Stevens' Top 20: Don't Overthink Notre Dame's Loss to Maryland

Let’s not overthink this: Notre Dame shouldn’t tumble far in anyone’s esteem after its 11-10 loss to Maryland in Atlanta.

That the Fighting Irish are the two-time defending national champions doesn’t matter for this ranking exercise, since it’s a new season. Coaches certainly love “the past is the past” mantra, so let’s forget about it for a moment.

Here’s what Notre Dame just did: It became the first team to get to 10 goals against the undefeated Terrapins and had a chance to force overtime until Logan McNaney stopped Chris Kavanagh’s shot with 23 seconds to go.

It’s about as much as could be hoped for in a 1-v-2 showdown between programs with strong, disciplined identities. And as long as Maryland keeps rolling along, the Irish remain tethered right behind them.

Patrick Stevens is a longtime USA Lacrosse Magazine contributor. This is his weekly submission to the USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Top 20.

PATRICK STEVENS' TOP 20

1. Maryland (5-0)

The Terrapins’ standard is built on consistency, and it’s been on display for the first five Saturdays of the season. Maryland has picked off Syracuse, Princeton and Notre Dame in its last three games, and Logan McNaney’s 16 saves helped the Terps overcome a possession deficit and hand the Irish a rare loss. Maryland is a worthy new No. 1. (Last week: 2)

2. Notre Dame (3-1)

The Irish went 370 days between losses, and very nearly erased a three-goal deficit in the fourth quarter of a neutral-site loss to Maryland. Saturday’s result means the Irish won’t go undefeated this season, and their 17-game winning streak is over. Anything else, besides flipping Notre Dame and the Terps in the 1-2 equation, is an overreaction. (LW: 1)

3. Princeton (3-1)

The Tigers swept their Tobacco Road trip. That, paired with an opening triumph at Penn State, will ensure there are no questions come May about Princeton’s ability to play well away from home. (LW: 5)

4. Cornell (4-0)

The Big Red crushed Hobart, then traveled to Richmond and slipped past the Spiders 12-11 after trailing by as many as five (and 11-8 in the fourth quarter). Cornell isn’t invulnerable, but winning a relatively low-scoring game against a team with a firm identity will serve Connor Buczek’s bunch well down the road.  (LW: 3)

5. North Carolina (4-1)

The Tar Heels earned an Ivy League split, hammering Penn on Friday before a taut loss to Princeton on Sunday. They’ll get Hofstra, Jacksonville, High Point and Army this month before playing their entire ACC slate in April. (LW: 4)