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.

There are 10 automatic qualifiers to the NCAA tournament on the line this weekend. We don't need to say all that much more than that.

For many conferences that, in all likelihood, will only get one bid to the tournament, the championship game represents a must-win scenario for teams with little chance to contend with some of the bubble teams that have put together intriguing resumes over the course of the season.

Outside of Memorial Day Weekend, this weekend could be one of the most exciting of the spring. Hope springs eternal this time of year, and teams are out there looking to begin writing their own Cinderella stories.

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

GAMES TO WATCH
All times Eastern

AAC

Temple lost twice to Florida this season by a combined 29-16, but the Owls are out to prove the old adage that beating a team three times in one season is exceptionally difficult. That might normally be the case, but most teams are not as loaded as Florida.

The Gators boast one of the best midfielders in the country (Shannon Kavanagh), one of the best defenders (Cara Trombetta) and one of the best goalies (Sarah Reznick). They can win the draw, play in transition and score with some of the top offenses in the country. So the Owls have their hands full.

But Temple is not without talent of its own, led by Meghan Hoffman, Bridget Whitaker and Belle Mastropietro on the offensive end. All three will need to have monumental games to keep up with this vaunted Florida offense.

America East

Stony Brook will meet Albany in Saturday’s conference championship game. The Great Danes topped third-seeded Vermont 17-8 behind four goals from Kyla Zapolski and hat tricks from Madison Conway, Sarah Falk and Julia Imbo, while Stony Brook blitzed UMBC in the second half to turn a three-goal game into a 25-13 victory.

Joe Spallina and the Seawolves are aiming for their eighth straight conference championship and their 54th consecutive victory against America East competition.

Albany has taken strides in 2021, but Stony Brook has been a top-10 team all season. Ally Kennedy and Taryn Ohlmiller, gearing up for their final collegiate games, are a dynamic one-two punch that Albany will need to limit in order to capture the AQ.

ASUN

Jacksonville doubled up Liberty 22-11 in the only meeting between the two teams this season, paving the way for another Dolphins berth to the NCAA tournament. Sarah Elms spearheads the attack and Molly Brock gets it going on the draw circle, making Jacksonville a difficult cover for the Liberty defense.

Liberty has a win over a Coastal Carolina team that upset Jacksonville in April, so there is a fair bit of intrigue surrounding the rematch against Jacksonville. In what will surely be a one-bid league, the AQ is invaluable.

Big East

Denver has completely put its season-opening loss to Colorado behind it. The Pios extended their winning streak to 14 games with a 16-9 defeat of Villanova in the semifinals, backed by six goals from Eliza Radochonski and three goals and four assists from Hannah Liddy. Amelia Cole made nine saves.

The Pios play UConn in the conference championship game Saturday. The Huskies topped Georgetown 15-13 in the other semifinal, as Lia LaPrise and Sydney Watson combined to score nine goals. Denver won both regular-season meetings — 14-13 in overtime and then 11-7 two days later — but UConn had chances in both.

The dynamic duo of LaPrise and Watson is certainly one that can catch fire against Denver, even if the previous two matchups did not result in UConn victories. Another conference that is likely a one-bid ordeal, the Big East champion will likely be the lone team to represent the league in the NCAA tournament.

CAA

The CAA tournament AQ is sought after, sure, but each of the four teams participating in the semifinal round Friday night has a resume that could result in an at-large berth. Yes, Towson hurt its case a bit in the last few weeks, while Hofstra and JMU have both missed chances, too. But if any of them were to beat Drexel (which surely would get an at-large berth if it does not win the tournament) will instantly boost its chances.

There is a reason Drexel is favored and deserving of the top seed, as the Dragons offensive depth is unmatched in the conference. 

MAAC

Fairfield’s only loss this season came against Siena, the team it will now meet in the MAAC championship game on Sunday afternoon. Fairfield beat Niagara 15-10 on Thursday in the semifinals, while Siena bested Monmouth 20-11.

Fairfield has a pair of 30-goal scorers (and another with 29) in Kelly Horning, Meaghan Graham and Ellie Grefenstette. Throw in assists leader Diana DeVita, and the Stags offense can be a handful.

When Siena beat them on April 10, the Saints held that quartet to a combined four goals and three assists. The Saints defense needs to do the same this weekend.

NEC

Wagner, the two-time defending NEC champion, is playing in the conference championship game for the seventh straight year. The Seahawks take on Mount St. Mary's, the top seed currently on a 13-game winning streak.

Jordan Butler, who scored six goals for the Mountaineers in the semifinals, can be a handful for the Wagner defense. The Mount won both matchups this season by a combined 26-15.

Pac-12

Stanford and Colorado battled it out in an overtime thriller on March 20, and they will meet again in the Pac-12 title game this weekend.

Colorado capped Thursday with a second-half comeback to down USC 9-8 in the second Pac-12 semifinal. Down 7-4 with 23 minutes remaining, Colorado scored five unanswered goals to take control, and held off a late USC rally in the final seconds.

Ali Baiocco and Mikaela Watson have led the Stanford offense throughout the 2021 season, and they did so once again in the first Pac-12 semifinal against Arizona State. Baiocco and Watson each scored four goals in an 18-11 victory over the Sun Devils.

Patriot League

Lehigh’s run continues.

Just a few days after beating a Navy team that just kept hanging around, Lehigh topped another scrappy team, Army, 10-8. Sondra Dickey scored three goals, and Samantha Sagi made seven saves.

Tied at 8 with under 11 minutes remaining, Gabby Schneider fed Katia Carnevale to put Lehigh ahead by one goal. About four minutes later, Hannah Cermack fed Emma Eberhardt for a 10-8 Mountain Hawk lead.

Lehigh will play Loyola for the Patriot League championship. These teams played on April 3, when Loyola won a contested 15-11 battle in Baltimore. After early hiccups, the Loyola offense has turned a corner. Its depth gives defenses fits — evidenced by that April 3 game in which six players scored at least two goals.

The key might be locking off Livy Rosenzweig, the All-American caliber attacker who had four assists in that game.

SoCon

Furman got six goals and one assist from Kyra LaMotte and two goals and five assists from Hannah Demis in a 21-4 blowout win over Wofford. The game to determine the Paladins’ opponent for the championship game was far more intriguing.

Third-seeded Mercer pulled off the upset win over Coastal Carolina — a team that stunned then-No. 9 Jacksonville in April — 13-11 in Macon, Ga. Mercer never trailed, even in a close contest, as Hailey Rhatigan starred with six goals and four assists.

Furman has the upperhand in this matchup, having beaten Mercer 18-12 on April 11.