Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Georgetown upset No. 20 Johns Hopkins 15-14 thanks to hat tricks from Natalia Lynch, Taylor Gebhardt and Francesca Whitehurst.
Whitehurst led the Hoyas with four points, while Lynch scored the game-winner with 7:15 left in the game.
The Blue Jays had a late rally with three straight goals from Nicole DeMase, Haly Crosson and Mackenzie Heldberg to bring the score within one with just two minutes remaining, but Georgetown’s defense held on strong.
“We played with a lot of character,” said Georgetown coach Ricky Fried. “Hopkins coming off of a [one-goal] loss [to Penn], they played really hard and I give them a lot of credit for their preparation and their ability to play at a high level. Our kids responded really well in a situation that they haven’t been in in a long time, and were able to come away with a win.”
Plus, a record was broken in No. 11 Penn's 19-9 win over Rutgers. Quakers freshman Zoe Belodeau, who also had two goals and four assists, set a new program record for draw controls in a single game with 11, the fifth most all-time in a single game in the Ivy League.
MORE WEDNESDAY SCORES
No. 10 Loyola 12, Towson 8 (MD1)
No. 11 North Carolina 14, Mercer 7 (MD1)
No. 4 Maryland 21, UMBC 12 (WD1)
No. 7 Florida 16, Jacksonville 5 (WD1)
No. 8 Virginia 16, William & Mary 5 (WD1)
No. 9 Towson 14, Michigan 7 (WD1)
No. 17 Notre Dame, Marquette 10 (WD1)
No. 4 York 9, No. 18 Franklin & Marshall 4 (WD3)
No. 19 Catholic 16, No. 16 St. Mary's 10 (WD3)
Geneseo 12, No. 8 William Smith 9 (WD3)
Nazareth 14, No. 9 Brockport 12 (WD3)
Georgian Court 18, No. 8 NYIT 17 (WD2)
Take a look at some of the many highlights from today's win! #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/XElk3gccW9
— Notre Dame W Lax (@NDWomensLax) March 1, 2018
2. Shawn Evans is headed to Buffalo.
The Bandits acquired the forward, plus a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NLL Entry Draft from New England in change for forward Callum Crawford and a second-round draft pick.
Evans, an Ontario native who was originally drafted by Rochester in 2005, is currently tied for seventh in the league with 51 points.
You're going to love this guy, Banditland pic.twitter.com/f7xKCi7ZJW
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) February 28, 2018
3. Virginia now has the “it factor,” says coach Julie Myers, whose team is 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2012.
The Cavaliers are anchored by senior goalie Rachel Vander Kolk, All-American midfielder Kasey Behr, last year’s ACC Freshman of the Year in Sammy Mueller and junior attacker Avery Shoemaker, who was faceguarded for the first time since her high school career in their upset of Princeton with her five points.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I think they have ‘it,’” Myers said. “Honestly, the last few years, we were very good, but we didn’t have it. It is so hard to describe and understand and to pinpoint, but I do think this group has it. They have that friendship and that love and that passion for Virginia and each other and big dreams for themselves. I do think this team has it and we have really pivotal players at important spots on the field that I think can work their way to great success.”
4. Vermont, which jumped into the national rankings at No. 19 for the first time in over two decades, is ready to be more than just the “other” America East team.
Led by redshirt senior midfielder Ian MacKay, senior defenseman James Leary and sophomore goalie Nick Washuta, the Catamounts (5-0) are off to their best start since their 1984 team opened the season with seven consecutive victories.
“The ranking just means we are making progress,” said coach Chris Feifs, who previously spent seven years as an assistant at North Carolina, where he helped the Tar Heels win the NCAA title in 2016. “Albany is the best team in the America East and probably the best team in the country right now. I think we’re a tough, blue-collar team like them. … We plan to give Albany our best shot [on March 17].”
5. Our March cover, highlighting the inaugural Pac-12 women’s lacrosse season, hit social media yesterday. Check it out.
Pac-12 lacrosse has arrived — as has our latest edition pic.twitter.com/uKFdTUV2Xe
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) February 28, 2018
6. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.) and Novato (Calif.) come in at No. 1 in Nike/US Lacrosse High School Boys’ and Girls' West Region Preseason Top 10, respectively.
7. Denver Club sits at No. 1 in the first WCLA (Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates) Division II coaches’ poll of the year, while Michigan Club and Georgia share the top spot in WCLA Division I.