The Sunday Slide: April 14, 2024

I think we’re all going to miss the Pac-12.

The ever-changing landscape of college athletics will see the Pac-12 ride off into the sunset in the coming weeks. The teams won’t be gone, of course, as Cal and Stanford – you know, universities in California – certainly geographically qualifies for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

But I digress.

The final regular-season in-conference showdown between Stanford and USC went about as expected on Saturday. The Cardinal won 8-6 and now hold sole possession of first place in the conference at 5-0. USC and Colorado are right behind at 4-1.

Which means we’re in for the same old song and dance from the Pac-12 as we’ve seen since the conference was born in 2018. Colorado won the first-ever Pac-12 regular-season title before USC and Stanford took control. Stanford has won three of the five Pac-12 tournaments contested (there was no tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19), while USC has captured the other two.

The Stanford-USC rivalry is one of the best in the sport, even if it doesn’t always get the attention of the traditional East Coast rivalries. The rivalry won’t be gone, but without the stakes of conference standing on the line, it might just a bit of its luster.

Savor these final weeks of the Pac-12. What was once a landmark lacrosse conference will be gone for good, though its eight teams will keep the spirit alive.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

There was so much to dissect from Florida’s 15-7 dismantling of James Madison for AAC bragging rights. Six players tied for the team-high with two goals. That, plus nine assists, is a sign of a selfless offense.

What I’m most interested in is how Florida just flipped a switch in the third quarter. The Gators trailed 6-5 and then completely changed course to dominate the second half. Maybe it took some time to gain their footing against a quality opponent? The schedule has been weak, after all.

Either way, that’s now 13 straight wins for Florida, and few should question their relevance now. You can read the full story here from Jackson Reyes.

Fairfield is also on a 13-game winning streak after dispatching Manhattan. The Stags have Rider on Wednesday before all eyes look to Saturday’s bout with Siena. Those teams will very likely meet in the MAAC tournament, too.

This was a big week for Johns Hopkins. It unfortunately went in the worst of three possible outcomes. The Blue Jays dropped games to both Maryland and Michigan, missing out on a chance to further establish a foothold in the Big Ten.

And all of a sudden, Hopkins’ regular-season finale against Penn State looks like a tough one, too. The Nittany Lions took down Maryland on Saturday.

I know the lacrosse community likes to focus on the big teams and conferences, but there’s a four-team race brewing in the Big South. Mercer is 5-0 to lead the conference, but High Point, Longwood and Furman are right there at 4-1.

FUN WITH NUMBERS

3 • Games played this week by Stony Brook. The Seawolves beat Rutgers 13-10, William & Mary 21-8 and Drexel 18-11. Ellie Masera had 12 goals and eight assists in the 3-0 week, including seven goals and four assists against Drexel.

4 • Goals scored by Ryan Dineen, Sloane Kipp and Jane Earley in Denver’s 21-11 win over Arizona State on Sunday. That doesn’t even account for Lauren Black, who led the Pios with three goals and five assists.

11 • Straight games San Diego State lost before Morgan Delwiche scored the winner late in the fourth quarter for a 13-12 win over Oregon.

16-8 • Exact score of Yale’s lost two games, both Ivy League wins, over Penn and Harvard. It was a nice response after the Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the spring at the hands of Boston College.

21 • Assists this season for Madison Alaimo, tying Virginia’s single-season freshman record. Alaimo had two goals and two assists in Virginia’s 13-12 overtime win over Boston College.

26 • Draw wins for Navy in its 17-11 win over Army. Alyssa Daley had 17 draw wins on her own.