NCAA Men's Lacrosse Week 12 Preview: What's at Stake and Games to Watch

Schedule | TV Listings | Rankings

In nine days, the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Committee faces the unenviable task of parsing out the teams whose seasons will continue at the expense of those who will clean out their lockers.

As Patrick Stevens wrote in his latest Bracketology, the committee’s release of its top 10 teams as of April 18 indicates either a surprising departure from the maligned RPI/SOS model or a nothing burger.

If the metrics still matter most, then Syracuse and Michigan have some work to do in the run-up to Selection Sunday.  And there’s plenty still at stake in projected one-bid leagues.

Keep an eye on the Big Ten quarterfinals Saturday. Rutgers and Johns Hopkins must win at Michigan and Penn State, respectively, to keep their seasons — and potential bid thievery — alive another week.

Otherwise, here are five games to watch this weekend.

FIVE TO WATCH

#10 RICHMOND (10-3) AT SAINT JOSEPH'S (9-4)

Fri 4 p.m. EDT | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: Richmond -2

What's at stake: Seeding and momentum. Richmond has sidestepped every Atlantic 10 landmine to secure the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament with a 4-0 record. It's highly possible these two teams, who met in last year's A-10 championship final, will be pitted against each other next week in the semifinals, as Saint Joseph's (2-2 in conference) would need a win here and then UMass to lose to Hobart to get up to the No. 3 seed.

Richmond storyline to watch: A win over the Hawks would give Richmond its first-ever outright A-10 regular season championship and mark its fourth victory over a ranked opponent this season — the most in program history. However, the Spiders are 1-3 all-time against St. Joe's, including a 17-13 loss in the conference final that denied them an NCAA tournament bid last year. That game was tied going into the fourth quarter before the Hawks scored six straight goals to break it open. Richmond is one of the most efficient teams in the country, ranking fourth in defensive efficiency, sixth in offensive efficiency and sixth in turnover rate, according to Lacrosse Reference.

Saint Joseph's storyline to watch: The Hawks' seven-game midseason win streak looks rather impressive in hindsight. It included a sweep of Philadelphia foes Drexel, Villanova and Penn, plus victories over Towson, Rutgers and Providence. Still, the only path to the NCAA tournament for either team is winning the Atlantic 10. Looking at Lacrosse Reference, Saint Joseph's defensive efficiency (23.1 percent, No. 5 nationally) stands out considering the Hawks rank 73rd out of 78 Division I teams in time of possession.

VILLANOVA (7-5) AT #15 GEORGETOWN (8-4)

Fri 7 p.m. EDT | Watch: CBSSN | DK: Georgetown -3

What's at stake: The winner earns the Big East regular season title and top seed in the conference tournament next week in Denver. Georgetown (3-1 in conference) has won six straight Big East tournament championships and the last 11 meetings with Villanova (4-0), including a thrilling 11-10 overtime victory in last year's conference final. On the out-of-town scoreboard, if Marquette manages to upset Denver tonight in Milwaukee, the Eagles would simultaneously eke their way into the playoffs and oust Denver, the predetermined host of the Big East championship. Marquette did take Georgetown to double overtime and lost by one to Villanova.

Villanova storyline to watch: Princeton transfer Tyler Sandoval has performed exceptionally well during the Wildcats' five-game winning streak, going 40-for-60 (67 percent) on faceoffs. That said, Georgetown freshman Ross Prince has been even better since returning from an injury. He's 35-for-50 (70 percent) over the last three games. 

Georgetown storyline to watch: Twelve games into the season, the Hoyas still lack a clear identity on offense. After Aidan Carroll (32G, 18A) and Fulton Bayman (20G, 22A), there's not much to write home about. Perhaps the poor performance against Denver (three goals on 33 shots) provided a wakeup call, as Georgetown poured in 21 goals against St. John's. The Hoyas' offensive pacing (41.3 seconds) is 67th out of 78 Division I teams, according to Lacrosse Reference.

#9 DUKE (10-4) AT #17 VIRGINIA (6-7)

Sat 3 p.m. EDT | Watch: ACCN | DK: Duke -2.5

What's at stake: This is why it's cool the ACC has a men's lacrosse conference tournament again. True, there are only five teams in the conference and therefore there's no AQ at stake. But Virginia still has chance to make a run at the postseason. The last time the Cavaliers went winless in ACC play was in 2016, Dom Starsia's final season. They're 0-4 in the conference. Duke is 1-3. Win, and UVA keeps playing. Beat two of three in the North Carolina-Notre Dame-Syracuse triumvirate in the ACC tournament next week and all of a sudden the Cavs could have an at-large case. It's a tall mountain to climb but there's yet some fight left in Charlottesville.

Duke storyline to watch: The Blue Devils' unfathomable mastery of Virginia. They've won 19 consecutive regular-season games in the series, a streak that dates back to 2005. Duke may have already secured its spot in the NCAA tournament by beating Syracuse last week, blanking the Orange in the first and third quarters of an 11-7 victory. The third quarter was a defensive clinic, as the Blue Devils limited Syracuse to six shots and caused six turnovers. Duke itself does a terrific job of taking care of the ball, with a turnover rate of just 24.5 percent (third nationally).

Virginia storyline to watch: The Cavaliers have mostly remedied their turnover issues but continue to struggle shooting, scoring on just 27.2 percent of shots (52nd). Did they get it right against much-improved Lafayette? McCabe Millon, Truitt Sunderland and Ryan Colsey combined for eight goals on 8-of-16 shooting (50 percent).

#8 NORTH CAROLINA (9-3) AT #12 SYRACUSE (9-4) 

Sat 5 p.m. EDT | Watch: ACCN | DK: Syracuse -1.5

What's at stake: The Orange have dropped two in row (Cornell and Duke) following their marquee win over Notre Dame. That February loss to Harvard also remains unsightly. They are not a lock for the NCAA tournament. In fact, Stevens' projection this week has them as the last team in. Then again, Syracuse is guaranteed two more resume-building games in this showdown with Carolina and then next week's ACC tournament. A victory here would give the Orange (2-1 ACC) the regular season title, thanks to a tiebreaker with Notre Dame, and the No. 1 seed to play either Duke or Virginia in the semifinals. A loss, combined with a Duke win, would drop them to the No. 4 seed. The Tar Heels (2-1) will play in the 2-3 game regardless.

North Carolina storyline to watch: A premium faceoff matchup between U.S. Men's U20 Training Team speciaalist Brady Wambach (65.3 percent) and John Mullen (63.2 percent). They're the top two guys in the ACC and both are only sophomores who have added physicality with a second year of college weight training.

Syracuse storyline to watch: Defenseman Riley Figueiras matching up against Owen Duffy, who had three goals and two assists against him last year. Figueiras mostly put the clamps on Andrew McAdorey, limiting him to a goal and two assists in last week's loss to Duke.  Duffy and co-star Dominic Pietramala have gone cold the last two games, combining to shoot just 4-for-26 in that stretch.

COLGATE (7-6) AT #19 BOSTON UNIVERSITY (9-4)

Fri 6 p.m. EDT | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: BU -1.5

What's at stake: Both teams have clinched spots in the six-team Patriot League tournament. BU has a shot at the No. 1 seed if it handles Colgate and dangerous Loyola defeats Army. The Terriers can still clinch the No. 2 seed with a loss if Lehigh defeats Lafayette. If BU and Lehigh both lose, they're the No. 4 seed. Colgate also could land a quarterfinal bye if it wins and Lehigh loses. 

Colgate storyline to watch: Early offense. The Raiders on average go just 31.6 seconds into a possession before shooting, rating second nationally in offensive pace per Lacrosse Reference.

Boston University storyline to watch: BU has won four straight and seven of eight in the series. The Terriers won two one-goal thrillers against Colgate last year, erasing a 10-2 deficit in Hamilton on the last day of the regular season to earn a 13-12 victory before defeating the Raiders in triple overtime at Nickerson Field in a Patriot League quarterfinal game just days later.