Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. What a wild week it was in women’s lacrosse.
The prevailing narrative of the preseason was that, with 2019 NCAA finalists Maryland and Boston College both graduating multiple multi-year All-Americans, the 2020 Division I race would be wide open.
And the early returns certainly support that theory.
Notre Dame upended its Midwest nemesis Northwestern on Friday and Florida ended Maryland’s 86-game home winning streak on Saturday. Coupled with Syracuse’s loss to Stony Brook earlier in the week and Boston College’s stunning defeat at the hands of UMass, it means that four of the top five teams in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20 already have been vanquished.
More from the weekend in women’s lacrosse:
2. Is Maryland the Virginia of 2020?
For the second straight week, the Terps were on the ropes. They trailed Penn by six midway through the third quarter before exploding for eight unanswered goals to defeat the Quakers 17-15 in a top-10 showdown Saturday in College Park.
Among other notable results in college men’s lacrosse Saturday, Yale defeated Villanova for the first time in three years, Loyola continued its recent dominance of the Charles Street rivalry with Hopkins, UMass upset Ohio State and Army picked up another eye-opening win, this time throttling Rutgers.
3. The Atlanta Blaze are the latest casualty of MLL’s massive offseason restructure. The league announced Sunday it was ceasing operations of the Blaze, with players to be assigned to a new franchise to be announced today.
4. The Philadelphia Wings are in first place in the NLL East after sweeping a pair of road games over the weekend. They edged Buffalo 7-6 on Saturday and held off New England 14-11 on Sunday. In other NLL Week 12 action:
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Halifax suffered its first home defeat, rallying from a seven-goal fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime but falling short when Saskatchewan’s Mike Messenger scored to give the Rush a 16-15 victory Saturday.
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Dillon Ward made 48 saves (on 55 shots), as Colorado defeated San Diego 10-7, the Mammoth’s first win over the Seals since they entered the league.
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Toronto won its third straight game, doubling up Vancouver 14-7. Rob Hellyer scored six goals in the victory, which vaulted the 6-2 Rock into a first-place tie with Halifax in the NLL North. The two teams play Friday.
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Georgia avenged a loss earlier this season to New York with a 14-9 home win Saturday.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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US Lacrosse has hired National Lacrosse Hall of Famer and former two-time U.S. team member George McGeeney as chief operating officer.
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Lehigh assistant Katie O’Donnell reflected on her Penn State career on the eve of the Mountain Hawks’ game against the Nittany Lions — and the desire to lead Lehigh to similar heights as those she experienced in Happy Valley.
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Somehow, Army’s defense seems unaffected by the graduation of Schmeisser Award winner Johnny Surdick and four-year starter A.J. Barretto. It’s the Black Knights’ identity.
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NLL commissioner Nick Sakiewicz sees sports betting as a marketing tool for the league and a way to draw new fans.
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This SB Nation recap of Syracuse’s 17-4 win over Binghamton, revealing not only that All-American defenseman Nick Mellen did not play after suffering an injury in the Orange’s opener against Colgate, but also that midfielders Peter Dearth and Jacob Buttermore exited the game with injuries.
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About Richie Meade’s return to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the bittersweet nature of Furman’s lopsided loss to his former team.
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About Jon Mazza’s journey back to Towson lacrosse after a suspension pushed him away from the sport.
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A Northwestern Magazine profile of former two-time Tewaaraton Award winner Kristen Kjellman Marshall, part of the magazine’s “150 Years of Women” series.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
“We call that a W. Let’s go!”
No. 16 Florida ends No. 3 Maryland’s 86-game home winning streak after a 15-14 thriller in College Park.
YEARS
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) February 15, 2020
MONTHS
DAYS
That’s how long it had been since Maryland last lost in College Park. The 86-game winning streak ended today at the hands of @GatorsLAX. pic.twitter.com/Pwa6SOw7hx
Chris Gray was the missing element for North Carolina. If the BU transfer is going to keep making plays like this, look out for the Tar Heels.
CHRIS GRAY, SORCERER
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) February 15, 2020
3G, 4A and this #SCTop10-worthy finish in @UNCMensLacrosse's 24-8 win over Lafayette. pic.twitter.com/mXXJynKpPw
WHAT’S ON TAP
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A new set of Nike/US Lacrosse rankings, with a massive shakeup expected in the Division I Women’s Top 20.
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The return of the Barrage? MLL is stoking the conspiracy theorists.
— Major League Lacrosse (@MLL_Lacrosse) February 17, 2020 -
US Lacrosse Magazine Players of the Week for college men’s and women’s lacrosse.