Championship Week is here for college lacrosse. If you’re involved in any fashion, bring the attitude of gratitude into May. Here’s the final Top 20 of 2025. Don’t get my poll confused with bracketology. They are different exercises. It’s my opinion.
Feels like the Big Ten can’t score, and the Ivy League is light on defense. ACC teams lack consistency. Who can play both offense and defense at a high level? Who can play complimentary lacrosse? We find out in May.
This is a huge week. Ten AQs are earned across the D1 landscape. Champ Week is an extension of the 18-team NCAA bracket. Seventy-four D1 teams get paired down to 18 by May 4. Let’s celebrate these moments and put these programs on a pedestal.
The NCAA tournament selection show is on Sunday, May 4 (ESPN+) at 9:30 p.m.
20) Sacred Heart
The Pioneers (11-2) pulled off a dramatic second-half comeback to secure an 11-7 victory over Manhattan in their MAAC finale. They’ve won seven straight and are the number one seed in the MAAC Championships. John Murray, Ryan Rooney, and Michael Moreschi had three points apiece. Dom Basti scored twice. The Pioneers host the MAAC Championships (ESPN+).
Coach Jon Basti was my guest on the Quintessential Podcast this week. The Sacred Heart success story is layered with an intense compete level in practice, guitar music, pizza, and a culture based on communication and relationships.
19) Fairfield
Fairfield (12-2) — Coach Andy Baxter has done an amazing job winning a dozen games in Connecticut. A 14-8 win over Monmouth featured a defensive lockdown, holding their opponent scoreless for a span of 28:49. During that time, the Stags caused seven turnovers and goalkeeper Owen Hirsch made seven of his 11 saves as Fairfield built an insurmountable 10-3 lead.
18) Towson
The Tigers (9-5) are winners of eight straight games after a 9-7 win over Hofstra on Long Island. The Pride’s Ben Niesman won 12 of 17 face-offs. The Tigers used a five-goal third quarter to capture the win. Goalie Matt Nilan made 14 saves and only gave up three goals in the second half. Towson went (7-0) in the CAA.
Shawn Nadelen’s team faces Hofstra (8-6) again on Thursday at 4 p.m. while Fairfield (12-2) and Drexel (7-7) take the field later that evening at 7 p.m. The winners of Thursday’s semifinal contests will face off for the CAA title on Saturday afternoon at Towson.
17) Michigan
Season is done at (7-7).
16) Rutgers
With their backs against the wall, the Scarlet Knights (7-8) found a way to defeat Michigan in an elimination game. Led by four goals and two assists from Colin Kurdyla, the Scarlet Knights earned an 11-8 win to stay alive. The defense held its ninth opponent to single digits.
Rutgers will return to Ann Arbor for a semifinals matchup against Ohio State at 5 p.m. ET on BTN.
15) Virginia
Forgettable 2025 season is officially over. The Cavaliers had their season ended by Duke in overtime on Saturday afternoon. Virginia kept fighting. The eight losses were to Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Maryland, Richmond, Johns Hopkins, and Ohio State. The Wahoos finished #43 in scoring offense and #42 in scoring defense. Midfield production was lacking all season. Their shooting percentage was rated at #51 at 27%.
Now let’s see how the program reacts. National champs in 2019 and 2021, Virginia may have player defections into the portal and staff changes. Nothing would shock me.
14) Boston University
The Terriers (10-4) are the #2 seed in the Patriot League after a come-from-behind 14-12 win over Colgate. Jimmy O’Connell had eight points. The Patriot League tournament can be seen on CBS Sports on Friday, May 2.
13) Georgetown
I watched the Swamp Dogs (8-4) dispose of Villanova on Friday night in the rain. This game was sloppy. Fulton Bayman was terrific for the Hoyas and Jack Ransom couldn’t miss the net. Villanova was their own worst enemy with countless careless turnovers. The Big East is a one-bid league. Marquette, improved in 2025, plays Georgetown in the semifinals while Providence takes on Villanova. These games are on Thursday in Denver.
12) Richmond
The Spiders (11-3) sit at #9 in the RPI with quality wins over Virginia and St. Joseph’s. Unfortunately, their victories over Lehigh and Georgetown are currently outside the Top 20. Close losses to Duke and Cornell are viewed as just losses. So I don’t see Richmond landing an at-large bid if they lose in the conference tournament. If they capture their league AQ, they will be somebody’s first-round nightmare. They could potentially land the #8 seed and a home game.
Richmond will open the A10 Championship against fourth-seeded Massachusetts in the first semifinal, on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. High Point plays Saint Joseph’s at 2:00 p.m. Both games are in Philadelphia.
11) Syracuse
The Orange (9-5) were outplayed by North Carolina in the Dome and now find themselves living in the danger zone on the bubble, hoping for no chaos. Otto is a big fan of Army.
The Syracuse offense was stagnant for much of the UNC loss. Patterns rely on high wing dodges from Luke Rhoa, Michael Leo, and Sam English. They have more Canadian personnel than anybody but eschew the pick-and-roll game. Why is that? Joey Spallina needs to set more picks. They don’t have an attackman who can win a matchup. The biggest issue is the lack of separation speed on offense. So using picks is ideal. Their sticks are elite. But smart opponents just back in and pack it in.
Clearing woes hurt the cause on Saturday. Dodging success by midfielders was sold separately. Goalie Jimmy McCool kept his team in the game as UNC peppered him. SSDM Nate Levine is done for the season with a lower-body injury. That hurts. Syracuse allowed Dom Pietramala to take 20 shots. They paid the price. How many times this season has Syracuse taken dumb penalties at critical moments? #HH should be their hashtag. They aren’t playing with their heads. They don’t play with discipline.
The Orange drop into the #4 spot in the ACC and play Notre Dame on Friday in Charlotte, NC.
10) Harvard
The Crimson (10-3) squeezed past Brown on Saturday. A gritty 11-10 comeback win was essential for at-large survival. Logan Ip was the hero.
Their RPI is #10. Holding a head-to-head win over Syracuse may be critical on Selection Sunday, especially if Army stumbles. Harvard plays Princeton on Friday in Ithaca.
9) Ohio State
The Buckeyes (12-2) had a bye week. They needed it after only being able to manufacture five goals through 55 minutes against Michigan. They may have won that game, but to me it’s a red flag. Did you watch the game? Those who prefer final-score-based analysis will complain about their placement in this poll. That’s fair. They beat Penn State and Notre Dame. I was impressed with the comeback at Michigan, but I can’t just dismiss what went on for the majority of that rivalry game.
And if Ohio State played Notre Dame tomorrow on a neutral field, the Buckeyes would be Vegas underdogs. Goalie Caleb Fyock and the defense, I love. I just don’t see Ohio State as the fifth-best lacrosse team in the country. This isn’t about resumes. It’s not bracketology. It’s about who I think is best. It’s my opinion. And lastly, I’m becoming a little skeptical about the Big Ten as a league in 2025. Conference games have been rock fights. It’s an extremely well-coached, defensive-based league. Let’s see how that shakes down in May.
Ohio State plays Rutgers in the Big Ten semis. The Scarlet Knights rank #61 in scoring offense.
8) Duke
The Devils (11-4) moved a step closer to the NCAA tournament with a 10-9 overtime win at Virginia. Goalie Patrick Jameison was terrific. He made a flopping save in overtime when the ball bounced up his shorts. If you’re a goalie and wearing shorts, it pays to make them as baggy as possible. When you bend your knees and sit down on bouncers, the excess fabric can be your friend. Benn Johnston nailed the game-winner. Tomas Delgado found the net twice. Duke is RPI #7. They have a Top 5 defense in my estimation, but their attack production lags behind the serious title contenders.
Hard to believe that Denver beat Duke just a few weeks ago by a large margin. The Pios’ season ended abruptly on April 25. Along with fellow 2024 quarterfinalists Virginia and Johns Hopkins, the premature endings in 2025 will require reflection and adaptation. Things change quickly these days in college sports, and I expect to see major overhauls at Denver, Johns Hopkins, and Virginia during the offseason.
7) North Carolina
Just when you thought the Heels (10-3) were ready to fold up camp and hike into the woods, they delivered a gutsy and energetic road win in the Dome. I would estimate that the win and current resume are worthy of a Top 8 seed and home game in the NCAA tournament, regardless of what happens on Friday against Duke.
I said it last week and I’ll say it again. Dave Pietramala is the national assistant coach of the year. The work he’s doing with an inexperienced Carolina close defense has been remarkable. Dom Pietramala was unstoppable. The lefty took a whopping 20 shots himself, scoring six times with a stunning variety of releases. Owen Duffy didn’t look 100%, but Carolina got production from James Matan, Ryan Levy, Brevin Wilson, and Spencer Wirtheim. Syracuse finished the game with a 4-0 run to make it tense.
Carolina plays Duke in Charlotte next.
6) Army
The Black Knights (12-1) dusted Loyola and will now host the Patriot League semis and final. Jackson Eicher was once again lethal with his right-handed shot. When he can set his feet, the velocity overwhelms goalies. Army has dropped six RPI spots since the committee reveal.
Colgate is at Lehigh on Tuesday and Navy is at Lafayette in the Patriot League quarterfinals. Army and Boston University await the winners. Army’s RPI is #12. Their SOS is #27. An Army loss would drop them into bubble territory. They may get bypassed as an at-large team because of a low RPI. If they win out, will they host an NCAA tournament game? Their RPI says no. The eye test says yes. The Cadets are clinging to a win over North Carolina.
5) Penn State
The Nittany Lions (10-3) held off a late run by Johns Hopkins, advancing 13-12 to the league semis and likely locking up a home game in the NCAA tournament. Their RPI is currently #4. Kyle Lehman scored four times, while Luke Walstrum had four assists. JHU took seven of eight faceoffs in the fourth quarter while closing ground late.
Meanwhile, Hopkins started (6-2) and then lost all six Big Ten games. Dreadful. The last time JHU did not play a lacrosse game in May was 2020 with the Covid shutdown, and prior to that in 1945 during WWII.
Penn State will take on Maryland in the semifinals on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor.
4) Notre Dame
The Irish (7-3) repeated scoreless streaks have to be a concern. They had a drought of 29:00 minutes against UNC, only scored one goal over 32:00 minutes on April 12 versus Virginia, and went without a goal for 40:00 in the Dome. It happened again on Saturday against Penn, trailing 6-1 through the first 28:00 minutes before unleashing a quarter of excellence on their way to a closer-than-expected home win on Senior Day. Bottle the seven-goal third quarter. 10-8 final highlighted by Devon McClane and Chris Kavanagh. But these types of dry spells forecast doom. Give Penn credit for their defensive effort and intensity. I expect Quaker defenseman Brendan LaVelle to get selected early in the PLL draft on May 6 (ESPN+).
ND has now won 14 straight games in May.
2025 ACC Tournament / Charlotte, N.C. / ESPN+
Friday, May 2 – Semifinals
5 p.m. – Syracuse vs. Notre Dame
8 p.m. – Duke vs. North Carolina
Sunday, May 4 – Championship
Noon – ???
3) Princeton
The Tigers ambushed Yale, jumping up 4-0 in the first five minutes on their way to a dominating 18-7 home victory. Goalie Ryan Croddick made 19 saves, Nate Kabiri hit the 100-point plateau, and senior Coulter Mackesy now has 160 goals, just three away from Jesse Hubbard. The 11 seniors honored were: Billy Barnds, Michael Bath, Sean Cameron, Liam Fairback, Koby Ginder, Michael Kelly, Coulter Mackesy, Colin Mulshine, McKnight Pederson, Jack Ringhofer, and Braedon Saris.
Princeton plays Harvard in the Ivy League semis on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. in Ithaca. They’ve sewn up a home game in the NCAA tournament first round.
2) Maryland
‘Be the Best’ (10-2) has losses to Michigan and Rutgers. That has to temper exuberance. John Tillman’s track record during standard prep weeks (five practice days) is without peer. He’s (10-1) in the NCAA quarterfinals and (8-2) in the NCAA semis. That’s incredible. On short rest, the Terps have been more vulnerable — they are (2-6) on Memorial Day and (4-2) in the Big Ten final.
The bye week was an opportunity to rest, reset, recover, and develop the back half of the roster. Maryland faces Penn State in Ann Arbor in the Big Ten semis. The Terps have locked up a Top 8 seed.
1) Cornell
The Big Red (12-1) got a record-setting day from CJ Kirst and strong outings from their specialists — goalie Wyatt Knust and FOGO Jack Cascadden — in a bland home win over Dartmouth.
The Big Red host Yale on Friday in the Ivy semis (ESPN+). I’m not sure how Yale will defend CJ Kirst and company.
Championship Week features 10 automatic qualifiers in leagues all around the nation.
NEC Tournament
Robert Morris vs. LIU
Le Moyne vs. Detroit Mercy
Thursday and Saturday on ESPN+
America East
The tournament kicks off on Thursday with semifinal action. Host Bryant takes on Binghamton in the first matchup at 4 p.m., while UMBC and UAlbany face off in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
The semifinal winners will go head-to-head for the 2025 conference championship on Saturday at 1 p.m. All games will air on ESPN+.
ASUN
Utah faces Bellarmine
Jacksonville plays Air Force
Semifinals on May 2 and the final on May 4, Sunday at noon from Jacksonville, FL (ESPN+)
Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include players Ryan Goldstein (Cornell), Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), and Eric Spanos (Maryland).
