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.

Well, at least up until this point. Could it get better than a 1-v-2 matchup and two other top-10 battles? March Madness isn't solely for basketball — Division I men's lacrosse might have its most exciting two days of the season.

We won't spend time previewing the game of the year and 2021 NCAA title game rematch between Maryland and Virginia at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Patrick Stevens was kind enough to give us a full breakdown of the much-anticipated matchup. Click here to get prepared for Saturday's marquee event.

Even without that game, this weekend could be one for the books. The Ivy League will feature its biggest slate since 2020, with Yale and Cornell meeting, Penn traveling to Princeton and Brown battling Harvard in a game between early season surprises.

After this weekend, there will be plenty of movement in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Top 20, but for now, sit back, relax and enjoy the madness that this sport can provide.

GAMES TO WATCH
ALL TIMES EASTERN

GAME OF THE WEEK NOT AT AUDI FIELD

No. 6 Penn at No. 3 Princeton

There weren't many fans that imagined the Ivy League boasting four teams in the top 10 and six in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Top 20 by mid-March, but it has been an incredibly impressive first five weeks for the conference. The biggest surprise so far has been the Princeton Tigers, who started the year unranked and haven't lost en route to the No. 3 ranking.

For the Tigers, success has come from both sides of the field — Princeton ranks in the top 15 nationally in both offense (16 goals per game) and defense (9.80 goals allowed per game). The Tigers held two top 15 offenses in Rutgers and Georgetown to 19 goals combined. Alex Slusher leads a balanced offense with 18 goals, while Chris Brown has 12 goals and 10 assists so far this season.

Princeton's offense will meet an equally stout Penn defense that has allowed just 9.75 goals per game, holding Penn State and Villanova to 16 goals combined. The Quakers have won three straight games since falling to Georgetown to open the season, but each had been a test. After knocking off Duke, the Quakers downed the Nittany Lions and Wildcats by one goal each. Dylan Gergar has been the star on offense with 16 goals, including last week's game-winner, but Sam Handley could strike at any point.

UPSET WATCH

Navy vs. No. 12 Johns Hopkins

With the abundance of games between ranked teams, an upset watch would not be appropriate for most of this weekend's top games, so take this with a grain of salt.

In Friday's lone Division I men's matchup, two Maryland rivals will meet at Homewood Field. The Blue Jays are five days removed from an emotionally charged win over Syracuse in Dave Pietramala's return to Baltimore. Both teams sit at 4-3 through an up-and-down season that has featured a number of thrilling games, but they'll meet for the first time since 2017.

Johns Hopkins has been impressive against lesser teams but struggled offensively against Georgetown and Virginia, both top 15 defenses so far this season. The Midshipmen head to Homewood Field boasting the No. 6 defense in the nation, allowing just nine goals per game. A high-powered High Point offense is the only team to score more than 11 goals on Navy in 2022.

The Navy offense hasn't been particularly impressive this year, but the appearance of top-recruit and Midshipmen quarterback Xavier Arline creates another threat for Johns Hopkins to account for. Navy stands a chance at winning in Homewood for the first time since 1969.

A secondary upset watch could come when Lehigh travels to Army.

BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT

No. 19 Brown at No. 15 Harvard

Lost in the two top 10 battles in the Ivy League this weekend is a matchup between two of the most surprising teams in 2022. Brown and Harvard sit at a combined 8-2 on the season, with impressive wins over Villanova and Stony Brook (Brown), as well as Michigan last weekend (Harvard). Which Ivy League team is poised for a run at a conference title, and potentially an NCAA tournament appearance?

The Bears and Crimson may produce one of the highest goal totals in a game all season, with both teams averaging over 14 goals per game. Devon McLane sits seventh nationally with 5.83 points per game, while Austin Madronic leads Harvard with 4.25 points per game.

Brown goalie Connor Theriault could be the difference, entering the game stopping nearly 56 percent of his shots.

UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS

Erik Peters, Princeton

Among Princeton's early-season stars is Peters, who sits third in the nation with a 62.9 save percentage. His season-high with 15 saves in the Tigers' loss to Maryland, but boasts 34 saves in the last three games. He could be the key to slowing down Penn in a crucial Ivy League matchup.

Zach Cole, Saint Joseph's

What Cole is doing this season is not under-the-radar, but his name hasn't been associated with others like Mike Sisselberger quite as often as it should. Cole leads the nation with a 73.7 faceoff win percentage, and he's coming off a week where he won 40 of 53 faceoffs.

CJ Kirst, Cornell

Kirst's name has been one of the most popular in college lacrosse in the past four years, but we're now seeing the potential that C.J. has at Cornell. Could he be the best Kirst of all the brothers? Through five Big Red games, Kirst has 15 goals and nine assists to lead his team to the No. 4 ranking in the country.

SMALL COLLEGE GAME OF THE WEEK

Division III — No. 10 York (2-2) vs. No. 5 Franklin & Marshall (6-0)

Don't be deceived by York's two losses this season — they came to the top two teams in the country. The Spartans will look to bounce back from consecutive losses when it travels to the Mustang Classic to meet Franklin & Marshall. The Diplomats have cruised through their first six games, but will meet their two toughest tests at the Mustang Classic in York and Stevenson.

Will Franklin & Marshall's momentum continue through this weekend, or will York get its season back on track in its third straight top 10 showdown?

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