Huge Top Fifteen Matchups This Weekend in College Lacrosse

We have our first number 1 vs number 2 game of the year in a heavyweight bout with the number 1 ranked Maryland Terrapins visiting the number 2 Syracuse Orange. A huge early season test for both teams that is going to be key for seeding once we get to tournament time.

Along with that game we also have another top fifteen meeting with the number 14 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions going to play the number 3 ranked Princeton Tigers. With a win here for Princeton it would easily slide them right back into the top 2 which they are really trying to get back at.

1 Maryland (1-0) @ 2 Syracuse (2-0)

This storied battle between the Maryland Terps and the Syracuse Orange is always one for fireworks. This game should be no different, through the three games played combined both teams they have scored a total of 52 goals.

Syracuse was the team coming into the season that all of the lacrosse world was talking about having a top level offense and this being their best chance in years to be back in the championship picture. The stacked offense led by big number 88 Payton Anderson, goal scoring number 7 Michael Leo, and preseason Tewaaraton favorite wearing the coveted number 22 at Syracuse Joey Spallina. Syracuse midfield is where they generate so much of their offense. Anderson who plays both midfield and attack but also guys like Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa, give defenses fits when they have to deal with Spallina at X facilitating the offense and having his way of either scoring or dishing it up top to his midfield group.

The pinnacle of college lacrosse is the Maryland Terps. Coming up short last year in the National Championship they came into the season ranked 1 and if they want to quiet all the doubters of saying teams like Syracuse should get the nod over them, this is their shot. In their first game of the year against Loyola they put up 19 goals. They got 2 goals from their number 1 Eric Spanos, but where they really got contribution was from their two Yale transfers Leo Johnson who got 5 goals plus an assist, and Chris Lyons who put up 4 goals on 8 shots. Maryland lets their big boys do the work and if they are going to want to outscore Syracuse which they are more than capable of doing, they are going to need to show up.

In my opinion we are getting the matchup of the year in this game with Marylands Will Schaller most likely going to be matched up against Joey Spallina for Syracuse. The senior defenseman at Maryland is a 2025 All American as well as 2025 Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year. With him going up against one of the best offensive players Syracuse has seen since Michael Powell in Joey Spallina. Whoever wins this matchup I believe is going to come out victorious in this game. If Spallina can be kept quiet, then Marylands offense can go to work and take control early which is the game they want to play. But if Spallina and the Orange offense can get going, there might not be a team in the country that can keep pace with them. A small caveat to look into in this game is the face off dot. Syracuse has maybe the best fogo in the country in Johnny Mullen, and if he can win the possession game for the Orange it could be too much for Maryland to overcome.

14 Penn State (1-1) @ 3 Princeton (0-0)

The top 3 teams in the country are going at it this weekend in top ranked matchups. Obviously 1 & 2 are going at it but people are not talking about this game as much as they should with the stories coming into this game. Penn State is coming off an embarrassing home loss last week in overtime to unranked Villanova and are looking to bounce back and prove to everyone they still belong at the top of the tough Big 10. And for Princeton with a win here they are automatically moved back to the number 2 spot, and it will give them a big win to kick off a tough Ivy League schedule.

Princeton is going into their post Coulter Mackesy era and they are looking for someone to step in and step up. The guy that everyone is really expecting to fill in is junior attackman Nate Kabiri who is coming off a 61 point sophomore campaign. He benefitted a ton from having Coulter on his attack line, but Nate is still going to have line mate Colin Burns and senior midfielder Chad Palumbo to work with. Palumbo was named to the preseason Tewaaraton Award watchlist and is the voice in the Princeton locker room. When you talk about high powered offenses Princeton is right there with the best. But also being named to the preseason Tewaaraton Award watchlist is senior goalie Ryan Croddick. Croddick in 17 games played last year had an above .500 save percentage and is the last line of defense for the Tigers. There is so much talent everywhere you look, they are going to look to take advantage of a possible reeling Nittany Lions team.

Penn State stunned the lacrosse world last week in a negative way by being taken down by the Villanova Wildcats on their home turf. For the short time that Penn State has been a staple in college lacrosse they have always had their guy on offense. This year sophomore attackman Hunter Aquino is looking to be that guy. In their first two games this year Aquino has 10 points with 7 goals. Another attackman who has started off hot is junior Kyle Lehman who has 5 goals to start off the year. The main concern that Penn State had really all of last year that has spilled over into this year is goaltending. It really became a battle of freshman this year to see who would take the job and Preston Hawkins has taken over after stepping into the first game taking over for Hayes Schreiner. Hawkins only recorded 8 saves on 22 shots on net and is really getting a tough test this week to bounce back.

Princeton this week really needs to just be who they are and try to run the score up and make it a runaway. Facing a freshman goalie they should look to take advantage and pepper shots his way to make him make a play. And for Penn State their defense is going to have to help out their young goalie. They have the guys on offense that can score if they can just keep it manageable, and they have to get last weeks loss out of their minds and look to make a statement here.