Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix for Monday, May 22

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

1. Penn State and three ACC’s schools continue dancing.

The NCAA men’s Division I final four is set and it features the top three seeds — Duke, Virginia and Notre Dame — and Penn State, which provided the drama in a 10-9 win over Army after a potential game-tying goal from the Black Knights was ruled to have come after the whistle.

WILD FINAL SECONDS.@PennStateMLAX holds on as @ArmyWP_MLax’s shot does not beat the buzzer. pic.twitter.com/Dp5yWUwdmL

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) May 21, 2023

In the other three quarterfinals, the stars stepped up on the big stage

• Brennan O’Neill had six goals in Duke’s 15-8 win over Michigan.

• Connor Shellenberger had 10 points in Virginia’s 17-14 win over Georgetown

• Notre Dame’s all-around defense was on point in a 12-9 win over Johns Hopkins.

2. Pace wins its first national championship.

Pace scored the first 10 goals of the game in a 19-9 victory over previously unbeaten West Chester in the NCAA Division II women’s championship. The Setters were playing in the final for the first time in school history.

3. The NCAA Division II men’s final is set.

Mercyhurst ended LeMoyne’s perfect, and final season as a Division II program with an 11-10 victory in the men’s semifinals. They’ll meet Lenoir-Rhyne in the championship game.

4. Two perfect teams remain.

The NCAA Division III women’s semifinalists include two unbeaten teams — Middlebury and William Smith. Middlebury plays Franklin & Marshall in one semifinal while William Smith will meet up with Gettysburg in the other.

5. Two heavyweights to play for men’s D-III crown.

Unbeaten Tufts ended RIT’s run for a third straight NCAA Division III men’s championship, while Salisbury continued to have Christopher Newport’s number. It will be the fifth time since 2010 that Salisbury and Tufts have played for the title with Salsibury winning twice (2011, 2016) and Tufts winning twice (2010, 2014).

6. A legend is gone.

Jim Brown, one of the very best to ever pick up a lacrosse stick, died last Thursday night. The two-sport Hall of Famer had stayed close the sport following his All-America career at Syracuse in the 1950s.
 

"I'd rather play lacrosse six days a week and football on the seventh."

Legendary two-sport Hall of Famer Jim Brown has died. https://t.co/gE0qhJrQQE

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) May 19, 2023

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Destined for West Point at a young age, Army’s Quinn Binney has shown there are many ways to contribute.

• Columbia’s Lindsay Schuster with a moving essay on finding the real reason lacrosse motivates her.

• How Georgetown rebounded from its 0-3 start to reach the NCAA men’s quarterfinals.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Brennan O’Neill continues to defy words.

BRENNAN BTB MAGIC

THIS MAN IN UNREAL.@DukeMLAX leads 13-7 after this #SCTop10 surefire nominee. pic.twitter.com/GUQrQrXiSa

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) May 20, 2023

WHAT’S ON TAP

• The U.S. men’s and women’s box teams began the path to the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships on Sunday in Utica, N.Y. We’ll have more later this week.

“DIALED IN” IS POSTED DAILY MONDAY-FRIDAY AT 8 A.M. EASTERN ON USALAXMAGAZINE.COM. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR A WEEKLY DIGEST DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX.