NCAA Men's Lacrosse Week 5: Schedule, Storylines, Odds and More

Schedule | TV Listings | Rankings

Injuries are mounting, preseason darlings fading and rivalries (both old and new) renewing as the college lacrosse season enters the Ides of March. Pretty soon, we'll start seeing NCAA RPI data. The postseason implications come at you that quickly.

For now, it's still a mostly non-conference slate of games, with five tasty matchups on deck this weekend. Let's have a look.

FIVE TO WATCH

#9 PENN STATE (4-1) AT #3 CORNELL (4-0)

Sat 12 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: Cornell -2.5

Penn State storyline to watch: Top attackman Matt Traynor (16 goals, seven assists) exited last week's game against Yale with an injury in the third quarter. The game was well in hand (Penn State led 11-4 at halftime) and the move could have been precautionary, but his status bears watching.

Cornell storyline to watch: The revenge tour. The Big Red have already erased the sour taste of last year's loss to Denver. Will they exact similar revenge against Penn State, a team that throttled them 20-9 last year and has limited their explosive CJ Kirst-led offense to just 15 goals combined in the last two meetings? 

Notable: A reminder for newer lacrosse fans that Penn State head coach Jeff Tambroni spent 10 seasons at Cornell before coming to Happy Valley in 2011. He led the Big Red to at least a share of the Ivy League championship eight straight years and to three NCAA final fours — including a memorable runner-up finish in 2009. Penn State has made it to championship weekend twice under his watch.

#19 MICHIGAN (3-2) AT #15 HARVARD (3-1)

Sat 12 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | DK: Harvard -1.5

Michigan storyline to watch: The best way to slow a good offense is with a good defense. Harvard’s 15.5 goals per game rank fourth in the country while Michigan’s defense ranks second, allowing just 6.7 goals per game. Michigan’s defense may get some additional relief at the faceoff dot. Replacing All-American Justin Wietfedlt (61.5 percent on 397 draws in 2024) has not been easy for the Wolverines, especially with Jackie Weller out since the North Carolina game on Feb. 8. Michigan is winning at the dot at just a 48.5-percent clip this season, but they may get a reprieve this week with Harvard winning just 31.1 percent, 72nd of 74 teams in the country.

Harvard storyline to watch: Sam King remains criminally underrated. He's at the controls of a top-five offense (15.5 goals per game) that must keep pace due to an underperforming defense (14.75 goals allowed per game, 66th out of 74 Division I teams). According to Lacrosse Reference, King's 4.47 EGA (expected goals added) per game ranks fourth in the country, slightly ahead of Notre Dame's Chris Kavanagh.

Notable: Harvard ranks No. 1 nationally in shooting percentage (39.0 percent) and efficiency (scoring on 41.1 percent of possessions) through four games. The Crimson have won three of four games in the series, a budding non-conference rivalry.

TOWSON (1-4) vs #17 VIRGINIA (2-3)

Sat 1:30 p.m. EST | Watch: CSN | DK: Virginia -4.5

Towson storyline to watch: The Tigers certainly didn’t expect to be 1-4 at the point of the season, but things are moving in the right direction after a difficult early-season slate. Mikey Weisshaar, as dangerous as any offensive player in the country, missed the Saint Joseph’s game with an injury and the Tigers offense struggled in an 11-6 loss. He came back to register a season-high six points (four goals, two assists) in a 17-10 win over UMBC last Friday night. Virginia is well aware of Weisshaar’s ability — he dropped five goals against them last year — and Shawn Nadelen has begun working Weisshaar into attack shifts to help get his most valuable offensive player on the field more.

Virginia storyline to watch: Turnovers. The Cavaliers' 18.5 turnovers per game (50th in Division I) are untenable. Even in one of their better performances of the season — a narrow 13-12 defeat at Johns Hopkins last week — they turned the ball over 18 times. Lars Tiffany's teams have always played fast and loose. That's what makes them so much fun to watch. That's also at least partly why they're below .500.

Notable: This game will be played at The Kinkaid School in Houston. It's the first time either of these college lacrosse staples has played in Texas. It will be a homecoming for Virginia goalie Matthew Nunes, one of five Texans on the roster. Nunes starred nearby at The Woodlands School. Towson defenseman Conor Spagnolli is from the Dallas-Fort Worth area about four hours away. The game is part of Corrigan Sports Enterprises' College Lacrosse Live Series.

#12 OHIO STATE (6-1) AT #2 NOTRE DAME (3-1)

Sat 2 p.m. EST | Watch: ACCN | DK: Notre Dame -6.5

Ohio State storyline to watch: Caleb Fyock has snuffed out any possible goalie controversy in Columbus. After ceding the starting spot to Henry Blake in the opener (a 19-13 loss to Utah), Fyock has been lights out and backstopped the Buckeyes to six straight victories. He's allowing just 4.9 goals per game and boasts a save percentage of 65 percent.

Notre Dame storyline to watch: How will the Fighting Irish respond to their first loss in 370 days? As Patrick Stevens wrote earlier this week, let's not overreact to a neutral-site defeat to Maryland. Notre Dame nearly erased a three-goal deficit against the most disciplined team in the country. Threats abound all over the field, even as All-American midfielders Jordan Faison and Devon McLane continue to work back into form. No. 1 freshman recruit Matt Jeffery is still searching for his first career goal but otherwise acquitted himself well in Atlanta. The greatest area of concern might be the defense. Notre Dame's defensive efficiency of 28.2 percent ranks 39th nationally, according to Lacrosse Reference.

Notable: If it's Bobby Van Buren on Chris Kavanagh, grab your popcorn for that matchup. Van Buren has shut down some of the best attackmen in the country this season and was rewarded this week with a spot on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List.

#6 JOHNS HOPKINS (5-1) AT #14 SYRACUSE (4-2)

Sun 2 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPNU | DK: Syracuse -1.5

Hopkins storyline to watch: Russell Melendez's injury status. Like Penn State with Traynor, it could have been precautionary, but Melendez left the game against Virginia. He was replaced on attack by sophomore Charlie Iler, who stepped up with a goal and two assists in the first extended action of his career. 

Syracuse storyline to watch: Remember Utah. After getting blunted by Maryland in College Park and upset by Harvard at the Dome, Syracuse got on a bus to Rochester, flew to Baltimore and then out to Salt Lake City in what defensive coordinator John Odierna said was perfect timing for such a trip. "It felt like a lacrosse retreat with a big game squeezed in there," Odierna said on the "Cuse Sports Talk" radio show hosted by Brian Higgins.  The Orange defeated the Utes 15-5, an impressive defensive performance lest anyone forget that was the team that poured in 19 goals against Ohio State.

Notable: It will be a family affair for Syracuse's Sam English and Hopkins' Brooks English, just as it was when the Blue Jays played North Carolina (Ty English) two weeks ago and as it will be when the Orange host the Tar Heels in their regular season finale April 26. The brothers from Ontario all play a freakishly similar brand of midfield, with motors that never stop, stick skills for days and defensive know-how to ensure they're equally capable at both ends of the field.

Brian Logue contributed to this article.