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.

Compared to previous weekends, the upcoming slate is somewhat lacking in high-caliber matchups. There are just four matchups between teams ranked in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20, highlighted by a Saturday afternoon battle in Philadelphia between No. 3 Loyola and No. 7 Penn.

But that means there are opportunities for other games and teams to catch our eye, and that’s the best thing about women’s lacrosse. Parity has been the name of the game in 2020, so take this weekend as an opportunity to learn more about some other teams.

TEN TO WATCH
All times Eastern

[TV/Live Stream Listings]

[Nike/USL Division I Women’s Top 20]

GAME OF THE WEEK
NO. 3 LOYOLA AT NO. 7 PENN

We’re calling this the game of the week for multiple reasons. For one — the most obvious reason — these two teams are undefeated contenders ranked within the top 10. Loyola has looked like a fine-tuned offensive machine, whereas Penn has been steady across the board.

The prevailing storyline during the game will be how the Rosenzweig sisters play in their first-ever games against each other. Livy of Loyola was a 2019 IWLCA first-team All-American in 2019. Gabby of Penn was a third-team All-American. Star-studded sisters make this one fun.

UPSET WATCH
NO. 13 VIRGINIA AT DUKE

This isn’t a case of picking on Virginia while it’s down. The Cavaliers bounced back from a two-loss week to top George Mason, but UVA could get picked off by Duke, a team that has yet to post a quality win but has come close in games against Northwestern (24-20 loss) and Notre Dame (13-9 loss).

This is the type of ACC win that can help Duke regain some steam. An offense scoring 18.14 goals per game (fourth nationally) can capitalize on a Virginia defense allowing just over 11 goals per contest.

BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT
PENN STATE AT VANDERBILT

This one means a little something to both teams. Penn State is coming off two straight losses against ranked teams (by a combined 38-18) after beginning the season 4-0. Vanderbilt looks to prove its win over Denver wasn’t a flash in the pan coming off a 20-13 loss to Michigan.

Both squads have played Lehigh (their only like opponent), so use this as a barometer if you wish. Vanderbilt topped Lehigh in overtime, 13-12. Penn State beat Lehigh 13-9.

MILESTONE WATCH
Katie Hoeg and the UNC Points Record

This is actually likely to happen Monday night when No. 1 North Carolina plays No. 9 Northwestern, but we’re counting it here because of its importance. Senior Katie Hoeg has 253 career points, three shy of tying the school record of 256 set by Corey Donohoe from 2008-11.

FAST STARTS WITH DUKE TIES
Army-East Carolina has a Duke flair

Army (6-0) heads to East Carolina (5-1) Saturday. Both teams are out of the gates fast in 2020, and both teams have Duke ties. Army head coach Kristen Skiera played for Duke from 2004-07 and was an assistant there from 2013-14. East Carolina head coach Amanda Moore spent five years as an assistant at Duke from 2013-17.

UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS

Clancy Rheude, Albany: She’s been a factor in garnering possession for the Great Danes, tallying 17 draw controls, nine ground balls and two caused turnovers through three games.

Sydney Watson, UConn: She’s already up to 22 goals on the season, and she’s also brought in 38 draw controls — including 14 on Feb. 21 against UMass Lowell.

Samantha Stewart, Army: In six games, Stewart is tied for the team high with 15 goals. She’s also contributed 31 draw controls and 14 ground balls.

Small School Games to Watch

Division II: No 3 Le Moyne at No. 11 Mercy (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Last week, we highlighted Le Moyne against Mercyhurst as a game to watch, and the Dolphins made short work of the Lakers, celebrating Coach Liz Beville’s Le Moyne debut with a lopsided 19-2 win. The Dolphins are likely to get a stiffer challenge on the road this week at 3-0 Mercy, which was the preseason coaches’ pick to win the ECC. Senior Katherine Sanchez is off to a hot start for the Mustangs with 10 goals, including seven tallies in last week’s win over No. 19 Bentley. — Paul Ohanian

Division III: No. 3 Tufts at No. 10 Amherst (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
This is the first big NESCAC game of the year and features two teams that made deep postseason runs last year. Tufts features 18 returnees from the 2019 squad that earned the program’s initial national semifinal berth while posting a school-record 19 wins. The Jumbos are 2-0 this season with easy wins over Colby and MIT. Amherst also brings a 2-0 mark into its home opener and posted a dominating 16-1 victory at Springfield on Wednesday. Returning All-American Kelly Siebert helps anchor a defense that has allowed just three goals though two games thus far. — Paul Ohanian

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