Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix for Monday, April 3

Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. There will be another new No. 1 in men’s lacrosse this week.

Brennan O’Neill put on a show in No. 3 Duke’s 16-14 victory over No. 1 Virginia on Friday night. The Blue Devils will likely vault to the top spot, but No. 2 Notre Dame made a case by scoring the final nine goals of the game on Saturday afternoon to win 20-12 at Syracuse.

A lot more happened this weekend, including Michigan making a statement with a win over reigning national champion Maryland while Johns Hopkins has surged to the top of the Big Ten. Penn outraced Yale 17-16 at historic Franklin Field.

Catch up on all of the men’s action in The Post-Week Tailgate.

2. Syracuse women continue to roll, but UNC has come back to earth.

Syracuse made it a perfect 12-0 with a dominant win over Virginia on Saturday, but they still have to get past reigning ACC and NCAA champion North Carolina. Notre Dame did just that this weekend, never trailing in a 16-12 victory over the Tar Heels on Saturday, snapping UNC’s 27-game ACC winning streak.

Maryland has now won seven straight games, celebrating 50 years of women’s lacrosse on Sunday with a 13-7 victory over Michigan. The Pac-12 is a logjam, and a trio of Virginia schools — Liberty, Virginia Tech and William & Mary — picked up big wins this weekend. Kenny DeJohn covers that and more in The Sunday Slide.

3. Leaning on his teammates.

Concordia’s Brett Masaki was diagnosed with lymphoma on March 23, five weeks after he was named the MCLA Division I Warrior Player of the Week. He’s found support from his teammates and coaches.

4. Penn State alumni duo has unfinished business.

Grant Ament and Mac O’Keefe lit up the scoreboard at Penn State – Ament the feeder, O’Keefe the finisher. Now they’ve been reunited with the Archers in the Premier Lacrosse League.

5. The road to 2024 has been established for the U.S. box teams

The inaugural U.S. women’s box team will hold the first of three player ID camps on Sunday, May 21 in Utica N.Y., and the U.S. men’s team will hold its only ID camp that same day. World Lacrosse will hold its box championships in 2024.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• USA Lacrosse CEO Marc Riccio was profiled in Authority Magazine and shared advice on how to go beyond your comfort zone.

• USA Lacrosse and the IWLCA have announced eight dates for the 2023 College Player Officials Academy, a great way to bring experienced players in the officiating ranks.

• Today, Denver is one of the top women’s lacrosse programs in the nation, but in the 1970s four women at DU got their start at college lacrosse playing on the men’s team.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Madison Ahern had herself a day – five goals in Notre Dame’s 16-12 victory over North Carolina..

AHERN CUTS AND FAKES.

SHE’S GOT .@NDWomensLax leads 14-10 in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/nvHMywyapu

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) April 1, 2023

Brennan O’Neill … that’s just not fair.

 

 

 

 

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WHAT’S ON TAP

• It's a rare off day in Division I lacrosse, but there will be plenty of excitement with a new round of the Nike / USA Lacrosse rankings coming out.

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