BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Villanova at No. 6 Yale
Another Ivy League team takes the field for the first time since 2020 and faces a familiar foe in Villanova.
Yale and Villanova have meet four times prior to this weekend, splitting the series. The Bulldogs won both games in Philadelphia by a combined 11 goals, and the Wildcats picked up two overtime wins in New Haven — both major upsets.
Villanova opened its season last weekend with a victory over Penn State at Panzer Stadium, with Patrick Daly scoring six goals and Will Vitton making a last-second save to seal the 13-12 win. The Wildcats will head to New Haven fully capable of pulling an upset, but Andy Shay’s program will have plenty of motivation to get this season started on the right note.
UPSET WATCH
No. 19 Drexel at UMBC
It may not be reach to put the No. 19 team in the rankings on upset alert, but the opening game for Drexel features an interesting matchup with a UMBC team that went undefeated in the regular season at home last year.
UMBC allowed just under 10 goals a game in the shortened 2021 season, cruising through the America East slate and falling in the conference semifinals to Albany. Drexel, too, had a successful 2021 campaign, winning the CAA and pushing Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament.
The golden number for the Dragons last year was 12 goals — they won all but one game when scoring more than 11. The UMBC defense held opponents under 12 goals in seven out of its 11 games last year.
UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS
Josh Zawada, Michigan
Zawada has continued to grow since leading all freshmen in scoring in 2020. Michigan swept its first two games over Bellarmine and Detroit Mercy, and Zawada has 10 goals and 11 assists. He’s shooting 70 percent on shots on goal and currently leads the nation with 10.5 points per game. He’ll have a chance to continue that pace against a Holy Cross team that allowed 28 goals to Syracuse last weekend.
Griffin Turner, Hofstra
Griffin Turner, who had a hat trick coming off the bench in Hofstra’s win over Sacred Heart, is an MCLA transfer from TCU. A California product, Turner came highly recommended by Kyle Harrison. Strangely enough, Turner has Harrison listed as one of his favorite players.
Connor Davis, Bucknell
Davis enters Week 3 of the college lacrosse season as the leading scorer among freshmen in Division I. He’s scored 10 goals and added an assist in two Bucknell victories and will look to keep his strong start going against St. John’s on Saturday. A member of a football family — including cousin and legendary punter Dustin Colquitt — Davis is looking like a budding star for the Bison.
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