Last week’s D1 lacrosse games were very telling as to which teams are legitimately competing for conference and national championships. We are now at the exciting point of the season where ranked opponents are constantly facing off against each other. This weekend’s slate is going to be a real eye-opener to see exactly where the ACC, Ivy League, and Big Ten truly stand.
North Carolina vs. Penn
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the hottest team in D1 lacrosse right now sitting at a 3-0 record and coming off an upset victory against Johns Hopkins. Many people felt that with the team’s current roster construction, they were going to be a legitimate contender in 2025. Now that they have gotten over the early-season hump and pulled out some big wins, this weekend will be very telling. Tonight, they face off against 2-1 Penn, who is coming off a blowout win against ranked Delaware. This is a great test to see exactly where these two teams stand and if North Carolina can maintain consistency on a week-to-week basis, which they have to if they hope to win the ACC or a national championship. They’ll need to stay locked in because after their game against Penn, they turn around and play Princeton on Sunday.
Duke vs. Princeton
Duke is in a similar situation as North Carolina but for different reasons. Many people looked at their roster construction this past offseason, especially with how many players they lost, and did not expect much from the Blue Devils. However, they currently sit at a 4-0 record, with some closer wins than they would like, but wins nonetheless. Their undefeated start will be tested by Princeton, who is touted as one of the best teams in Division 1 lacrosse this year. The Tigers are coming off a close loss against Maryland, which I am sure they will want to avenge. Duke, like Princeton, is in a gauntlet stretch as they will also play Penn on Sunday.
Johns Hopkins vs. Virginia
I would imagine Johns Hopkins is not very pleased following their one-goal loss to North Carolina. Sometimes, early-season losses after a winning streak can be beneficial in showing a team that they are not invincible. I would imagine the Blue Jays are hungry heading into this matchup against Virginia at Homewood. On the other hand, Virginia has a lot to prove. A 2-2 record and a terrible loss against Ohio State have many people believing Virginia is not a contender this year. These two teams have some recent history against each other, and I’m sure both are looking to avenge last week’s losses.
Maryland vs. Notre Dame
Not much needs to be said about this one—it’s clear-cut. You get the D1 lacrosse No. 1 versus No. 2 team in the country going head-to-head at a neutral site? Sign me up. Maryland has surprisingly fought their way to a 4-0 record while Notre Dame sits at 3-0. A rematch of last year’s national championship game makes this must-watch TV on Saturday.
Utah vs. Syracuse
This one is interesting for a few reasons, the main one being that Syracuse is coming off a two-game losing streak, with many people calling them frauds and not legitimate contenders—myself included. The Orange have to travel all the way to Utah, which is certainly something they are not used to doing. Utah has started the year slow with a 1-3 record, but their one win was over now-ranked Ohio State. If the Utes were able to do the unthinkable and take down Syracuse, that would be a program-defining victory for Utah and possibly a season-ender for the Orange.
