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.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Expectations have been high for the Syracuse Orange ever since Gary Gait took over. The team has made steady improvements year over year, while still not really getting over the hump. It is safe to say that the team is finally playing up to their own expectations in 2025—especially considering they have broken through and are now competing for a national championship. Could the moment be too big for this potentially inexperienced squad? There is a chance. However, before we can predict the future, let’s get a better understanding of how exactly the Syracuse lacrosse program finally made it back to the semifinals.

As it stands right now heading into Championship Weekend, the Syracuse Orange have a 13–5 record and are eager to be competing for a national championship appearance. The Orange had a solid regular season but definitely came up short in a majority of their big games. The biggest win of the regular season came against Notre Dame, and I would argue their Colgate win was well deserved given how that team finished. However, a majority of their ranked games ended in losses—specifically against Maryland, Harvard, Cornell, Duke, and North Carolina. Syracuse ended the regular season on a three-game losing streak, which is certainly not how you want to enter the postseason.

That seemingly did not matter, as the Syracuse Orange entered the ACC semifinals ready to win some hardware. They put together a near-perfect game against Notre Dame to secure their spot in the ACC Championship game. They would then have to go against a Duke Blue Devil team that truly turned their season around down the stretch. This was a battle from start to finish and certainly one of the more entertaining lacrosse games of the season, with a perfect balance of offense and defense. Syracuse was able to come out on top 9–8, marking the first real milestone in the Gary Gait era.

The NCAA Tournament has been only nail-biters for the Syracuse lacrosse program. They kicked things off with their first-round matchup against Harvard, which on paper was always going to be the most exciting matchup coming out of the first round. Harvard had the talent and potential to make it all the way to Championship Weekend, so this one was always going to be a battle. The Orange were able to crawl their way back into the game late, playing make-it-take-it lacrosse to force the Crimson into overtime, where Syracuse inevitably came out on top 13–12. Their quarterfinal matchup would be no different, as Princeton was next in line. The Tigers and Orange forgot their defenses at home as both offenses were seemingly scoring at will. Princeton had most of the momentum for a majority of the game, until Syracuse turned it up a gear down the stretch, walking away with the 19–18 victory and a Championship Weekend appearance.

The Syracuse Orange this season have been solid in just about every statistical category. Most notable is certainly their offense, scoring an average of 13.8 goals per game, which ranks them 6th in the country. Their defense has done a respectable job, only allowing 10 goals per game, slotting them at the 25th mark. This puts them at a margin of +3.72, which is 7th in the country. One major factor that has helped them win games down the stretch is their elite face-off play. Facing off at 60% ranks them 7th in the country and will certainly play a major factor in late May. However, while clearing at 86% puts them at 31st in the country, that has the potential to be an issue. I wouldn’t worry about it too much though, as Maryland’s ride typically lets teams get set up pretty consistently.

The man of the hour is Joey Spallina. Averaging 4.94 points per game ranks him 7th in the country, made up of 89 points—35 goals and 54 assists. Spallina has done an excellent job quieting the haters over the past few weeks, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the bright lights of Memorial Day Weekend. I guarantee you that the Terrapins are going to have a solid game plan on how to neutralize him. It will be nice to have Owen Hiltz step up in these moments, however, as Hiltz is averaging 4.0 PPG on 45 goals and 27 assists. The Syracuse offense is extremely selfless and will have no problem spreading the rock to find open looks when they arise.

It is going to be interesting to see which Syracuse team we get on Saturday. They have had flashes of being the best team in the country, but a lack of consistency has hurt them all year. Gary Gait has certainly coached teams in big moments, but this is definitely the biggest moment for the Syracuse men’s lacrosse program in quite some time. Will these expectations be too high for the Orange to accomplish? Or is it the exact motivation they need to get over the hump? We shall see as they face off against the Maryland Terrapins for a trip to the national championship.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

There is no such thing as a down year if you are a Maryland Terrapin. Coming into this season, many fans would agree that Maryland was not one of the clear front-runners to make it to Championship Weekend or even win the Big Ten. Something John Tillman has taught us over the years, though, is that you can never count his teams out. Time and time again, the Maryland Terrapins always seemingly exceed expectations despite what many of the fans and analysts have to say going into the season. Let’s look back at the Maryland Lacrosse 2025 season to understand how exactly they are back at Championship Weekend once again.

Maryland’s regular season was certainly interesting to say the least, due to the number of highs followed by extreme lows. Looking at the resume and schedule, it’s insane how many impressive victories the Terrapins were able to pull off this season. There is no other team in the country that can confidently say they have more ranked wins than the Terrapins, taking down Richmond, Syracuse, Princeton, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State. Every regular season big game Maryland showed up for, they were able to handle business. However, it seems like the Terrapins may have overlooked some of the games that were deemed less important than their highly ranked matchups. A shocking loss to Michigan in overtime definitely hurt morale, but an even more stunning loss to Rutgers took away their hopes of a Big Ten regular season title.

Entering the Big Ten Tournament, Maryland was able to get by Penn State yet again by a score of 10–8. All season long, Maryland has had no problem slowing down the game, working for the highest quality shots, and banking on their stout defense. I’m sure the Terrapins were eager to go up against the Buckeyes once more—this time in the Big Ten Championship game. Unlike the first time around, however, Ohio State played a much better game and was able to exploit the Terrapin defense. Maryland lost that matchup 10–14, which meant they finished Big Ten play with no hardware in 2025.

Going into the NCAA Tournament, the Terrapins’ RPI really helped them out when it came to seeding. Despite not winning any share of the Big Ten this year, Maryland was still rewarded with a favorable seed, drawing Air Force in the first round. A 13–5 win was expected and carried Maryland into the quarterfinals. There, they matched up against Georgetown in a game that was a defensive bout from start to finish. Maryland controlled possession time and forced Georgetown to play their style of lacrosse in a low-scoring affair of 9–6. This would take the Maryland lacrosse program back to Championship Weekend yet again—a consistent standard within the program.

When you look at the numbers for how exactly Maryland was able to make it this far, you have to address the defense. Normally, it’s easy to talk about the offense first, but this defense is just too solid not to mention first. Allowing only 7.8 goals per game puts them at number two in the country and has led to the majority of the team’s success this year. The offense has been well below mediocre, averaging only 11 goals per game, which ranks 43rd in the country. Their scoring margin of +3.19 keeps them in the positive column, but the defense carries all of that weight. The Terrapins have no problem slowing the game down to their level, which makes sense when you’re able to clear the ball at a 91% rate. However, when it comes to face-offs, they hover around 50%, so not having an elite guy could potentially hurt them when the lights are too bright.

When you talk about their star players, it is very rare for a team’s best player to come between the pipes. Logan McNaney currently has the fourth-best save percentage in the country at 59.5%. The defense does an excellent job at giving him the shots he wants to see, but he does an incredible job at saving the ball even when he’s not supposed to. Offensively, Eric Spanos has been solid this year, but he ranks just 97th in the country in points per game at 2.8.

At the end of the day, the Terrapins have made it this far for a reason. I am fascinated to see how the offense will perform, but even more intrigued to see how this defense plans on slowing down a lethal Syracuse offense. It is tough to coach against John Tillman, as he is one of the best in the game. One thing is for certain, however—and it’s that Maryland is the most experienced program in the country when it comes to semifinal games.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The Penn State lacrosse program has been scratching at the door of a national championship appearance for a number of years now. There is nothing in the world this team would want more than finally making it over the hump and playing on Memorial Day. The Big Ten was a gauntlet this year, and that gauntlet did not treat Penn State kindly. However, despite the unforeseen circumstances, Penn State is starting to live up to their talent, which has led them to another Championship Weekend appearance. The real question is how exactly did they get here, and do they have a chance of making it all the way? Let’s take a look at the Penn State lacrosse 2025 season to grasp how they have made it to this point.

Penn State has been a weird team all season long. With high expectations and a talented roster, the team was certainly expected to go far. However, when I sit here looking back at the regular season, they have very little to be excited about in terms of their performance. Their biggest win of the year was against Cornell in overtime, which was definitely massive—especially now, considering that Cornell is outright the best team in the country. Other than that, though, Penn State has no real wins over a quality opponent. The closest crumb I could give them was being able to handle their business against Michigan. They ended the regular season with three losses, all in their biggest games—against Princeton, Ohio State, and Maryland. Only having three losses coming out of the regular season is certainly not a bad thing, but I’m sure the team would have wanted to put up a better fight against their ranked opponents.

Heading into the Big Ten quarterfinals, Penn State struggled against a mentally defeated Johns Hopkins team. The game came down to the wire, with the Nittany Lions coming out on top 13–12. I believe this was a testament to Penn State not being as battle-ready due to the lack of strong wins this season. Then the Big Ten semifinals rolled around, and Penn State came up just short against Maryland, losing 8–10. Expectations were still high for the Nittany Lions as they were well-coached and very talented, but they left the 2025 Big Ten season with no hardware to show for it.

The Penn State lacrosse program has made the most of their NCAA tournament run so far, taking down an impressive Colgate team in a 13–11 win. The biggest test was ahead, though, as they had to go up against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who were going to leave it all on the table to make it back to Championship Weekend. Notre Dame had the advantage for about 80% of the game, coming in with experience and confidence that Penn State just didn’t have for the first three quarters. However, with some quick coaching adjustments, Penn State was able to rally and fight down the stretch. Finishing the game on an 8–0 run to secure the victory and make it back to Championship Weekend was certainly an experience that none of these young men will ever forget, and it gives the Nittany Lions a good boost of confidence going into Boston.

Statistics normally tell a story on how a team’s season is going. Penn State has been pretty consistent, hovering around the top 10 in just about every statistical category this season. Their scoring offense averages 12.5 goals per game, which places them 16th in the country. That pairs nicely with their defense, which is only allowing 9.2 goals per game, slotting them at 11th. This puts them at an average scoring margin of +3.25 per game, which is certainly respectable. The offense has had some downbeats this season, but the one main consistent is that the defense has always held strong. They certainly will be up for a test going against the number one offense in the country in the Cornell Big Red. Clearing and face-offs shouldn’t be an issue, as the team is clearing the ball at an 89.4% rate and facing off at 56%, both top 10 in the country.

When it comes to star players, Matt Traynor is the number one guy on your scouting report. Traynor has notched 59 points this season on 42 goals and 17 assists. While Penn State certainly has other talented offensive players that like to spread the rock, I’m concerned about what this offense looks like if Traynor is slowed down. Even though the Nittany Lions play a fairly selfless version of lacrosse, in games like this you need your best players to step up. He was able to do that in the quarterfinals, but now the question is—can he repeat that performance against one of the best defenses in the country?

Penn State has been knocking on the door for this opportunity for a number of years now. Their controversial loss to Duke just a few years back, which prevented them from making a national championship appearance, certainly still rings within the locker room. With the opportunity to compete for a national championship, I’m certain the Nittany Lions will leave everything on the table.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

What a year it has been so far for the Cornell lacrosse program. Coming into the season, there certainly were high expectations for what this team could accomplish in 2025. As it stands today, Cornell is heading back to Championship Weekend as clear front-runner favorites to win it all. The Big Red have excelled everywhere on the field all season long, making it difficult to root against them. Despite their dominance this year, the road to get here was not easy. Let’s take a quick moment to reflect on the Cornell season so far to help better understand how exactly they made it to Championship Weekend.

As they head to Boston for the semifinals, the Cornell Big Red currently boast a record of 16–1. Only having one loss on your resume is extremely impressive; however, the quality of their victories may take the cake. With big wins over Denver, Richmond, Princeton, Syracuse, and Harvard, Cornell has been very much battle-tested up to this point. In those five games, the Big Red are winning by an average of 5.8 goals—absolutely unheard of against quality opponents. They have handled their business everywhere else this year, except for an early season slip-up against Penn State. That overtime loss did not deter the team; if anything, it brought them closer together, as they have not lost a game since.

As the Ivy League regular season champions, the Cornell lacrosse program entered the Ivy League tournament with a ton of confidence—and rightfully so. A 21–14 win over Yale followed up by a 20–15 win over Princeton was the icing on the cake heading into the NCAA tournament. That game against Princeton was always going to be tough, as the Tigers were itching for revenge to take claim of the Ivy League over Cornell, and they had the talent to do so. At the end of the day, Cornell was just better—and that got them ready for the NCAA tournament.

The first round of the tournament was a breeze for the number one-seeded Cornell Big Red. A 15–6 dominant win over Albany didn’t mean much to the program, with their true test on the horizon. The closest regular season game they played all year was against the Richmond Spiders, and they had to square up against them again in the NCAA quarterfinals. This game came down to the absolute wire, with many believing Richmond was going to pull off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history. However, a battle-tested Cornell team was too much for the Spiders to handle, as the Big Red came out on top 13–12, which advanced them to Championship Weekend.

As the Big Red look to take on the Nittany Lions on Saturday, they have just about every advantage. Their 16 goals per game currently lead the country in scoring, and while their defense may be ranked 27th, allowing 10.3 goals per game, their scoring margin of +5.8 puts them at number two in the NCAA. If the defense has a slow day, you can almost be certain the offense is going to carry the weight. It will be an interesting matchup, considering Penn State was able to go blow-for-blow with Cornell the first time around. In games like this, it always comes down to how well a team can clear and face off. That shouldn’t be a problem for the Big Red, as they are clearing at an 89% rate and winning face-offs 58.5% of the time.

The main difference-maker for Cornell is their overall talent. CJ Kirst is almost certainly winning the Tewaaraton, averaging 6.35 points per game, which is number one in the country. The pure bucket-getter has 108 points on the year, made up of 76 goals and 32 assists. The crazier part is that if the senior is having an off day, sophomore Ryan Goldstein is able to step up consistently as well. Goldstein currently has 88 points on the year, averaging 5.18 points per game, which puts him at 4th in the country. Oh, and don’t worry—if the two of them are struggling to get anything going, they have Michael Long, who has 67 points on the year, to also help distribute the offense.

On paper, this is the year the Cornell lacrosse program has been waiting for. There is no reason they shouldn’t make a run to win the whole thing, but it is interesting considering they have to go up against Penn State yet again—their only loss from the year. Even though the Big Red have made the journey here look easy, it has been well-earned, but it will mean nothing in the long run if they don’t come out on top when it’s all said and done.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

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.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

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).

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The ACC has been consistently one of the best conferences in college lacrosse, year in and year out. The second consistency in the ACC is the unpredictability of which team will rise to the top. This year, especially, any of the four teams in the ACC lacrosse tournament could win the whole thing. And this isn’t just a hypothetical scenario where nine or ten things need to happen for a wild outcome. The reality is, any of these teams can beat the other given the right circumstances. The 2025 ACC lacrosse tournament is going to be absolute cinema, as the outcomes are truly unknown.

#1 Notre Dame vs #4 Syracuse

(Friday, May 2nd @ 5:00 PM)

Notre Dame, coming off back-to-back national championships, graduated a lot of talent. Many people wrote them off from making it back to Memorial Day weekend, especially after early-season losses against Maryland and Ohio State. Since those losses, the team is 5-1, with their only loss coming against Syracuse. The Orange currently hold a 9-5 record but split their conference play 2-2. Early-season losses against Maryland and Harvard certainly hurt the team’s morale, and a three-game losing streak to end the regular season against Cornell, Duke, and North Carolina didn’t help. Syracuse fans are probably a little worried right now, as coming off three consecutive losses into the postseason is mentally tough.

Syracuse got the best of Notre Dame just a few weeks ago in a 14-9 affair. The difference-maker was the second quarter, where Syracuse scored six unanswered goals and held Notre Dame scoreless for nearly three full quarters. Notre Dame scored their third goal of the game in the first quarter with 11 minutes remaining and wouldn’t score their fourth until the end of the third quarter, with a minute left. It was an absolutely unreal defensive run that I’m not sure can be replicated again. Syracuse shot the ball 43 times compared to Notre Dame’s 33, with both teams having around 10 saves apiece. It is alarming that Syracuse was able to win the game despite going 19-for-28 on clears. That 30-minute defensive stand from the Orange was the defining factor, despite what any of the other numbers may say.

Looking ahead to their upcoming matchup, these are two of the best teams in the country on paper. Both teams are nearly identical on offense, averaging close to 14 goals per game, putting them in the upper echelon of not just ACC lacrosse but Division I lacrosse as well. The defenses have been spectacular too, with Notre Dame getting the slight edge, averaging 8.5 goals per game compared to Syracuse’s 9.5. I am most looking forward to watching the face-off battle, as Notre Dame holds a 56% win percentage, while Syracuse sits at 58%. This game is going to be an absolute war, as both teams know what’s at stake and check all the boxes, showcasing very few vulnerabilities to be exploited.

Predicting the outcome of this game is truly a nightmare. These teams are so evenly matched on paper with stars across the board who can make big plays. Despite Syracuse winning the first time around, they only won that game because of that 30-minute defensive stretch— not to take anything away from that, but I doubt they’ll be able to replicate that again, as it was truly an anomaly. That leads me to lean toward Notre Dame, as they’ve come off back-to-back national championships and always seem to get the job done when needed, compared to Syracuse, who consistently loses big games despite their hype and talent. I’m expecting a back-and-forth battle, but with Notre Dame coming out on top.

Prediction: Notre Dame 14 – Syracuse 11

#2 North Carolina vs #3 Duke

(Friday, May 2nd @ 8:00 PM)

North Carolina squaring off with Duke in the postseason feels like a script made in heaven. North Carolina is having one of their best years in recent history, sitting with a 10-3 record. Those three losses came against Princeton, Army, and Notre Dame. Other than that, the Tar Heels have been nothing short of spectacular all season long. Many fans, including myself, felt that Duke was going to have a down year in 2025, but that could not have been more wrong. Duke only has two losses to top teams— Princeton in a one-goal affair back in February, and the other two against Denver and Notre Dame in late March. Duke’s fourth loss came in a tight matchup against the Tar Heels just a few weeks ago.

When the Tar Heels traveled down the road to face the Blue Devils, I don’t think anyone knew how much of a treat we were in for. The low-scoring game saw Duke with the lead at halftime, 5-3. North Carolina was able to put up a huge third quarter, outscoring Duke 4-1. The fourth quarter only saw one goal apiece by both squads, leading to an 8-7 final score in favor of the Tar Heels. On paper, both teams were dead even in just about every category. They had identical shots at 36 each and identical saves at 12. North Carolina secured 10 face-offs compared to Duke’s 9 and edged the Blue Devils in ground balls, 30-27. One of the only major discrepancies was North Carolina’s ability to clear the ball perfectly, while Duke went just 20-for-26. It was a masterclass performance from everyone involved, especially considering the rivalry between both schools.

On the year, both teams have been elite in the stats book. North Carolina’s offense is terrifying, averaging 13.4 goals per game, with Duke trailing slightly behind at 12.1. North Carolina’s defense has also gained an edge, averaging only 8.6 goals per game, compared to Duke’s 9.6. The Tar Heels have been on another level when it comes to face-offs, winning 64% of their draws, whereas Duke has won a modest 53%. Despite North Carolina having the edge in these three categories, the margins are small, and the rivalry will bring out the best in both teams.

When it comes to predicting a winner, it feels like it’s North Carolina’s year. The team has worked far too hard to get to this point to drop the ball now, and there’s a true love and brotherhood within that locker room. The Blue Devils are going to throw everything they can at the Tar Heels, but I believe North Carolina can handle the storm. Give me UNC making it to the ACC lacrosse championship game!

Prediction: North Carolina 11 – Duke 9

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Ivy League lacrosse has truly been in its bag this year. The top three teams—Cornell, Princeton, and Harvard—have all had national relevance throughout the season. The offenses have been high-flying and must-watch TV for all three of these squads. Despite these three teams being highly ranked, there do seem to be tiers between Cornell and Princeton, and Princeton and Harvard. However, the postseason typically brings out the best in Ivy League lacrosse, and we’ll have to play the games to know the outcomes. In the meantime, let’s take a look at each of these matchups and give some predictions.

#1 Cornell vs #4 Yale

(Friday, May 2nd @ 4:00pm)

There’s not a ton to say about Cornell that you don’t already know. The number one team in the country currently holds a 12-1 record, with their only loss coming against Penn State in overtime. Other than that, the team has been flawless. CJ Kirst has been on a tear this year and will look to cap that off with a national championship. The Big Red enters the Ivy League lacrosse tournament as the number one seed with a lot of confidence, knowing they can not only win the Ivy League but make it all the way to Memorial Day weekend.

The drop-off from Cornell to Yale is monumental. The Bulldogs currently hold a 5-7 record and barely squeaked their way into the Ivy League tournament with a 3-3 conference record. The team has struggled to find any real rhythm this year but has managed to win the games they were supposed to and lose the games they weren’t expected to win.

Looking at the box score alone, the first time Cornell and Yale faced each other this year was a very Ivy League game—lots of offense, not much defense. The 19-14 Cornell win was expected, but I don’t think many people anticipated Yale to put up this kind of fight. Yale seriously could have been in contention for the win if they hadn’t allowed Cornell to score seven in the first quarter, with the Bulldog offense only putting up one goal in the third quarter. Nothing jumps out on the stat sheet as both teams were neck-and-neck in shots, saves, clears, and face-offs. The real difference in this game came from CJ Kirst, who casually threw up 10 points on nine goals and one assist, paired with Ryan Goldstein, who also had 10 points, but with two goals and eight assists. Big players make big plays in big moments—and that’s exactly what happened here. Even though Yale put up a good fight, Cornell’s star athletes were the nail in the coffin.

When it comes to overall season numbers, Cornell easily takes the cake. The offense is the best in the country, averaging 15.8 goals per game, which is astonishing. Yale, on the other hand, is averaging a modest 12 goals per game, which trails in comparison to what Cornell has been able to do this year. The Big Red defense is serviceable, allowing close to 10 goals per game, which is acceptable when your offense is as high-flying as theirs. Yale, on the other hand, has one of the worst defenses in the country, allowing 13.2 goals per game. Pair that with Cornell having a 57% face-off winning percentage compared to Yale’s 51%, and considering this is a playoff game, the writing may already be on the wall.

No surprises here, no upsets, no scares. The Cornell Big Red are built for May, and with all the little moments they’ve been building up to, I’m sure they won’t squander the opportunity.

Prediction: Cornell 18 – Yale 9

#2 Princeton vs #3 Harvard

(Friday, May 2nd @ 6:30pm)

Both Princeton and Harvard have been two of the most exciting teams to follow this year in college lacrosse. With nearly identical overall records, Princeton gets the edge, holding an 11-2 regular-season record compared to Harvard’s 10-3 year. Princeton’s one out-of-conference loss came against Maryland in late February, which has aged well considering the Terrapins’ recent success. Their only conference loss came against Cornell in a game where the Tigers didn’t play their best, which they certainly know.

Harvard’s resume would have been nearly identical had they not had an early season loss to Colgate in February. Losses like that are odd, especially when you look back on them in retrospect. Their two conference losses came against none other than Cornell and Princeton, with the Crimson putting up a pretty good fight against the Tigers in their first matchup.

The first Harvard-Princeton matchup had huge implications, as many assumed these two teams would be fighting for the number two seed in the Ivy League lacrosse tournament, which is exactly what happened. Princeton came out hot, ending the first quarter with a 5-1 lead, which helped them coast to the victory despite Harvard’s best effort. The game ended in a 13-11 victory for the Tigers, but there’s no denying that Harvard fought until the end. The main difference-maker was the goalkeeping, as Princeton was able to secure 17 saves compared to Harvard’s 12. However, it’s surprising that Princeton came out on top considering they lost the turnover battle and the clearing battle outright. The Tigers made up for this with excellent face-off play, winning 17 of 27 face-offs and dominating the ground ball battle by 10.

Both teams have had very interesting years when you look at the numbers. And in very much an Ivy League fashion, the offenses have been incredible. Harvard gets the edge in scoring, ranking in the top three with an average of 14.4 goals per game, while Princeton isn’t too far behind at 12.9. These are elite offenses that no one will want to face in the postseason. Defense, on the other hand, has been a different story. Princeton’s defense has been solid enough to get the job done, averaging 9.7 goals per game. Harvard, however, is allowing a whopping 12 goals per game. The scoring differential between both teams is similar, but my confidence lies with the team that has proven they can make a stop when needed, which, at the end of the day, is more important than putting up high numbers. One of the funniest comparisons I’ve seen this year is the face-off stats. Princeton is averaging a 43% face-off win percentage on the year, with Harvard’s being even lower at 40%. These are two of the worst face-off teams in the country with historically bad numbers.

While Harvard’s Ivy League lacrosse storyline has been fun to watch all year and their offense has been very consistent, that defense is going to hurt them in the postseason. No team can make a deep run with a defense that is allowing 12 goals per game. I’ll bet my money on Princeton’s defense, which has at least been middle-of-the-pack and can work with that when paired with an elite offense.

Prediction: Princeton 16 – Harvard 12

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Big East lacrosse has certainly taken a hit in 2025. Denver, coming off a Memorial Day Weekend appearance, didn’t even qualify for the Big East lacrosse tournament. Georgetown, which has been the front-runner of the conference for nearly a decade, has been very inconsistent this year. While this is disappointing for NCAA tournament seeding, the landscape has opened up for other competitors to step in and potentially win the Big East. Honestly, this is the tournament I’m probably most excited for, as it seems like any team could win if given the opportunity.

#1 Georgetown vs #4 Marquette

(Thursday, May 1st @ 6:00pm)

The Big East is as competitive as ever, with each of the four teams making a semifinal appearance having a shot to go the distance. Georgetown has absolutely dominated the Big East for nearly a decade now, but if there’s a year they don’t come out on top, it’s this year. The Hoyas currently hold a 9-4 record with losses to Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Richmond, and Denver. Georgetown is not as dominant this year as they have been in years past, with most of their games being nail-biters.

Marquette probably just feels grateful to have this opportunity. Their current 7-6 record was kickstarted by a 1-14 loss to Michigan, yikes. The team followed that up with back-and-forth wins that brought them to their roughly .500 record. They ended the regular season with a 2-3 conference record, and everything in the Big East lacrosse landscape lined up perfectly for them to make the tournament, including their huge win over Denver to close out the regular season.

The first time these two teams met in the regular season was a close affair, with Georgetown coming out on top 13-11. The double-overtime game was pure cinema from start to finish. Georgetown shot the ball a whopping 53 times compared to Marquette’s 36, but Marquette led the save battle, 17-11. Turnovers were fairly minimal, with both teams combining for 23 turnovers. Face-offs were a different story, as Georgetown went 16 for 24 at the faceoff dot. Big East lacrosse has been interesting all season long, as you never know how a team will show up to a specific game. There has been no real consistency among any of the teams, meaning anyone can beat any other team on any given day. On Saturday, April 5th, it just happened to be Georgetown’s day.

Despite Georgetown being the number one seed, Marquette is really going to give them a run for their money. When it comes to offense, they’re nearly identical, with both teams averaging close to 12 goals per game. Either offense could get hot at any moment, but they’ve both been fairly consistent this year, not having a quarter or two where they slip into a slump. On the defensive side, the Hoyas have the edge, only allowing nine goals per game compared to Marquette’s 12. This is a huge difference, as at the end of the day, the old saying rings true: defense wins championships. It’ll be interesting to see if Georgetown can dominate the face-off battle again, as both teams are around a similar mark this season.

This game has the potential to be one of two things: either Georgetown shows up with more playoff experience and dominates in commanding fashion, or Marquette does the unthinkable. For some reason, in my gut, I’m going to lean towards Marquette doing the unthinkable and upsetting the Georgetown Hoyas in a high-scoring affair.

Prediction: Marquette 17 – Georgetown 15

#2 Villanova vs #3 Providence

(Thursday, May 1st @ 9:00pm)

In this game, seeding doesn’t matter. Villanova currently maintains a 7-6 record, with five of their losses coming against out-of-conference opponents. When it comes to Big East games, the team has performed when it’s mattered most, kicking off Big East play on a four-game winning streak before Georgetown absolutely pummeled them in the final game of the regular season, securing the number one seed. Providence currently holds a 7-7 record and finished the year 3-2 in conference play. Their notable out-of-conference losses came against tough opponents, including Harvard, Duke, and St. Joseph’s. They opened up Big East lacrosse play with a one-goal loss to Georgetown and a loss to Villanova. The Friars then handled business down the stretch and went on a three-game winning streak to close out the regular season.

Villanova came out on top in their first matchup against Providence, winning 11-8. The deciding factor was Villanova limiting their errors and capitalizing on their opportunities. The Wildcats shot the ball more, turned it over less, and cleared better than the Friars. At the end of the day, this is really all you need to find a pathway to success. Face-offs and saves were pretty even between both teams. If I’m Bobby Benson with the Providence Friars, though, I’m not too thrilled about going 0-for-5 on man-up opportunities.

This is definitely a matchup where, if you play it out 10 times, each team wins five. Both teams put up interesting numbers when it comes to their production. Providence has a clear edge on the offensive side, averaging 11.5 goals per game compared to Villanova’s 9.6. Defensively, both teams are pretty even, but not particularly elite. The Wildcats are averaging 11 goals against them per game compared to Providence’s 10.5. The face-off battle in their first meeting was dead even. However, on the year, Villanova holds the edge, winning 58% of their draws compared to Providence’s 53%.

Something that will be very important to consider as these two face off again is how each team handles their current momentum. Villanova was very close to securing the one seed but got demoralized in their last game against Georgetown. Providence, on the other hand, knows they didn’t play their best game against Villanova the first time around and are currently riding a three-game winning streak. Sometimes, tough losses really cultivate culture and bring teams up from the ashes. However, other times, it can be detrimental to a season, especially in May. Providence, on the other hand, can feel very good about their winning streak, but it’s a tough ride ahead, as it could either lead to confidence or complacency.

This game really feels like a coin toss at the end of the day, but I love what Bobby Benson is building at Providence, and I think the team’s current momentum will carry them to a Big East lacrosse championship appearance.

Prediction: Providence 13 – Villanova 10

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The Big Ten lacrosse landscape has been incredibly competitive this year, especially when compared to years past. Every team in the Big Ten semifinals truly has a shot at making a run. With the tournament taking place in Michigan, none of the four teams have a home-field advantage. With all of the games happening on Thursday (May 1st), the Big Ten Lacrosse Championship game will take place late Saturday night. Expect rain delays throughout the games, as Ann Arbor is expected to experience thunderstorms all night. Let’s dive into each of the Big Ten lacrosse matchups and see which teams have the favorable edge.

#1 Ohio State vs #5 Rutgers

(Thursday, May 1st @ 12:00pm)

The Ohio State Buckeyes are having an incredible year, sitting with a 12-2 record. One of the losses came way back on February 1st against Utah, which was a real wake-up call for the squad. Since then, the team has only lost to Maryland and has handled business everywhere else. Rutgers, on the other hand, has had a very interesting year. With a 7-8 record, the team has been under .500 all season long. They opened up Big Ten play with a win over Johns Hopkins and a surprising victory over Maryland, winning 8-6.

Every Big Ten lacrosse team qualifies for the tournament, and Rutgers was able to take down Michigan in the first round to earn this spot against Ohio State. Their first head-to-head matchup was a close affair, with Ohio State coming out on top 13-11. It was an interesting game on paper, as both teams shot the ball a considerable amount. The main difference, however, was Ohio State’s goalkeeping, with the Buckeyes making 19 saves compared to Rutgers’ eight. Rutgers’ slow start in the first quarter created too much of a gap for them to close down the stretch, resulting in a two-goal loss. Since that game, the Rutgers offense has struggled, scoring eight, eight, four, and then a nice 11 against Michigan.

When it comes to comparing these teams head-to-head, offense becomes the key difference maker. The Buckeyes are averaging 12.7 goals per game, while Rutgers is only averaging 9.1. Barely scoring nine goals a game makes it tough to win games consistently. However, the defense has been incredible. Both Ohio State and Rutgers’ defenses are averaging 8.7 goals per game, some of the best in the country. The extra possessions will matter in this one, and Rutgers may get the edge here, as they have a 57% faceoff win rate compared to Ohio State’s 50%.

This is going to be a nail-biter. It could be easy for the Buckeyes to overlook Rutgers due to their record and come up short when it matters most. Rutgers will do everything in their power to come out on top, and I feel they have the confidence and ability to do so if they can slow down the Ohio State offense.

Prediction: Ohio State 12 – Rutgers 10

#2 Maryland vs #3 Penn State

(Thursday, May 1st @ 2:30pm)

Both the Maryland Terrapins and the Penn State Nittany Lions have nearly identical resumes on paper. Both teams have secured 10 wins and finished the regular season with a 3-2 record in conference play. Maryland stumbled along the way with a triple-overtime loss to Michigan and a surprising loss to Rutgers. Penn State lost in a heartbreaking overtime game against Princeton and fell to Ohio State and Maryland in back-to-back weeks. Both squads have hovered around the top five all season long, with Maryland typically getting the edge due to their head-to-head win over Penn State.

In their first outing against each other, there weren’t many shots to begin with. Penn State shot the ball 33 times compared to Maryland’s 25, with the Terrapins making more saves—10 to 6. Penn State absolutely dominated the faceoff battle, winning 16 to 8. Other than these discrepancies, the teams were basically identical on paper. A slow first half from the Nittany Lions really hurt them, as they entered halftime down 2-7, a tough hole to dig out of. They finished the second half even, 6-6, but again, it was the first half that really decided the game.

Both teams’ offenses and defenses have been considered some of the best in the country all season long. The Nittany Lions get the advantage on offense, averaging 12.6 goals per game compared to 11.7 for the Terrapins. However, Maryland gets the slight edge on the defensive side, allowing only 7.6 goals per game compared to Penn State’s 8.8. Both of these averages are outstanding, and it’s clear we’re in for another defensive battle, which explains the low number of shots in their first matchup. Faceoffs will always be a huge factor, especially in low-scoring affairs like this, and this is where Penn State takes the final edge, winning their faceoffs at a 57% clip compared to Maryland’s 51%.

This game really feels like a 50/50 coin flip. Penn State is going to be hungry to make another trip back to the Big Ten Lacrosse Championship game after their embarrassing loss to Michigan last year. This team wants greatness, and they’ve been on the brink of it year after year. However, in big moments, it’s very tough to bet against the Maryland Terrapins. I think this will be a fairly low-scoring affair, with Maryland coming out on top.

Prediction: Maryland 9 – Penn State 7

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The 2025 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament has the potential to be one of the best of all time. As we wrap up conference postseason play this weekend, we’ll quickly shift our focus to the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament and break down the bracket piece by piece. Even without the conference tournament champions being decided, we have a pretty good idea of which teams will at least be featured in the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament as at minimum an at-large bid.

This is the first year in quite some time where you can genuinely make an argument for 10 teams potentially winning the whole thing. A big reason for that is no conference is having a down year.

ACC (Notre Dame – North Carolina – Duke – Syracuse)
The ACC has rounded out nicely with Notre Dame and North Carolina sharing the regular season title, followed by Duke and Syracuse right on their heels. With the ACC consistently being the best conference in college lacrosse, any team can beat anyone on any given day. That’s what will make the ACC tournament so interesting to watch over the next couple of days. It’s nice to see UNC back in the conversation, as that team has really struggled to find momentum the past few years.

The only team in the ACC that truly struggled was Virginia, but the other four teams mentioned legitimately have the potential to beat any team in the country, given the opportunity—which is exactly what the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament is all about: an opportunity to prove yourself. The ACC has consistently stepped it up a notch heading into May, and Notre Dame, Duke, UNC, and Syracuse all have the pieces to make a run.

Big Ten (Ohio State – Maryland – Penn State)
The Big Ten is having one of its strongest years in quite some time. Ohio State handled business in the regular season and emerged as Big Ten regular season champions. It’s fascinating to think that Nick Myers was on the “hot seat” at the beginning of the year but closed the regular season with a 12-2 record. Maryland and Penn State have also been absolute powerhouses this season, each securing 10-win seasons thanks to stellar defensive play. That’s really what the Big Ten has come down to this season—elite defenses. Ohio State, Maryland, and Penn State all rank within the top 10 of scoring defenses in Division 1 lacrosse. At the end of the day, the old saying rings true: defense wins championships.

Much like every other team in the country, each Big Ten team in the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament has its flaws. But as previously mentioned, it’s all about the opportunity to prove yourself, and all it takes is one good run to make it to Memorial Day weekend. The Big Ten has shaped up to be in a position to do that this year, and it will be very interesting to see if any of these teams collapse come May.

Ivy League (Cornell – Princeton – Harvard)
The Ivy League has had a strong year at the top as well. Cornell has truly established itself as the number one team in the country, with a strong resume and a 12-1 record, their only loss coming to Penn State. Princeton has typically fallen right behind them in most of the NCAA men’s lacrosse media polls, ranked number two or three with an 11-2 record. It really seemed like multiple times this year that one of these two teams would drop the ball and slip down the rankings, but that didn’t happen. If anything, these Ivy League powerhouse programs have found their groove heading into May, which is exactly what you want.

Harvard has been one of the more exciting stories to watch over the past few years. The team has always been on the brink of greatness but has struggled to put together a consistent season without a few hiccups along the way that have prevented them from making an Ivy League or postseason run. This year, however, the Crimson are 10-3 and have one of the best offenses in the country. I surely hope Harvard makes it to at least the quarterfinals, as I think any team they play will be absolute cinema.

Conclusion
With all that being said, there are about four teams from the ACC, three from the Big Ten, and three from the Ivy League that legitimately seem like they can make a run not just at Championship Weekend but at an NCAA men’s lacrosse National Championship. The only team not featured from one of the previously mentioned conferences is Army, who is part of the mix as well. The writing is on the wall, and the regular season has set the stage for a sensational postseason tournament. Some of these 10 teams may have better odds than others, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the opportunity.

In 2016, North Carolina had the opportunity as an at-large bid to compete for a national championship, and they did exactly that. It really seems like the 2025 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament will be pure chaos. While some teams have stronger records than others, those records go out the window when you’re playing postseason lacrosse in May.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

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).

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The Johns Hopkins lacrosse program is one of the most historic college athletic programs of all time. The sport of lacrosse would not be where it is today without the help of the Blue Jays and their innovative growth of the game. With 35 pre-NCAA era championships and nine NCAA championships, the Johns Hopkins lacrosse program has always been a pillar of success. Following their 2007 NCAA championship, however, the team has struggled to get back to the top of the mountain. In 2008, they lost in the championship game and wouldn’t make Championship Weekend again until 2015, which turned out to be their last appearance. A handful of quarterfinal losses since then, with no Championship Weekend appearances, has really put the program in peril considering their long history of success. However, everything was supposed to change during the 2025 lacrosse season.

A Strong 2024 Campaign

The Blue Jays had a somewhat excellent 2024 campaign. Since Peter Milliman took over the program, the Hopkins lacrosse program has been on an upward trajectory, year after year. Milliman has done an excellent job recruiting and growing the team, to the point that they are now a consistent presence in the top 10. The 2024 season saw an 11-5 record and a big-time regular season championship, going 5-0. A shocking upset in the Big Ten semifinals against Michigan certainly took a hit on the Blue Jays, but they rallied the troops for the NCAA tournament. They handled Lehigh in the first round before facing the Virginia Cavaliers. This team showed that they were talented enough to make an appearance at Championship Weekend, as they were a double overtime loss against the Cavaliers from doing so.

A Season of High Expectations

That brings us to 2025, where the team was expected to have a massive breakout year, continuing their upward growth. Their preseason ranking in the polls hovered around 8th, with most media outlets expecting the Blue Jays to compete for a Big Ten championship and a Championship Weekend berth. The team certainly lost some well-recognized faces like Jacob Angelus and Garrett Degnon but still brought back many familiar faces like Matt Collison and Russell Melendez to carry the offensive load. There were also many young players from the 2024 campaign expected to make big jumps going into 2025, such as Brooks English and Hunter Chauvette. One of the biggest losses in retrospect was Chayse Ierlan, who was a monster between the pipes in 2024, securing a 56.7% save percentage.

The Collapse of 2025

Never in a million years did anyone expect the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays lacrosse season to be done in late April, not even making it to May. This is an extremely cataclysmic collapse that I assure you no one had on their bingo card. Coming into conference play, the Blue Jays were 6-2 with close losses against North Carolina and Syracuse. Considering both programs were comfortably within the top 10, neither of these losses was the end of the world. The following weeks quickly transcended from tough losses to straight-up nightmare fuel. The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays finished the year on a six-game losing streak, not winning a single Big Ten game. All five of the regular season conference losses were by three goals or more, with their matchup at Penn State being their worst showing, losing 4-10. They had a shot in the Big Ten tournament, where they inevitably lost by one to the Nittany Lions, which was the final page in their 2025 chapter.

What Went Wrong?

This begs the question: what exactly went wrong? Without watching every single game, certain statistics can still tell a story about where the team struggled. It is without question that the team struggled to find any rhythm offensively, with Matt Collison leading the team in points at only 33, followed by Hunter Chauvette at 31, and Brooks English at 26. Your top three players on the offensive end of the field have to be averaging more than two points a game. This led to the team ranking 54th in the country in goals per game, scoring on average only 9.9. The team was top 10 in both face-offs and clearing, so they had more than enough opportunities on the offensive side of the ball to find the back of the net. It wasn’t like they were just playing defense the entire time or couldn’t get possession through poor face-off play or a lack of clearing. Russell Melendez only playing seven games certainly hurt the Blue Jays’ offense, but it’s no excuse for their top three guys to be shooting on average 26.8%. The Blue Jays’ lack of success wasn’t entirely the offense’s fault either, as the team struggled to find which goalie they wanted between the pipes, finishing the year with a 48.5% save percentage between all three goalies who played. This led to the team being 37th in the country in goals allowed at 10.6.

What’s Next for Johns Hopkins?

So this begs the question: what now? This is certainly a season that Hopkins faithful and players alike would like to forget. But the reality of the situation is that it happened. Coming up short of your goals may feel like the end of the world in the moment, but the only way to grow, at the end of the day, is by inevitably failing. I guarantee you the coaching staff this offseason is going to do everything in their power to ensure that this never happens again. Players within the Hopkins locker room now know what losing tastes like on a consistent basis, and I’m sure they’re going to fight to make sure 2026 brings a different outcome.

This is why preseason expectations can be so detrimental to certain teams that may think they’re in a better spot than they actually are. A losing season really opens up what needs to be worked on and fixed within the X’s and O’s and also the culture. The Johns Hopkins lacrosse program will recover from this, as Peter Milliman is an excellent coach and the young men involved with the program are tremendous human beings. Don’t expect the Blue Jays to be stuck in mediocrity, as the Hopkins brand will always be tied to greatness.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The Virginia Cavaliers lacrosse program has been a household name in college lacrosse since the seventies. The Cavaliers have consistently made the NCAA tournament and almost always assured themselves a spot in Championship Weekend. The team really took a hit in the 2010s before Lars Tiffany came on board and steered the program in the right direction. Since then, Virginia has made four NCAA Championship Weekend appearances, securing national titles in 2019 and 2021. The Virginia lacrosse program has become a powerhouse within the sport, pulling in multiple high-level recruits with the expectation of Championship Weekend appearances every year. 2025 was expected to be a dominant year for the Cavaliers, given the roster and overall expectations.

An Interesting 2024 Campaign

The 2024 season was somewhat of a down year for the Virginia lacrosse program, despite making another Championship Weekend appearance. The team finished the year with a 12-6 record, which was the most losses they’d accumulated since 2018. Virginia handled its business out of conference week after week, but once ACC play kicked off, the team struggled to gain momentum. They finished the regular season with three consecutive losses to Duke, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Despite a strong regular season, those conference losses took a toll on the team’s morale and their seeding come tournament time. The ACC tournament would be no different, as they got blown out by Notre Dame in the semifinals. The NCAA tournament, however, saw a solid win over Saint Joseph’s and a gritty double-overtime victory over Johns Hopkins, before ultimately coming up short against Maryland in the Championship Weekend semifinals.

High Hopes for 2025

Just like every season, the Cavaliers had extremely high expectations coming into 2025. Most media outlets ranked them around 6th in the country, with many expecting Virginia to potentially become the top dog in the ACC once again, with Notre Dame, Duke, and Syracuse still needing to prove themselves. The team was loaded with talent in 2024, and replacing faces like Connor Shellenberger and Payton Cormier was going to be no easy task. One thing you can credit Lars Tiffany for is his stellar recruiting year after year. Entering 2025, many young faces were expected to step up in a big way. Thankfully, McCabe Millon had an excellent freshman year and was able to gain some helpful experience while learning from the vets. Other players expected to step up in 2025 included Truitt Sunderland, Ryan Colsey, and Griffin Schutz. With all of that talent, many fans believed this team had everything needed for a national title run.

A Shocking Downward Spiral

If you had told fans in February that the Virginia Cavaliers’ season would be over by late April, they would have laughed in your face. No one saw this coming. In no world was this team supposed to fall short of an NCAA tournament appearance, especially considering the talent and expectations surrounding them. Virginia had a rough February, going 2-2, with losses to Richmond and Ohio State. The loss to Ohio State, specifically, was eye-opening as the Cavaliers were defeated 5-14, which was alarming. They would lose their following ranked matchups against Johns Hopkins and Maryland, putting the Cavaliers on red alert as they were 0-4 against ranked opponents at this point. Heading into conference play at 5-4, things were looking less than ideal, but ACC play could turn their season around with every matchup being highly touted. Somehow, someway, the Cavaliers didn’t win a single ACC conference game, closing out their 2025 season with no playoff appearance.

Breaking Down the Struggles

Breaking down the numbers and data from the year tells a clear story of where things went wrong in 2025. Offensively, certain players stepped up but never broke out to clear superstar status—something that’s needed to win a national championship. Truitt Sunderland finished the season with 51 points, Ryan Colsey had 40, and McCabe Millon had 50. While having your top three players averaging around 3.5 points a game is solid, the supporting cast struggled to keep up, making Virginia an easy team to scout and game plan for. This led to the Cavaliers ranking 42nd in the country in goals per game, scoring on average only 11.1. The team didn’t have as many offensive possessions as they would have liked, finishing the season 42nd in face-off percentage and 44th in clearing. These two numbers are telling: the only way to put the ball in the back of the net is to have ample possessions, and the Cavaliers didn’t have that in 2025. On the defensive end, the team finished with a 42nd ranking in goals allowed at 11.0. Having a break-even scoring margin was never going to be enough to win games consistently, and that’s exactly what happened to the Cavaliers this season.

What’s Next for Virginia?

So, where do the Cavaliers go from here? Losing has not been in Virginia’s bloodline for quite some time, so the 2025 season is certainly a shock for everyone involved. One thing is for certain, Lars Tiffany is one of the greatest coaches ever involved with the sport of lacrosse, and he will move his group of young men in the right direction. Having a losing season isn’t the end of the world, but never learning from it or growing certainly is. Coach Tiffany is all about growth and the journey along the way. While I’m sure not making the postseason hits home for everyone involved, he’s going to ensure the program learns from it and takes a step forward. Virginia has an excellent recruiting class coming in, and I’m sure the underclassmen will do everything in their power to make sure they don’t replicate this season moving forward. The Virginia Cavaliers will always be at the top of college lacrosse. One losing season doesn’t define the program, nor does it define the people involved. The Cavaliers will be back, and I promise you they will have a chip on their shoulder, with a level of gratitude for winning that will carry them to the top of the mountain.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Every season has its ebbs and flows, featuring many ups and downs. With the college lacrosse season starting earlier and earlier every year, many teams are getting a chunk of their non-conference play done in February. These early months are when teams really find themselves and discover who they truly are. Some squads might build their resume and RPI in these early season matchups, but the reality is, it’s the end of the year when the wins matter the most. We are now on the brink of playoffs, and it’s do-or-die for just about every team.

So, which college lacrosse teams are performing at their peak in late April, and will that carry over into May? This is sometimes difficult to determine, as winning streaks towards the end of the year usually help build confidence. Late-season losses, on the other hand, can really sting and negatively affect any program’s momentum down the stretch. That said, there are three teams right now that have done everything possible over the past month to put themselves in the driver’s seat for the end of the season. So that begs the question: which teams are peaking at the right time?

Princeton (10-2)

The Princeton Tigers are having an extremely strong season. Their 10-2 record features an early season loss to Maryland and a tough Ivy League defeat against Cornell just about a month ago. Since that loss to the Big Red, the Tigers have been riding high on a six-game winning streak and look to close out the regular season against Yale on Saturday.

I’ve been hesitant about Princeton all season long. I think they’re a solid team, but I didn’t think they could truly make a run at a national championship or even Championship Weekend. However, there’s no denying their recent success has put them in a great position to peak at the right time heading into conference tournament play. Princeton has shown they can handle anyone in the Ivy League, even if some of the scorelines are closer than I’d like.

With quality wins over Penn State, Duke, and North Carolina, the Tigers have proven they can compete with top teams on any given day. Princeton has to be feeling pretty good about their season right now, and a six-game winning streak certainly boosts their confidence. It’ll be interesting to see if the Tigers can handle business down the stretch, but with a 10-2 record and one of the best winning streaks in the country, they’re getting hot at the right moment.

Penn State (9-3)

Even though Penn State has a solid record, I’m sure the coaching staff and players feel like they’ve left a lot on the table. A February overtime loss to Princeton is one they’d want back, especially considering they later took down the number-one team in the country, Cornell, just a few weeks later.

Penn State didn’t play its best games against Ohio State and Maryland, but since then, the team’s defense has really found a good rhythm. Their last three games include an 11-8 victory over Michigan, a 10-4 win over Johns Hopkins, and a 12-4 win over Rutgers. As we sit here in late April, heading into the conference tournament, Penn State is not a team I’d want to see on my schedule down the stretch. They’ve shown they have the talent to make it to Championship Weekend, but consistency is key. There’s no denying the Nittany Lions have been consistent in their last three games, but will that carry over into the conference tournament?

Penn State was in a similar position last year before making a run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship, where they were absolutely demolished by Michigan. I’m sure Nittany Lions faithful don’t want to repeat that history this year. Regardless, Penn State is one of the hottest college lacrosse teams right now, which is everything they could hope for as we head into May.

Army (11-1)

Army has been nearly flawless all season long, boasting an 11-1 record. They’ve blown out just about everyone they’ve played and hold a nice ACC win over UNC. Their only loss came in mid-March against Boston University in overtime, but that feels like a distant memory now. The Black Knights are riding a four-game winning streak, which should extend to five after their matchup against Loyola on Friday.

Army sits in a good position to secure the Patriot League Tournament Championship if they continue handling business. It’s been well documented that this team has aspirations of making it back to Championship Weekend, and they truly feel they can compete for a national championship. While I wish Army was a little more battle-tested, there’s a good amount of confidence surrounding this team late in the season. With only one blemish on their resume and a near-flawless year, why can’t Army make a run?

America’s team is hot right now, and I’m sure they’re going to do everything in their power to avoid losing to Boston in the Patriot League Tournament like they did last year.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The 2025 college lacrosse regular season is just about wrapped up, as most teams are playing their final game or are already looking ahead to their conference tournament. The 2025 college lacrosse season has been interesting, to say the least, with much of the lacrosse community surprised by how the season unfolded. It’s remarkable how short the season is in actuality, but how long it feels for players, coaches, and fans alike. Looking back at some of the early February games, it feels like they happened a millennium ago.

I wanted to take a moment to break down some of the craziest developments from the 2025 college lacrosse season. My list is long, and I didn’t want to fit it all into one article, especially with postseason play on the horizon. I’m looking to do a second and possibly a third part at the end of the season. But for now, here are three of the craziest storylines to come out of the 2025 college lacrosse season.

Johns Hopkins Falling Apart

What an unfortunate year it has been for the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. Starting the year as one of the favorites to win the Big Ten and a team certainly competing for a national championship, Johns Hopkins wraps up the regular season with a 0-5 conference record. Regardless of your feelings about Johns Hopkins lacrosse, I can assure you no one saw this coming. The lacrosse community was hopeful following a solid 11-5 season last year, where they were just an overtime loss away from making a Championship Weekend appearance. The pieces were still in place, and the team had shown resilience, making everyone feel fairly optimistic about the Blue Jays in 2025.

A 6-7 regular-season record was certainly not on my bingo card, and this 2025 college lacrosse Hopkins collapse deserves to be studied on its own.

Towson Turning Their Season Around

I remember Towson opening their year 0-4 and feeling like this was going to be a really rough down year for the Tigers. A close loss to Johns Hopkins and a blowout against Syracuse certainly weren’t the end of the world, but bad losses to Navy and St. Joseph’s really had the lacrosse community feeling like Towson was out of the CAA race this year. The Tigers entered the 2025 season as CAA conference favorites, but many fans felt heading into March that Towson’s season had ended in February.

That couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Towson is currently on a seven-game winning streak and is 6-0 in conference play. I’m not sure how they did it, but the Tigers’ coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for keeping that locker room intact and growing despite the rocky start.

Virginia Falling Short

Virginia was my favorite to win the NCAA National Championship this season. Lars Tiffany is one of the best coaches in the game, and the Cavaliers’ recruiting over the past few years has been on an entirely different level. It seemed like this year Virginia was going to break through and easily secure a spot at Championship Weekend. However, as I sit here writing this in late April, the team is 6-7? Impossible.

An early loss to Richmond and Ohio State really showed that this Cavalier team was not what we thought it would be coming into the 2025 season. The team has yet to win a conference game this year, and many of their wins have come against mid-tier Division 1 programs. I don’t know what Coach Tiffany is going to do this offseason, as I’m still not sure how this team collapsed so badly given their talent and expectations.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

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).

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

There’s nothing better in college athletics than well-developed rivalries. When it comes to college lacrosse, a few rivalries always stand out. Johns Hopkins and Maryland have always been a classic, partly due to Maryland’s regional relevance in lacrosse. Notre Dame and Denver had a strong run in the 2010s, always bringing out the best in both teams during big moments. These rivalries are great, but nothing compares to the hatred between the Michigan and Ohio State lacrosse programs.

While the other rivalries are specific to lacrosse, the Wolverines and Buckeyes have hated each other for a long time. In football, the matchup is referred to as “The Game” due to its grandeur and spectacle. The rivalry goes deep, and that animosity is always evident on the field. Both football programs have gone back and forth dating all the way back to 1897, and that has carried over into all other sports.

Ohio State has hosted a Division 1 lacrosse program for quite some time now, while Michigan made the jump in 2012. Both teams officially joined the Big Ten when it launched its men’s lacrosse section in 2015. Since then, the two teams have played 14 times, with Ohio State leading the series 8-6. However, things have gotten interesting in recent years. Ohio State owned the rivalry from 2015 until the end of 2022, with an 8-2 record. But in 2023, Michigan flipped the script, defeating Ohio State in both the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines repeated the feat in 2024, again taking down the Buckeyes in the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament, eventually becoming Big Ten champions.

This change coincides with Ohio State’s lack of recent success. Since 2022, the Buckeyes have gone 5-9 in 2023 and 6-9 in 2024. Coming into 2025, it seems like Michigan has taken over as the dominant team in the rivalry. As of the morning of Saturday, April 19th, both teams hold a 3-1 record in conference play and will face off at 4:00 p.m. to determine who will win the Big Ten regular season championship and earn the number-one seed in the tournament. You can’t ask for higher stakes than this. The rivalry already means so much to both players and fans alike, but now, with postseason implications on the line? It’s pure cinema.

The good news for the Wolverines is that it’s a home game, and the stadium will be packed with a sold-out crowd. On top of that, the Big Ten tournament runs through the University of Michigan this year, so regardless of the outcome, Ohio State will have to return to Ann Arbor very soon. Both Coach Conry and Coach Myers have surely done everything they can to prepare their teams for what’s going to be an all-out shootout.

Ohio State, with an impressive 11-2 record, really needs to come out on top to end their four-game losing streak against the Wolverines. Michigan, with a 7-5 record, desperately needs this win to push for a strong finish in the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament.

Regardless, the Big Ten regular season championship is on the line, and that’s more than enough reason for both teams to bring their A-game. Grab your popcorn and tune into the Big Ten Network at 4:00 p.m. today.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Every year, there’s a new team that emerges as “America’s Team.” To me, this term has nothing to do with patriotism but everything to do with an underdog story. For decades, the Dallas Cowboys have referred to themselves as “America’s Team,” but that definition feels outdated compared to how the term is used now—especially on social media.

Nowadays, when I hear “America’s Team,” I picture a team or program that captures the hearts of the nation. A team that you look at and just have to support because of how hard they worked to get to where they are. Typically, these teams have low expectations and raise the bar in just one year, making it difficult to root against them. Regardless of where your fan allegiance lies, you can look at America’s Team that year and say, “I’m glad they’re doing well.” This story is common in just about every sport, with the title holder changing from year to year.

In the NFL, the 2023 Detroit Lions season was nothing short of remarkable. They clinched their first division title in 30 years, paired with their first playoff victory since 1991. No one in the country was rooting against them. In the same year, March Madness featured its own version of an underdog story when Florida Atlantic University made an unexpected and thrilling run to the Final Four. The Owls were just the nine seed, but as the tournament progressed, everyone started supporting them, watching in wonder as they kept advancing.

The team that I think really originated the cultural shift with the term “America’s Team” was the 2018 Loyola-Chicago men’s basketball team. The University wasn’t very well-known at the time but made it all the way from the 11th seed to the Final Four. Anyone following college athletics back then knew that Loyola-Chicago had captured the hearts of the nation, and they had nearly everyone supporting them in their underdog story.

Now that we have an understanding of the term itself, let’s take a look at the current 2025 college lacrosse season and determine who is our America’s Team as we head into the conference and NCAA tournaments. I’m not going to pick a clear winner, but rather, I’ll make my case for three teams that I think qualify for the title.

Army (10-1)

It’s somewhat ironic to feature the Army Black Knights as America’s Team. Patriotism aside, Army deserves a spot on this list for several reasons. The team has had recent success but has struggled to get over the hump toward its inevitable goal: a national championship.

Out of the teams on this list, Army has been the most consistent, making it difficult to classify them as a true underdog. My main argument for supporting Army is simply: how can you root against them? Unless you’re a Navy diehard, any time Army is having a successful season, it’s widely regarded as a massive accomplishment in the lacrosse world.

I remember when the Black Knights were just one goal away from Championship Weekend two years ago. That was an electric season, and it seems like 2025 is building up to something similar for Army. This team is too likable not to support down the stretch.

Harvard (9-2)

Harvard is back? It feels like for the past couple of years, Harvard has been on the brink of a breakout season. They’d pull off some quality wins and pull an upset or two, but never really seemed to get over the hump.

As we head into May, the team currently holds a 9-2 record. An early season loss to Colgate means nothing to me at this point since Colgate is known for pulling off February upsets every year. A two-goal loss to Princeton definitely hurt but wasn’t the end of the world.

This team holds some solid quality Division 1 lacrosse wins this season, including victories over Syracuse, Michigan, Yale, Boston University, and Dartmouth.

The real test comes this weekend when they play at home against Cornell. This could really shake up the Ivy League and the national landscape. Regardless of whether Harvard wins the Ivy League outright or not, they certainly have a place in the NCAA tournament.

Harvard has grown every year, and I don’t see how anyone could argue against supporting the Crimson down the stretch. A likable team with a likable coach, defying the odds on their path to a potential conference and national championship—that’s what underdog stories are made of.

Fairfield (11-1)

The clear front-runner on this list has to be the Fairfield University Stags. The program has been relatively mediocre for a number of years, but that’s all changed this year. The Stags currently hold an 11-1 record, with their only loss coming in a surprise upset against Stony Brook. Other than that, Fairfield has been flawless.

Their strength of schedule might not be the strongest, given their middle-of-the-pack status, but even in this landscape, it’s difficult to escape the regular season with only a handful of losses. Fairfield also possesses another likable coach in Andrew Baxter, which makes it easy to root for them.

Fairfield has never had much national relevance in the lacrosse world, but they fit the bill of an underdog story, similar to Loyola-Chicago and FAU in basketball. A team that has no business pulling off upsets and winning down the stretch but carries themselves with a ton of heart—that’s what the Fairfield University lacrosse program is this year.

They certainly aren’t high on my list of teams I’d want to face in the NCAA tournament, but even if they make it out of the first round, that would be a momentous achievement for the program.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar