NCAA Men's Lacrosse Week 1: Schedule, Betting Odds, Bluebloods

Schedule  | TV Listings | Rankings

Love them or hate them, college lacrosse is more fun when Johns Hopkins and Syracuse are at the top of their game.

And while the Orange certainly looked worthy of their preseason hype — pouring in 24 goals against Jacksonville last week at the Dome — the Blue Jays are putting in some serious work of their own.

Brazen scheduling by the Hopkins brass brings Georgetown to Homewood Field following road wins at Denver and Towson. The season is not even seven days old, and the Jays are already on the precipice of their first 3-0 start since 2017 — with all three games coming against top-15 foes.

Both bluebloods are in action this weekend, with Syracuse hosting Vermont for a Friday night tilt before welcoming Towson to the Dome for a tasty NCAA first-round rematch Monday.

And all hail, the ESPN broadcast schedule is out. Can’t wait to see these teams on linear, including their March 9 showdown on ESPNU.

FIVE TO WATCH

#16 MICHIGAN (1-0) AT #17 CAROLINA (0-0)

Sat 12 p.m. EST | Watch: ACCNX | DK: UNC -2.5

Michigan storyline to watch: The new guys. Princeton transfer Pace Billings lived up the billing (see what we did, there?) with two caused turnovers and five ground balls in the Wolverines' 14-1 season-opening defeat of Marquette. Bowdoin transfer Will Byrne scored two goals in the victory.

North Carolina storyline to watch: Will Bill Belichick be there? Just kidding, kind of. We wrote about the Belichick effect on the Tar Heels' multi-sport recruiting earlier this week and it's only adding to the buzz around a team that continues to stockpile impressive commitments. More acute to Saturday, top close defenseman Peter Thomann reportedly exited UNC's preseason scrimmage against Delaware with an injury. His status bears watching.

X factor: The goalie duel. Michigan's Hunter Taylor and North Carolina's Michael Gianforcaro both boast big-game experience in spades. That the Tar Heels elected Gianforcaro a captain as a grad transfer says a lot about the confidence his new teammates have in the former Princeton All-American.

#15 ARMY (0-0) AT UMASS (0-0)

Sat 12 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: Army -4.5

Army storyline to watch: How motivated will the Black Knights be after missing the NCAA tournament the same year they ascended to their first No. 1 ranking in national polls? Their senior class is 22 deep. That's a whole lot of leadership to put last year's snub in perspective and drill the importance of no letdowns — especially not in the season opener against a feisty foe.

UMass storyline to watch: Who starts in goal? Matt Knote was a fixture for UMass going back to 2020, amassing 752 career saves (third in school history). Grad-year keeper Tyler Bluse was announced as one of the team's captains this week. Hard to believe the Minutemen would give such a distinction without the starting nod.

X factor: Series history, With Army boasting elite All-American talent at attack (Jackson Eicher), midfield (Evan Plunkett), faceoff (Will Coletti) and defense (AJ Pilate) and UMass graduating its top seven scorers, this game would seem ripe for a blowout were it not for recent encounters. Four of last five games in Army-UMass series have been decided by two goals or fewer, including Army's 13-12 win in Atlanta last year when the Black Knights scored two goals in the last 80 seconds.

#13 GEORGETOWN (1-0) AT #8 HOPKINS (2-0)

Sat 1 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: Hopkins -1.5

Georgetown storyline to watch: Was Fulton Bayman the best-kept secret of the transfer portal? Coach Kevin Warne insisted Bayman's modest stats at Notre Dame (13 points in 28 career games) were a matter of opportunity rather than talent. The grad transfer paced a Hoyas midfield that rotated through 10 different players with two goals and two assists in their season-opening 13-6 win over Loyola.

Johns Hopkins storyline to watch: The Blue Jays have a certain swagger about them this year, and they're apologizing to no one. Hunter Chauvette turning his glove into a puppet to chirp the Towson sideline after completing a hat trick in Hopkins' 11-10 win Tuesday — after the opponents taunted him for an easily saved shot earlier in the game — reflects this confidence. Can they stay hot against Anderson Moore and Georgetown's vaunted defense?

X factor: Faceoffs. Hoyas incumbent James Ball missed the opener due to an undisclosed injury. Freshman Ross Prince stepped up big time, winning the first 13 faceoffs and finishing 16-for-20 in his collegiate debut. Hard to imagine Georgetown messing with that mojo even if Ball is cleared. On the other side there's Logan Callahan, whose five fourth-quarter faceoff wins helped Hopkins withstand Towson's late surge. He also scored a goal in the frame.

DELAWARE (0-0) AT #18 UTAH (1-0)

Sat 2 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: Utah -2.5

Delaware storyline to watch: The Blue Hens rarely leave the East Coast. They'll fly more than five hours and 2,000 miles for their season opener. Delaware must establish a new offensive identity now that all-time leading goal scorer Mike Robinson and program stalwart JP Ward have graduated. A lower-scoring game would suit the Blue Hens, who have one of the nation's best goalies in Kevin Ellington.

Utah storyline to watch: How will the Utes, fresh off their big 19-13 win at Ohio State, handle being the home favorite against a member of the college lacrosse establishment in visiting Delaware? And can they keep scoring at such a high clip against Ellington and company?

X factor: Blue Hens midfielder Jason Kolar is back after missing all but four games last season due to injury. He scored 23 goals the previous season and rejoins a midfield unit that could carry more of the load this year. The group features another 20-goal scorer in CAA All-Rookie selection John McCurry.

#11 PENN STATE (1-0) AT VILLANOVA (0-0)

Sun 12 p.m. EST | Watch: FLO

Penn State storyline to watch: Matt Traynor deservedly drew praise for his five-goal, two-assist effort in the Nittany Lions' season-opening win over Colgate, but it was also a byproduct of the Raiders having to respect Penn State's secondary options. It was especially encouraging to see Rutgers transfer Jack Aimone and freshman Hunter Aquino contribute two goals apiece.

Villanova storyline to watch: Matt Licata (36 goals, 12 assists) and Colin Michener (37 goals, nine assists) are as good a 1-2 attack combo as any in the Big East, but it remains to be seen who claims the third spot on the unit.

X factor: Calling a top-50 recruit undervalued sounds asinine. But Aquino didn't exactly play for a high school juggernaut at Academy of the New Church (Pa.). Penn State always seems to find excellent talent from unlikely sources. A 6-foot-4 midfielder, Aquino looks like the field stretcher the Nittany Lions need to keep defenses honest. The ball was flying off his stick with velocity in the opener.

SNEAKY-GOOD WATCH

ROBERT MORRIS (0-0) AT RICHMOND (0-1)

SAT 12 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: Richmond -9.5

That's an astonishing spread from the oddsmakers, considering Robert Morris is the runaway favorite in the renewed Northeast Conference. Granted, it's a weaker conference than it was back in 2022. Bobby Mo might not have the same mojo it did a few years ago, but the team still has that slick Canadian pedigree throughout the roster.

HOUSE SITTING

GROVE CITY (0-0) VS. #2 SALISBURY (1-0)

DIII | SAT 11 a.m. EST | Watch: DSN+

This is fun, a neutral-site encounter of Under Armour-sponsored schools competing in the first NCAA game at The Stadium at the House — a 2023 addition to UA's headquarters in Baltimore.