It’s that time of the year again where we start to say goodbye to bad weather (fingers crossed) and say hello to playoff lacrosse! Division 1 Lacrosse conference tournament week is one of the best weeks of the year for the entire sport of lacrosse because it really showcases how amazing lacrosse in May truly is. This year will be no different as this week will have its share of upsets. There’s a lot on the line for teams as many conferences only have one bid available going into Selection Sunday. Some teams may play their way into a bid, while others may play themselves out of one.
Let’s take a look at each conference and see what each Division 1 Lacrosse conference tournament entails.
America East
This is always a dogfight, but the smart money is on Vermont taking the AQ in this one, even though you can never count out teams like Albany and Binghamton. Albany has played a difficult schedule to prepare them for this week, while Binghamton is riding high after a big win over Albany.
Semifinals: Thursday, May 4 (at Vermont)
No.4 UAlbany vs. No.1 Vermont, 4:00 pm (ESPN+)
No.3 Binghamton vs. No.2 Bryant, 7:00 pm (ESPN+)
Championship: Saturday, May 6 (at Vermont)
1:00pm (ESPNU)
ASUN
This conference is as wide open as it gets this season. Early on, the money was on Jacksonville and Utah to battle it out for the No.1 and No.2 seeds, but apparently Air Force didn’t get that memo as they upset Jacksonville in the sunshine state to lock in a No.2 seed and the all-important quarterfinal bye. The quarterfinal matchup between Mercer and Bellarmine should be a classic as the emergence of Bellarmine has been a pleasant surprise this season. Mercer under first year Head Coach Ryan Danehy, seems to be hitting their stride.
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, May 2 (at Robert Morris)
No.4 Mercer vs. No.5 Bellarmine, 1:00pm (ESPN+)
No.3 Jacksonville vs. No.6 Robert Morris, 4:00pm (ESPN+)
Semifinals: Friday, May 5 (at Robert Morris)
Winner (No.4 vs. No. 5) vs. No. 1 Utah, 1:00pm (ESPN+)
Winner (No.3 vs. No. 6)vs. No. 2 Air Force, 4:00pm (ESPN+)
Championship: Sunday, May 7 (at Robert Morris)
1:00pm (ESPN+)
Atlantic 10
This may be the sleeper as one of the more competitive Division 1 Lacrosse conference tournaments of the year. There isn’t much separating these four teams as they all have similar DNA’s. They are hard working, blue collar type programs that give everything they have. St. Joe’s has played at a high level all season, but you cant count out the other teams as they all have championship pedigrees coming from their previous conferences.
Semifinals: Thursday, May 4 (at Richmond)
No.4 High Point vs. No.1 Saint Joseph’s, 5:30pm (ESPN+)
No.3 UMass vs. No.2 Richmond, 8:00pm (ESPN+)
Championship: Saturday, May 6 (at Richmond)
12:00pm (ESPN+)
Big East
I take back my comment about the weather. With the conference tournament being at Marquette, you never know what you’ll get when it comes to weather. An important week for all teams as this looks like it may be a one bid league. Georgetown seems to be hitting their stride, but you can never take a Bill Tierney coached team lightly. With this being his last hurrah before he retires, expect the Pioneers to be all sorts of fired up to have a great showing and looking to send their coach into retirement holding a trophy.
Semifinals: Thursday, May 4 (at Marquette)
No.4 Providence vs. No.1 Georgetown, 6:30pm (CBS Sports Network)
No.3 Villanova vs. No.2 Denver, 9:30pm (CBS Sports Network)
Championship: Saturday, May 6 (at Marquette)
4:30pm (CBS Sports Network)
Big Ten
All eyes descend on Homewood Field as we see the resurgent Johns Hopkins Blue Jays hosting the Big Ten Semifinals and Finals. On one end we have a rematch between the Blue Jays and Maryland Terrapins. While on the other we have a matchup that not many expected in the preseason between the Michigan Wolverines and the No.1 seeded Penn State Nittany Lions. Truly, this is anyone’s tournament and it will be amazing to see how it all plays out!
Semifinals: Thursday, May 4 (at Johns Hopkins)
No.1 Penn State vs. No. 4 Michigan, 1:00pm (BTN)
No.2 Johns Hopkins vs. No.3 Maryland, 3:30pm (BTN)
Championship: Saturday, May 6 (at Johns Hopkins)
5:30pm (BTN)
CAA
Love the lacrosse in this conference and we’re all supremely happy the tournament is on a platform we all can watch and not stuck behind the FloSports Paywall. With that being said, this is a conference that will only have one bid to offer with many people picking Delaware to take the title home. Their quarterfinal matchup with Towson will be interesting as the Blue Hens will be looking for revenge after this past weekend’s loss at the hands of the Tigers. Stony Brook and Drexel will be an absolute battle so look for these games to go down to the wire.
Semifinals: Thursday, May 4 (at Delaware)
No.4 Towson vs. No.1 Delaware, 5:30pm (Lacrosse TV)
No.3 Stony Brook vs. No.2 Drexel, 8:30pm (Lacrosse TV)
Championship: Saturday, May 6 (at Delaware)
3:30pm (Lacrosse TV)
Ivy League
After a remarkable year in terms of number of teams making the NCAA’s, this year will be a lot different as some talented teams in this conference will be left home. Tough out-of-conference schedules for all teams showed how challenging it is on a day-to-day basis for these teams. This is one of those tournaments where a good showing may get someone an at-large bid, or someone may play themselves out of a bid. Both semifinal matchups are going to be electric and it being at a neutral site at Columbia University is a nice touch!
Semifinals: Friday, May 5 (at Columbia)
No.4 Yale vs. No.1 Cornell, 6:00pm (ESPNU)
No.3 Princeton vs. No.2 Penn, 8:30pm (ESPNU)
Championship: Sunday, May 7 (at Columbia)
12:00pm (ESPNU)
MAAC
Another one bid league that has seen Mount St. Mary’s quietly claim the No.2 seed after a nice season. Manhattan is feeling confident as they have the home field advantage and have shown over the course of the season that they can play with most teams.
Semifinals: Thursday, May 4 (at Manhattan)
No.2 Mount St. Mary’s vs. No.3 Marist, 3:00pm (ESPN+)
No.1 Manhattan vs. No.4 Siena, 7:00pm (ESPN+)
Championship: Saturday, May 6 (at Manhattan)
12:00pm (ESPN+)
Patriot League
Boston University clinched the regular season title with a huge win over Army last week and secured home field advantage and the first round bye which will be huge considering this conference has cannibalized itself all season. Lafayette getting in shows how they are progressing as a program and that Loyola/Navy game will be fun to watch. Don’t count out the Midshipmen. They seem to be hitting their stride and when the lights shine the brightest, that’s when Xavier Arline plays his best.
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, May 2 (at Higher Seed)
No.6 Lafayette at No.3 Lehigh, 7:00pm (ESPN+)
No.5 Loyola at No.4 Navy, 7:00pm (ESPN+)
Semifinals: Friday, May 5 (at Boston U)
Lowest Remaining Seed vs. No.1 Boston U, 4:00pm (CBS Sports Network)
Highest Remaining Seed vs. No.2 Army, 7:00pm (CBS Sports Network)
Championship: Sunday, May 7 (at Boston U)
12:00pm (CBS Sports Network)
