NCAA Division I Men: First-Round Preview
by Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
BROWN (12-3) AT NO. 8 JOHNS HOPKINS (9-4) - SATURDAY, 12 P.M. (ESPN2, ESPNU)
Key matchup: Hopkins’ shooters vs. Brown
goalie Jordan Burke. Hopkins is one of the better shooting teams in
the country at 33.5 percent, but Burke is among the nation’s
best. He combined for 38 saves in Brown’s two biggest wins
this year — 20 against Massachusetts and 18 against Cornell.
Blue Jays coach Dave Pietramala joked Wednesday he’s seen
Burke every day in practice this year – Jordan’s
younger brother, Steven, is a freshman backup goalie with the Blue
Jays. “The styles are eerily similar, although Jordan is a
senior and has been through the battles and is polished. He is an
outstanding goalie. Quite honestly, you go into the game, and
he’s a difference maker. Everyone talks about hockey and if
you got a hot goalie, you can go deep into the playoffs. Well they
have that kind of guy; he’s capable of that.”
Brown advances if… it can split the
faceoff battle. Brown has had four players take at least 50
faceoffs, but is only winning at a 41-percent clip. That’s
too much pressure to put on Burke against Hopkins’ patient
offense.
Hopkins advances if… its big shooters
(Kyle Wharton has a cannon) get to Burke early. Allow Burke to
establish a rhythm, and it could be a long day.
UMBC (12-3) AT NO. 6 NORTH CAROLINA
(11-5) - SATURDAY, 2:30 P.M. (ESPNU)
Key matchup: UMBC’s extra-man offense
against North Carolina’s man-down defense. With a tight game
expected, special teams could play a major factor. UNC freshman
goalie James Petracca has fared better in close-range situations
than against midfield bombers like the Retrievers’ Peet
Poillon, Alex Hopmann and Kyle Wimer -- who engineer the EMO
unit.
UMBC advances if… Don Zimmerman outcoaches
Joe Breschi. You hate to put the fate of a game in coaches’
hands, but Zimm’s offensive ingenuity against Breschi’s
defensive wherewithal makes for an interesting juxtaposition of
strategic strengths. What will Breschi have his players do against
UMBC’s middies? Slide early? And can UMBC get the man-up
opportunities to put that EMO unit to work?
North Carolina advances if… Shane Walterhoeffer
dominates faceoffs and/or the UNC defense can keep pressure off of
Petracca.
HOFSTRA (11-3) AT NO. 5 CORNELL
(10-3) - SATURDAY, 5 P.M. EASTERN (ESPNU)
Key matchup: John Glynn needs to exploit
possession in the face-off game. He’s one of the
nation’s best and Hofstra, anchored by Joe Montemurro, was
under 50 percent for the season.
Hofstra advances if… the short-stick
midfielders can keep Glynn and Max Seibald in check enough so that
the Pride don’t need to pull additional long poles up to the
midfield.
Cornell advances if… it can get
respectable goaltending. Neither Kyle Harer or Jake Myers seized
the position this year and in the Big Red’s three losses,
their goalies made just 25 saves while allowing 40 goals
NAVY (11-4) AT NO. 3 DUKE (13-3) -
SATURDAY, 7:30 P.M. EASTERN (ESPNU)
Key matchup: Frankie Coppola (Navy) against Sam
Payton (Duke) on faceoffs. Duke is putting up plenty of goals
lately, but the Midshipmen average just 9.11 goals a game and allow
7.19. They’d like to control the possession and the pace.
Whomever wins possessions can dictate pace. Duke wants it fast;
Navy wants it slow.
Navy advances if… the Middies keep the
ball away from Duke offensive powers Ned Crotty and Max Quinzani,
while controlling the time of possession. A win will give the
Navy a home game in the quarterfinals against UNC or UMBC.
Duke advances if… the Blue Devils get the
ball in the hands of Crotty (like they have all year) and keep the
offense flowing.
MARYLAND (9-6) AT NO. 7 NOTRE DAME
(15-0) - SUNDAY, 12 P.M. (ESPNU)
Key matchup: Notre Dame defenseman McDermott
against Maryland’s Will Yeatman or Grant Catalino –
however it shakes out. Notre Dame allowed the fewest goals per game
(6.13) in the nation, but the GWLL didn’t have a team like
Maryland or a player of the magnitude of a Yeatman (6-foot-6, 260
pounds) or Catalino (6-foot-5, 240 pounds). McDermott is talented
but is giving up a lot of size at 6-0, 210. And, oh yeah, he and
Yeatman were roommates before the troubled two-sport standout
transferred to Maryland.
Maryland advances if… it can keep this
game low and close. ND hasn’t been tested too often this
season, while Maryland has been in multiple nailbiters. The Terps
want to see how the Fighting Irish react when things tighten
up.
Notre Dame advances if… the defense plays
like it did in last marquee matchup, when it allowed just seven
goals to North Carolina.
VILLANOVA (11-5) AT NO. 1 VIRGINIA
(13-2) - SUNDAY, 2:30 P.M. (ESPNU)
Key matchup: Virginia attack against
‘Nova goalie Andrew DiLoreto. UVA scored just five goals
against Duke in its last game (an ACC tournament loss), and the
Wildcats give up ust 6.85 goals a game – led by
DiLoreto’s .566 save percentage. The Cavaliers need to test
him early and break out of their funk.
Villanova advances if… DiLoreto stands on his head
and the Wildcats keep the tempo down.
Virginia advances if… the Wahoos get an
early offensive outburst – and remember that ‘Nova
isn’t Duke.
MASSACHUSETTS (9-5) AT NO. 4
PRINCETON (12-2) - SUNDAY, 5 P.M. (ESPNU)
Key matchup: Princeton’s close defense
against UMass attackmen Jim Connolly and Tim Balise. Connolly (35g)
and Balise (30g) combined for nearly half of UMass’ 136 goals
this season, but were held relatively in check in its five losses
(combined 14 goals).
UMass advances if… the Minutemen get off
to a fast start. The offense is there and Doc Schneider proved
himself to be one of the dominant goalies in the nation. But the
Minutemen trailed 5-1 early in their last game against Rutgers.
Digging out of a deep whole against Princeton won’t be so
easy.
Princeton advances if… it can force the tempo. In
a bit of a role reversal, Princeton has thrived under a more
freewheeling offense this year and has cashed in on transition and
unsettled situations.
SIENA (12-5) at NO. 2 SYRACUSE (12-2)
- SUNDAY, 7:30 P.M. (ESPNU)
Key matchup: Siena goalie Brent Herbst vs.
Orange attackman Stephen Keough. The Saints need to keep the Orange
in single-digit scoring, and that means keeping close tabs on
Keough, who is averaging three goals per game. Herbst ranks second
in the nation in goals against. Siena has done a good job on its
man-up defense, but it’s doubtful the Saints have faced the
likes of the Orange power play. If ‘Cuse gets a good jump, we
could see more of Cody Jamieson, the former junior college stud who
finally became eligible late in the spring, with cameos in the
final two regular season games. It’s an added dimension to an
already-lethal SU offense.
Siena advances if… the Saints control the clock,
and make good on their offensive sets. Sharpshooting rookie Bryan
Neufeld is going to be closely monitored, so the rest of the Siena
offense is going to have to take its rips.
Syracuse advances if… it doesn’t
underestimate Siena. Most are pointing at ‘Cuse as having the
easiest bracket shakedown and booking the Orange’s trip to
Foxboro, but the Saints have quality skill players in the right
positions.
