D-I Women's Lacrosse Week 3 Preview: ACC Play, Sneaky-Good Watch

A polar vortex indicates that Punxsutawney Phil was right when he saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, suggesting we have six more weeks of winter to endure. But the start of the ACC schedule indicates that spring is on its way.

Like this winter in the Northeast, it’s brutal — even with the game full of new faces that feel anything but the Groundhog Day-style rosters we’ve seen over the last several years.

Exhibit A: No. 6 Syracuse, fresh off a dominant win over No. 11 Maryland last weekend, faces the tall task of traveling to No. 2 North Carolina. Don’t expect Groundhog Day from last year’s 20-5 Orange win — the Tar Heels (and all their injured stars from last year) are back, and frankly, have looked better than ever through three games.

Elsewhere, non-conference play will continue, including with in-state rivalries and a clash between two under-the-radar teams.

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PICK FIVE

No. 6 Syracuse (3-0) at No. 2 North Carolina (0-0) 
11 a.m. Eastern Saturday | Watch: ACCNX

Syracuse storyline to watch: Was Syracuse underrated to start the season? The loss of goalie Delaney Sweitzer (now at Northwestern), Emma Tyrrell (graduation) and draw specialist Kate Mashewske (graduation) opened the door for doubt in the perennial final four program. Perhaps it was unfair given <motions wildly> all the other teams that lost star power, including Maryland, who Syracuse beat handily last weekend. The Orange came out firing early and often, getting a combined 12 points from veterans Emma Ward and Olivia Adamson in the 15-9 win. The pair tallied 10 points in a Tuesday win over Cornell, too. The Heels, of course, brought back a whole lot more (and lost little) ahead of this season and have played in a different stratosphere than Maryland, Cornell and UAlbany (Syracuse’s opening-day opponent), so Saturday will serve as an early gut check.

North Carolina storyline to watch: After spending the last few days catching up with the Humphrey family for a feature on the three sisters, it’s difficult to not keep coming back to something attacker Ashley Humphrey said: “We remember all the teams that celebrated like they won the national championship last year ... and we already beat two of them.” Liberty didn’t play North Carolina last year, so you can figure out the subtext through a process of elimination on goheels.com.

It’s unclear if Syracuse celebrated like it won its elusive natty in last year’s 15-goal romp, but there were plenty of stick drops (mandatory, to be fair), hugs and high fives (understandable, to be fair) to go around. Humphrey’s point is well taken: These aren’t your 2024 Tar Heels, and the proof is in a 3-0 start in which UNC has outscored opponents (including two in the Top 20) 51-12.

X-Factor: Ward and Adamson’s numbers warrant attention — the veteran duo has combined for 35 percent of Syracuse’s goals (19 of 54 goals) through three games. But don’t sleep on Emma Muchnick, a USA Lacrosse U20 National Team member in 2024 with seven goals to her name. UNC likely won’t be sleeping on her, but whether it’s Muchnick or another player — ideally Muchnick and several other players — the Orange will need to diversify their offense against a Tar Heels defense that’s let in an average of four goals per game. Yes, nine of those goals came against UNC’s top opponent (Florida last week), but the Tar Heels led 12-6 with 13:08 remaining in the fourth quarter and seemed to take their foot off the gas (something they’ll want to avoid against Syracuse) One, two or even three weapons won’t cut it.

No. 17 Stanford (3-0) at No. 5 Virginia (2-0) 
11 a.m. Eastern Saturday | Watch: ACCX

Stanford storyline to watch: Stanford went 3-0 against Pac-12 teams with wins over USC, Colorado and UC Davis. The caveat? The Cardinal are no longer in the Pac-12, and neither are those first three opponents. Stanford, the final Pac-12 champion, makes its ACC debut against Virginia, a team it lost to 10-9 in its season opener last year.

Virginia to watch: Virginia clawed victory from the jaws of defeat last weekend, escaping with a win despite a six-goal performance from McKenzie Blake and multiple dry spells. A bright spot (besides the all-important final score) was the draw. The Cavs finished 100th in Division I in draw wins in 2024 but corralled 20 of 28 draws against the Tigers (71 percent). Kate Galica bolstered the efforts with 12 draws. It’s one game, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

X-Factor: Let’s stick with the draw storyline. Galica and the Hoos will have their work cut out for them against Jordyn Case (13 draws) and Ava Arceri (10 draws). Possessions could be crucial against a Stanford program firing on both ends of the field, averaging 17.67 goals per game and yielding less than seven. All told, this game won’t define the season (no single game does, especially one played in February). However, it’s a good gauge for both teams: Stanford for its ability to withstand ACC competition and UVA for its abilities in the circle and without some of Sonia LaMonica’s key pieces in her first year in Charlottesville (Katia Carnevale, Maggie Bostain, Morgan Schwab, et al.)

No. 12 Penn (1-0) at No. 7 Johns Hopkins (1-2) 
12 p.m. Eastern Saturday | Watch: Centennial Digital Network

Penn storyline to watch: Without last year’s leading scorer, Niki Miles (now at Northwestern), in the lineup, Keeley Block (5G, 1A) and Catherine Berkery (3G, 2A) introduced themselves. They weren’t exactly unknowns, with each playing in all 20 games last year and amassing 30 goals. However, they didn’t draw the same attention as Miles. They will this year.

Johns Hopkins storyline to watch: Consistency. It’s a common refrain with Hopkins, which often looks stellar for long stretches before going quiet. It doomed the Blue Jays against Florida in a game they led 10-8 with 8:08 left before the Gators scored three of the final four goals. They didn’t string together more than two goals.

X-Factor: This one feels like such a toss-up. Let’s stay with consistency here. We discussed Hopkins ad nauseam, but Penn never strung together more than three straight against an unranked Drexel team. It was only the Quakers’ first outing, and they lacked key pieces from last year, like Miles and defender Izzy Rohr. However, gaining and maintaining momentum will be significant in a game between two evenly matched programs on paper.

Clemson (3-0) at No. 13 Notre Dame (2-1) 
8 p.m. Eastern Saturday | Watch: ESPN+

Clemson storyline to watch: Listen. The Tigers’ three wins came against Davidson, Vanderbilt and Stetson, who are not the same as Boston College, Syracuse and North Carolina. Now that we’ve gotten the disclaimer out of the way, let’s talk about how Clemson is averaging 20 goals per game (including 20 against Vandy and 26 against Stetson). Kayla Macleod (14G), Lexi Edmonds (13G) and Lindsey Marshall (9G) have gotten top billing, with Brooke Goldstein’s eight assists earning her quarterback status. It’ll be a test for Notre Dame’s defense regrouping after graduation losses like Olivia Dooley, Keelin Schlageter, Kelley Denes and goalie Lilly Callahan.

Notre Dame storyline to watch: Notre Dame was one of the hardest hit teams by graduation, but new names have emerged through three games (a loss to Northwestern and running-time wins over Central and Eastern Michigan). Lacrosse world, say hello to freshman midfielder Madison Rassas (10G, 3A, 6DC, 3CT) and senior goalie Isabel Pithie (.546 SV%). The ACC slate and stage will provide more opportunities for them to test themselves.

X-Factor: The winner of Notre Dame’s defense versus Clemson’s offense. Can the Irish’s young unit, bolstered by Grace Weigand’s veteran presence, shut down a Tigers attack that has looked unstoppable?

No. 10 Loyola (2-1) at Princeton (0-1) 
12 p.m. Eastern Sunday | Watch: ESPN+

Loyola storyline to watch: What cover curse? February issue cover star Chase Boyle is off to an all sorts of epic start, totaling 30 draw controls, a team-high 12 goals and three caused turnovers. Enjoy the senior while we have her in collegiate ball.

Princeton storyline to watch: McKenzie Blake’s six goals had Princeton on the doorstep of beating UVA last weekend. A similar performance could spell trouble for the Greyhounds.

X-Factor: Draws. Princeton only collected 8 of 28 draws against Virginia, a team that has notably struggled on the circle. Meanwhile, Boyle is on a predictable tear. The Tigers need to inch toward neutralizing her to pick up key possessions against a Loyola program that makes few mistakes against teams outside of the Boston Colleges of the world.

SNEAKY MUST-WATCH

Brown (1-0) at Holy Cross (3-0) 
5:30 p.m. Eastern Friday | Watch: ESPN+

If you work a regular day job — what’s that like? — you’ll be in weekend mode just in time for the opening draw between two teams flying under the radar. They started to raise their visibilities last year. Brown made a splash with the hiring of Katrina Dowd (and an offense that ranked fifth in Division I with 16.27 goals per game). The Bears narrowly missed playing in the Ivy League tournament. Holy Cross? The program hosted and beat Colgate in the Patriot League quarterfinals, its first conference tournament home game since 2014.

Brown dropped 20 goals on New Hampshire without last year’s leading scorer by a longshot, Mia Mascone, now with Boston College. Beth Anderson (3G, 1A) and Leah Caputo (3G) led a balanced attack in that one. Meanwhile, Holy Cross has three wins under its belt, routing Fairfield (22-13), UAlbany (16-8) and Iona (18-5) and drawing consideration in the USA Lacrosse Top 20.  

Get home in time for this one.

IF YOU LIKE IN-STATE RIVALRIES

No. 14 Stony Brook (2-0) at UAlbany (0-3) 
12 p.m. Eastern Sunday | Watch: ESPN+

“Hello, old foe.” Stony Brook and UAlbany to one another, probably.

The teams clashed every year in the America East championship game from Joe Spallina’s first year on the Island in 2012 to 2021. UAlbany took the first meeting, but Stony Brook won the title (and each regular-season meeting) thereafter — a streak of 16 games, including the most recent clash in 2022. They probably would’ve met in the 2022 America East title game, but Stony Brook announced its departure to the CAA earlier in the year, and every conference member institution, including UAlbany, voted to bar them from competing in spring tournaments. The Great Danes lost to Vermont (but won the AE in 2023 at long last), and Stony Brook made the NCAA tournament as an at-large.

The Great Danes enter the game searching for their first win, having lost to Syracuse, Holy Cross and Harvard. Stony Brook, meanwhile, has wins over Bryant and Villanova. It doesn’t read well on paper, but if you know and have experienced the history between these two rivals, it’s one to watch.