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College Lacrosse Weekend Preview

There is a ton of lacrosse both online and on TV this weekend!  Maryland at Georgetown highlights the action on Friday night (7pm ESPN3, which I still can’t watch.  Thanks Cablevision!) but there is so much more on tap than just that!  Hopkins plays Siena on Saturday at 3pm on ESPNU.  Army at Cuse on Sunday should be great too, especially if you get SNY!  There are also a bunch of MCLA games being broadcast online.

But I’m not just going to talk about games you can watch!  I’m going to cover ALL the big games coming up this weekend.  It’s a tall order, but I’m 6’1″ tall.

stevenson haverford lacrosse
Stevenson - Haverford last week was super!

For more Stevenson – Haverford photos, check out 24SevenLax!

Obviously the Maryland – Georgetown game is huge.  It might be the end to a rivalry game that has been played for YEARS consecutively.  Plus the game features a ton of talent!  That never hurts.  I like Maryland to roll here and win by 3 or more goals.  Georgetown is solid, but the Hoyas need to convince me they’re better than just good before I will consistently pick them.  The other D1 game on Friday that stands out is DukePenn.  Duke will want to get back on track after losing to Notre Dame 7-3.  I expect a lot of goals out of Duke here.  At least 12, and I think they’ll win by 4+ goals.

Saturday rolls out a much larger selection of top quality games.  Brown kicks off their season at Quinnipiac, and we like Brown State by a good margin.  Bucknell at Villanova could be a great game as Bucknell hasn’t quite been where we thought they would be and Villanova wants desperately to get back to last year’s success.  Cornell at Hobart should be good, but look for the Big Red to roll, and be lead by Rob Pannell.  Drexel at Albany should be a great game and we wonder if Lyle Thompson will take all the abuse with a smile on his face again.

Hofstra heads to Princeton for what should be a great game.  Both of these want wins right now, and it’s going to be a heated game.  No question about it.  UMass heads to Ohio State, and this could easily be the game of the week.  Can UMass keep winning?  Can OSU bounce back from a HUGE upset over Denver?  It’s the battle of the new hotbeds.  Ohio vs Massachusetts, and a lot is on the line.  We like UMass by 1.

Denver will bounce back from their OSU loss with a win over Michigan.  Mark Matthews should have 10 points at a bare minimum.  North Carolina heads to Navy, and while we wish the Midshipmen luck, we think they’re going to get smoked.  Sowell doesn’t have that team ready to play with UNC quite yet.  The final game we’re really interested in is Harvard – Vermont.  Can UVM take the next step and beat a top 20 level team on the road?  This is a step the Catamounts NEED to take this year.

On Sunday, Jacksonville travels to Duke and the Blue Devils only have one day off between games here.  Jacksonville is CLEARLY a super dangerous team this year, and Duke has better be ready for them.  We think Duke will squeak it out, but wouldn’t be shocked to see the Dolphins leave Durham with a win either.  It’s our toss up game of the week!

In NCAA D2 action Chestnut Hill traveling to Mercy immediately jumps out as a great game.  Two newer programs, and both have seen rapid success.  Can they keep it going?  Who is the better team right now?  With a small field of tourney teams, EVERY game in D2 is HUGE, and this one is no exception.  NDNU and Dominican’s game also illustrates this point nicely.  They are probably the favorites right now in the WILA, and this game could factor in all season long.  HUGE contest.

Seton Hill also plays a big game as they head to CW Post.  Post has been a dominant team as of late, but 2012 might be a down year, at least in relative terms.  So for a team like Seton Hill, which is capable of an upset, this game is really big.  It could be a season killer for Post, or a season maker for Seton Hill.  The last D2 game I’m really excited for is Lindenwood vs Shorter on Sunday.  Welcome to NCAA D2 Lindy!

In DIII action, we have a couple of games that REALLY stand out.  Friday sees two GTG games in Carthage at Hendrix and Fontbonne at Dallas.  Amazing where DIII lax has grown in the last 10 years!  Cabrini at Haverford could be good, but I like the Fords to win there. Cabrini has just never seemed like the kind of team that wins the big game, even though they are tough and talented.  Cortland heads to Widener, but I expect them to roll easily.  Dickinson at St. Mary’s could be good, but I don’t think SMC is there yet.  Dickinson will win by 5+.

Hampden-Sydney College at Stevenson could be good and there are guaranteed to be a ton of “woooooooos!” coming from the Mustang bench and crowd.  They’re a rowdy and exciting bunch over there.  Stevenson wins big.  Kenyon seems to be falling a bit, and Washington & Jefferson seems to be rising.  2 years ago I wouldn’t have included this game, but this year we could see something different.  Does Wash & Jeff have the composure to win big now?  Guess we’ll see!

RPI playing Montclair State could be really good.  Both of these teams have been in the 15-25 range recently, and are looking to move up and keep the momentum going.  Should be a hotly contested game.  The gem of the weekend however, has to be Roanoke heading to Salisbury.  Expect goals, goals, goals, and maybe even a little defense.  SU will win 15-11, and the highlights will be ridiculous.  Take that to the bank.  Springfield – Nazareth could also be amazing and although I like Springfield to take it (and be good this year), I think Naz has a shot.  My gut says SC by 2 or 3.

When it comes to the MCLA, I honestly don’t even know where to start!  Oregon heading to Chapman is obviously huge.  Chapman lost to BYU in OT (and then BYU lost to Cal Poly) and Oregon has been looking good so far, but not great.  It’s really a big statement game for both teams.  I’m going to say Oregon, no Chapman, no Oregon, by 1. Boise State – Utah could also be fantastic as the Broncos have REALLY improved over the last 2 years and Utah still looks pretty strong.  I like BSU by 2.  Colorado State plays Simon Fraser in Oregon, and that is going to be a pretty game to behold.  CSU by 5.  Florida at Georgia on Friday night? YES PLEASE!  St. Thomas should roll over Carleton with ease.

Arizona State versus Texas on Saturday will be played in New Orleans.  Man, I REALLY wish I was back in NOLA right now.  This should be a great game to take in and EVERY single NOLA laxer should be in attendance to learn and enjoy.  I like Texas by 2 goals.  SURPRISED?  Cal will try to take down Cal Poly, but it ain’t gonna happen.  CPoly by 6.  Colorado State plays Chapman in Oregon, and I like CSU to win this one as it’s being played on a neutral site.  Chapman at home is special, even if they lost to BYU there.  Dayton and Kennesaw State should be good, but Dayton should win by a couple.

Iowa State plays two games AT Nebraska, but neither is against the Cornhuskers.  They play Kansas State then Oklahoma at 6pm and 9pm respectively.  Wow.  Tough path!  For our in-state rivalry game, I like U. Minnesota – Duluth vs Minnesota.  Should be an awesome game!!!!

On Sunday, Bama and Tennesse has potential.  I like Bama to win, but I’m calling an upset here anyway.  Tennessee by 3.  I also can’t wait to see how Simon Fraser and Oregon State plays out.  SFU needs to get some wins going and OSU is looking to make 2012 their year.  Whichever team loses this game has a MUCH harder road for the rest of the year.

Tons of action this weekend.  Lots of BIG games.  Can’t wait to see them all play out!!!