimson face Cornell next. A Big Red win means they host the Ivy Tournament. A Harvard victory could trigger a party in the North End and a three-way tie with Princeton and Cornell.

8) Notre Dame
A must-win against Virginia gives the Irish a 6-3 record and an RPI of #9. A third-quarter surge and a seven-goal run made the difference. Bagpiper Ben Ramsey went coast to coast, igniting the Arlotta crowd. Ten different players recorded a point in the much-needed 12-7 win that bolstered their otherwise mediocre resume.

Four players are flying under the radar this season. Defender Nate Schwitzenberg has been rock solid in his first year as a starter. Freshman midfielder Matt Jeffery looks like a future star. Short-stick Christian Alacqua has made major strides in 2025, and LSM Will Donovan is winning his matchup every week.

Golden Domers travel to North Carolina on April 19 (ESPNU).

7) Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ 11-game win streak came to an end in a 13-8 loss to Maryland. Ohio State’s first midfield was underwhelming. Righty sniper Alex Marinier, who switched from defense after two years, has been lighting up goalies, but Maryland clamped down on him. Through their first eight games, OSU shot 29.8%. Then they heated up, shooting 41% over four games. On Saturday, they crashed back to 8-of-33 (24%).

Ohio State’s RPI is #10, and a strength of schedule of #19 shows some weak spots in their slate. The Buckeyes play Michigan next in Ann Arbor. There’s still work to be done, or they’ll be sweating it out on Selection Sunday.

6) North Carolina
Heels (9-2) took a gritty 8-7 win over Duke in a defensive battle. Painting Durham Carolina blue is always a special moment. Injury concerns around Owen Daly and Dom Pietramala do temper the optimism.

North Carolina faces Notre Dame on Saturday at noon on ESPNU. Anish Shroff and Paul Carcaterra will be on the call from Dorrance Field.

5) Army
Black Knights tied it up 4-4 at the buzzer before halftime on a soft, no-angle goal. That momentum carried into the third quarter, building a 7-4 lead. Navy started to take on water after giving up five in a row, but they righted the ship and were down just 8-6 to begin the fourth. Army leaves defenders on an island with slow-to-slide mechanics. Navy tied it 8-8 with 12:00 to play, then took a 9-8 lead on a sneak by Mac Haley after a late Army defensive rotation. This game always delivers epic ground ball battles. Navy led 10-9 with 6:00 remaining after midfielder Jack Flaherty scored while falling down the right alley. It became 11-9 with 2:06 left. Army midfielder Evan Plunkett scored on a rollback to make it 11-10, then struck again off the invert to tie the game at 11 with 1:23 remaining. Timeout. Navy turned it over high in the zone, and Army scored on a fast break just as the clock hit zero. Extra time in Annapolis. Army had the first possession in OT, but Dan Daly made a point-blank save on a high-to-high sneak attempt from Plunkett. Level changes matter. Navy took possession and called timeout, but their drawn-up play fizzled into a weak-angle shot. Army regained the ball, and coach Joe Alberici called timeout. Jackson Eicher won it by bulldozing his way right-handed up the hash. The rent is due. Army wins 12-11 in OT and sings second. This rivalry never disappoints. Saluting all the men who stepped into the arena and battled.

Army’s (10-1) hopes for the Patriot League AQ and an at-large bid both remain intact. Their SOS of #22 is a drag. Bucknell, the most erratic team in the country, is next.

4) Syracuse
Syracuse (9-3) held Notre Dame scoreless for 39:53 last week. RIT transfer Michael Grace effectively covered Jake Taylor in that game, so surrendering 17 goals to Cornell a week later was a massive step in the wrong direction. Shot selection on offense wasn’t up to par. Too often, Syracuse takes the first available shot instead of hunting the best one. Coverage of CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein struggled with a slide-happy scheme. Against elite opponents, seven penalties is a losing formula. The Orange seemed to unravel in the cold rain and continue to struggle outside the cozy Dome.

Syracuse is at Duke on Saturday at 2pm (ACCN). I’ll be in Durham with Chris Cotter for this one.

3) Maryland
‘Be the Best’ (9-2) silenced Ohio State in Columbus, 13-8. Maryland trailed 2-1 midway through the first quarter, then sparked an 8-1 run to take a 9-3 halftime lead. Maryland bench scoring remains non-existent.

Maryland hosts Johns Hopkins on Friday night at 8pm on BTN, with Joe Beninati and Mark Dixon six floors above the action.

2) Princeton
Princeton handled Brown 17-7. When you watch the Tigers play, LSM Michael Bath jumps off the screen for his impact in the middle of the field. SSDM Cooper Mueller, a Princeton legacy whose dad Kit played hoops for PU in 1991, has put together a strong campaign. Coach Matt Madalon and staff continue to produce winning results.

Tigers and Quakers play this week.

1) Cornell
Big Red (10-1) hit the ten-win mark after putting up 17 goals against Syracuse on Long Island. CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein ran circles around the Orange defense with patience and precision. Goalie Wyatt Knust was razor sharp early while building an 8-2 lead. Cornell has nine Long Island public school players on the roster. I love the grit. You have to respect the 16 goals per game this offense is averaging.

Sophomore Ryan Goldstein is averaging three assists per game. The X attackman and Cornell legacy joined me on the podcast this week.

Cornell did not qualify for the NCAA tournament in 2024. They’ve made champ weekend appearances in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2022. This senior class played in that 2022 title game. The 160-year-old program owns NCAA titles in 1971, 1976, and 1977. Dust ’em off.

The men’s and women’s NCAA lacrosse championships will be held at Gillette Stadium on Memorial Day weekend. Men’s Quarterfinals are set for Hofstra and Navy on May 17 and 18, and it looks like those matchups will be can’t-miss games in 2025. The bracket will feature ten automatic qualifiers and eight at-large selections. The top eight seeds will host first-round games in the round of sixteen. The NCAA selection show airs on Sunday, May 4 at 9:30pm on ESPN+.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), Eric Spanos (Maryland), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Coulter Mackesy (Princeton), Billy Dwan III (Syracuse), and Casey Wilson (Denver).

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This is the best time of year. Spring means rebirth and renewal. Fans flock to campus for rivalry games played in the sun. Joy robbers eying bracketology in the first week of April is a misguided exercise. Enjoy these lacrosse games for what they are—not for what they mean. Stop worrying about the finish line, and cherish the race.

Why aren’t teams playing more stand-alone games on Sunday? Does anyone care about attendance or eyeballs? I would estimate a 50% increase in fans and five times the social media impact by playing in a solo time slot. Saturday noon games offer a low ROI. There were 50-plus games (men’s and women’s) to choose from on ESPN+ at 1pm on Saturday. Where is the promotion and innovation in men’s lacrosse? Teams continue to bypass creative scheduling opportunities. I wish coaches’ compensation was tied to attendance and TV ratings rather than camps and prospect days.

20) Sacred Heart
Pioneers have won five straight, the latest over Quinnipiac. (9-2) with Mount St. Mary’s on the horizon. MAAC race always unpredictable. Canisius and Siena both playing well in league.

19) Georgetown
Hoyas (7-3) survived in double overtime 10-9 at Marquette. Aidan Carroll and Fulton Bayman have been standouts. Opponents shooting 33 of 87 (38%) in the first quarter against GT. Denver travels to the swamp on Saturday. GT has losses to JHU, Notre Dame and Richmond with zero top 20 wins. The Big East is a one bid league. GT and Nova both 2-0 in the league.

18) Fairfield
Stags (10-1) ran past Hofstra a week after losing to Stony Brook. Ten wins for Fairfield is tremendous but the road gets rough at Delaware next. CAA is a tight battle between Towson, Fairfield, Hofstra and Delaware.

17) Dartmouth
Big Green (7-3) still in the hunt for the Ivy Tournament but floundering some after consecutive losses to Princeton and Harvard. Keep in mind Dartmouth was (3-10) last spring. Coach Sean Kirwin is transforming the program. Making the Ivy field of four would be a huge deal in New Hampshire. Dartmouth travels to Yale.

16) Rutgers
Scarlet Knights (6-6) have an RPI of 16 and put themselves into the B10 race with an 8-6 win over Maryland. RU offense is ranked #55 in scoring. Defense is #15. Close defense of Tommy Mendyke, Ben McKelvy and Ben Stephanos. They don’t have any bad losses and play a challenging schedule with a #14 SOS. The win was historical. RU claimed its highest ranked win in program history. It was just the second lifetime win over Maryland, and first since 1980, snapping a 19-game winning streak for the Terps. Wow. Would never have guessed that. Cardin Stoller made 14 saves and scored a goal against the ten man ride.

I’ll say it again. A ten man ride without ball pressure is a ticking time bomb. Rutgers faces Michigan next.

15) Boston University
Terriers (8-3) were toasted by Duke at home. Wins over Siena, Brown, Monmouth, Air Force, Bucknell, Loyola, Holy Cross and Army are not enough right now. RPI of 17 just isn’t in at-large range. BU is at Lafayette in coal country. Goalie Will Barnes is trusting his intuition and defender Connor Kehm reads opponents well. The Patriot League revolves around Army with BU, Colgate and Navy the possible upsetters.

14) Saint Joseph’s
Hawks (8-3) have won eight of nine and dominated St. Bonaventure 15-3 on Saturday playing 36 men. Ben Dutton scored five times and Collin Campbell had a hat trick. D-man Levi Verch scooped up seven ground balls and has 66 on the year. Hobart plays in Philly on Saturday.

13) Richmond
Spiders (8-3) used a 5-0 start and let goalie Zach Vigue do his thing, earning the 36th victory of his career in a win over Hobart. High Point visits the Web this weekend. The Richmond defense is underrated, and they have quality wins over Georgetown and Virginia.

12) Michigan
Wolverines (6-4) try hard, but they are offensively challenged. Pick-heavy offense makes sense for a team without alpha dodgers. Scoring doesn’t come easy. A 7-6 lead after 45 minutes on Sunday in front of a packed house in Ann Arbor disappeared as the offense went dormant late. Penn State grabbed the key game with a late surge. Wolverines face Rutgers on Sunday at noon (BTN). Offense sold separately. Michigan has wins over Maryland and Hopkins in the Big Ten and an RPI right in the mix at #12. More work to do.

11) Duke
Devils (9-3) suffered a pair of seven-goal losses to Denver and Notre Dame before departing for Boston University. So the 12-7 win over BU stops the bleeding. An 8-2 run during the middle portion of the game provided the separation. Duke’s midfield defense was excellent. Coach John Danowski got offensive production from Max Sloat, Luke Engelke, Liam McClane, Aidan Maguire and Graham Blake. Team weakness remains the attack unit, which seems to change each week. Duke vs. Carolina rivalry game is on Saturday at 4pm on ACCN. This will be an outstanding game.

10) Penn State
Looks like Penn State (7-3) is sliding more on defense this year, leading to opponent step-down looks with feet set. They struggle when sliding, rotating, and recovering, which means they aren’t giving up goalie-friendly shots. Sliding less would help keep things simpler for their All-American goalie, and that’s one reason Jack Fracyon’s save percentage is down in 2025—he hasn’t forgotten how to play. Fracyon was excellent in the second half against Michigan. PSU double-poled Michigan’s first midfield and a pair of quick goals gave the Lions an 8-7 lead with 11:00 to go.

They never looked back, winning 11-8 for their first league victory. Matt Traynor hit the 100-goal mark in the win. FOGO Colby Baldwin has played great in 2025 and gets tested by JHU’s Logan Callahan this week. “We Are” welcomes “We Want More” to Happy Valley.

9) Harvard
Crimson (8-2) ride is elite. It’s energy-based and often an offensive midfielder drops back to deny a shorty an easy outlet before playing defense. That tweak has made a major difference. Why does Harvard have a #5 RPI? Wins over Syracuse, Michigan, and BU make up a smart résumé with no RPI drainers on the menu. Jack Speidell continued his mastery of the crease with six goals in an 18-7 win at Dartmouth. A 7-0 first quarter and 11-1 halftime margin told the tale. Penn comes to Cambridge on Saturday.

Coach Gerry Byrne was my guest on the Quintessential Podcast this week—he talks all things Harvard lacrosse.

8) Notre Dame
A 3-0 lead in the Dome quickly unraveled into a lopsided loss to Syracuse. Irish (5-3) shorted Michael Leo while placing a pole on Sam English and paid the price. Leo controlled the matchup and SU’s picking game caused defensive confusion. Teams that attack Notre Dame from behind the cage tend to have more success than those who initiate from the alleys. Irish made uncharacteristically sloppy defensive mistakes. The first midfield lacked pop and the face-off trio struggled all day. Virginia limps into Arlotta Stadium for a 5pm game on Saturday on ESPNU. Jake Taylor is shooting over 50% from the slot and Chris Kavanagh is pouring in around five points per game.

It’s bounce-back time for the Irish, who already have quality wins over Michigan and Duke.

7) North Carolina
An important home win over Virginia was a step toward both the ACC tournament and NCAA tournament for a UNC program moving in the right direction. The Heels (8-2) used relentless possession to break open a 7-7 tie in a commanding 18-9 win on an 84-degree afternoon in front of a lively crowd. UNC took 51 shots and got contributions from Spencer Wirtheim, Ty English, Mason Szewczyk, Ryan Levy, Parker Hoffman, Brett Koopman and FOGO Brady Wambach.

It was a critical rebound after the Army loss and solidifies the Heels as a potential NCAA seed. They’ll take the short trip to Durham for a rivalry showdown at Duke on Saturday at 4pm on ACCN.

6) Maryland
‘Be the Best’ (8-2) got upset by Rutgers 8-6 in what might be the most shocking result of the weekend. That score resembles something from the stall-ball era, not the shot clock era. Playing in an empty football stadium can be tricky. The Terps shot just 6-for-40 and once again got zero bench production—non-starters shot 0-for-20. Turtles now head to Columbus to take on Ohio State on April 12 in what should be a showcase goalie matchup between Caleb Fyock and Logan McNaney.

All six Big Ten teams qualify for the conference tournament, but Maryland still has work to do.

5) Army
Duty. Honor. Country. Those three words greet you at Michie Stadium. Jackson Eicher has a right-handed bazooka—when his feet are set, goalies have no chance. On the run, he’s a tank like Dylan Molloy. Army (9-1) worked their bread and butter by isolating Evan or Hill Plunkett to create space for Eicher. The Black Knights took care of Colgate 13-7, showcasing their physical, stingy defense. A 4-0 first quarter set the tone, and a 4-0 third quarter slammed the door. Despite nine failed clears and an 0-for-5 day on EMO, Army still won by six. Eicher scored five times, and FOGO Will Colletti was fully back in the mix.

Army heads to Navy on Saturday for a big-time rivalry game, televised by CBS Sports Network. Evan Washburn returns to the lacrosse booth after covering the NFL and March Madness. Rent’s due in Annapolis.

4) Syracuse
11,000 fans in the Dome feasted on Dome dogs while the Orange took care of Notre Dame, pulling away 14-9 despite clearing just 19-of-28. Offensive coordinator Pat March leaned heavily on the picking game, isolating Joey Spallina’s defender, Shawn Lyght, in difficult spots. Spallina was masterful off-ball. FOGO Johnny Mullen won the day, and midfielder Sam English continues to be the ultimate Swiss Army knife. SSDM Carter Rice remains one of the most underrated players in the country.

Now sitting at (9-2) with serious momentum, the swag kings head to Long Island to face Cornell. Joey Spallina and company are going back home. This one’s going to be epic.

3) Princeton
FOGO Andrew McMeekin has been improving steadily over the past few weeks. Hustle is a skill, and he’s displaying it. A 17-12 Tuesday win over Lehigh was powered by the starting attack and freshman Peter Buonanno, who finished with (2,2). Tigers fired off 58 shots but had six failed clears, which allowed Lehigh to reach double digits—a red flag. Goalie Ryan Croddick leads the nation in saves per game, a credit to his play but also a symptom of a defense yielding too many shots.

Saturday’s 10-5 victory over Vermont showed how mid-week games can impact energy and execution. Princeton led 7-1 at half behind strong defense. Coulter Mackesy scored four times and Barbecue Burns added a hat trick. Brown visits New Jersey next. Princeton’s RPI is strong with key wins over UNC, Duke, Harvard, Dartmouth, and Penn State.

2) Ohio State
Eleven-game win streak still rolling after the Buckeyes spoiled Johns Hopkins’ homecoming party. Righty sniper Alex Marinier buried six goals and Garrett Haas registered his third hat trick of the season. Hopkins slid erratically and didn’t get enough from the goalie position, allowing OSU to lead wire-to-wire. At (11-1), the Bucks hold a #11 RPI—partially a result of scheduling Detroit, Cleveland State, Bellarmine, and Air Force. Next up: Maryland in Columbus. This is the sequel to “glove gate.”

1) Cornell
Big Red (9-1) handled Albany 18-11 on Tuesday with their dynamic attack trio accounting for 16 points. Brendan Staub, Jayson Singer, and Matt Dooley anchor the close defense. Against Brown on Saturday, the toll of the two-game week showed as Cornell needed a late 4-1 push to secure a 13-9 win. FOGO Jack Cascadden had a day, going 15-of-22 with seven ground balls and a goal.

Now it’s time to embrace the moment. ‘Hard Hat 21’ travels to Long Island to face Syracuse on Saturday. Big Red’s RPI still trails their poll ranking. CJ Kirst continues to put up Tewaaraton-level numbers, averaging over five goals per game. Michael Long is shooting 47% for the nation’s top-scoring offense. Face-offs and defensive stops will be key in this heavyweight bout.

The men’s and women’s NCAA lacrosse championships will be played in Gillette Stadium on Memorial Day weekend. Men’s Quarterfinals will be played at Hofstra and Navy on May 17 and 18. It would appear as if the quarters will be amazing in 2025. Ten automatic qualifiers and eight at-large selections form the bracket. Higher seeded teams host in the round of sixteen. The selection show is on Sunday, May 4 (ESPN+), when the dust settles.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), Eric Spanos (MD), Shawn Lyght (ND), Coulter Mackesy (Prin), Billy Dwan III (SU) and Casey Wilson (DU).

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We are at the midway point in the race to Boston. While Colgate, Harvard, and Cornell are putting the pedal to the metal, some very successful teams are playing at a slower pace this lacrosse season.

Pace ratings according to IL (1–77, with 1 being the fastest): UNC is 69, Notre Dame 70, Penn State 72, Maryland 74, and Dartmouth 75.

Why? It’s difficult to score goals six-on-six. Most goals are coming within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock or the last 10 seconds of the shot clock. Teams are more deliberate and working deeper into the clock.

It’s also a down year for star-powered offensive personnel compared to 2024. Outside of CJ Kirst, Sam King, and Owen Duffy — who is instant offense? Nobody has a decent second midfield this spring, and goaltending is getting stronger and more consistent.

The result is a slower overall pace of play.

20) Georgetown

The Hoyas (6-3) cling to the final Top 20 spot ahead of Sacred Heart, Fairfield, Colgate, Lafayette, LIU, VMI and Hofstra. Georgetown has a #17 strength of record but a lowly #30 RPI. A 14-13 win over Providence shows how tight the Big East race will be. Pax Marshall, a sophomore lefty from Victor, NY who’s recently become a starter, scored four goals. The Big East is clearly a one-bid league this year, with its tournament scheduled for Denver on May 1 and 3.

The men’s and women’s NCAA lacrosse championships will be played at Gillette Stadium on Memorial Day weekend. The men’s quarterfinals will take place at Hofstra and Navy on May 17 and 18. Ten automatic qualifiers and eight at-large bids will form the 18-team bracket. Higher-seeded teams will host first-round games.

19) Virginia

A 12-10 home loss to Syracuse on the Klöckner grass marked what might be the Cavaliers’ best offensive outing of 2025. After jumping out to a 5-1 first-quarter lead, Virginia squandered the advantage. Their midfielders only contributed three goals. The Wahoos (5-5) have a tough road ahead with games remaining against UNC, Notre Dame, Duke and Lafayette. They likely need to win at least three of the four to be in the bubble conversation. The ACC, remember, does not get an automatic qualifier.

Virginia ranks #30 in adjusted offensive efficiency and is still seeking chemistry, connection and competency from the midfield. Transfer Johnny Hackett, who sometimes resembles a dancing squirrel on the front lawn, is gradually finding his rhythm. Ben Wayer remains the Cavaliers’ ground ball king. The Wahoos will face North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Saturday on ACC Network.

18) Johns Hopkins

The Blue Jays (6-4) were punchless in their biggest game of the year, dropping a disappointing contest at Michigan. “We Want More” hosts Ohio State on April 5, a game that could make or break the Jays’ season. Right now, it’s fair to ask: will Hopkins win another game?

Their ground ball numbers are down—averaging 25.7 per game compared to 31.2 a season ago. When you have LSMs and starting defenders with fewer than one ground ball per game, you’ve got a problem. Hopkins is getting no real offensive boost from its short sticks, the goalie group is sitting at just 47%, and the team has a negative turnover margin. You can’t win playing like that.

17) Saint Joseph’s

Hawk Hill will never die. The Hawks (7-3) dropped a tight one-goal game at home to UMass, further heating up a tight Atlantic 10 race between UMass, Richmond and Saint Joe’s. Defender Levi Verch continues to be a menace, causing turnovers and dominating ground ball play. The Hawks take on St. Bonaventure this weekend.

16) Boston University

The Terriers were blasted by Harvard on Tuesday. Jimmy Kohr had four goals, but the starting attack was held to a combined (0,2)—a stat line that never wins. Freshman Tim Shannehan is emerging as a gifted passer, and goalie Will Barnes remains north of 60% in saves. BU rebounded with a 16-4 win over Holy Cross, leading 13-0 after three quarters. Coach Ryan Polley continues to push the right buttons. The Terriers head to Duke this weekend while the vibes on BU’s campus are strong with the men’s hockey team heading to the Frozen Four.

15) Dartmouth

The Big Green (7-2), who were just 3-10 a year ago, gave Princeton a scare on Saturday in nasty sleet, snow and icy rain. Goalie Mason Morel has been lights out and is saving at over 60%. With Penn, Brown and Yale struggling, the race for the third and fourth spots in the Ivy League tournament is wide open, and Dartmouth is firmly in the mix. The Big Green take on Harvard next, and the winner will take a giant step toward Ivy postseason qualification.

14) UMass

The Minutemen (8-2) pulled off a crucial 11-10 road win on Hawk Hill against Saint Joseph’s, a result that keeps them on the national radar. FOGO TJ Casey was dominant, winning 14-of-17 draws, and freshman goalie Owen Salanger played like a veteran in the cage. Trace Hogan chipped in two goals and three assists, while Robbie Granara had a hat trick. Six other players scored single goals, showcasing a balanced and dangerous offense. UMass has now won seven straight and carries a #17 RPI that’s within shouting range of an at-large resume.

13) Michigan

A sweet victory in the rain over Johns Hopkins has Michigan (6-4) right in the mix in both the Big Ten and the at-large conversation. This team appears to be peaking just as others are starting to fade. The big question is: which version of the Wolverines will show up this week? The one that got dusted by UNC and Notre Dame, or the squad that played Duke close and beat both Maryland and Hopkins?

Michigan continues to struggle at the face-off dot in 2025, a weakness that often masks other deficiencies. That said, they give up fewer than 10 goals per game and have a defense that can match up with anyone. They perform best against opponents who lack elite offensive talent. Teams like Duke, Hopkins and Maryland struggled, while teams with star scorers like UNC, Notre Dame and Harvard had their way. Michigan is currently ranked #2 in adjusted defensive efficiency.

On offense, they remain challenged. There is no clear alpha scorer, and Ryan Cohen, though talented, is inconsistent and turnover-prone. The Wolverines lack high-end dodgers capable of breaking down top cover defenders, which makes their offensive success vary wildly week to week. Still, the matchup with Penn State this weekend on BTN should be one of the best games on the schedule.

12) Harvard

The Crimson (7-2) are surging after handling Binghamton 17-12 on Saturday. They own wins over Providence, Syracuse, Michigan, BU and Yale, and a dominant 16-7 rout over BU on Tuesday. Their RPI has skyrocketed to #5. Jack Speidell is shooting 21-for-49, while Sam King is averaging five points per game. Though their save percentage is under 50%, Harvard is highly efficient on offense and thrives at a fast pace.

One red flag: Harvard ranks just #73 in face-off winning percentage. That may come back to haunt them in high-stakes games.

11) Richmond

The Spiders (7-3) have only lost to Maryland, Cornell and Duke, all elite opponents. The backloaded Atlantic 10 schedule means we’re still waiting for heavyweight matchups against UMass and Saint Joseph’s. Lucas Littlejohn leads the way with 36 points, while Aidan O’Neil orchestrates the offense from X and Max Merklinger continues to make timely plays. This is a tough, well-coached group, and whoever wins the A10 title will be a brutal draw in the NCAA first round.

Richmond faces Hobart on Saturday.

10) Duke

The Blue Devils (8-3) were humbled in South Bend in a 14-7 loss to Notre Dame. Their attack struggled to penetrate against the Irish defense, and without significant upgrades to the offense, it’s hard to consider Duke a true title contender right now.

Clearing has been a persistent issue, and the offense lacks the dynamism needed to compete with top-tier defenses. The Devils will look to rebound against Boston University, a game that could become an important résumé builder if they have aspirations of playing deep into May.

9) North Carolina

UNC (7-2) was down one at halftime to Army on the road and couldn’t string together enough quality possessions to pull out a win. Defense and goaltending were inconsistent, and the Heels didn’t play a clean enough game to take down a tough opponent in a hostile environment. Winning on the road in that kind of setting is like swimming upstream—everything has to go right. Despite being +12 on face-offs, Carolina was only +1 in shots on goal, a clear sign the offense wasn’t firing efficiently. Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala each had three goals, accounting for half of the team’s output, but the Heels are still looking for ways to create outside the six-on-six offense. Defensively, they struggled to contain Jackson Eicher and didn’t establish control of key matchups.

The face-off unit remains elite, ranking #4 nationally in win percentage, and the offense is a top-ten unit in scoring. But resume wins over Johns Hopkins, Penn, and Michigan are tepid, so Saturday’s game against Virginia on ACC Network is critical. Chris Cotter and I will be in Chapel Hill to call it. Lefty shooter Dom Pietramala was my guest this week on the Quintessential Podcast, and I came away very impressed with his demeanor and insight.

8) Army

Even with Michie Stadium under construction on the reservoir side, the crowd energy was high and the Black Knights (8-1) fed off it in a hard-fought win over North Carolina. The officials didn’t exactly bring their A-game, but Army powered through. Jackson Eicher was lights out, scoring six goals to keep the offense rolling in the absence of FOGO Will Colletti. The Black Knights led 8-7 at halftime and never gave up the edge. AJ Pilate matched up with Owen Duffy and helped slow the UNC star, while SSDM Christian Mazur continues to be one of the toughest matchups in the country. Army showed toughness and discipline, proving again why they’re near the top of the Patriot League and now sit with an RPI of #9.

Next up is a key league clash on the road at Colgate.

7) Penn State

The Nittany Lions (6-3) have now dropped two straight Big Ten games to Ohio State and Maryland, falling to 0-2 in league play. Despite holding Maryland to just 25 shots, they couldn’t come out with a win. For the season, opponents are shooting 30% against PSU, which is both surprising and a little alarming. The defense isn’t necessarily playing poorly, but the offense isn’t doing enough to tip the balance.

They’ll face Michigan next on BTN, and with the Wolverines heating up, this becomes a must-win for Penn State to stay afloat in the Big Ten.

6) Syracuse

The Orange (8-2) erased a 5-1 first quarter deficit and closed the game on a 3-0 run to earn a gutsy 12-10 road win over Virginia. It was an impressive response to early adversity, and while Syracuse isn’t playing perfect lacrosse yet, they’re showing signs of growth and resilience. There are still several areas in need of cleanup, particularly around situational execution, but they’re trending in the right direction. Sam English continues to be one of the most versatile players in the country, evoking shades of Matt Abbott. Owen Hiltz was clutch, and goalie Jimmy McCool delivered a poised, sharp performance in a tough road setting.

Syracuse ranks in the top ten in both scoring offense and defense, and their turnover margin is elite. The Orange welcome Notre Dame to the Dome on Saturday afternoon in a marquee ACC showdown on the ACC Network. Joey Spallina enters averaging 3.5 assists per game. This rivalry never disappoints.

5) Notre Dame

What a statement from the Irish (5-2). Notre Dame dominated Duke 14-7 on Saturday in front of a lively home crowd at Arlotta Stadium and looked like a fully-formed title contender. They lead the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, and it showed. Even without All-American defender Shawn Lyght, they were lights out on both ends of the field. What was a 2-2 tie quickly became an 8-2 cushion, and from there, it was all Notre Dame. The ball movement was crisp, the defense airtight, and Jake Taylor put on a clinic, finishing with five goals and two assists. Taylor is now converting 49% of his shots and continues to be the ultimate closer.

Notre Dame is shooting 36% as a team and looked the best they’ve been all year. They’ll take that momentum into a hostile Dome environment this Saturday against Syracuse. Anish Shroff and Paul Carcaterra will have the call on ACCN.

4) Ohio State

The ten-game win streak for Ohio State remains intact after a methodical 13-11 win over Rutgers. Playing in the late Sunday slot on the road definitely impacts the upcoming week’s preparation and freshness, but the Buckeyes continue to find ways to win. Red-hot goalie Caleb Fyock made 19 saves in the victory and has been the engine of this surge. “Big Tasty” is on fire, and it’s hard not to admire the consistency and confidence with which he’s playing. While the Buckeyes weren’t sharp in the clearing game or at the face-off X, they got enough timely plays to stay in control.

Ohio State’s defense is ranked seventh in scoring defense and continues to shine. Cullen Brown has become a weekly turnover machine, and the entire unit plays a gritty, disruptive style. At 10-1, OSU rolls into Baltimore for a huge Homecoming matchup with Johns Hopkins. The biggest question—how will the Blue Jays score on Big Tasty?

3) Princeton

The Tigers (6-2) survived a cold, messy trip to New Hampshire with a 11-8 win over Dartmouth in a game that featured rain, sleet, snow and snowbanks framing the field. Despite the conditions, Princeton extended its win streak over the Big Green to ten straight, thanks to Coulter Mackesy’s empty netter that gave them breathing room with just over a minute to play. Goalie Ryan Croddick made a point-blank stop off a late Princeton turnover and finished with 13 saves. The attack unit of Mackesy, Nate Kabiri, and “Barbeque” Burns combined for eight goals and four assists. Princeton dominated the stat sheet, outshooting Dartmouth 60-34 with a +8 ground ball margin and just six turnovers.

Faceoffs remain a problem—the Tigers rank #70 nationally in face-off win percentage—but their resume still includes big-time wins over Duke, North Carolina, and Penn State, though all three of those teams lost this past weekend. Princeton hosts Lehigh and Vermont this week as they look to solidify postseason positioning. Tuesday is for the Hunter on April Fool’s Day.

2) Maryland

“Be the Best” bounced back in a big way after the loss to Michigan, taking down Penn State 13-8 in front of 5,023 fans. The Terps clamped down defensively, holding PSU scoreless in the second quarter, which proved to be the turning point. Maryland only took 25 shots and lost the face-off battle 16-8, but their rope unit completely took over the game. Braden Erksa and Eric Spanos each scored three goals, but it was the short-stick defensive midfielders who were most impactful. Jack McDonald, AJ Larkin, George Stamos, and Eric Kolar combined for five points and continue to prove why they’re the best D-mid group in the country.

Maryland now sits at 8-1 with quality wins over Penn State, Princeton, Notre Dame, Richmond, and Syracuse. Their defense ranks third in scoring defense, and they’ll look to continue that dominance against Rutgers this week.

1) Cornell

Big Red (7-1) laid the hammer down on Penn with a 15-5 win, jumping out to a 7-1 and 10-1 halftime lead before coasting to the finish. With this win, Cornell maintains control of its destiny in the Ivy League race and is on track to host the conference tournament. The trio of Michael Long, CJ Kirst, and Ryan Goldstein continues to dominate as arguably the nation’s best attack unit. If the Big Red can win face-offs and get solid goaltending, they might be impossible to beat.

CJ Kirst is averaging more than five goals per game while shooting an absurd 58%. The passing game has been elite—Cornell leads the country with 10.6 assists per game. Goalie Wyatt Knust is giving them more than 13 saves per contest and has been steady when called upon. Cornell will host Albany on Tuesday before traveling to Brown on April 5.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), Eric Spanos (Maryland), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Coulter Mackesy (Princeton), Billy Dwan III (Syracuse), and Casey Wilson (Denver).

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The race to improve is heating up. Greatness isn’t just about consistency—it demands constant growth. With six weeks until league playoffs and just 41 days until Selection Sunday, every possession, every adjustment, and every game carries extra weight. Ten AQ’s will punch their tickets to the NCAA lacrosse tournament while the selection committee will fill out the bracket with eight at-large bids.

As March turns to April, conference play takes center stage, leaving only a handful of meaningful nonconference matchups. Army vs. North Carolina and the Cornell-Syracuse showdown on Long Island could have major implications.

20) Denver

A huge win over Duke gives the Pioneers hope for the Big East AQ. The defense was locked in from the start, packing into a zone and forcing Duke to settle for outside shots. Goalie Malcolm Kleban played well enough to stay in the game and was outstanding in key moments. The defense blocked shots like a hockey team, soaking up at least six or seven attempts.

The offense shot efficiently, and a penalty problem from the Yale game (12 penalties) was reduced to less than a minute in the box. Turnovers disappeared, and Matt Brown’s squad successfully broke the ten-man ride.

19) Virginia

At (5-4), the Wahoos took another small step forward, handling Utah before the start of ACC play. Goalie Matt Nunes was sharp for the second straight game, while McCabe Millon played his best game of the year. The rangy Virginia defense worked well together, holding the Utes to just five goals through three quarters. FOGO Anthony Ghobriel was out again, making faceoff wins a challenge, but senior midfielder Griffin Schutz recorded a hat trick, and lefty playmaker Johnny Hackett looked more comfortable in settled offensive sets.

18) Michigan

The Wolverines defeated Maryland for the fourth consecutive time, an amazing streak that defies explanation. Emmett Houlihan fed Nick Roode for the triple-overtime winner in an 11-10 thriller at College Park. Goalie Hunter Taylor made two clutch saves in the second OT and finished with 13 stops. This is a momentum-builder for the second half of the season.

17) Johns Hopkins

An awful home loss to Rutgers casts a colossal shadow on the Jays’ season. If you’re juiceless, you’re useless. Hopkins lags in non-faceoff ground balls and has middling stats across all categories. “We Want More” heads to Ann Arbor on March 29.

16) Dartmouth

The Big Green (7-1) haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2003 and are ranked for the first time since 2007. They are the most improved team in Division I, securing a gutsy 9-8 OT win at Penn on Saturday. The victory marks Dartmouth’s first over Penn since 2013 and first in Philadelphia since 2005. Emmett Paradine scored three goals, Thomas Power added two, and both Williams Stahl and Alex Jessey chipped in two points. Dartmouth hosts Princeton this week in a key Ivy League battle.

15) Army

The Cadets are (7-1) after a loss to Boston University that could seriously damage their at-large resume. Goalie Sean Byrne made 18 saves, while Jackson Eicher, Hill Plunkett, and Brayden Fountain each scored twice. Fountain had been averaging four goals per game, but Army’s shooting percentage dipped to just 26% against a low strength of schedule. They went 9-for-57 against BU, a troubling sign. It’s difficult to improve when you don’t face elite competition, and over-reliance on Byrne isn’t sustainable. The matchup against North Carolina on Saturday at Michie Stadium will be revealing. Let’s see if Army and head coach Joe Alberici can respond to the setback.

14) Boston University

The Terriers (7-1) captured a key Patriot League win over Army, with their only blemish being a loss to Navy. The defense has been outstanding, keeping them in every game. Tuesday is for the Hunter, as BU faces Harvard midweek on ESPN+ in a luxury matchup for fans.

13) Harvard

The Crimson (5-2) have notched wins over Providence, Syracuse, Michigan, and Yale. Harvard welcomes Boston rival BU to Cambridge on Tuesday before facing Binghamton on Saturday. Defense has been sold separately, as the Crimson continue to rely on their high-powered offense.

12) Saint Joseph’s

The Hawks (6-2) are riding a seven-game winning streak after taking down Penn 11-10 on Tuesday and beating Providence 16-12 over the weekend. That makes them the kings of Philly with local wins over Drexel, Villanova, and the Quakers. Saint Joseph’s plays a physical brand of lacrosse with an aggressive ten-man ride that keeps opponents uncomfortable. The Hawks host UMass in a critical Atlantic 10 clash.

11) Richmond

The Spiders (6-3) used a zone defense to corral Georgetown, adding another quality win to their resume. Their strength of schedule has been impressive, and with Atlantic 10 play beginning, the race between Saint Joseph’s, UMass, and Richmond will be epic.

10) Duke The Blue Devils (8-2) dropped a shocking loss to Denver, but their wins gained value this week with Michigan beating Maryland. Victories over Saint Joseph’s and Richmond have aged well, strengthening their resume.

Warped by the rain. Baked by the sun. Kicked by the wind. Robbed by the snow. Now spring hits Durham. Midfielder Max Sloat was my guest on the Quintessential Podcast this week. The 6-3 San Francisco native has become a lefty playmaker, sliding down to play attack. A trip to South Bend this week is critical for Duke.

9) Fairfield

The Stags (9-0) are the last undefeated team in Division I lacrosse, ranking in the top ten for both scoring offense and defense. A 12-11 win over Drexel was fueled by a late 5-1 run, keeping their perfect record intact. Fairfield plays at Stony Brook next.

8) Penn State

The Nittany Lions (6-2) hosted Ohio State on Sunday night at 7 p.m. on BTN. Love the stand-alone time slots, but the camera work was too wide for my taste. Matt Traynor and Kyle Lehman both dressed and played.

A sloppy Ohio State clear led to a Liam Matthews goal, the sophomore from Canada showing his mid-range sniping ability. Penn State’s defense is at its best when forcing shots Jack Fracyon can handle from distance. Fracyon has switched to #11 this season. After controlling play for the first ten minutes, things began slipping away as Ohio State punished PSU for small mistakes. The deficit grew to 9-5 in the third quarter.

A replay review after Jeff Tambroni threw the challenge flag appeared to show a PSU goal, but the referees didn’t see it that way. Flat-out robbery, and Tambroni lost a timeout as well. The Lions found a spark on a blown clear that led to a transition goal, making it 9-6. The Happy Valley crowd was lively as PSU battled back to 10-7 on an Ethan Long scorcher after another OSU failed clear. Ultimately, Penn State was outplayed in the second half.

A trip to College Park looms large.

7) Notre Dame

The Irish absorbed back-to-back losses to Maryland and Ohio State. Failure is a learning experience. It’s not easy being green. Green is the color of spring. Notre Dame (4-2) ranks #2 in scoring offense, with FOGO Will Lynch at 64%.

The Irish had a bye this week and now host Duke on Saturday. ESPNU, noon start time. Cotter and Carc on the call. That’s where you should be.

6) Syracuse

A sluggish start on Tuesday saw the Orange trailing Manhattan 1-0 after 15 minutes. Jasper goalie Connor Hapward was a virtual brick wall. Syracuse responded with nine goals in the second quarter and finished with an 18-2 win, launching 71 shots. Joey Spallina had six points as 3,652 fans watched the Orange dominate the faceoff battle 21-2.

On Saturday, Syracuse started fast, scoring just five seconds in and building an 8-2 halftime lead over Colgate. Goalie Jimmy McCool was on fire. Spallina may have played his best career game—not because of his points, but because of his awareness. He scored on a restart with five seconds left in the third quarter, then added a crucial goal in the fourth to push the lead back to three. A 16-12 win over Colgate was a solid day for the Orange.

Syracuse must address poor clock management at the end of quarters and learn to play more complementary lacrosse. Decisions like shooting with 1:40 left on an unreleasable man-down penalty or wasting possessions after a faceoff win can be costly against teams like Notre Dame, Maryland, and Cornell. The details matter, especially in May.

#HHH takes on the Klockner grass next.

5) North Carolina

The Tar Heels rolled to a 14-2 victory over High Point, improving to (7-1) with notable wins over Michigan, Johns Hopkins, and Penn. Their ride has been lethal, creating extra possessions and frustrating opponents. With Army up next and the ACC schedule looming, UNC is firmly in the national conversation. Let’s see how they navigate the next six weeks as the turbulence ramps up.

4) Ohio State

A nine-game win streak for the Buckeyes (9-1) was punctuated by a statement victory at Penn State on Sunday night. The offense struggled early, settling for perimeter shots and lacking penetration, but a gritty second quarter changed everything. Ohio State rode hard, forced turnovers, and converted easy cash-ins to tie the game at 4-4. Half-field sets started looking sharper, with Alex Marinier proving to be a problem when he gets his feet set on his right.

The Buckeyes’ identity is clear—elite defense, strong goaltending, and a commitment to playing complementary lacrosse. Jack McKenna, at 6-6, presents a matchup nightmare. Shane O’Leary got underneath from the high lefty wing to push the lead to 11-8 with 9:30 remaining. Ed Shean, a valuable fourth attackman, dunked one from the crease off a feed from Garrett Haas, making it 12-8 as OSU flexed its offensive depth. This team is showing real chemistry.

Caleb Fyock (62%) is one of ten goalies in Division I above 60% and was rock-solid Sunday night, shutting the door and launching pinpoint outlets. The Buckeyes’ SSDMs are first-class, and the close defense got the job done in a 13-9 statement win. Coach Nick Myers has this team rolling, and defense travels well. With road wins at Notre Dame and Penn State, Ohio State is legit. Rutgers comes to Columbus next, riding high after upsetting Hopkins.

3) Princeton

The Tigers (5-2) got a crucial Ivy League win over Harvard, further strengthening an already top-tier resume. Defender Colin Mulshine locked up Sam King, holding him to just one goal and one assist on seven shots while forcing three turnovers. Mulshine has only committed one penalty in his career—a hold against Harvard two years ago. That’s incredible, considering the level of competition he faces weekly.

Nine of Princeton’s 13 goals came from midfielders, a testament to their depth. Goalie Ryan Croddick made 17 saves, keeping the Tigers in control. Princeton went scoreless for the first nine minutes before finding its rhythm. Coulter Mackesy is now just one goal away from tying Chris Massey (146) for second all-time at Princeton. Jesse Hubbard sits atop the program’s record books with 163 goals. Mackesy is also tied with Jon Hess for fourth in career points (215), trailing only Michael Sowers (302), Kevin Lowe (247), and Ryan Boyle (232).

One concern? Croddick is being asked to make 15+ stops per game, which is a tough burden. Princeton hits the road to face Dartmouth next.

2) Maryland

The Terps (7-1) took it on the chin against Michigan in overtime, suffering their fourth straight loss to the Wolverines. It’s clear that Michigan coach Kevin Conry is in Maryland’s head. Midfield production and bench scoring were in short supply, exposing some weaknesses.

That said, Maryland has been executing its systems efficiently on both ends. Their defense remains among the best in the nation, and their transition game is sharp. A massive Big Ten clash looms as Penn State comes to College Park this Saturday.

1) Cornell

The Big Red (6-1) were too much for Yale to handle, posting a 19-14 road win in New Haven to solidify their spot at the top. CJ Kirst exploded for nine goals, while Ryan Goldstein dished out eight assists—both career highs. This offense is humming, averaging over 15 goals per game and showing no signs of slowing down.

Cornell turns its attention to Penn this Saturday before a highly anticipated showdown with Syracuse later on Long Island. Kirst is playing like a Tewaaraton front-runner, and the Big Red are in full control of their Ivy League destiny.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Alex Marinier (OSU), Eric Spanos (MD), Shawn Lyght (ND), Coulter Mackesy (Princeton), Billy Dwan III (Syracuse), and Casey Wilson (Denver).

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Is this the year of defense? Army, Maryland, Fairfield, Ohio State, and UMass are all leaning heavily on their back line. Scoring is down—except in the Ivy League. Cornell’s win over Princeton was the most significant result of the week.

Spring break is a time to put in extra work. Find an hour each day outside of practice to sharpen your skills. Less isn’t more. Do the work now for the payoff in May.

20) Sacred Heart

My MAAC favorite is (5-2) with wins over St. Joe’s, Holy Cross, Stony Brook, Wagner, and Siena. An inexplicable league loss to Canisius was sobering, but head coach Jon Basti is doing great work in Connecticut. The Pioneers never seem unhinged in one-goal games and will travel to Merrimack next.

19) Saint Joseph’s

The Hawks (5-2) are riding a five-game win streak, taking down Monmouth, Towson, Rutgers, Drexel, and Villanova. The Atlantic 10 race will be terrific, with Richmond, St. Joe’s, and UMass all looking like serious contenders. After seven games, defender Levi Verch has racked up (1,4) with 48 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers—wow. He’s going to be a first-round pick in the PLL Draft. St. Joe’s faces Penn midweek.

18) Dartmouth

The Big Green (6-1) are one of the most improved programs in Division I under head coach Sean Kirwan. Five straight wins, including a 17-5 demolition of Hobart, give Dartmouth its longest winning streak in 20 years. Colin McGill led the charge with five goals.

17) UMass

The Minutemen lost their opener against Army but have since held six straight opponents to under 10 goals, including Dartmouth, Albany, Vermont, and Rutgers. They belong in the Top 20. Trace Hogan, Aiden Drunsic, and Matt Cargiulo are names to know, while the starting defense of Matt Petitto, Chanse Cool, and Kyle Swanson has positioned UMass as a legitimate NCAA tournament contender.

Two games this week—UMass-Lowell and Brown.

16) Penn

The Quakers (4-3) held off Brown 9-8 in a game they had to have. The offense struggled in the second half, scoring just twice on 31 total shots, but big goalie and PLL prospect Emmett Carroll made 15 saves to secure the win. Ben Smith led the scoring effort with three goals. Penn plays St. Joe’s on Tuesday and Dartmouth on March 21.

15) Fairfield

The Stags (8-0) steamrolled Hampton and continue to impress. Their progression from (2-9) in 2021 to (7-7) in 2022, (5-9) in 2023, and (8-7) in 2024 shows steady improvement. LSM Julian Radossich is a menace with the pole, causing turnovers at a high clip. Fairfield hosts Drexel next.

Head coach Andy Baxter was my guest this week on the Quintessential Podcast.

14) Richmond

The Spiders (5-3) have played an insane non-conference schedule, with their three losses coming against Duke in double overtime, Maryland, and a one-goal loss to Cornell. The double OT loss at home to Duke stings because Richmond had chances to win. Anish fired this game up on his iPad, and we were watching on ESPN+ in the Klöckner booth prior to UVA and Maryland. Joe Sheridan had a strong day for Richmond. The Spiders travel to DC this week.

13) Georgetown

The Swamp Dogs (5-2) looked sluggish in a 17-10 win over High Point after a bye weekend. The game was closer than the final score, as the Hoyas pulled away by winning the fourth quarter 6-0. Kevin Miller and Aidan Carroll both had five-point days.

Richmond and Georgetown play this week in what could be considered an NCAA at-large survival game. The Big East foursome of Georgetown, Denver, Providence, and Villanova all have current RPIs outside the Top 20. Georgetown’s wins have come against teams with a combined record of (11-24), so the resume isn’t tournament-ready yet.

12) Harvard

The Crimson are rolling at (5-1) after defeating Yale 14-11. Harvard jumped out to a 7-2 lead after 15 minutes, beating its rival for the first time since 2017. Sam King must be considered a Tewaaraton top-five caliber player. Harvard is facing off at just 34%, so it’s impressive they’re still averaging 15 goals per game. I’ve caught portions of their games on ESPN+, and they’re playing with their hair on fire. Teddy Malone, Jack Spiedell, Logan Ip, and Miles Botkiss are doing damage. A big test is up next as Harvard travels to Princeton on Saturday.

11) Duke

The Devils survived in sudden death overtime at Richmond to improve to (8-1). Aidan McGuire took a nifty flip off an overtime faceoff ground ball and went coast to coast for the victory—a crucial win for Duke. The Devils also banked a win earlier in the week against Providence. Great to see Eric Malever healthy and back in career form with 42 points, while Max Sloat has contributed 27 points from the midfield. Duke is shooting well at 36%, and the EMO is clicking at 54%, but clearing hasn’t been strong.

Denver plays Duke on Saturday. The Devils could play 17 games prior to Selection Sunday, which is four more than Notre Dame is likely to play. Shouldn’t all teams have a similar number of games for proper tournament selection?

10) Johns Hopkins

A methodical Saturday night win at Navy puts the Jays at (6-2), concluding the non-league portion of their schedule. Navy is dealing with multiple injuries to its FOGO unit, and the possession advantage was too much to overcome. A 20-5 edge at the dot tells the tale, with Logan Callahan getting the credit. Navy also had five failed clears, including a costly late offsides call with the game in the balance. Matt Collison, Hunter Chauvette, and Brooks English played well, but the JHU on-ball defense got exposed on a few ISOs.

The leading storyline from Saturday night was that Hopkins made a goalie change, starting Oran Gelinas, a 6-4 junior transfer from Ohio State. The righty made 14 saves while wearing #87. Rutgers comes to Baltimore on March 22. The Jays’ RPI is sitting in the teens.

9) Notre Dame

The Irish (4-2) played 46 minutes of defense against Ohio State. The Buckeyes had 38 possessions and put 30 shots on goal, while Notre Dame’s offense has averaged just 10 goals per game over the last three contests (Georgetown, Maryland, Ohio State). All three of those teams play first-class defense—honestly, it’s hard to find three better schematic defenses. In those games, the Irish are averaging just 4.3 assists per game compared to 9.4 per game in 2024. They’re still searching for the right personnel on attack, with the third attack spot continuing to underdeliver. The Irish must learn to play complementary lacrosse, understanding when to push tempo and when to slow it down to give their defense a breather. Bad shot selection early in the shot clock has been a theme.

Back-to-back losses had folks in South Bend a little feisty this week, but a 19-7 emphatic win over Michigan was the largest margin of victory in series history. Chris Kavanagh delivered a seven-point performance, while Jake Taylor, Will Angrick, Devon McLane, and Will Maheras each finished with two goals. Angrick, Faison, and Busenkell ran first midfield, while McClane started again on attack. Veteran FOGO Will Lynch won 13-of-16 face-offs, and athletic freshman Matt Jeffrey scored his first career goal. A bounce-back effort for sure. The Irish have a bye this week, and I really struggle with this—playing fewer games was costly for the program in 2022.

8) Ohio State

After a (6-9) season in 2024, the Buckeyes have banked wins over Virginia, Denver, and Notre Dame. A Sunday matinee in the Mile High City was tied 2-2 after the first quarter, but a 6-1 Buckeye run before halftime proved to be the difference. They nursed the lead the rest of the way in a game that was chippy. Defender Cullen Brown is quietly stockpiling caused turnovers, and righty shooter Alex Marinier had another big day. The 15-11 road win was Ohio State’s first in Denver in 16 years. The Buckeyes travel to Penn State on Sunday night for a Big Ten matchup on BTN.

7) Syracuse

The Orange had a bye this week. #HHH (5-2) plays Manhattan on Tuesday and Colgate this weekend. Last year’s game against Colgate featured 18 penalties and was completely out of control—expect tempo and scoring in this one. Catch it on ESPN+.

6) North Carolina

On Sunday, the Heels (5-1) jumped out to a 7-3 lead on Jacksonville after the first quarter, extending it to 11-3 and 13-5 by halftime. Depth of scoring was evident, as was Owen Duffy’s shot-making ability—he had five goals before intermission and finished with eight points. UNC kept Dom Pietramala in the game up 13 goals with 4:00 to play. Anybody else remember Dylan Molloy at Brown in the NCAA quarters? Jacksonville is now banished to chasing the ASUN AQ after the 20-7 setback.

FOGO Brady Wambach (68%) has been a weapon for head coach Joe Breschi. UNC plays High Point on the road on Friday, March 21. The Heels still have dates with Army and the ACC quartet of Duke, Virginia, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Carolina may be the beneficiary of Virginia’s off year.

5) Army

The Cadets (7-0) throttled Lehigh 13-4 despite missing FOGO Will Colletti. Army won just 4-of-17 draws yet still outshot Lehigh by a wide margin. Jackson Eicher scored six times, while defenseman AJ Pilate added a left-handed wraparound goal. Boston University visits Michie Stadium on Saturday. Army has the #1 ranked scoring defense but an SOS of #37. The only top-ten test left on the schedule is against North Carolina.

4) Penn State

The Nittany Lions (6-1) defeated Robert Morris 22-8 on Wednesday, using a 6-0 second-quarter run to pull away. FOGO Colby Baldwin (63%) has been a bright spot, and Penn State is nearly +10 per game in ground balls. Matt Traynor has 23 points through five games but hasn’t dressed in the last two. Ohio State travels to Happy Valley on Sunday for a Big Ten showdown on BTN.

3) Princeton

The Tigers lost 15-10 in Ithaca, spending most of the game playing catch-up as the defense struggled to get stops. Princeton is facing off at just 35% on the season, leading to a significant disadvantage in shots, but their shooting efficiency has helped offset the pain of fewer possessions. This is a ticking time bomb—Princeton is vulnerable at the face-off dot, and the defense is mediocre. That said, I do enjoy watching them play offense with Coulter Mackesy, Nate Kabiri, Barbecue Burns, Tucker Wade, and Sean Cameron. Harvard faces Princeton in New Jersey on Saturday in what could be a 30-goal game.

2) Cornell

The Big Red (5-1) win over Princeton is the first step toward hosting the Ivy League Tournament. Cornell, Princeton, and Penn State are an interchangeable trio in the rankings. CJ Kirst became the all-time leading goal scorer in school history, surpassing Mike French. CJ has played a handful of extra games, but his production speaks for itself—he had five goals on 12 shots in the 15-10 victory. Cornell was +5 on face-offs and took 51 shots, applying constant pressure and getting quality looks. Willem Firth continues to find space on the EMO. Big Red turns their attention to Yale this week.

1) Maryland

The Terps (7-0) used a 5-0 start and a 5-0 finish to capture the 99th meeting with rival Virginia, 12-6, on a cloudy day at Klöckner. A 7-6 lead ballooned into the final margin. Maryland has delivered a 4-0 run in nearly every game this spring. The second quarter and early third were concerning, as the Terps went dormant for 20 minutes, but midfield production and goaltender Logan McNaney were the stars. The lefty from Corning, NY, made 13 stops, many of them clean catches that triggered transition.

Maryland has a top-five rated scoring defense, is very solid at close defense, and is exceptional at the LSM spot with AJ Larkin and Jack McDonald. This team is the king of restarts—they win the whistle. They are tops in clearing percentage and near the bottom in riding. To beat Maryland, you must run from defense to offense and pin their midfield personnel on defense. Scoring in transition or early offense is the key.

The Cavs are (5-8) dating back to last year. Having called their games against Richmond, Hopkins, and Maryland, I’ve seen subtle improvements in their clearing, half-field offense, and defense. Midfield production in settled sets has been sporadic, their portal pickups have been non-factors, and their freshman class is ravaged with injuries. Sitting at (3-4) before ACC play is scary territory. Drama in Charlottesville will test their “Cultural Thursdays.”

Michigan is at Maryland next. The Terps have lost three straight to the Wolverines.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Alex Marinier (Ohio State), Eric Spanos (Maryland), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Coulter Mackesy (Princeton), Billy Dwan III (Syracuse), and Casey Wilson (Denver).

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Just three undefeated D1 lacrosse teams survived the weekend—Maryland, Fairfield, and Army have yet to taste defeat, while Hampton, Loyola, and Wagner are still hunting for joy.

Penn State, Syracuse, and Ohio State were the big winners this week.

20) Jacksonville
Dolphins are (5-2) with wins over Marist, St. John’s, Hampton, Iona, and High Point. That’s not impressive. Losses to Syracuse and Duke can be excused. Slotting Duval into the last spot for the moment because they play in Chapel Hill on Sunday, March 16.

19) Dartmouth
Welcome to the show, Big Green. Dartmouth is (5-1), having lost to UMass but picking up wins over Bucknell, Holy Cross, Vermont, Siena, and Utah. Second-year coach Sean Kirwan is flipping the script in New Hampshire. Goalie Mason Morel sits at 57%, and opponents are clearing at just 80% against Dartmouth. The EMO is clicking at 47% with Thomas Power and Colin McGill leading the way.

18) UMass
The Minutemen dropped their opener to Army but have reeled off five straight wins over Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, NJIT, Albany, and Vermont. Trace Hogan and Robbie Granara are leading the Gorillas, while goalie Owen Salanger is (4-0) with a stellar 64% save percentage.

17) Penn
The Quakers scored on a 90-yard shot into an empty net during a Villanova 10-man ride. I find this annoying. As a goalie, you have a responsibility to protect the goal and split the attackman—half each—so if a shot is taken, you’re in position to catch the long-range bomb. I don’t understand how goalies are vacating the crease without any care for incoming long-range missiles. If the goal responsibility gets passed off to the nearest defender, he too has to give defending the goal more respect. These empty-net goals are troublesome, quite honestly awful, and show me that goalies have no feel for balancing their role in a 10-man ride. And teams that deploy a 10-man ride without ball pressure will get what they deserve.

Penn (3-3) beat Villanova 11-8. Their losses are to Georgetown, Duke, and UNC. Brown comes to Franklin Field on Saturday.

16) Fairfield
The Stags (7-0) scored the first 14 goals in a clash with UMass Lowell, cruising to a 19-5 victory. The (7-0) start matches the best in program history and ties the longest overall winning streak. Fairfield has limited six of its seven opponents to eight goals or fewer.

FOGO Daniel Davis is one of the nation’s best. The Stags travel to Hampton (0-6) on March 15, with key games against Stony Brook, Delaware, and Towson still on the schedule.

15) Richmond
The Spiders (5-2) handled UMBC this week as Max Marklinger put up six points in a 14-8 win. Losses to Maryland and Cornell are high quality, and the win over Virginia keeps an at-large bid within reach as they still get to play Georgetown and Duke.

Lucas Littlejohn and Aidan O’Neil are both playing well, while goalie Zach Vigue has been rock solid between the pipes in 2025. Richmond takes on the Blue Devils this weekend.

14) Harvard
A home win over Michigan further validates Harvard. The 14-11 victory was secured in the fourth quarter as Sam King exploded for six goals.

The Crimson (4-1) host rival Yale on Saturday. Harvard is shooting well, averaging 15.2 goals per game while giving up 14. Sam King continues to rack up points, but their negative ground ball ratio and 34% faceoff win rate are ticking time bombs. The loss to Colgate remains an anchor on their résumé.

13) Colgate
The Raiders trailed 12-8 in the third quarter before going on an 11-2 run, including scoring the final eight goals of the game, to secure a 19-14 victory at Lafayette. Jack Turner had seven points, Rory Connor added six, and Liam Connor continues stockpiling assists.

Colgate (5-2) lost to Penn State and Virginia to begin 2025 but has collected wins over Albany, Harvard, Villanova, Loyola, and Lafayette. The Patriot League regular season and tournament should be captivating.

Bucknell will be in Hamilton, NY, for Colgate’s first home game of 2025. How crazy is that?

12) Georgetown
The Swamp Dogs handled Albany on Wednesday 12-7 and were off this weekend. The Hoyas (4-2) own wins over Loyola, Penn, Brown, and Albany, while their losses have come against Notre Dame and Johns Hopkins.

The extra-man offense is just 3-for-16, and the team is averaging only 10 goals per game. Goalie Anderson Moore, from Birmingham, Alabama, is at 56%. Graduate transfer attackman Fulton Bayman (11,8) has been impactful, but the offense lacks balance, missing true lefties.

Hoyas host High Point next.

11) Notre Dame
A 10-9 loss at home to Ohio State exposed some shortcomings of the two-time defending champs. ND isn’t generating goals outside of settled 6v6 play. The ride lacks teeth. The once-lethal extra-man unit isn’t as dominant. They’re not scoring off face-offs or in transition.

When Chris Kavanagh is neutralized, they don’t have a true QB2. The passing isn’t consistently top-tier, and the third attack spot isn’t producing. The pieces are there—they’re just not fitting together properly yet. Running last year’s offense with new personnel may have to be re-evaluated.

The close defense was excellent, and goalie Thomas Ricciardelli (20 saves) had a great game. But the SSDM group, apparently playing without Tyler Buchner and Christian Alacqua, seemed to drag late in the contest. ND didn’t play badly, they just didn’t play well enough to win. The race to improve is ongoing.

The Irish travel to Michigan next.

10) Duke
With a close loss to Princeton and wins over Bellarmine, Jacksonville, St. Joe’s, Michigan, Penn, and Air Force, I still can’t get a feel for where Duke belongs. We’ll find out more in March and April.

They are shooting 37% but clearing at just 84%, and a team save percentage of 52% against a relatively weak schedule is cause for concern.

Duke faces Providence on March 12 and Richmond on the road this week.

9) Ohio State
The first road trip of the year to Notre Dame resulted in a seventh consecutive win for OSU. A Shane O’Leary goal from Garrett Haas on a sneaky question mark set play off a timeout made it 10-9 Buckeyes with less than 15 seconds to go. This game was never more than a two-goal spread. D-man Bobby Van Buren did outstanding work covering Chris Kavanagh, while defenders Kyle Foster and Cullen Brown limited Jake Taylor’s shots. The Ohio State rope unit (Langermeier, Allen, Eiland, Liedel, Shaw, Cool) is more than solid, and goalie Caleb Fyock didn’t let in any soft goals.

The Buckeyes have a defense of national merit. After stubbing their toe against Utah on February 1, they’ve fully bought into a gritty, defense-first identity. Ohio State played hard. They competed for 60 minutes and didn’t sabotage themselves on the road. They earned my respect.

The offense isn’t electric but effective, with Haas running the show from X. Haas, who spent two years on a mission in South Africa before recalibrating in 2024, is a worker and a classic two-handed X threat. Marinier is the righty wing shooter, and Ryan Donnery hovers on the left side. Fairfield transfer Jack McKenna (6-6) was productive. Freshman Liam White can run and scored a critical late goal. The entire first midfield is made up of transfers. OSU doesn’t have anybody from NY, NJ, or PA in its two-deep—I’ve never seen that.

Alex Marinier had a hat trick and was my guest on the podcast. The goal scorer from Burlington, Ontario, came to Columbus as a defenseman and has scored over 50 goals after a position switch. The Buckeyes now have wins over UVA and ND and fly west to Denver. Navigate the rat traps.

8) Johns Hopkins
Jays in the Dome on Sunday for a standalone ESPNU game.

Hopkins took a 3-2 lead in the first quarter when Matt Collison fired from distance on an extra-man opportunity against a flopping SU goalie. Whatever happened to stepping to the ball? Hunter Chauvette made it four straight. The game slowed down in the second quarter, tied 4-4, with JHU’s defense organized and making astute slide decisions while forcing weak-angle shots. A routine clear suddenly became transition offense, and Quintan Kilrain capitalized, giving Hopkins a 6-5 halftime lead.

Hopkins looks battle-tested and has dialed back its overzealous sliding. The game was tied 6-6 halfway through the third quarter before Dylan Bauer scored off a crease feed. Eric Chick then took a shorty left-handed, and the SU goalie jumped at the shot, somehow letting it in from a tough angle. JHU led 8-6 with 19 minutes to play.

The game turned on a gimmick play. Joey Spallina and Sam English pulled off the hidden ball trick to make it 9-8 Cuse. No excuse to ever give up a goal like that. Communicate. Collison tied it at 9-9, but a bad upfield slide opened up interior passing lanes, leading to a 10-9 Syracuse lead with 8:13 left. Charlie Iler tied it again at 10-10, and I would expect him to be in the lineup moving forward.

Then it unraveled. 10-10 suddenly became a 12-10 deficit with under six minutes to play. Goal 13 for SU was a classic example of bad slides creating offense for the opponent. Four different d-men committed to English, and a wide-open wing shot found twine. Over-sliding against quality opposition is a losing strategy.

Hopkins has a good team in 2025, no doubt. But can they be great? Can they get over the hump and win a quarterfinal round game?

Hopkins (5-2) plays at Navy on Saturday night at 7 p.m., which is always a spectacle in Annapolis.

7) Syracuse
An early lead in the Dome behind Dwan, Leo, and Hiltz dissipated into a 4-4 tie after one quarter. Hopkins committed a two-minute non-releasable penalty, but SU fouled immediately. Not smart. Syracuse doesn’t play championship-brand lacrosse when it comes to game management. They make all sorts of clock and score mistakes and have to deal with self-inflicted wounds. SU would benefit from executing the fundamentals better.

The second midfield delivered as Wyatt Hottle drew the JHU slide, and Tyler Cordes finished to tie it 5-5. Spallina was being taken out by Scott Smith.

Down 6-5 in the third, #HHH couldn’t find the cage and had already hit three pipes. Luke Rhoa face-dodged and somehow squeaked one past Staudt to tie it 6-6. Down 8-6, shot selection and execution became an issue—too much sidearm. Off a restart from the end line, Cordes scored his second of the game off the dodge to make it 8-7. Michael Leo then dodged from the left GLE and buried an overhand finish to tie it 8-8.

Then came the momentum swing. Spallina and English executed the hidden ball trick to give Otto a 9-8 lead heading into the fourth. That should never happen. English seems to be playing the entire game.

A 9-9 tie after Trey Deere’s shot was stuffed by Staudt turned into a 10-9 Orange lead with eight minutes to play. When Rhoa stung the net, it was 10-10 again. But then Hiltz, with his fourth goal of the afternoon, gave SU a 12-10 lead after getting fouled on the shot.

Syracuse’s lack of discipline showed again when Trey Deere retaliated against Weishaar and got flagged. It didn’t cost them this time, but it could have.

Hopkins fouled, and SU was patient. Deere reset the shot clock at 3:35, and JHU didn’t press out despite being down two goals. Leo sealed it with a lefty rip after English drew slides from four different defenders. 13-10.

Jimmy McCool made a stop with 1:30 to play to secure the win.

Orange (5-2) play Manhattan and Colgate this week. The Raiders won’t back down.

6) North Carolina
The Heels handled Hofstra 18-7 and sit at (5-1) with wins over Michigan, Stony Brook, Penn, and Johns Hopkins. Owen Duffy has 25 points, and Dom Pietramala is (22,1).

Jacksonville comes to Chapel Hill on Sunday.

5) Cornell
Catastrophic collapse at home, losing to Penn State after building a four-goal lead with under three minutes to play. A handful of fans braved the 29-degree temps and wind on Saturday in Ithaca. Some left early and missed the drama.

Cornell’s FOGO committed an unreleasable penalty, and their 12-8 lead disappeared into a 12-12 tie in the last 2:27 of regulation. It’s bad enough to kill off a two-minute penalty late in the fourth quarter, but when your FOGO is in the box, it becomes make-it, take-it for the opponent. Big Red’s (4-1) penalty-killing unit didn’t get the job done.

The usual suspects—CJ Kirst, Michael Long, and Ryan Goldstein—provided the points. Neither goalie found success, and Cornell didn’t get notable bench scoring. Big Red hosts Princeton on Saturday for Ivy supremacy. The winner likely secures home-field advantage for the Ivy Tournament.

4) Army
Sixty-one members of the roster played in a 17-4 win over Holy Cross—that’s two busloads. The Cadets led 17-2 after 45 minutes as Jackson Eicher took 16 shots and finished with nine points. Brady White and Bennett Ong saw minutes in the cage.

Army (6-0) now plays Lehigh in coal country. The Mountain Hawks knocked Navy off the list this week. LSM Christian Fournier gobbles up loose balls like stat man Russ Dlin eats hot dogs. The dilemma for Army is strength of schedule—it’s hard to improve when you’re playing non-Top 20 teams so frequently.

3) Penn State
Playing without Matt Traynor, on the road, with goalie Jack Fracyon making just four saves, the Lions trailed 12-8 with less than four minutes to play. No panic.

Kyle Aldridge cut it to 12-9 with 2:27 left. On the ensuing faceoff ground ball, Cornell’s Jack Cascadden was flagged for unnecessary roughness and given a two-minute non-releasable penalty with 2:20 remaining. Liam Matthews scored on the EMO to make it 12-10 with 1:52 left. Luke Walstrum struck on the power play to cut it to 12-11 with 1:18. Jack Aimone tied the score as the penalty was released—12-12 with 17 seconds left.

Three minutes into overtime, after a Big Red turnover, Ethan Long banged home the game-winner on an assist from Hunter Aquino. Crazy finish.

RoMo visits Happy Valley on Wednesday, March 12.

2) Princeton
The Tigers took care of Rutgers on Saturday night as goalie Ryan Croddick thrived under the lights. Princeton has quality wins at Penn State, at Duke, at North Carolina, and now over the Scarlet Knights.

Coulter Mackesy was my guest last week on the Quintessential Podcast.

Barbecue Burns is shooting at a high percentage for a squad looking to get back to Championship Weekend after losing in the 2022 semis. The Tigers square off with Cornell in Ithaca on Saturday in a monster matchup.

Princeton began playing men’s lacrosse in 1882 and had immediate success, winning a national championship in 1883. They captured nine pre-NCAA titles, the latest in 1951 and 1953. Under coach Bill Tierney, the Tigers won NCAA gold in 1992, 1994, 1996-98, and 2001.

1) Maryland
The Terps (6-0) suffocated Delaware 14-3, holding the Hens to just 17 shots through 45 minutes.

Maryland is so clean. They committed just eight turnovers and cleared 23-for-23. They don’t beat themselves and control tempo. Watch them sprint on the whistle to stop play. They are the restart kings.

Eric Spanos had four assists, while Zach Whittier (2,3) and Elijah Stobaugh (2,1) were effective. Bench scoring for Maryland remains a subplot in need of a weekly revision.

Maryland travels down Route 29 to play Virginia at 4 p.m. Saturday (ACCN). I’ll be on-site for the television call. Temps may hit 70 degrees.

Q-Tips
Navy lost its tenth straight game to Lehigh and was demoted from the Top 20 on Friday night. Denver and Michigan got tossed from the party.

Virginia, Yale, LIU, BU, VMI, Sacred Heart, Providence, St. Joe’s, and Stony Brook are on the radar. The Wahoos and Bulldogs are one more win away from inclusion.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Alex Marinier, Eric Spanos, Shawn Lyght, Coulter Mackesy, Billy Dwan III and Casey Wilson.

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This week’s catalog is similar to a Long Island diner menu—abundant. Six games on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, nine on Friday, and nine on Sunday. We need more Sunday games. Spread ’em out, we love it.

D1 has four unbeaten teams at the conclusion of the winter portion of the schedule: Maryland, Army, Fairfield, and Cornell.

Using the Nick Saban scale of average, good, excellent, and elite, it’s fair to say that the squads of 2025 have work to do. Most are building a foundation that can yield growth. I see a lot of good, and a tiny bit of excellent.

20) Navy

Mids are (4-1) after a solid win over BU. They are playing faster in the middle of the field with a 10-man ride. Scoring is up. Freshman William Goers has been a revelation.

Injuries to FOGOs were the theme in the BU victory. Starter Zach Hiyashi DNP. His understudy, Colin Shadowens, got hurt on the opening draw. Next man up. Joey Bucci won 6 of his first 11 face-offs. No sweat. Gotta love the turf trolls, aka FOGOs. You need more than one. They are a valuable and rare breed for sure. Giving Navy the slight nod here over UMass (4-1). Coach Greg Cannella’s squad has beaten Dartmouth (3-1). The Minutemen lost their opener to Army but have wins over Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, NJIT, and Albany.

The Big Green are no longer a free square in the Ivy League. Feels like Dartmouth and Harvard may displace Yale and Penn in the standings. LIU, Sacred Heart, and VMI are all (4-1). Delaware is (3-1). Eleven teams are currently winless, including Yale and Loyola. Put your pain to work.

19) Penn

Overmatched on Friday at UNC, Penn was out of its league, losing 16-8. Down 6-1 after the first quarter and losing the third quarter 4-1 told the tale of domination. Injuries to multiple FOGOs set the table for an uphill climb. Sunday, in a game full of shot clock violations, they led 4-2 at Duke on the grass before losing 11-6. Penn is offensively challenged and not winning face-offs. I respect their compete level and defense.

The Quakers have wins over Albany and Delaware with losses to GT, UNC, and Duke.

18) Fairfield

The Stags’ (5-0) start is one of the biggest storylines of 2025. They owned Providence 15-7 on Saturday. Jake Gilbert, Devin Lampron, Will Consoli, Keegan Lynch, Daniel Davis (FO), and goalie Owen Hirsch (74%) have driven Andy Baxter’s team into the limelight.

The Stags play St. John’s and UMass-Lowell this week.

17) Ohio State

Clearly on a roll after crushing Virginia on home soil, Ohio State regressed a bit in a 7-5 win over Bryant. Garrett Haas had four assists. Six straight wins. Detroit, Cleveland State, Bellarmine, Air Force, and Virginia. The Bucks have risen from the ashes after an opening-day loss to Utah.

What would their record be if they played Penn’s schedule? How good are they? Is the win streak a mirage? We find out soon. The Bucks are in South Bend on Saturday (ESPN+) for a classic Midwest rivalry game.

16) Michigan

Wolverines (3-2) hammered Canisius on Tuesday in Ann Arbor. Goalie Hunter Taylor falls through the cracks when people discuss top goalies. He makes the saves he’s supposed to and steals one or two a game. The Big Ten has six quality stoppers: Jack Fracyon, Big Tasty, Cardin Stoller, Taylor, Logan McNaney, and Luke Staudt.

FOGO Jackie Weller DNP on Tuesday. Michigan struggled at the faceoff dot but used its 10-man ride to flip possessions back. UMich has a pair of losses to Duke and UNC. I’m struggling to place them right now.

Big Blue faces off with Harvard this weekend.

15) Denver

A 6-5 halftime lead against Marist on Friday night ballooned into an 18-5 win. Pios won the second half 12-0.

Freshman goalie Grayson Manning made his first start. The British Columbia native made 10 first-half stops. His brother, Noah, added four goals. Mic Kelly had a flashy twister goal, and Judge Murphy scored four times. Kelly is an elite goal-scoring midfielder who will be on every PLL draft board. A Sunday 14-7 win over Quinnipiac is meh.

Pioneers and Yale make for a meaningful non-league game.

14) Richmond

Lively crowd on Sunday in the Spider Web, Robbins Stadium, as Richmond took an early 6-1 lead. Big Red needed time to defrost. Richmond feasted on a porous defense. Ground ball success parlayed. LSM Tommy Stull is a menace. CU regrouped, took over, and tied the score 8-8 in the third quarter. Richmond once again forged ahead 10-8 but was outscored 4-1 late. Aidan O’Neil is the centerpiece of the offense.

Spiders play UMBC this weekend. If Richmond makes the NCAA Tournament, they’ll be a total nightmare to play in the first round.

13) Syracuse

A bounce-back win in Utah with an extended road trip may have been what the doctor ordered after a forgettable loss to Harvard. An 11-1 halftime lead shows readiness.

Wyatt Hottle filled in for Jackson Birtwhistle, who’s out for the remainder of the spring with an injury. Hottle can dodge, which is a plus. Fourteen different members of the roster scored. Owen Hiltz has been money on the EMO, and FOGO John Mullen is doing his job at an elite pace—he had 18 ground balls in the loss to Harvard. Tricky to rank the Orange with losses to Maryland and Harvard. Their wins are over Jacksonville, Vermont, Towson, and Utah. Quite honestly, those won’t carry weight on Selection Sunday. So there is massive work to be done.

That starts on Sunday, where their passing offense should give the Blue Jays’ slide-happy defense fits. Orange host the Jays at 2 p.m. on ESPNU.

12) Harvard

A 20-16 victory over Marquette—a ho-hum effort after the Dome triumph a week ago. Not sure coach Gerry Byrne can keep the “Minister of Defense” moniker the way Harvard is defending. Teddy Malone and Sam King remain one of the top duos in the nation. Andrew Perry had two points. His twin brother, Joe (62%), is an exceptional goalie for RPI who scored two goals in a game last week. The big righty can move and deserves PLL attention.

Harvard has lost to Colgate and now has a critical game with Michigan up next. Not quite sure where this team belongs.

11) Colgate

Raiders crushed Loyola a week after blasting Villanova 16-5 and have pocketed wins over Harvard and Albany, all on enemy soil. Their home opener isn’t until March 15. That’ll be game #8 for Colgate. The Raiders are a swarming team of banshees on loose balls. They square off with Lafayette next. I like this team a lot.

10) Georgetown

Swamp Dogs grabbed a win at Brown, 13-8. Sitting at (3-2), GT has faced Brown, Loyola, Johns Hopkins, Penn, and Notre Dame. They’ve looked solid—not spectacular. Georgetown is at Albany on Wednesday. Non-league games with High Point and Richmond remain before Big East play.

9) Duke

The Devils dropped a thrilling Friday night scramble with Princeton, 15-14. The Tigers’ bench contributed seven goals and two assists. Duke got just (1,2) from non-starters and lost the ground ball war by five. Benn Johnston, a sophomore, scored five times, and Aidan Maguire was active with three CTs and five grounders. The game was tied at 11. Duke shot well and finished +5 in saves.

On Sunday in Durham, Duke fell behind 4-2 before grabbing control for the win over Penn. LSM Mac Christmas scored again. A 6-0 third quarter was the separation. Benn Johnston and Eric Malever were effective. The Devils’ defense dug in, allowing just 15 SOG.

Blue Devils play Air Force on March 8.

8) Johns Hopkins

With offensive leader Russell Melendez hobbled on the bench, Hunter Chauvette, Charlie Iler, and Dylan Bauer starred in the Jays’ 13-12 win over Virginia. It was the 99th meeting in a series that dates back to 1904. Chauvette scored five times. The Doyle Smith Cup, named after former JHU student and longtime Virginia sports information director Doyle Smith, stays in the Cordish Center. I love trophy games.

Hopkins used a third-quarter 6-0 run, silencing the Wahoos for 19 minutes. A decent-sized crowd at Homewood soaked in the sun while fending off stiff winds from the west end zone. Attendance in Baltimore ain’t what it used to be. UVA did improve a tad from ugly losses to Richmond and Ohio State but misplaced its poise when it mattered. Inconsistent slides on defense and sloppy turnovers have the Cavs outside the Top 20 at (2-3) before ACC play.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays play Syracuse in the Dome on Sunday at 2 p.m. Jay Alter and Paul Carcaterra have the TV call on ESPNU. This will be epic, and I love the Sunday standalone placement. Let’s see if Hopkins’ slide-first mentality gets exposed by SU’s slick sticks.

7) North Carolina

The win last week over JHU was top-heavy, with Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala doing all the heavy lifting. The duo scored 10 of UNC’s 13 goals. That kind of success isn’t sustainable.

Friday’s 16-8 win over Penn included contributions from Ryan Levy, James Matan, Mason Szewczyk, Ty English, Paul Barton, Dewey Egan, and Nick Dupuis. That’s what you want to see. Carolina took a step forward after the Hopkins win. The 16-8 drubbing of the Quakers was thorough. UNC shot 14-for-36 through 45 minutes. They owned the middle of the field (19-9 FO) and had a 43-24 ground ball advantage. This was eye-opening domination in Chapel Hill, with Coach Belichick hovering in the end zone in approval.

Owen Duffy didn’t look like himself early on Sunday, his right leg heavily taped. Quick turnarounds can do that. If you want to win a national championship, you have to train your body to be able to play on one day’s rest. Duffy would wake up. A sleepy Sunday 11 a.m. kickoff led to a sluggish first quarter—sloppiness apparent. The Heels kept chipping away. Matan on a steal, Ty English with a step-down, Duffy off the dodge.

Dom Pietramala is playing with more passion than I’ve ever seen from him, which is terrific to see. He’s playing hard in all scenarios. A 10-10 tie with Princeton on Sunday in the ACC-Ivy Challenge with eight minutes to go. Off-ball defense and ball-watching were the issues as Princeton got out of Chapel Hill with the W. Shot selection for UNC late wasn’t ideal. Carolina doesn’t lose any shine with the loss.

The Heels play Hofstra this week.

6) Penn State

A resounding win over Yale keeps the Lions (4-1) in the hunt. They’ve beaten Colgate, Nova, Navy, and Yale. Matt Traynor is stockpiling points at an impressive clip but had only one on Saturday. Freshman Hunter Aquino and sophomore Kyle Lehman gave PSU a 7-3 first-quarter lead that swelled to 11-4 at halftime. The Bulldogs are in disarray.

Nittany Lions are in Ithaca on Saturday. This is a great game.

5) Cornell

A 22-9 win at Hobart on Tuesday featured an electric performance from CJ Kirst. Six goals on 10 shots. Just a 12-point day. Big Red passing and extra-man offense are poetry. Kirst is pushing for national leadership in goals scored. Willem Firth is shooting at an insanely high percentage.

Brendan Staub, Jayson Singer, and Matt Dooley are starting on defense. Staub had 10 ground balls against the Statesmen. Cornell fell behind 6-1 on Sunday at Richmond. Ground balls and urgency sold separately. They shook off the poor start and made it 8-7 at half. Down 10-8, CU tied the score at 11 before winning 12-11. Sigh-of-relief type game. Credit the comeback. Much to learn from this contest.

FOGO Jack Cascadden was clutch. Ryan Goldstein in charge. CJ Kirst productive. But the defense was suspect.

CU welcomes PSU and former Big Red boss Jeff Tambroni back to campus on Saturday.

4) Princeton

A 15-14 win on Friday night in Durham keeps the Tigers in the upper echelon. This team can score. Coulter Mackesy struck four times, including the game-winner. The Tigers took punches and kept answering. Bench production from non-starters was critical (7,2). Depth of contribution is a championship trait.

Jackson Green, an SSDM and walk-on wide receiver on the football team, had a huge goal in transition and was a beast between the lines. Princeton’s sophomore class is stacked. Coulter Mackesy was my guest last week on the Quintessential Podcast.

Princeton didn’t look as sharp on Sunday coming off short rest. They’ve won two Ivy titles in the same calendar year. A slow start at UNC on Sunday perked up in the third quarter. The teams combined for 10 goals in the frame. Mackesy’s playmaking and a Chad Palumbo 360-spin goal from the crease gave the Tigers a 12-10 lead with 6:50 to play, then a 12-12 tie with four minutes to go. Excellent game.

Tigers’ clearing and face-off failures impacted possession time. Michael Bath had a huge CT. Palumbo couldn’t miss in the second half, capitalizing on UNC ball-watching to make it 13-12 with 2:40 on the clock. Goalie Ryan Croddick stood tall with a stick-side high save, then ate up a low-to-low offering. Shooting without deception is risky business. Jackson Green, a serious athlete, added the insurance. A 14-12 win gives Princeton the Research Triangle sweep. This is a championship contender.

New Jersey rivalry game with Rutgers is up next.

3) Army

(5-0) after a 15-5 thrashing of Lafayette. Brayden Fountain had seven points. Goalie Sean Byrne’s save percentage is sky-high. His goals-against average is minuscule. Army, the defenders of freedom, leads the country in scoring defense. The schedule is not taxing. UNC, Colgate, and Navy are the remaining top-caliber teams on the agenda.

Army is at Holy Cross.

2) Notre Dame

Rudy (3-1) lost to Maryland by a goal. Midfield defense (SSDM) was not up to standard. The third attack spot isn’t providing juice, and the transition defense needs to be tightened.

These neutral-site games fuel growth. Bobby Dodd Stadium, built in 1913, is the oldest on-campus stadium in FBS football and holds 55,000. About 10,000 fans watched the title-game rematch in Atlanta. That’s good for the sport. Chris Kavanagh took some monster hits from Maryland defenders and will need an ice bath.

All-American defender Shawn Lyght was my guest on the Quintessential Podcast.

Notre Dame hosts Ohio State on Saturday at 2 p.m. (ACCN). The Irish were shooting north of 40% prior to Maryland. I will be covering this game with Chris Cotter at 2 p.m. on ACCN.

1) Maryland

Terps (5-0), only giving up 8.2 goals per game while scoring 11 against a solid strength of schedule. Not sure I saw an NCAA championship team, but Maryland won’t be an easy out with its defense.

Terp D-men jarred the ball out of ND’s sticks but didn’t convert them to turnovers. ND won the GB battle 37-19 and FO’s 18-6. That was alleviated by a stellar effort from goalie Logan McNaney (16 saves), whose kick save in the closing minute punctuated the win. Eric Spanos played exceptionally well. He was one of the last early verbal commits before the recruiting rules changed.

Spanos was my guest this week on the Quintessential Podcast. He spoke about the standards at Maryland and the addition of portal pickups Matthew Keegan, Bryce Ford, Jack Dowd, and Jack Schultz.

Terps face Delaware this week. Maryland’s face-off department, aka the Hog Pen, will be asked to improve.

Q-Tips

MCLA rankings should be out this week. I’ve become a big fan of the BYU Cougars after spending a morning with them this fall. The Cougs are (6-0) after beating Chapman 16-7 in Vegas over the weekend.

Cal Poly, Arizona State, Florida, Florida State, Utah Valley, Georgia, Northeastern, Georgia Tech, Liberty, and Texas appear to be the top teams in 2025.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Eric Spanos, Shawn Lyght, Coulter Mackesy, Billy Dwan III, and Casey Wilson.

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A lively Tuesday menu of midweek mayhem resulted in a rough afternoon for the bottom half of the Ivy League, with Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth all losing. That trend continued on Wednesday as Army walloped Yale. The Ivies bounced back on Saturday as Harvard took down Syracuse.

Seven Top 20 matchups highlighted the Saturday menu. Nobody was smart enough to play a standalone game on Sunday.

Fan bases are already aflame. Syracuse, Yale, and Virginia backers are astonished by the February results.

I found this week’s ranking exercise fairly simple for spots #1-9—then nearly impossible for #10-20.

20) Fairfield
Sometimes it takes more than 60 minutes. On Wednesday, the Stags needed 66 minutes to earn a double-overtime win over cross-town rival Sacred Heart. Rob Moore accelerated up the right hash and gave Fairfield the 13-12 victory. Luke Okupski added four goals. Fairfield celebrated on the snowbanks.

On Saturday, they did it again, topping Manhattan in overtime 8-7 behind a game-winner from Keegan Lynch.

The Stags made NCAA playoff appearances in 2002 and 2005. Andy Baxter was hired away from Yale (defensive coordinator) in 2019, and the build has been underway in the CAA. They’ll add spice to a lively league race among Towson, Delaware, and Stony Brook.

Stags play Providence on March 1.

19) Ohio State
Five straight wins for OSU, the latest a 14-5 eye-opener against Virginia. The Buckeyes lost their first game to Utah and have since beaten Detroit, Cleveland State, Bellarmine, Air Force, and Virginia. I’m not a believer yet.

When the Bucks play Bryant on Saturday, it’ll be the halfway point of their season—seven games played, seven to go. That’s both scary and a sad commentary on how men’s lacrosse has become a winter sport.

18) Boston University
Respect the Terriers at (4-0) with victories over Siena, Brown, Monmouth, and Air Force.

17) Michigan
The Wolverines (2-2) lost to Duke in overtime. They play a pair of tune-ups before facing Harvard on March 8.

16) Denver
The Pios got destroyed by Cornell in frigid Ithaca. Pioneers welcome Marist and Quinnipiac to town on Friday and Sunday.

15) Colgate
Raiders blasted Villanova 16-5 and have pocketed wins over Harvard and Albany. Their 10-man ride and aggressive mindset are fun to watch. The Patriot League is going to be fantastically chaotic in 2025.

14) Syracuse
It’s better to hit a rough patch now and learn from it than to coast through a bunch of cupcakes. I was part of a national championship team that began the season at (3-2). Syracuse fans, hope that the pair of sobering setbacks to Maryland and Harvard lead to growth.

I see too many wasted or empty possessions. Careless turnovers have become a problem. Impatience and poor shot selection have been common themes. It appears as if the strategy doesn’t vary much from week to week. Halftime adjustments? SU lost a game against Cornell in 2024 after building a seven-goal lead. They led Harvard by five. Where’s the killer instinct?

Dissecting the Maryland film, it was evident that the Terps played an A-level game, and SU I would give a C+. The conditions were not ideal at 37° and raining, and the Dome team clearly was not comfortable with their stick work and shooting. Shooting 7 for 41 never wins. Rain and cold are not an excuse. Against a goalie of that quality, you cannot shoot low-to-low and expect the ball to go in.

Maryland scored three rebound goals, a pole goal, and two on extra man. So the SU defense was not bad in settled sets.

After the home loss to the Crimson, it’s apparent that SU lacks dodgers on attack. When Harvard switched on picks and Joey Spallina was not able to beat a short-stick defender, you’ve got problems. They’re highly skilled but don’t have a go-to dodger when they need to draw a slide or attack the goal.

Utah is up next for SU.

13) Harvard
The Crimson have been playing lacrosse for 145 years. Their last championship was before my time—in 1915. A signature win over Syracuse in the Dome quickly changes the trajectory of the season and announces to the Ivy League that Harvard won’t be an easy out.

After trailing by five goals, Harvard won the second, third, and fourth quarters despite being -24 in the FO department. They lost 28 draws and won four. Amazing. Syracuse only put seven shots on goal in the second half. Miles Botkiss and Teddy Malone were the heroes.

Harvard welcomes Marquette to Cambridge this weekend.

12) Richmond
Defense is the name of the game for Richmond. Goalie Zach Vigue made 13 saves and is now just two saves away from 500 for his career.

A one-goal win over Lehigh (9-8) after beating UVA in C-Ville is a positive start. Spiders tangle with Cornell on March 2 at Robbins Stadium on beanie giveaway day.

11) Penn
After an opening-day loss to G-Town, the Quakers used that failure to fuel a Tuesday win over Albany. A 5-1 lead set the tone. Chris Patterson (4,1) and Ben Smith (3,2) were the most productive. Freshman FOGO Stevie Davis went 12-of-23 (.522).

The Quakers’ defense is formidable, and they held Delaware to basically nothing on Saturday. Emmet Carroll made 14 saves and gave up just two goals. A 10-2 victory, one of a handful across the nation, illustrates a decrease in average scoring.

10) Georgetown
The Swamp Dogs (2-2) have faced Loyola, Johns Hopkins, Penn, and Notre Dame. Give them credit for the company they keep. They scrapped against ND with a defensive plan that limited crease scorer Jake Taylor. Problem is, they can’t score. In their last three games, the offense has mustered 6, 8, and 9 goals. That’s not going to cut it against the upper echelon.

Hoyas are at Brown on Saturday.

Freshman FOGO Ross Prince is off to a strong start. The Big East appears to be wide open after a rough weekend where GT, Denver, Nova, and Providence all lost.

9) Duke
An OT win over Michigan is admirable. Duke is seemingly building an identity around a talented defense, which is a new vibe in Durham. It’s a rebranding by CEO John Danowski, who realizes the strength of his team begins with its rope unit and stable of d-men.

Defenders Keith Boyer, Jake Wilson, and Charlie Johnson are protecting the paint. Shorties Jack Gray and Aidan Maguire are elite. Pole Mac Christmas is a danger running the field.

I like the first midfield group a lot. The attack has questions to answer after combining for just one point. Against Michigan, Andrew McAdorey scored the game’s final three goals in a takeover moment.

Duke entertains Princeton on Friday and Penn on Sunday.

8) Johns Hopkins
When the opposing team’s two most lethal players, Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala, take 15 and 16 shots each (89%), and the rest of the team takes a combined four shots—it would appear to require kindergarten-level defensive adjustments. None came in the Jays’ 13-12 home loss to UNC.

What was the matchup plan? D-man Scott Smith successfully covered Owen Duffy in 2024, yet lefty Quintan Kilrain started on #8. The Jays slid to everything and ran around with their hair on fire, failing to limit touches for #77 and #8. The inability to contain Duffy (4G) and Pietramala (6G) proved fatal. It was one of the most top-heavy production games I’ve ever witnessed. And one of the rare instances where the JHU defense was to blame. That unit had held 13 consecutive opponents to 11 goals or fewer.

The Hopkins offense played well, with Russell Melendez and Matt Collison starring. Melendez is spending more time behind the goal. The ball movement was crisp, and the ball reversal effective. The bench didn’t provide much outside of a Sean Crogan wing iso goal.

Their faceoff unit—Logan Callahan, Patrick Hackler, and the wingers—was superbly tough on draws and seemed to have answers and adjustments. The goalie matchup on Saturday was a wash. Hopkins will be double-poled on a weekly basis.

So here we are in 2025. Hopkins fans living in the Dark Ages of program history—a decade of disappointment. The last time the Blue Jays made a Championship Weekend appearance was 2015. Have expectations at Hopkins changed since the golden era?

The current administration has given Coach Pete Milliman time and patience. Clearly, they’ve been rewarded with gradual improvement. (12-6) in 2023 with a quarterfinal loss to ND, and (11-5) in 2024 with a quarterfinal loss to Virginia are positive trends after hitting rock bottom (4-9) in 2021 and (7-9) in 2022.

Can JHU get over the hump? I get the sense that they are very close.

The Blue Jays welcome Virginia to Homewood Field on Saturday at noon (ESPN+). Mark Dixon and I will be up top in the Sol Kumin Press Box for ESPN.

UVA attackman McCabe Millon was hit hard and high with :37 left in the Buckeyes’ blowout win, and his status is uncertain. UVA is reeling after losses to Richmond and Ohio State. Their half-court offense has been dreadful.

7) UNC
Epic performances from Dom Pietramala and Owen Duffy led to a 13-12 UNC win on Homewood Field. Pietramala, the son of JHU icon Dave Pietramala, put on a shooting clinic, as his dad led the Tar Heel defense.

The Heels enjoyed Sammy’s fine cuisine on Friday night in Hunt Valley, and the duo of Duffy and Pietramala ate all afternoon as Hopkins provided a dessert buffet.

The new UNC no-name defense—Kai Prohaszka, Chase Cellucci, and Cole Aasheim—is a likable trio with mobility, heart, energy, and upside. The Heels’ rope unit is excellent with Leif Hagerup, Andrew O’Berry, and LSM Paul Barton. Offensive midfielders will have to ramp it up. Lefty Ryan Levy added some IQ and distribution qualities that gave JHU headaches.

I prefer a more narrow and mobile stance for grad goalie Michael Gianforcaro. The super-wide stance isn’t for everybody—it’s not ideal for smaller goalies who need to rely on quickness and movement.

The Heels double-poled JHU’s first midfield but didn’t apply much ball pressure, allowing Hopkins to spin the ball without fear. Next time these teams meet, Carolina’s offense will need a stronger depth of offensive contribution.

The Heels host Penn on Friday and Princeton on Sunday in the ACC-Ivy Challenge. These games will be awesome and available on ESPN+.

6) Army
Add Army to the list of Championship Weekend contenders. They’re undefeated and have won their games by an average of 9.25 goals.

With a team motto of “Keep the Change,” the 2023 Army squad won the Patriot League title and upset Maryland in College Park 16-15, advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals, where they lost a heartbreaker 10-9 to Penn State. In 2024, at one point in March, they were ranked #1 in the nation for the first time in program history. The Cadets finished (11-3), losing to BU in the Patriot League semifinal and were denied a postseason bid.

On Wednesday, Army led 5-0 less than 10 minutes into a midweek showdown at Yale. The Bulldogs’ giveaways were demoralizing. Army goalie Sean Byrne made 10 first-half stops, and the lead ballooned to 7-0, then 10-2 after 30 minutes. The Cadets banished Yale outside the Top 20 with a sleeper hold in the second half.

Jackson Eicher has been stockpiling points. Army aces the eye test—sharp, very sound defensively while protecting Byrne and the paint. They open Patriot play with Lafayette this weekend.

Army does not have a taxing non-league schedule outside of North Carolina, so their résumé is fragile. Wins over UMass, Rutgers, and Yale are a strong start for sure.

5) Penn State
Penn State has more Final Fours in the last six years than UNC has NCAA Tournament appearances. The Nittany Lions dispatched Navy 13-7 behind production from Luke Walstrum. A 53-27 shot advantage is enormous.

Opponents must respect the attack duo of Kyle Lehman and Matt Traynor. I think the close defense of Alex Ross, Kevin Parnham, and Will Costin is underrated.

Have you seen any highlights of freshman midfielder Hunter Aquino? Wow. He’s a tall (6-5) lefty with speed and skill—just another terrific recruit for coach Jeff Tambroni.

PSU is at Yale on March 1.

4) Princeton
Losing the second quarter 4-0 was costly in a 13-9 setback against Maryland. This was Princeton‘s closest defeat to Maryland in recent history, and a sign perhaps that the margin is shrinking.

A 4-2 Tiger lead became an 8-4 deficit as the Terps strangled possessions. Coulter Mackesy was a bright spot with (3,1).

Princeton had no real offensive contributions from their second midfield or bench and won just 10 of 26 face-offs.

Coulter Mackesy was my guest on the Quintessential Podcast this week.

3) Cornell
What if Cornell develops a defense that can hold opponents below 12 goals?

Big Red handled Denver on Saturday in Ithaca. It was cold but sunny. Snow drifts framed the field. A 6-1 and 10-1 early advantage sent the Pios’ hopes home quickly. CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein were dealing. A 15-5 dominant win—a warning flare to the country. The cold never bothered CJ.

Big Red plays Hobart on Tuesday and Richmond on Sunday.

2) Maryland
LSM Jack McDonald was back in the lineup against Syracuse, having been granted an extra year by the NCAA with a contingency to sit out the first two games of 2025. His seven ground balls against SU were impactful and give MD an elite 1-2 LSM combo with AJ Larkin.

Maryland clamped down on Princeton after four early Tiger goals. The Terp defense settled in and controlled the game. Princeton won six of the first seven face-offs.

The Terps’ offense is showing patience early in the shot clock. Under John Tillman, Maryland rarely beats itself. They are buttoned up for all restarts.

The Terps will be in Atlanta facing Notre Dame at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Georgia Tech (ACCN). Chris Cotter and Paul Carcaterra have the call.

1) Notre Dame
Rudy (3-0) flew to D.C. and picked up an 11-9 win over Georgetown. Junior goalie Thomas Ricciardelli made 16 saves in his road debut. A 17-game win streak and 39-3 record since April 2022 for Kevin Corrigan’s team. Seven different players scored in the win, with Chris Kavanagh (3,1) as the centerpiece.

Jordan Faison played, and the Irish got added points from LSM Will Donovan and midfielders Fisher Finley and Jalen Seymour. Goal scorer Jake Taylor had bagels, which is very unusual.

Defender Shawn Lyght was my guest last week on the Quintessential Podcast.

Notre Dame plays Maryland in Atlanta at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday, March 1 (ACCN). Georgia native and GT graduate Chris Cotter has the TV call with Paul Carcaterra in a 2024 title game rematch.

Q-Tips

When was the last time Virginia and Yale were out of the Top 20 simultaneously?

ACC:  (15 – 4)

Big Ten: (21 – 7)

A10: (13 – 10)

Ivy: (10 – 8)

Patriot: (21 – 17)

AE (10 – 9)

Big East:  (11 – 12)

CAA: (12 – 17)

NEC: (11 – 18)

MAAC: (11 – 23)

ASUN:  (8 – 18)

Quint Kessenich covers college lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include players Shawn Lyght, Coulter Mackesy, Billy Dwan III, and Casey Wilson.

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Massive shuffling of the deck with the entire country, including the Ivy League, in action. Not an easy homework assignment this week. The big game winners were Maryland, Richmond, Princeton, and Georgetown.

20) Fairfield
With wins over Lehigh and Brown, Andy Baxter has the Stags in the Top 20. Devin Lampron and Keegan Lynch are their top point producers. Goalie Owen Hirsch is at 63%, with opponents shooting just 21% as the defense allows only six goals per game. Fairfield has upcoming games with Sacred Heart and Manhattan before playing Providence on March 1.

19) Michigan
A 15-9 road victory over Hobart was engineered by a seven-goal fourth quarter. Aidan Mulholland and Jack Jenkins scored four goals apiece, while Will Byrne recorded his first hat trick as a Wolverine. Big Blue heads to Duke on Feb. 22.

18) Harvard
The Crimson beat Providence 12-10 on the road to open their 2025 campaign. Providence won 12 extra face-offs and went 1-7 with the extra man, hurting its own cause. Harvard’s Sam King dished out six helpers, and Teddy Malone scored four times. The Crimson travel to the Dome to play Syracuse on February 22.

17) Denver
The Pios won a blizzard game against Utah. They made a goalie change 2:59 in after their starter allowed three quick goals. The whiteout conditions suited rookie goalie Grayson Manning, who made 16 saves while allowing just five goals. Cody Malawsky led the Pios with seven points. DU faces high-scoring Cornell this Saturday (ESPN+). Pios won 17-16 a year ago at altitude.

16) Yale
Late-starting Ivy League teams are at a distinct disadvantage when debuting. The Bulldogs were in a charitable mood, committing 21 turnovers while clearing at just 62% in a loss to Nova—eight failed clears. Yale was (11-4) in 2024, failing to make the NCAA Tournament, and this loss may prove costly on Selection Sunday.

15) Villanova
The Wildcats defeated Yale 13-11 behind four goals from Matt Licata. They took 46 shots in a game that featured nine penalties. Nova is at Colgate on Saturday, where the high temperature is forecasted to be 22 degrees.

14) Virginia
For my game prep, I rewatched the spirited Wahoo 19-9 win over Colgate on February 8 and have to say it was less impressive to my eyes than the box score. Pedal to the metal, up-and-down, mistake-filled lacrosse—fun to watch for sure. But the Cavaliers got almost all their goals directly off face-offs, transition, or from the 10-man ride. Colgate tried to run with the Hoos.

UVA’s 6-on-6 sets were lousy at both ends. We like to look at box scores, but nothing is more valuable than seeing the game in person, on TV, or watching game highlights. Our eyes are our greatest weapon.

Richmond stung the Cavs in the mud by jumping up 4-0 in the first five minutes. Turnover city in Charlottesville. Settled offensive sets that at best can be labeled bland and stale. Richmond won the ground ball battles, won the clearing and riding components, and was much more efficient in half-court sets. Who is Virginia going to turn to from the midfield?

Cavs have a busy week with High Point on Tuesday and then Ohio State on Saturday. I would expect changes in personnel and strategy.

13) Richmond
A season-opening loss to Maryland was transformational. A great team goes back to work. Coach Dan Chemotti and company have reeled off consecutive wins over Robert Morris and Virginia. The win in Charlottesville was a program first and only the second Spider win over their in-state rival in 12 tries.

If you watched on ACCN, you saw a team with a plan—a group of players who balanced playmaking with clock and score implications, and a team that didn’t back down, winning the gritty ground ball plays.

Richmond has a very good defense with Hunter Smith, Mitchell Dunham (LH), and Michael Farrell down low. LSM and captain Tommy Stull was outstanding. SSDM Jack Pilling may be a future PLL pro. Goalie Zach Vigue was sharp and steady when the Cavs pulled within two in the fourth quarter. His work around the cage with GBs and clearing was A+.

Coach Chemotti makes the most of what he has, and while not flashy, Richmond capitalized on UVA mistakes and possessed the ball well. Their shooting was timely. Aidan O’Neil is the quarterback—a two-handed classic X attackman with a variety of moves up each hash. Gavin Creo played a great game in a complementary role, and Max Merklinger is highly skilled and makes good decisions.

Lucas Littlejohn, a Canadian hockey player, has had success hovering in the crease area and scoring on quick sticks and one-touches. Coach told us that depth was a strength, and that was apparent in the final 20 minutes.

Richmond and Saint Joe’s are once again on a collision course in the Atlantic 10 for the AQ. Richmond faces Lehigh next.

12) Penn
An 8-6 loss to Georgetown featured only 25 Penn shots, including just four in the fourth quarter. The Quakers, making their season debut, committed five turnovers and had two penalties in the fourth quarter, which stalled a comeback attempt.

Penn has multiple injuries at the FOGO spot. Goalie Emmet Carroll was terrific in defeat, using his combination of size and hand-eye coordination. It’s amazing how often, on severe angle shots from in tight, the goal was moved off its line by his shoulders or hips.

Penn plays Albany and Delaware this week.

11) Georgetown
An 8-6 win over Penn was a defensive battle that the Hoyas needed badly to remain in the at-large hunt. Effective dodging and shooting have been in short supply. Losing isn’t the worst thing in the world—failing to improve from a loss is.

Young Hoyas, who have clearly adopted a defense-first mentality, need to find or create some party starters as they step up to play ND in the swamp.

10) Duke
Winning is the most effective deodorant. It covers up what stinks about your team.

LSM Mac Christmas scored Duke’s first goal and broke a 7-7 tie with St. Joe’s to close the third quarter, helping the Blue Devils remain unbeaten. Christmas and company gave up four first-quarter goals but then only five in the final 45 minutes.

Andrew McAdorey led all scorers with three goals, while Terp transfer Eric Malever had a goal and three assists. FOGO Luke Engelke gave Duke possession from the dot, winning 14-of-19 faceoffs.

Coach John Danowski captured his 475th career win. He is 475-219 in his 42 seasons as a head coach. Think about 475 for a moment.

9) UNC
The Heels played hard in their win over Michigan, and that trait revealed itself again in a Friday night 9-4 win over Stony Brook.

Truly excellent teams can win games in a variety of ways—with offense or defense, with FOGOs or goalies being prominent, regardless of pacing, whether slow-down or up-tempo speeds. It was an ugly win, and that’s OK.

Carolina comes to Charm City to tackle Johns Hopkins on Saturday (ESPN+) in a compelling ACC vs. Big Ten matchup.

8) Army
The Cadets suffocated Rutgers to the tune of 9-3. Freshman Brayden Fountain scored four goals and added two assists. Goalie Sean Byrne had 10 saves and a goal with a 60-yard shot into the empty net during a 10-man ride.

A 10-man ride doesn’t work without direct pressure on the ball carrier. Cadets and Yale on Wednesday will be interesting.

7) Penn State
The Nittany Lions could not capitalize on a dozen extra faceoff wins and lost to Princeton in overtime. Matt Traynor took 15 of the team’s 38 shots and had five goals.

Tall freshman Hunter Aquino from Easton, PA, chipped in five points. Navy and Penn State play this weekend.

6) Johns Hopkins
The Jays are (4-0) after banking wins against Denver, Towson, Georgetown, and Loyola. They are the middleweight champs.

Saturday’s one-goal win at Loyola illustrates that the offense has a long way to go. Don’t confuse winning with playing well.

“We Want More” hosts North Carolina in a critical Big Ten-ACC game at Homewood on Saturday (ESPN+).

5) Syracuse
#HHH steamrolled Towson 18-7 on Monday night, displaying an elite level of passing, shooting, and dizzying stick-work reserved for Championship Weekend participants. Forty-five shots and just 10 turnovers. Orange cleared 20 of 21. They looked the part for sure.

Owen Hiltz had seven points, and Joey Spallina added six. Sam English is playing the Matt Abbott role. My only concerns would be twofold—the lack of bench scoring (2,1) and new goalie Jimmy McCool. He wasn’t bad but needs to tighten up his pipe-to-pipe movement and rebound control.

Otto came up shorthanded at Maryland on Saturday, losing 11-7. This offense is developing a habit of disappearing against blue-chip defenses. Legacy is attached to wins. Not social media hype. Not stats. Not flash goals. This game and last year’s quarterfinal loss to Denver raise serious questions. Why does the offense look so good against mid-tier teams, then sputter against others?

The Orange also needs to do a better job of game management and situational awareness. They seem casual at times with details that make a big difference in quality games. With SU and UVA dropping games on Saturday, it wasn’t a stellar day for the ACC. Harvard makes a rare trip to the Dome on February 22.

4) Cornell
An 18-10 road win at Lehigh was spearheaded by Michael Long (3,4) and CJ Kirst (5G) for a unit that assisted on 14 of its 18 goals. The Mountain Hawks (0-3) scored a season-high 10 goals. Big Red faces Denver on Saturday in Ithaca at 11 a.m. The high temp is expected to be 26.

3) Princeton
The Ivy champs began with an overtime thriller indoors at Penn State in a critical Ivy-Big Ten showdown. Goalie Ryan Croddick made 21 saves in dimly lit Holuba Hall. The Tigers overcame a -12 FO differential.

Colin Burns scored four times, and Coulter Mackesy began his Tewaaraton campaign with five goals. Princeton and Maryland, who met in the 2024 NCAA first round, play on Saturday.

2) Maryland
While at Maryland in his 15th season, John Tillman has never lost to Syracuse. The Terps silenced the Orange hype train 11-7 on a chilly Saturday afternoon.

Eric Spanos (2G, 2A), Daniel Kelly (2G), Bryce Ford (2G), and Braden Erksa (1G, 1A) led eight different goal-scorers in an improved effort a week after nearly being upset at Loyola. Maryland built the lead in the third quarter with a run. “Be the Best” has a difficult non-conference schedule that continues with Princeton this Saturday.

1) Notre Dame
Rudy ran away from Cleveland State on Wednesday night, 24-6. I was able to watch portions of the contest while preparing dinner. ESPN+ is the greatest.

Jake Taylor, a burgeoning real estate agent and the closer from the crease, had seven goals. Chris Kavanagh finished with nine points in an overall team performance that I would label sloppy. Jordan Faison did not play.

Ben Ramsey debuted as the bagpiper. Jake Vasquez, Logan Gutzwiller, Drew Wynocker, and Brady Pokorny scored career-first goals, which is special. Teams build at different rates. Growth, player development, and system installation vary by team.

Defender Shawn Lyght was my guest this week on the Quintessential Podcast. Irish bombarded Marquette 22-8 on their Midwestern concert tour. They look for revenge against Georgetown this weekend.

Q-Tips

A robust bunch of teams is clamoring for Top 20 consideration, including:

Delaware, BU, Navy, Towson, Colgate, Albany, Sacred Heart, Utah, Providence, Stony Brook, and Dartmouth.

Quint Kessenich covers college and PLL lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section.

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Quint Kessenich breaks down the latest Top 20 rankings as the 2025 college lacrosse season takes shape. With early-season results shaking up the landscape, this week’s list highlights key performances, rising contenders, and teams looking to find their rhythm.

20) Delaware

Hens beat Utah 13-12 in dramatic fashion in Salt Lake City. In his first game, Bennett Parmer scored four goals, including the game-winner with under a minute to play. It was the first ranked win for Delaware since May 5, 2022, at #2 Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament first round. Hens host St. John’s this weekend.

19) Towson

An 11-10 loss to neighbor Johns Hopkins at home on a Tuesday night was a missed opportunity. Towson played like a team in its first game—with six failed clears and 21 turnovers. I was impressed with their grit and willingness to play for 60 minutes after trailing 8-4. Ronan Fitzpatrick, who went (4,2) in a scrimmage against Bucknell, shot 5 for 9. Mikey Weishaar (shot 2 of 8) was easy to pick out on the streaming feed. Towson will have to come up with creative ways to free up the talented playmaker. The Tigers are in Syracuse on February 10 for some Monday Madness.

18) Providence

The Friars (2-0) used a 6-2 fourth quarter to top Rhode Island rival Bryant 15-12 on Saturday. Ryan Bell (1,6) and Parker Kennedy (3,0) paced the offense. Bell moved into second place on the Friars’ all-time scoring list with 185 points (52 goals, 133 assists). Stone Evans scored his first career goal, and goalie Dan Donahue recorded 15 saves. Big game alert as the Friars host Harvard on Saturday in the Chowder Pot.

17) Georgetown

Thirty-four shots. Just 12 on goal, and only six went in. The Hoyas dominated possession early against Hopkins yet trailed 6-3 at halftime. An 11-6 setback should yield upgrades to the transition defense. On offense, the Swamp Dogs lack dodgers and lefties and will have to find solutions to win a seventh consecutive Big East title. Defender Ty Banks was a bright spot. Hoyas turn their attention to Penn this week in what has been a terrific series.

16) Michigan

The Big Ten is having a February to forget, with Ohio State, Rutgers, and Michigan all non-conference losers. A lopsided defeat in Chapel Hill was a wake-up call for Big Blue. UM didn’t handle defensive pressure well and was sloppy with the ball (unforced or weak turnovers). Shot selection was an issue. Michigan’s defense never looked comfortable chasing Owen Daly and his UNC teammates around. Developing an identity on both sides of the ball will take time in Ann Arbor. UM plays Hobart next.

15) Harvard

Crimson debut on February 15 at Providence. The only time you speak when playing chess is to say checkmate.

14) Denver

The Pios took care of business at Air Force in Colorado Springs, winning 14-8 to extend their series lead to (26-3) all-time against the Falcons. Pios shot 9 of 16 in the first half as AF didn’t make a save until the third quarter. Marek Tzagournis scored three times, and Mic Kelly—very much a PLL prospect—was once again impactful. Mountain powerhouses Utah and Denver play Saturday in Peter Barton Stadium.

13) Army

A 6-0 first quarter silenced UMass in the Cadets’ 16-9 road win in Amherst. Jackson Eicher had seven points, and Army took 55 shots. Evan Plunkett’s brother, Hill, went (2,2) in his debut. The righty freshman from Roswell, GA, spent a year at Army Prep. Rutgers visits West Point on Saturday. The Patriot League feels wide open.

12) Duke

The Devils handled Jacksonville 14-9. Jack Pappendick and Luke Grayum had three goals apiece. A five-goal run at 9-7 put the game away. Goalie Buck Cunningham relieved Patrick Jameison at halftime. Blue Devils meet St. Joe’s this weekend.

11) UNC

A 15-6 dominating win over Michigan is a step in the right direction for a Carolina team looking to win its way into the Top Ten. Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala had four goals apiece. Transfer goalie Michael Gianforcaro (Princeton) made 12 saves, and transfer SSDM Andrew O’Berry (Harvard) had four ground balls and three caused turnovers. UNC and Stony Brook play on Friday night at 6 p.m. on ACCNx.

Football coach Bill Belichick has been recruiting two-sport athletes, similar to the model he witnessed growing up at the Naval Academy when the Midshipmen were dominant on the lacrosse field using football players in the late 1960s. Belichick is a positive development for Tar Heel lacrosse.

10) Penn

The Quakers were (9-6) in 2024, playing the nation’s most challenging non-conference schedule. They lost to GT, UNC, St. Joe’s, Yale, and Princeton twice. In those setbacks, the offense averaged 9.2 goals per game. They fell in the Ivy League final to Princeton in Ithaca and did not make the NCAA Tournament. The 2025 slate is aggressive, with non-Ivy games against GT, Albany, Delaware, UNC, Duke, Nova, St. Joe’s, and Notre Dame. That’s amazing.

9) Maryland

The Terps needed OT to take down a pesky Loyola squad on Cold Spring Lane in Baltimore. That’s not exactly what I was expecting. Good for Loyola, who effectively zoned the first midfield line and harassed the second group with a man-to-man scheme. Bad for Maryland. An 8-7 ugly final featured just two Terp goals through 45 minutes.

In the end, Maryland had 31 shots with 19 on goal, but 18 turnovers aren’t superb metrics. Eric Spanos scored four of the eight goals. The bench contributed (0,0). This result is a red flag. Loyola, coming off a loss to Georgetown, was (7-8) in 2024 and graduated 80% of its offense. They play nine freshmen in the two-deep. Not sure where the Terps belong. We find out soon. “Be the Best” hosts Syracuse on Saturday.

8) Penn State

The Nittany Lions’ defense has been stingy in wins against Colgate and in Sunday’s 15-5 road victory at Villanova. Matt Traynor and Kyle Lehman form a very potent 1-2 punch. Goalie Jack Fracyon was 67% on the icy surface. Princeton and Penn State meet on Saturday in a good one.

7) Johns Hopkins

The Jays avoided Tuesday turmoil by hanging on to win 11-10 at Towson. Up 6-2, 8-4, and 9-7, they couldn’t easily escape into the night. Brooks English, finally healthy, had four points, and Hunter Chauvette continues to dazzle with his sidewinding lefty release. The biggest goal of the game was put in by FOGO Logan Callahan.

On Saturday, Georgetown earned the early FO advantage. But JHU shot 6 for 11 in the first 30 minutes, while Georgetown only connected on 3 of 24. The 11-6 victory, the third in a week, was a positive outing for goalie Luke Staudt and midfielder Matt Collison. The pep band never sounded better. Snow drifts with pellets sat in the west end zone as ice skaters circled endlessly on the temporary rink in the parking lot.

Hopkins is riding more aggressively in 2025. After the clearing meltdown in the 2024 quarterfinal loss to Virginia, they’ve dedicated more time to that facet. The settled offensive sets feature wicked two-man games, with crisp passing, slips, and cuts, so Towson elected to back off and play zone defense.

The Blue Jay zone offense will ultimately improve—they have high-IQ players with sharp sticks and enough outside bombers to open up the crease. But I do wonder long term, when playing legit Top 10 defenses like Virginia and Notre Dame—can the Jays draw slides? Can they get to the goal for themselves? Outside of Collison, who can consistently beat their man?

This is why they’ll rely heavily on two-man games, which is fine. I also wonder if they have a true X attackman. And will JHU get any real production from the third attack spot? And defensively, how long can they continue to switch on all picks and show little care for matchups? How does that look against Spallina, Millon, and Duffy?

“We Want More” visits Loyola on Saturday (ESPN+). The Greyhounds, like DU and GT, have all sorts of new faces in the lineup. How’s Loyola going to score against Johns Hopkins?

Jury is out on what these three wins will mean come May. Certainly beats losing. We will see. Middleweight champs for now. Can the Jays run with the big boys? Don’t know yet. Hopkins has a full week of practice beginning on Monday to clean up the mistakes of three games. Improvement is most critical in February and March.

6) Princeton

FOGO Andrew McMeekin may be one of the most important players in the country because he can create scoring chances and also protect the defense. McMeekin went 55% at the dot last spring with eight goals—the second-most for a FOGO nationally.

The Ivy champs are coming off an (11-5) season with losses to Maryland (twice), Duke, Cornell, and Brown, in which the Tiger defense gave up an average of 14.8 goals per loss. That defense parted with defender Pace Billings and goalie Michael Gianforcaro to the grad transfer portal. The offense is loaded.

Tigers begin with Penn State in a critical Ivy-Big Ten showdown.

5) Virginia

A 19-9 opening day win over Colgate featured six goals from Truit Sunderland. Thirty-nine degrees and raining didn’t deter 1,923 fans from banging on the Klöckner aluminum bleachers. Griffin Schutz and Jack Walshe recorded hat tricks. LSM Ben Wayer went (2,1) on seven shots with nine ground balls and two caused turnovers. That’s a full day’s work.

The relentless tempo was sparked by 56 UVA ground balls. Goalies Kyle Morris and Matt Nunes split halves. The starting defense of George Fulton, Griffin Kology, and John Schroter, along with LSM Wayer, forms an intimidating back line. UVA hosts Richmond on Saturday. ESPN+. Chris Cotter and I have the call.

4) Yale

The Ivies don’t get started until February 15. The Bulldogs play Nova, Army, Penn State, and Denver before Ivy League lacrosse action.

3) Cornell

The goalie position is critical for Cornell this spring. Big Red’s 2024 losses: Denver (17), Penn State (20), Penn (11), ND (18), Penn (13)—goals against in parentheses. Cornell tangles with Lehigh (0-2) to kick off its season.

2) Syracuse

#HHH led 10-1 at halftime in a 13-5 win over Vermont on Friday night. Orange shooting was muffled by Catamount goalie Ryan Daly. SU shot just 7 for its last 37. Looks like both Joey Spallina and Owen Hiltz lost about 15 pounds. Spallina had 10 points.

FOGO depth may become an issue. SU appears to be stronger at close defense with transfer Michael Grace and a healthy Riley Figuerias. The SSDM group is also upgraded. Lots to like here. SU is a solid #2 right now in my book. Spots #4 through #12 are interchangeable until we have more data and tape.

SU defender Billy Dwan III was my guest last week on the Quintessential Podcast. Syracuse squares off with Towson on Monday at 5 p.m. (ACCNx), and Otto is at Maryland on Saturday.

1) Notre Dame

Rudy’s lacrosse opener is against Cleveland State on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The Irish, a clear-cut #1, are (36-3) since the midway point of 2022.

Q-Tips

Utah, Richmond, Villanova, UAlbany, Stony Brook, Sacred Heart, Navy, and Fairfield are in the next bunch.

Congrats to UMass-Lowell for their first win in over 1,014 calendar days.

High Point coach John Crawley picks up his first D1 victory.

And a salute to Iona for logging their first D1 win against Hampton on Sunday.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Please support our sponsors and share the poll with your friends.

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