No shortage of great games this weekend. The ACC and Ivy have a nice double dip going this weekend, as Duke and UNC will take on Penn and Princeton on Friday and Sunday. Delaware gets a big test when they take on Michigan. There’s even a serious showdown potentially for the top spot with UVA playing Hopkins. All worthy of being in my top three games this week, but I’m going in a different direction. Here are my three favorites.
All spreads come from DraftKings at the time of writing. Rankings are from the most recent Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
11 GEORGETOWN (-6.5) VS BROWN
Do you believe in trap games? Are they real? Let down games? Any other kind of named games? If you do this is probably the game for you this weekend. Georgetown is coming off an electric OT win against the top team in the nation. Brown has not been good, they are 0-3 with losses to Quinnipiac, BU, and Providence. But Bruno has always been at their best when they are at their worst, if that makes sense. When you think they’re dead, they snap back to life. They are an Undertaker meme. This is the peak time for that.
Aidan McLane makes it all go for them, he’s the key. A date with Ty Banks is likely set for this weekend. Banks, just a freshman, is already turning heads on the defensive end. The Canadian has looked in good in matchups with some of the best attackmen in the nation, including and especially against Notre Dame last week. McLane’s matchup with Banks could be the barometer for how this whole day goes. If Banks wins, Brown has to get offense from somewhere, anywhere, else. Jack Kelly breakout incoming?
If you don’t believe in the trap game, skip this one. But I love me a good storyline or two, and some early season ranking chaos, so I’ll be tuning in to see just how Brown looks with their back against the wall, and Georgetown looks fresh off a win against the top dog.
6 NOTRE DAME (-2) VS 3 MARYLAND
Has to be the game of the weekend.. There’s a ton to like in this one. The game within the game of Ajax Zappitello vs Pat Kavanagh is electric. The Terps defense and goaltending, in my eyes, is their strength this year. Zappitello is the alpha, but that entire six person unit is impressive to me, and McNaney looks back to his old self. On the other side, I said this week on the pod how highly I think of Braden Erksa. He’s looked spotlight ready at every turn for the season and change, not easy to do given the situation he stepped into.
Notre Dame is coming off a loss, which hasn’t happened in a while. I consider their midfield to be a legitimate matchup nightmare, the attack is obviously special with the Kavanaghs, Jake Taylor will find any last blade of grass the defense leaves open and score a goal from it. I am very much excited for what I consider to be a great strength on strength matchup here. Notre Dame doesn’t get respite, their schedule is loaded because they’re the defending champs, time to turn the page and start working back towards the top of the mountain. For Maryland, they got a single number one vote last week. A win here, and I bet they get a few more. The mountain top has room for one team, and both these teams can make their case for it with a win.
9 CORNELL (-2) VS (RV) OHIO STATE
The word is out here in the US, Willem Firth is the truth. Adam Lamberti I believe called him the next Jeff Teat. Kevin Brown called him Teat 2.0. He wears 51. Every time he scores, the slack channel full of former Lacrosse Flash folks fills with yells of “GEOFFREY”. Firth was off the charts good in the OJLL last summer, and his arrival in the US college game has been much anticipated. What I’m excited for in this one is the matchup game. I presume BVB and CJ Kirst will be attached at the hip all day (if they both play, they both have been banged up). Marcus Hudgins will be out there and likely has a date with Michael Long. How will Ohio State handle Firth? Does Cullen Brown get the job? Will Ohio State try to hold matchups, or slide and help aggressively, letting each of their poles have a chance with each of Cornell’s attackmen? Will first year goalie Caleb Fyock hold up under the shooting assault that will assuredly come his way?
On the other end of the field, Cornell’s defense has to handle an Ohio State offense that has been improving week to week. The Big Red gave up 17 to Denver and 13 to Lehigh. Ohio State’s personnel, on paper, can give people fits. Kurt Bruun breakout game is coming sooner or later, Ben Mayer has been very good, Matthews obviously got out to a hot start, it’s a transfer packed unit that’s gelling. Another Cornell shootout on deck? Or do the Buckeyes defense play to their billing against one of the most loaded attacks anywhere?
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