Is this the year of defense? Army, Maryland, Fairfield, Ohio State, and UMass are all leaning heavily on their back line. Scoring is down—except in the Ivy League. Cornell’s win over Princeton was the most significant result of the week.
Spring break is a time to put in extra work. Find an hour each day outside of practice to sharpen your skills. Less isn’t more. Do the work now for the payoff in May.
20) Sacred Heart
My MAAC favorite is (5-2) with wins over St. Joe’s, Holy Cross, Stony Brook, Wagner, and Siena. An inexplicable league loss to Canisius was sobering, but head coach Jon Basti is doing great work in Connecticut. The Pioneers never seem unhinged in one-goal games and will travel to Merrimack next.
19) Saint Joseph’s
The Hawks (5-2) are riding a five-game win streak, taking down Monmouth, Towson, Rutgers, Drexel, and Villanova. The Atlantic 10 race will be terrific, with Richmond, St. Joe’s, and UMass all looking like serious contenders. After seven games, defender Levi Verch has racked up (1,4) with 48 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers—wow. He’s going to be a first-round pick in the PLL Draft. St. Joe’s faces Penn midweek.
18) Dartmouth
The Big Green (6-1) are one of the most improved programs in Division I under head coach Sean Kirwan. Five straight wins, including a 17-5 demolition of Hobart, give Dartmouth its longest winning streak in 20 years. Colin McGill led the charge with five goals.
17) UMass
The Minutemen lost their opener against Army but have since held six straight opponents to under 10 goals, including Dartmouth, Albany, Vermont, and Rutgers. They belong in the Top 20. Trace Hogan, Aiden Drunsic, and Matt Cargiulo are names to know, while the starting defense of Matt Petitto, Chanse Cool, and Kyle Swanson has positioned UMass as a legitimate NCAA tournament contender.
Two games this week—UMass-Lowell and Brown.
16) Penn
The Quakers (4-3) held off Brown 9-8 in a game they had to have. The offense struggled in the second half, scoring just twice on 31 total shots, but big goalie and PLL prospect Emmett Carroll made 15 saves to secure the win. Ben Smith led the scoring effort with three goals. Penn plays St. Joe’s on Tuesday and Dartmouth on March 21.
15) Fairfield
The Stags (8-0) steamrolled Hampton and continue to impress. Their progression from (2-9) in 2021 to (7-7) in 2022, (5-9) in 2023, and (8-7) in 2024 shows steady improvement. LSM Julian Radossich is a menace with the pole, causing turnovers at a high clip. Fairfield hosts Drexel next.
Head coach Andy Baxter was my guest this week on the Quintessential Podcast.
14) Richmond
The Spiders (5-3) have played an insane non-conference schedule, with their three losses coming against Duke in double overtime, Maryland, and a one-goal loss to Cornell. The double OT loss at home to Duke stings because Richmond had chances to win. Anish fired this game up on his iPad, and we were watching on ESPN+ in the Klöckner booth prior to UVA and Maryland. Joe Sheridan had a strong day for Richmond. The Spiders travel to DC this week.
13) Georgetown
The Swamp Dogs (5-2) looked sluggish in a 17-10 win over High Point after a bye weekend. The game was closer than the final score, as the Hoyas pulled away by winning the fourth quarter 6-0. Kevin Miller and Aidan Carroll both had five-point days.
Richmond and Georgetown play this week in what could be considered an NCAA at-large survival game. The Big East foursome of Georgetown, Denver, Providence, and Villanova all have current RPIs outside the Top 20. Georgetown’s wins have come against teams with a combined record of (11-24), so the resume isn’t tournament-ready yet.
12) Harvard
The Crimson are rolling at (5-1) after defeating Yale 14-11. Harvard jumped out to a 7-2 lead after 15 minutes, beating its rival for the first time since 2017. Sam King must be considered a Tewaaraton top-five caliber player. Harvard is facing off at just 34%, so it’s impressive they’re still averaging 15 goals per game. I’ve caught portions of their games on ESPN+, and they’re playing with their hair on fire. Teddy Malone, Jack Spiedell, Logan Ip, and Miles Botkiss are doing damage. A big test is up next as Harvard travels to Princeton on Saturday.
11) Duke
The Devils survived in sudden death overtime at Richmond to improve to (8-1). Aidan McGuire took a nifty flip off an overtime faceoff ground ball and went coast to coast for the victory—a crucial win for Duke. The Devils also banked a win earlier in the week against Providence. Great to see Eric Malever healthy and back in career form with 42 points, while Max Sloat has contributed 27 points from the midfield. Duke is shooting well at 36%, and the EMO is clicking at 54%, but clearing hasn’t been strong.
Denver plays Duke on Saturday. The Devils could play 17 games prior to Selection Sunday, which is four more than Notre Dame is likely to play. Shouldn’t all teams have a similar number of games for proper tournament selection?
10) Johns Hopkins
A methodical Saturday night win at Navy puts the Jays at (6-2), concluding the non-league portion of their schedule. Navy is dealing with multiple injuries to its FOGO unit, and the possession advantage was too much to overcome. A 20-5 edge at the dot tells the tale, with Logan Callahan getting the credit. Navy also had five failed clears, including a costly late offsides call with the game in the balance. Matt Collison, Hunter Chauvette, and Brooks English played well, but the JHU on-ball defense got exposed on a few ISOs.
The leading storyline from Saturday night was that Hopkins made a goalie change, starting Oran Gelinas, a 6-4 junior transfer from Ohio State. The righty made 14 saves while wearing #87. Rutgers comes to Baltimore on March 22. The Jays’ RPI is sitting in the teens.
9) Notre Dame
The Irish (4-2) played 46 minutes of defense against Ohio State. The Buckeyes had 38 possessions and put 30 shots on goal, while Notre Dame’s offense has averaged just 10 goals per game over the last three contests (Georgetown, Maryland, Ohio State). All three of those teams play first-class defense—honestly, it’s hard to find three better schematic defenses. In those games, the Irish are averaging just 4.3 assists per game compared to 9.4 per game in 2024. They’re still searching for the right personnel on attack, with the third attack spot continuing to underdeliver. The Irish must learn to play complementary lacrosse, understanding when to push tempo and when to slow it down to give their defense a breather. Bad shot selection early in the shot clock has been a theme.
Back-to-back losses had folks in South Bend a little feisty this week, but a 19-7 emphatic win over Michigan was the largest margin of victory in series history. Chris Kavanagh delivered a seven-point performance, while Jake Taylor, Will Angrick, Devon McLane, and Will Maheras each finished with two goals. Angrick, Faison, and Busenkell ran first midfield, while McClane started again on attack. Veteran FOGO Will Lynch won 13-of-16 face-offs, and athletic freshman Matt Jeffrey scored his first career goal. A bounce-back effort for sure. The Irish have a bye this week, and I really struggle with this—playing fewer games was costly for the program in 2022.
8) Ohio State
After a (6-9) season in 2024, the Buckeyes have banked wins over Virginia, Denver, and Notre Dame. A Sunday matinee in the Mile High City was tied 2-2 after the first quarter, but a 6-1 Buckeye run before halftime proved to be the difference. They nursed the lead the rest of the way in a game that was chippy. Defender Cullen Brown is quietly stockpiling caused turnovers, and righty shooter Alex Marinier had another big day. The 15-11 road win was Ohio State’s first in Denver in 16 years. The Buckeyes travel to Penn State on Sunday night for a Big Ten matchup on BTN.
7) Syracuse
The Orange had a bye this week. #HHH (5-2) plays Manhattan on Tuesday and Colgate this weekend. Last year’s game against Colgate featured 18 penalties and was completely out of control—expect tempo and scoring in this one. Catch it on ESPN+.
6) North Carolina
On Sunday, the Heels (5-1) jumped out to a 7-3 lead on Jacksonville after the first quarter, extending it to 11-3 and 13-5 by halftime. Depth of scoring was evident, as was Owen Duffy’s shot-making ability—he had five goals before intermission and finished with eight points. UNC kept Dom Pietramala in the game up 13 goals with 4:00 to play. Anybody else remember Dylan Molloy at Brown in the NCAA quarters? Jacksonville is now banished to chasing the ASUN AQ after the 20-7 setback.
FOGO Brady Wambach (68%) has been a weapon for head coach Joe Breschi. UNC plays High Point on the road on Friday, March 21. The Heels still have dates with Army and the ACC quartet of Duke, Virginia, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Carolina may be the beneficiary of Virginia’s off year.
5) Army
The Cadets (7-0) throttled Lehigh 13-4 despite missing FOGO Will Colletti. Army won just 4-of-17 draws yet still outshot Lehigh by a wide margin. Jackson Eicher scored six times, while defenseman AJ Pilate added a left-handed wraparound goal. Boston University visits Michie Stadium on Saturday. Army has the #1 ranked scoring defense but an SOS of #37. The only top-ten test left on the schedule is against North Carolina.
4) Penn State
The Nittany Lions (6-1) defeated Robert Morris 22-8 on Wednesday, using a 6-0 second-quarter run to pull away. FOGO Colby Baldwin (63%) has been a bright spot, and Penn State is nearly +10 per game in ground balls. Matt Traynor has 23 points through five games but hasn’t dressed in the last two. Ohio State travels to Happy Valley on Sunday for a Big Ten showdown on BTN.
3) Princeton
The Tigers lost 15-10 in Ithaca, spending most of the game playing catch-up as the defense struggled to get stops. Princeton is facing off at just 35% on the season, leading to a significant disadvantage in shots, but their shooting efficiency has helped offset the pain of fewer possessions. This is a ticking time bomb—Princeton is vulnerable at the face-off dot, and the defense is mediocre. That said, I do enjoy watching them play offense with Coulter Mackesy, Nate Kabiri, Barbecue Burns, Tucker Wade, and Sean Cameron. Harvard faces Princeton in New Jersey on Saturday in what could be a 30-goal game.
2) Cornell
The Big Red (5-1) win over Princeton is the first step toward hosting the Ivy League Tournament. Cornell, Princeton, and Penn State are an interchangeable trio in the rankings. CJ Kirst became the all-time leading goal scorer in school history, surpassing Mike French. CJ has played a handful of extra games, but his production speaks for itself—he had five goals on 12 shots in the 15-10 victory. Cornell was +5 on face-offs and took 51 shots, applying constant pressure and getting quality looks. Willem Firth continues to find space on the EMO. Big Red turns their attention to Yale this week.
1) Maryland
The Terps (7-0) used a 5-0 start and a 5-0 finish to capture the 99th meeting with rival Virginia, 12-6, on a cloudy day at Klöckner. A 7-6 lead ballooned into the final margin. Maryland has delivered a 4-0 run in nearly every game this spring. The second quarter and early third were concerning, as the Terps went dormant for 20 minutes, but midfield production and goaltender Logan McNaney were the stars. The lefty from Corning, NY, made 13 stops, many of them clean catches that triggered transition.
Maryland has a top-five rated scoring defense, is very solid at close defense, and is exceptional at the LSM spot with AJ Larkin and Jack McDonald. This team is the king of restarts—they win the whistle. They are tops in clearing percentage and near the bottom in riding. To beat Maryland, you must run from defense to offense and pin their midfield personnel on defense. Scoring in transition or early offense is the key.
The Cavs are (5-8) dating back to last year. Having called their games against Richmond, Hopkins, and Maryland, I’ve seen subtle improvements in their clearing, half-field offense, and defense. Midfield production in settled sets has been sporadic, their portal pickups have been non-factors, and their freshman class is ravaged with injuries. Sitting at (3-4) before ACC play is scary territory. Drama in Charlottesville will test their “Cultural Thursdays.”
Michigan is at Maryland next. The Terps have lost three straight to the Wolverines.
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 current players Alex Marinier (Ohio State), Eric Spanos (Maryland), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Coulter Mackesy (Princeton), Billy Dwan III (Syracuse), and Casey Wilson (Denver).
