Welcome to #BestOfLax. Help us celebrate the past year of lacrosse by voting in 15 polls spread over the course of December. All voting will be conducted on Twitter (@usalacrossemag), and fans will have 24 hours to let their voices be heard.
For more information — including upcoming categories, rules and more — check out our introductory post to #BestOfLax.
Some games just have the ability to keep you locked into your TV, phone or tablet. Whatever screen you happen to watch on, you just cannot look away.
There were several such games in 2021 — and more than four, if we’re being honest — but we narrowed down the list for Best Game of 2021 to the quartet of contests that stood above the rest. They’re the ones we remember as games that helped to define the spring.
Here are the nominees for Best Game.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 15, 2021
For the contest that kept us on the edge of our seats from start to finish.
VOTE NOW in our #BestOfLax poll to determine the top multi-sport athlete from 2021.
NOMINEES: https://t.co/Spw6mzaGdk
BEST GAME
For the contest that kept us on the edge of our seats from start to finish.
DUKE VS. NOTRE DAME (MEN)
APRIL 22
Cameron Mulé scored with 1:55 left in overtime to lift Duke to an ACC win. This one was insane. Trailing 12-7, Duke capped the contest with six goals in the final 8:41. Notre Dame was held scoreless for the final 10:36. Nakeie Montgomery and Michael Sowers scored four of the six goals during the stretch. After not playing all game, Mulé took advantage of the lone extra man opportunity of the night for Duke.
RIT VS. SALISBURY (MEN)
MAY 30
In one of the wildest finishes of the spring, RIT captured its first national title on a Ryan Barnable goal in double overtime. Quinn Commandant scored a season-high seven points in the game and scored possibly the biggest goal of his life — the game-tying tally with 12 seconds left in regulation. The third time was the charm for RIT after falling in the 2013 and 2017 national championship games. Read the game recap here.
STANFORD VS. ARIZONA STATE (WOMEN)
APRIL 16
Stanford, which captured the Pac 12 championship in 2021, was fighting to stay undefeated on April 16 against upstart Arizona State. Jacie Lemos scored her fourth goal of the game in double overtime to give the Cardinal a 22-21 win. Lemos did all of her damage in the second half. Trailing 12-10 at halftime, Stanford trailed 16-10 before beginning its comeback climb. Star senior Ali Baiocco had four goals and three assists to aid in the comeback.
VIRGINIA VS. MARYLAND (MEN)
MAY 31
Virginia held off Maryland 17-16 before 14,816 fans (yes, spectators) at Rentschler Field, a triump that could not truly be savored until the final buzzer. Alex Rode stopped a shot by Luke Wierman with five seconds left to clinch the second straight NCAA title for UVA. Trailing 16-11 in the fourth quarter, previously unbeaten Maryland rallied with five goals in six minutes but fell short in a thriller. Read the game recap here.