UPSET WATCH
No. 8 Loyola at Johns Hopkins
Every season’s different, but lest we forget the incredibly slow start Loyola got out to in 2021. Losing to Syracuse wasn’t necessarily a shock, but the 18-6 margin was. The Greyhounds followed by losing to Towson four days later, and they were outscored 31-13 in those two games.
That’s not a guarantee that Loyola will start slowly again. But a Johns Hopkins team that saw time in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Top 20 last season certainly has the chops to give the Greyhounds a run, especially as the home team in the Charles Street rivalry.
Hopkins’ offense will be different without Aurora Cordingley, who graduated and is now at Maryland. Shelby Harrison had a team-high four goals last weekend against VCU, with support coming from Georgia Esmond (two goals, four assists) and Maeve Barker (three goals, one assist). This by-committee approach could work well against a Loyola team that employs the same strategy.
Led by Livy Rosenzweig, Loyola also has a bevy of offensive options. Jen Adams returns her top five scorers and has an emerging star in Sydni Black (more on her below). Because of this, Loyola could very well thump the Blue Jays — but we also wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t.
BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT
No. 13 Princeton at No. 10 Virginia
Virginia has been electric to open its season, outscoring Elon and Cal by a combined 38-16. UVA will test itself against Maryland on Friday before it hosts Princeton on Sunday, an incredible tune up before playing a Tigers team that’s opening its season and playing for the first time since March 2020.
Virginia’s offense has thus far been balanced with Jaime Biskup and Rachel Clark tied for the team lead with seven goals. Morgan Schwab leads with 10 points (seven assists). Mackenzie Hoeg has five goals.
Princeton will lean on Kyla Sears offensively, as well as a handful of other players who took a leave of absence from the school last year to maintain an extra year of eligibility. They haven’t played NCAA lacrosse since March 2020, though, so who knows what type of rust — if any — there will be.
The Tar Heels are about as motivated as ever. The consensus No. 1 team in the nation until the final ranking of 2021, UNC lost in the NCAA semifinals after running roughshod through its competition for most of the campaign. Both sides should be juiced up for this one.
UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS
Tessa Queri, Syracuse
A totally reworked Syracuse defense after a slew of impactful graduations has put Harvard transfer Tessa Queri in the lineup, and she’s responded with four ground balls through two games. She played more of an offensive role at Harvard, even totaling 46 points as a freshman in 2018, but Syracuse clearly isn’t lacking on offensive options. If nothing else, Queri is a solid defender who adds experience in transition and between the 30s, if needed.
Sydni Black, Loyola
“People have started to take notice. Sydni is one of the most dynamic and athletic attackers I’ve ever coached,” Jen Adams told USA Lacrosse Magazine contributor Jeremy Fallis for the season preview on Loyola. Black scored three times against Hofstra in the first round of the NCAA tournament, often representing Loyola’s most dynamic offensive option in that game. Look out for her to have a much larger role early on this year.
Eva Greco, Duke
You might have forgotten about Greco. She started nine games as a freshman in 2019, contributing 18 points (14 assists). She played one game in 2020 before suffering an injury, and then with the presence of Gabby Rosenzweig at X, Greco wasn’t heavily utilized in 2021. With Rosenzweig out of the picture, Greco is back to her giving ways, dishing out six assists in Duke’s 2-0 start. She’s chipped in two goals and ranks third on the team in points.
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