The men’s lacrosse season has reached the penultimate weekend, and by Sunday evening we will know the four teams headed to championship weekend in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Before that, however, fans will be treated to what should be a compelling quarterfinal round that could take some twists and turns.
A pair of contests in Hempstead, New York, get things started on Saturday, then the action moves to Annapolis, Maryland, on Sunday. Among the eight remaining teams are the two-time defending champion on a quest for a rare three-peat, several of the sport’s long-time powers hoping to end lengthy title droughts, and a few others still hoping to hoist the trophy for the first time.
Who are the NCAA lacrosse tournament title contenders?
Notre Dame, like the men’s basketball squad from Connecticut, is going to be a tough out in its quest for a third consecutive crown. Despite entering this year’s tournament unseeded, the Fighting Irish certainly looked like the two-time defending champs in last week’s dismantling of fourth-seeded Ohio State. They next take on another Big Ten squad in Penn State, which is hoping to reach the semifinals for just the second time in program history.
The Princeton-Syracuse showdown on Long Island has long-time followers of the sport salivating. Those two storied programs staged some epic battles in the postseason in the 1990’s through the aughts, but it’s been over a decade since either team won the whole thing.
The championship drought has been even longer for top-seeded Cornell. The Big Red have come agonizingly close on a couple of occasions, but it’s last title came in 1977. Cornell features the highest-scoring offense in the nation, and its next opponent, Richmond, just won its first NCAA tournament game last week. But the Spiders gave the Big Red all they could handle in a 12-11 loss in the regular season, so they aren’t likely to wilt in the spotlight.
Second-seeded Maryland, meanwhile, has been hard to beat in the quarterfinal round in recent years, and the Terrapins should have the bulk of the home-state crowd on their side in Annapolis. But Georgetown is relishing this opportunity to derail a local rival and reach the semifinals for just the second time. The Hoyas’ Aidan Carroll turned in arguably the top performance of the round of 16 last week with a six-goal, two-assist effort at Duke.
NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament schedule
All quarterfinal games will air on ESPNU and are available for streaming on the ESPN app. Here’s the schedule.
Saturday
At Hempstead, New York
No. 1 Cornell vs. Richmond, noon
No. 3 Princeton vs. No. 6 Syracuse, 2:30 p.m.
Sunday
At Annapolis, Maryland
No. 5 Penn State vs. Notre Dame, noon
No. 2 Maryland vs. Georgetown, 2:30 p.m.