Weekend One-Liners: What to Watch for in Men's Lacrosse

The last time Maryland played Virginia at Klöckner Stadium was in 2013, when the Terps were still in the ACC. And who could forget the seven-OT classic in 2009?

That’s ancient history, however, given what has transpired between these two teams more recently — including the last three NCAA tournaments. UVA won it all in 2019 and 2021, while Maryland took home the title in 2022.

The Cavaliers prevailed in the 2019 quarterfinals when they erased a five-goal deficit, benefitted from a blown call on a shot that hit the crossbar and won 13-12 in overtime. Then they rebuffed a fourth-quarter comeback on a last-second save by Alex Rode to defeat the Terps 17-16 in the 2021 final.

On Saturday, the rivalry continues at Klöckner #GoHoos⚔️

— Virginia Men's Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) March 16, 2023

Maryland more than made up for it last year, blowing out Virginia 18-9 in the quarterfinals during its undefeated run to the NCAA championship and best-team-ever campaign.

The rivalry renews Saturday at 2 p.m.

Here’s one line on that game and 13 others this weekend.

All times Eastern.

TV LISTINGS | NIKE/USA LACROSSE TOP 20

No. 13 North Carolina (4-2) at No. 3 Duke (6-1) – Friday 6 p.m. (ACCN)

February Duke made a brief appearance at Jacksonville, but otherwise the Blue Devils are finding ways to win games in both narrow (Denver, Penn and Syracuse by a combined four goals) and runaway (an eight-goal blowout of Loyola) fashion.

No. 16 Johns Hopkins (5-3) at Navy (3-4) – Friday 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Midshipmen needed peak Patrick Skalniak and Dane Swanson this season, but instead the midfielders have combined to shoot 11-for-63 (17 percent) and Skalniak is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.

No. 9 Cornell (4-1) at No. 7 Yale (3-1) – Saturday 12 p.m.  (ESPN+)

The Ivy League has come back down to Earth in 2023 — thanks Penn State — but that does not take the luster off this top-10 matchup which features a heavyweight matchup between Cornell defenseman Gavin Adler and Yale attackman Matt Brandau.

High Point (6-2) at Georgetown (2-3) – Saturday 12 p.m. (FloSports)

Jack Van Overbeke has been a revelation for the Panthers, the multi-tool Minnesotan inflicting damage as both scorer (19 goals) and feeder (21 assists), but High Point has its hands full on the other end with Tucker Dordevic (16 goals on 59-percent shooting) and a Hoyas team that has awakened from its early-season funk.

UMBC (5-1) at Bryant (4-2) – Saturday 12 p.m.

Bryant’s first-ever America East game comes against what a UMBC team that’s tied with UNC for the fewest goals allowed per game in the country.

No. 12 Army (5-1) at Lehigh (5-1) – Saturday 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

Joe Alberici coached Kevin Cassese as an assistant at Duke, and now both lead Patriot League programs that are models of consistency as both Army and Lehigh, respectively, have reloaded after graduating noted leaders like Brendan Nichtern, Cole Kirst and Tommy Schelling.

Harvard (2-2) at Brown (3-2) – Saturday 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

Can the Bears hold things together long enough to get back Devon McLane, TYB, to return from their suspensions?

UPSET WATCH

No. 2 Notre Dame (5-0) at No. 17 Michigan (4-2) – Saturday 1 p.m. (BTN+)

How contrarian to go against the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but with everyone looking ahead to next weekend’s possible No. 1 vs. No. 2 encounter between Virginia and Notre Dame, wouldn’t it be something else if both lost this weekend?

No. 5 Rutgers (6-1) at UMass (4-2) – Saturday 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

NASCAR takes on the Gorillas at Garber Field — one of the best venues for college lacrosse — in the teams’ first meeting since they were ECAC foes in 2008.

No. 11 Jacksonville (5-1) at Robert Morris (3-2) – Saturday 2 p.m. (ESPN+)

John Galloway called UMBC transfer Brandon Galloway (no relation) the “best-kept secret” in Jacksonville’s transfer haul and the midfielder has proven the coach right with 12 goals and six assists in six games.

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 4 Maryland (4-2) at No. 1 Virginia (6-0) – Saturday 2 p.m. (ACCN)

The fans in Charlottesville sure could use a pick-me-up this weekend, and maybe the Cavaliers can give them that by getting over the hump against Maryland — a team that outscored Virginia 41-21 in two meetings last year.

Hobart (3-3) vs. Providence (4-3) – Saturday 3 p.m. (in Sparks, Md.) (CSE)

It’s the marquee game of the FCA Lacrosse Invitational at USA Lacrosse, a Corrigan Sports Enterprises event sponsored by Kelly Benefits.

No. 14 Princeton (2-3) at No. 19 Penn (2-3) – Saturday 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

A game-of-the-year candidate a year ago, Princeton outlasted Penn 21-20 in overtime and we could be in store for another thriller.

Bellarmine (5-1) at Utah (1-4) – Saturday 9 p.m.  (PAC12+)

Off to its best start since 2008 after being picked to finish fifth in the conference, Bellarmine looks to make the ASUN pollsters eat their votes against the preseason front-runner.