Welcome to the Gameday Guide.

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

Check out the rankings and TV listings for more.

OH, NONCONFERENCE GAMES. How we missed you.

Following a 2021 season largely limited to conference and regional matchups — not that we’re complaining, because college lacrosse in any form brought a welcome respite from the pandemic — the resumption of a truly national schedule in 2022 has restored several entertaining series.

This weekend, for example, we get Rutgers at Loyola, which will remind lacrosse fans of the time Pat Spencer took flight in Piscataway for a leaping backhand at GLE.

Hopkins at Carolina: Who could forget the great mud-bowl game of 2019?

Penn-Duke? Yes please. The Quakers are one of the few teams that have consistently given the Blue Devils fits over the last decade.

Go a little off the grid and you get Albany and Drexel. Always high-scoring. Always physical. Usually a one-goal game.

This is awesome. Let’s not take any of it for granted.

GAMES TO WATCH
ALL TIMES EASTERN

DIVISION I GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 3 Georgetown at No. 4 Notre Dame – Saturday, 1 p.m. (ACCNX)

The Fighting Irish have won six straight in the series dating back to their Big East days. But these Hoyas are just built different — especially on defense. Will Bowen (four caused turnovers in last week’s win over Penn) and Gibson Smith (12 ground balls in two games) are going to be a problem for the Kavanaghs, who combined for a cool 14 points in Notre Dame’s season-opening blowout of Detroit Mercy.

DIVISION II GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 10 Lindenwood at No. 8 Limestone – Saturday, 12 p.m. (Stretch)

Lindenwood made the biggest news of the week when the university announced it would transition to Division I starting next year. The next day, the Lions tweeted that they landed “a pole from one of the top programs in North America.” Coincidence? Maybe, but there’s palpable buzz about Lindenwood, which travels to Gaffney, S.C., to take on a Limestone team that is thus far unbeaten under new coach Brendan Storrier.

DIVISION III GAMES OF THE WEEK

No. 9 Cabrini at No. 4 Lynchburg – Saturday, 1 p.m. (YouTube)
Gettysburg at No. 1 Salisbury – Saturday, 3 p.m. (Team 1)

The Mid-Atlantic region heats up with these clashes of titans. Cabrini coach Steve Colfer just picked up his 300th career win, just the 22nd coach in NCAA lacrosse history (all divisions) to reach that mark. There’s another Rogers tearing it up for Lynchburg. Brett Rogers, brother of former Division III Player of the Year turned Division I standout Kevin Rogers, had five assists out of the midfield in the Hornets’ opener. As for Gettysburg-Salisbury, it’s the first big test for the Bullets under first-year coach Peter Toner, who replaced the legend Hank Janczyk. So far so good. Gettysburg has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 37-7 margin.

UPSET WATCH

No. 5 Yale at Penn State – Saturday, 12 p.m. (BTN+)

It’s too early to say the Nittany Lions (1-3) have their backs against the wall, but expect them to play with a sense of urgency after dropping three straight games. After a season marred by injuries, Jack Traynor is healthy and on fire to start his senior year. He leads Penn State with 21 points on a team-high 13 goals and eight assists, averaging 3.25 goals and 2.0 assists per game.

BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT

No. 10 Jacksonville at No. 15 Denver – Saturday, 2 p.m. (DU)

Everyone’s talking about Jacksonville, which followed its upset of Duke with two more wins to move to 3-1 and into the top 10 of the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Men’s Top 20. But for some reason, people are sleeping on this particular game and likely still see Denver as the favorite at home. The Pioneers are in a prime rebound spot after a 19-10 loss to a Duke team that was dialed in after that loss to Jacksonville.

UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS

Greg Campisi, Harvard

The No. 30-ranked recruit in his class, according to Inside Lacrosse, Campisi did not play as a freshman in 2020 and then the Ivy League wiped out Harvard’s 2021 campaign. He showed flashes of what made him such a highly touted prospect out of powerhouse St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) with four caused turnovers and four ground balls in the Crimson’s opener against NJIT.

JJ Sillstrop, Denver

The Pioneers’ top scorer, Sillstrop has already surpassed his career high with 13 goals in three games. After playing through an injury in 2021, the California native looks plenty healthy in 2022. He was a bright spot with five goals — half of Denver’s output — against Duke.

Josh Zawada, Michigan

The North Carolina native who honed his skills at The Hill Academy (Ontario) north of the border is scoring at a historic clip for the 4-0 Wolverines, who host Cleveland State on Saturday. Zawada leads all Division I players with 37 points in four games. That’s 9.25 points per game. Sheesh.