April 25, 2008

MD1: ACC Tournament (in Charlottesville, Va)

#4 North Carolina vs. #1 Duke - Friday, 5 p.m.
#3 Virginia vs. #2 Maryland - Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Championship Game - Sunday, 3:30 p.m.

Hook: Let's be honest. In NCAA tournament terms, these games mean nothing other than potential seeding. But you can never go wrong with the ACC. For all of Duke's firepower, it appears the faceoff problems that plagued the Blue Devils in 2007 have been rectified, as Sam Payton is winning at a near 65-percent clip.

WD1: ACC Tournament (in Charlottesville, Va.)

#3 Duke vs. #2 Virginia - Friday, 3 p.m.
#5 North Carolina vs. #1 Maryland - Friday, 5:30 p.m.
Championship Game - Sunday, 1 p.m.

Hook: The top-seeded Terps might be the most athletic and consistently excellent team this side of Northwestern. And while the other three ACC teams have withstood a rash of injuries, be they season-ending or nagging, Maryland has managed to stay healthy. Its depth is reflected in its record.

WD1: Atlantic 10 Tournament (in Richmond, Va.)

#4 Massachusetts vs. #1 Richmond - Friday, 1 p.m.
#3 Duquesne vs. #2 Temple - Friday, 3:30 p.m.
Championship Game - Sunday, 1 p.m.

Hook: While other conferences (America East, MAAC, Northeast and Patriot League) battle this weekend for bids to a play-in game, this conference winner gets a ticket direct to the NCAA tournament's first round. Top-seeded Richmond shook off a tough start to come on strong behind late-season surges by Mandy Friend and Allison Furstenburg, but Temple was right on its heels. It is, after all, the 20th anniversary of the Owls' 1988 national championship. Perhaps there's some magic in the works for Temple.

MD1: Patriot League Tournament (in West Point, N.Y.)

#4 Bucknell vs. #1 Army - Friday, 4 p.m.
#3 Colgate vs. #2 Navy - Friday, 7 p.m.
Championship Game - Sunday, 2 p.m. (CBS College Sports)

Hook: For all its perceived disappointment, Colgate finished the 2008 regular season strong with four straight wins to finish 8-5 and usurp Bucknell in the Patriot League race, thanks in large part to two-time PL offensive player of the year Brandon Corp (30g). Army and Navy, regardless of the results here, are in a strong holding pattern for NCAA tournament consideration. A first-round loss puts the Bison in peril, whereas an upset of Army could pose interesting problems for the selection committee. Of course, any one of these four teams has the firepower to put consideration to rest by seizing the conference championship and automatic bid.

WD1: Big East Tournament (in South Bend, Ill.)

#4 Rutgers vs. #1 Syracuse - Friday, 5:30 p.m.
#3 Georgetown vs. #2 Notre Dame - Friday, 7:45 p.m.
Championship Game - Sunday, 12 p.m. (CBS College Sports)

Hook: Another weekend, another big lacrosse game played in a venerable college football stadium. The championship game at Notre Dame Stadium will be televised live by CBS College Sports, and the host Irish have to be excited about that prospect. They were the only team to give Syracuse a legitimate run in this conference, with a 16-13, double-overtime loss March 16 in South Bend.

WD1: No. 13 George Mason at James Madison
Saturday, 12 p.m.
Hook: The CAA, as usual, is a mess. If Mason (4-2 in CAA) beats JMU, it can lock up the No. 1 seed and home field advantage for the CAA tournament, because it owns head-to-head tiebreakers over Towson (5-2) and William and Mary (5-2). If JMU beats Mason, however, the Patriots are out altogether, because that would forge a four-way tie among 4-3 teams Mason, Delaware, Hofstra and JMU. The CAA tiebreaker here is a team's record against the other three in contention, and Delaware and JMU would lock up the final two spots - leaving the poor Patriots to at-large devices.

MD1: No. 17 Brown at No. 8 Cornell
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Hook: Is Bruno for real? The Bears get a good gauge here, with the Big Red smarting over a tough loss at Princeton last week. A Brown win sets up a showdown next week with Princeton for the Ivy League championship. A Cornell win poses a three-way tie atop the conference heading into that game. Jordan Burke has been the most consistent goalie in the country, but has he seen heat like Max Seibald's?

MD3: No. 3 Washington College at No. 1 Salisbury
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Hook: The "War on the Shore" regains its cachet this season with both programs ranked in the top five. The Gulls are in the NCAA tournament after winning the CAC tournament last weekend, and it's a good bet the Shoremen are in, as well, but an upset of their intra-conference rival would seal the deal.

MD1: No. 13 Ohio State at No. 7 Notre Dame
Sunday, 12 p.m.
Hook: Winner earns top seed in the GWLL tournament, and the right to avoid Denver in the first round.

WD1: No. 1 Northwestern at No. 4 Penn
Sunday, 2 p.m.
Hook: "Bring it on," said Penn goalie Sarah Waxman, never one to shy away from bold proclamations. No, these Quakers do not quake in their cleats, and have been chomping at the bit to give the defending champs a good run.