Welcome to the Gameday Guide.

Every Saturday (and some Sundays) during the college lacrosse season, US Lacrosse Magazine staff will riff here on the weekend ahead — the juiciest matchups, trendiest topics, biggest storylines and hottest takes.

Alas, the wait is over. Division I women’s lacrosse … is … back! An eight-game slate Friday night kicked off what’s sure to be an exciting opening weekend to the season. Don’t know what to watch? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

TEN TO WATCH
All times Eastern

[TV/Live Stream Listings]

[Nike/USL Division I Women’s Top 20]

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 18 Colorado at No. 17 Florida

This is the third season in a row that these teams have opened against each other, each of which has resulted in a Gators victory. Will the fourth time be the charm for the Buffs?

As Ella Brockway wrote in Friday’s Division I notebook, these teams are strikingly similar. Both are young. Both are ranked in the low-teens and presumably evenly matched. Both should be anchored by their goalies, Julia Lisella (Colorado) and Sarah Reznick (Florida).

Take February games with a grain of salt, especially season-openers. But these teams will learn a lot about themselves from such a balanced first game. For a full primer on Florida, head here. For Colorado, head here.

UPSET WATCH
No. 8 Michigan at Jacksonville (Sunday)

The Michigan women penned the best chapter in program history in 2019, and the Wolverines hope the storybook showing wasn’t the conclusion to a book they hope to keep creating.

OK, enough writing jargon.

Michigan’s 2019 season was both unexpected and (in some respects) unappreciated, likely because of a 3-4 record down the stretch. It’s final win of 2019 came against Jacksonville in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and it was impressive to hold the high-powered Dolphins to just nine goals.

But a team that can score with the regularity of Jacksonville, which led the nation in scoring with 18 goals per game last year and returns seven of its top nine scorers, can be threatening.

BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT
No. 10 USC at Hofstra

These teams have played just once (USC’s 15-10 win in 2019), so there isn’t much history to go by. But couple USC’s 13-15 all-time record in games on the East Coast with Hofstra’s strong offseason, and this game could get interesting.

Yes, USC is strong. Tewaaraton candidate Kerrigan Miller leads a team with legitimate offensive options in Izzy McMahon, Hope Anhut, Kelsey Huff and others. The defense, anchored by Riley Hertford, should again be consistent. (You can read our USC preview story here.)

But Hofstra’s Alyssa Parrella enters her senior season as one of the nation’s least talked about impact players. Then add another year of experience for goalkeeper Jess Smith and Jackie Gatti, as well as senior leaders Alexa Mattera and Darcie Smith, and the Pride appear to be potent. Oh, and Sabrina Cristodero, who made 19 starts for Florida in 2019, transferred in to bolster the midfield and draw team.

MILESTONE WATCH
Kerstin Kimel’s 300^th Win

This actually happened Friday night in Duke’s 22-7 thumping of Gardner-Webb, but it’s clearly the milestone of the weekend (barring anything crazy, of course). Kerstin Kimel, the only head coach in Duke history, has been with the program since 1996. Prior to joining Duke, she earned four wins in 1994 with Davidson. She is the seventh coach in Division I women’s lacrosse history to reach 300 victories.

DUKING IT OUT
Can James Madison Upset North Carolina Again?

It didn’t happen last year, but when JMU and UNC opened their seasons together in 2018, the Dukes earned an unexpected 15-14 win in double OT. JMU actually bookended 2018 with wins over UNC, defeating the Tar Heels in the NCAA championship game, 15-12.

UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS

Catherine Cordrey, Duke: Someone has to score for the Blue Devils, right? With Charlotte North now at Boston College and Olivia Jenner gone to graduation, Cordrey steps in as the team’s top returning goal scorer. She scored 27 times last year and opened Friday with one goal. Others, like freshman Caroline DeBellis, stepped up with seven points (three goals), but Cordrey will be leaned upon. Duke plays Northwestern on Sunday.

Paige Petty, Virginia Tech: Is it fair to still call Petty under-the-radar? Maybe not. After all, she was a first-team All-ACC member after a 66-goal season in 2019. But without much of a track record, Virginia Tech won’t garner much national attention and will continue to be overshadowed by ACC powerhouses. For that reason, Petty fits here. Virginia Tech plays Davidson on Saturday.

Monica Borzillo, Cincinnati: Her season was supposed to start Friday on the road against Kent State, but inclement weather forced the postponement until March 8. She plays Louisville on Sunday. Borzillo, a senior, is the program’s record holder in points (250), and she led the Bearcats to a program-best season last year.

Cara Urbank, Boston College: Last year, she was the fourth (and sometimes fifth) option on a legendary BC offense. Now, Urbank is likely the de facto No. 2 after Charlotte North. She’ll play her way out of this category as the season progresses.

GROUND BALL
15

Fifteen ranked teams open their seasons this weekend. Naturally, there will be some shakeups in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20 come Monday.

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Follow @USLacrosseMag on Twitter and Instagram for highlights, results and stories from across the college lacrosse landscape, and check back to USLaxMagazine.com for a gameday roundup. Enjoy the games!