The state of Maryland lacks notable offensive players such as former standout Matt Rambo, and their team, the Terps, suffered a humiliating defeat last week, losing 19-9 to Penn State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Regardless of the circumstances, Virginia advances to the second round. Prediction: Virginia 13, Saint Joseph’s 7.Denver has a good coach in Matt Brown, showing discipline and execution on the field. Plus, the Pioneers are at home and have had some big wins over Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Ohio State and Georgetown this season.
Duke remains a perplexing factor in the tournament. The team has shown the ability to perform at a high level on any day, but has also exhibited the potential for poor performance.
On February 24, Maryland defeated Princeton with a score of 13-7, however, it seems that the Tigers have improved. Can Maryland claim the same progress?
Seventh-ranked Maryland will play against Princeton on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday at noon, there will be a game between Virginia (No. 6) and Saint Joseph’s.
This weekend marks the start of the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse tournament, and it is expected that Notre Dame, currently in the top spot, will secure their second consecutive national championship victory.
It will require an incredible effort to defeat the Fighting Irish as they possess no vulnerabilities. They typically score 16 goals per game and only allow 9.31. Their specialized units are superior, successfully converting 26 out of 37 extra-man opportunities and triumphing in 139 out of 233 faceoffs with Will Lynch.
First round
Towson possesses a strong offensive lineup that could potentially disrupt Syracuse’s defense, led by sophomore midfielder Mikey Weisshaar with 39 goals and 19 assists, and senior attackman Nick DeMaio with 32 goals and 48 assists. Additionally, the Tigers have talented short-stick midfielders, allowing them to rely less on defensive sliding against Syracuse.
Towson 14, ranked No. 5, defeated Denver 11- The Tigers are on a winning streak of 10 games and are expected to continue their success against the Pioneers.The Terps will play good defense built around long pole Ajax Zappitello and faceoff specialist Luke Wierman should keep them in the game, but goalie Logan McNaney has been shaky lately, along with the entire offense.
Unfortunately, this current Albany team does not have the highly skilled Thompson brothers, Lyle and Kyle, from ten years ago. It’s safe to say this will have an impact on the game. My prediction is that Notre Dame will win with a score of 14-6.
Although Saint Joseph’s has had a successful season, they cannot be compared to Virginia, who has lost four consecutive games.
The NCAA Tournament’s first round on Sunday will feature No. 3 seed Johns Hopkins against Lehigh.
The offensive unit is led by Jake Taylor (35 goals, three assists) and Pat Kavanagh (22 goals, 38 assists), as well as Chris Kavanagh (30 goals, 29 assists). The midfielders Devon McLane (27 goals, 8 assists), Jordan Faison (18 goals, 8 assists), and Eric Dobson (14 goals, 10 assists) also contribute to the team’s scoring.
Notre Dame, also known as the Fighting Irish, holds an impressive record of 12 wins and only 1 loss. They are undoubtedly the top team in the nation and are favored to win the title. The Fighting Irish have defeated some of the toughest opponents, such as Ohio State, Michigan, Syracuse, Maryland, Virginia, and Duke.
Duke, ranked second, will face off against Utah on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The Syracuse team has a lot of impressive, young players on offense, particularly Joey Spallina who scored 33 goals and had 47 assists as a sophomore. However, at times, this offense relies too much on individual play. While the fans at the Carrier Dome will boost Syracuse’s morale, the Tigers are expected to cause an upset and win the game. Prediction: Towson 14, Syracuse 10
Georgetown will face off against Penn State on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
On Sunday at 7:30 p.m., there will be a game between the No. 4 ranked Syracuse team and the Towson team.
The Tigers have a strong understanding of who they are and how to be successful. They employ extensive passing and exert great effort during offensive and defensive transitions, particularly in the central area. Towson’s goalie, Luke Downs, is skilled and capable of performing well on his own. Additionally, the Tigers have Matt Constantinides, who has achieved a 58% success rate in faceoffs and is expected to be a key factor in leveling the playing field.
Virginia’s shorter midfield players are now a weakness and their goalkeeper, Matthew Nunes, has struggled with his confidence. The team relies on their offensive players Payton Cormier (55 goals, 12 assists) and Connor Shellenberger (26 goals, 45 assists) to step up and dominate games once more. Coach Lars Tiffany may need to revamp their defense and implement a zone strategy.
The panel of judges did not benefit Syracuse in any way.
Both Duke and Virginia have been defeated twice by Notre Dame. Notre Dame emerged victorious over Duke with a score of 15-12 on April 7, and then over Virginia with a score of 11-9, 20 days later. In the conference tournament, Notre Dame reclaimed wins over both Virginia (16-6) and Duke (18-9) in the semifinals and championship game.
In a prior matchup this season, Maryland Athletics’ No. 7 seed emerged victorious against its first-round foe, Princeton.
Game 5 between Denver and Michigan on Saturday at 5 p.m.
“It is possible that this will be the top game of the initial round. My prediction is that Penn State will win with a score of 10 over Georgetown’s 8.”
The focus of this game is primarily on the Blue Jays rather than the Mountain Hawks.
Below are The Baltimore Sun’s predictions for each game of the tournament:
T.J. Malone, Penn State’s skilled attackman (40 goals, 34 assists), and goalie Jack Fracyon, who has the ability to dominate a game, contribute to the team’s success. While the Hoyas have a tough and determined play style, they may struggle to capitalize on Penn State’s injured midfield players. It will be intriguing to observe if Georgetown can capitalize on this weakness during the season.
In the match between No. 2 Duke and No. 7 Maryland, the Terps are unable to match the Blue Devils’ strong offensive presence. However, they are able to impede them enough to keep the game engaging.
The second-ranked Duke team beat the sixth-ranked Virginia team 16-10 in a game that was similar to their previous match-up, where Duke won 18-12. The Blue Devils came out on top once again.
Next up, we have a highly anticipated faceoff battle between Michigan’s Justin Wiefeldt, who holds an impressive record of 228 wins out of 368 attempts, and Denver’s Alex Stathakis, who boasts a successful record of 204 out of 329 faceoffs won.
The team may be lacking in chemistry, but they have a strong coach, John Danowski, who can help resolve any issues. Duke is expected to defeat Utah, thanks in part to the impressive performance of attackmen Brennan O’Neill (49 goals, 25 assists) and Josh Zawada (29 goals, 40 assists). Prediction: Duke 12, Utah 7.
It would not be unexpected for Maryland to lose. Forecast: Maryland 8, Princeton 7.
Notre Dame secured a victory of 16-11 against Duke, claiming the number one spot. The team’s skilled players, particularly in the center, played a crucial role in their success, and are expected to retain their national championship title..
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It is expected that the Blue Jays will come out victorious, however, if they put on a similarly lackluster performance as they did against Michigan in last week’s Big Ten Tournament and allow Lehigh to stay in the game, they may face an unexpected loss, although the chances of that happening are slim. Estimated outcome: Johns Hopkins 12, Lehigh 8.Ouch.
It is unusual because Hopkins coach Peter Milliman typically has his teams performing at their best towards the end of the season. On Sunday, the Blue Jays will require better performances from attackmen Garrett Degnon (42 goals, 5 assists), Jacob Angelus (22 goals, 37 assists), and Russell Melendez (15 goals, 8 assists), midfielder Dylan Bauer (9 goals, 12 assists), and goalie Chayse Ierlan (.563 save percentage).
The upcoming game will be held in Denver at the home team’s stadium. My prediction is that Denver will score 9 points while Michigan will score 7 points.
The goalie for Notre Dame, Liam Entenmann, stands at 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 203 pounds. He is considered the best in the country with a save percentage of .563 and a goals-against average of 9.34.
Notre Dame will face Albany in their upcoming game on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Duke advances to the next round as Towson’s Cinderella season comes to a close with a 14-9 defeat by No.1 Notre Dame.
Quarterfinals (May 18-19)
Lehigh has played well under first-year coach Will Scudder and is solid in almost every area. The Mountain Hawks won’t give up 18 goals, but it’s not certain that they can score more than 10, either. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays need to get their offense in gear, having scored only 14 goals over the past two games.
Notre Dame defeats Penn State 13-8: Penn State possesses adaptable players to control the tempo, but Notre Dame has strong bench strength and relentless determination.
Johns Hopkins (No. 3 seed) will face off against Lehigh on Sunday at noon.No. 6 Virginia 12, No. 3 Johns Hopkins 8: This will be a tough one to pick and the Blue Jays can slow down Virginia’s offense with ball control. The Cavaliers, though, have been here before and the experience will carry them to victory.
Semifinals (May 25)
The Nittany Lions maintain a consistent approach throughout the season, so there will likely be few unexpected developments. However, this also presents the opportunity for Hoyas coach Kevin Warne to devise a strategic game plan for impeding their progress.
Some instances show them having a strong offensive presence in college lacrosse, while others see their offense falter, such as scoring only four goals against Syracuse earlier this season and six against Notre Dame last week.
Championship (May 27)
Notre Dame could potentially be defeated by Duke, Virginia, and maybe Johns Hopkins, but those teams must advance past the initial round.
