Welcome to the Gameday Guide.

Every weekend during the college lacrosse season, US Lacrosse Magazine staff will riff here on the juiciest matchups, trendiest topics, biggest storylines and hottest takes.

The lacrosse community still hasn’t caught its collective breath from Thursday night’s exciting comeback and ensuing overtime win by Duke over Notre Dame. Rest assured, the same level of competition is expected this weekend.

The packed slate starts Friday with a rare matchup between Division I and Division III teams. Penn returns to the field for the first time this season to battle defending Division III champion Cabrini. Another matchup that spans divisions — Division III Tufts visits Division I Dartmouth on Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern — is also sure to be a worthwhile watch.

Saturday and Sunday are filled with pivotal conference matchups, and some with significance that span beyond the field.

Let’s break down what to watch for as April heads toward its conclusion.

As always, check out our TV Listings page for the entire list of games coming up.

GAMES TO WATCH
All times Eastern

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 8 Army at No. 16 Navy

The easy answer could have been No. 2 Notre Dame heading to Chapel Hill to face No. 5 North Carolina while looking to avoid two straight ACC losses. But this weekend will be highlighted by a matchup that goes beyond the game.

When Army and Navy meet, no matter where they sit in the Patriot League standings, there is an energy unlike any other in college lacrosse. This game has an extra dose of energy — both teams are ranked in the Nike / US Lacrosse Top 20, and the Patriot League is expected to expand its tournament field to six teams, giving the Midshipmen plenty of life.

If that’s not enough for Navy, it will remember the last time the two teams met. Matt Manown scored the game-winner for Army in overtime on April 13, 2019.

Game No One’s Talking About
No. 13 Delaware at Towson

The Blue Hens have a one-game lead in a crowded Colonial Athletic Association but head to Towson to meet a Tigers team that has found some life. Towson enters the meeting with its rival on a three-game CAA win streak, keeping its hopes of a conference title alive.

The two teams met in a March 20 thriller that saw Delaware score the game’s final four goals to force overtime and escape with a 13-12 win on a Tye Kurtz goal.

With Hofstra meeting Drexel in another important conference matchup, a Towson win could create chaos in the CAA heading into the final weekend of play.

UPSET WATCH
No. 1 Maryland at Johns Hopkins

No matter where these teams stand in their seasons, The Rivalry brings out the best in both programs. Johns Hopkins has had a disappointing season and hasn’t won since March 13 against Penn State, perhaps giving the Blue Jays an extra boost of adrenaline entering such a historic matchup.

In the first meeting with Maryland this season at College Park, Johns Hopkins stuck with Jared Bernhardt and Maryland through the first half. The Terps dropped eight unanswered goals in the third quarter to pull away, though.

If the Blue Jays can bring that same effort and efficiency to Homewood Field on Sunday, they could keep the game close against the nation’s top-ranked team. Cole Williams and Joey Epstein will have to be on their top games, and Matt Narewski needs to win the majority of faceoffs against a surprisingly average Terps’ unit.

Under-the-Radar Stars

Dane Swanson, Navy

Swanson, the freshman out of McDonogh (Md.), suffered a foot injury in his first collegiate against Mount St. Mary’s but returned on April 10 against Lehigh. In two games back from his injury, Swanson has seven points. He led the Navy offense with three goals and an assist in the upset win over Loyola last weekend and will look to make his mark in the historic rivalry this weekend.

Mike Robinson, Delaware

The Canadian freshman hasn’t exactly been quiet this season, but with the talent on the Delaware offense — including Charlie Kitchen and Tye Kurtz — it feels like not enough attention is being paid to Robinson. He sits second in Division I with four goals per game, scoring 36 times for the No. 13 Blue Hens.

Tommy Burke, Vermont

In a college lacrosse landscape full of talented faceoff men, Tommy Burke is putting together a strong season for the Catamounts. He currently sits third in the country, winning 70.4 percent of his faceoffs. Only Mike Sisselberger (Lehigh) and Demitri George (Quinnipiac) have won faceoffs at a higher rate.

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