We’re in the middle of March and only three undefeated teams remain in Division I men’s lacrosse.
No. 1 Albany leads the way at 5-0, followed by No. 10 Georgetown at 6-0 and No. 19 Vermont at 7-0.
The Great Danes were expected to be strong this season, but had to get past former-No. 1 Maryland to remain unbeaten. As for the other two teams, the Hoyas and Catamounts have made it through relatively pedestrian schedules to get to this point.
After Saturday, at least one fewer team will be undefeated.
Albany will play host to Vermont in the most-anticipated America East matchup of the year. Presumably the top teams in the conference, this game could represent one of the toughest challenges left on the schedule for the top team in the country.
For the Great Danes, the third home game of the year is all about keeping the momentum going. After scoring the final five goals and taking down Maryland last weekend, they had to turn the page quickly to prepare for a dangerous Catamounts team.
NO. 19 VERMONT AT NO. 1 ALBANY
WHEN: Saturday, March 17, 3 p.m.
WATCH: AmericaEast.TV
Connor Fields leads Albany — and possibly the Tewaaraton race — after dropping nine points and nine assists in wins over UMass and Maryland last week. He tops the scoring chart with 36 points, followed by freshman phenom Tehoka Nanticoke’s 22 points.
Nanticoke, however, was held in check by a Terps defense set on being physical with him last weekend. Bryce Young matched up with Nanticoke and held him to just one assist on the day. He’ll look to get back to his dominant form against a Vermont defense that ranks second in the nation, allowing just 6.57 goals per game.
Led by goalie Nick Washuta, Vermont’s defense has been stifling opponents all season long. Washuta has stopped 63.2 percent of shots in 2018 and ranks second in the country with 5.96 goals against (Albany goalie JD Colarusso sits third in the NCAA).
Although the Catamounts might not have a Bryce Young-caliber defenseman, they average 7.14 caused turnovers per game. Defensemen Andrew Simeon and Warren Jeffrey lead the team with nine caused turnovers.
But, like many teams that go up against the Great Danes, Vermont will need to step up at the faceoff. TD Ierlan leads the nation with 80.7 faceoff win percentage, and Vermont’s Charlie Erdmann will meet him after winning 48.7 percent of his faceoffs.
Will Albany take another step toward possibly running the table? Or will Vermont score the signature win that solidifies its status as a contender?