NCAA men's lacrosse quarterfinals: What to watch for

The Ohio State men's lacrosse team had a lot to live up to, given the accomplishments of its fellow Buckeyes in the athletic department this year. But they're off to a good start in the postseason.

Ohio State's run in football got the most attention, of course. But the Buckeyes wrestling squad also brought home the program's first national title. Now it's the lacrosse team hoping to break new ground. <b>The Buckeyes take on Denver</b> on Saturday in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU).

OSU earned the trip west, the program's third quarterfinal berth, by eliminating two-time defending champ Duke in the opening round, a result that also snapped the Blue Devils' run of eight consecutive semifinal appearances. With one more win, Ohio State will make it to Championship Weekend for the first time in program history.

"It's been humbling," says coach Nick Myers. "The journey this year in particular has been a pretty special one."

The ride wasn't always smooth for the Buckeyes, who began the 2015 campaign in February with a loss to Detroit. There was also a 9-0 whitewash at the hands of eventual NCAA tournament top seed Notre Dame. But offsetting those disappointments were some notable victories, including a home triumph against this week's opponent.

Additionally, a regular-season win against Johns Hopkins as well as a semifinal upset of Maryland in the inaugural Big Ten tournament were enough for OSU to receive an at-large NCAA berth. The Buckeyes made the most of that opportunity at Duke, take charge from start to finish for a 16-11 victory. David Planning fired in a career-best six goals, and senior midfielder Jesse King was his usual steady self with two goals and two assists for the Buckeyes.

"I don't think anyone really gave us a shot," Myers says. "But going into the week we'd just play Maryland and Hopkins in three days, so we felt like we were battle tested. We shot the ball really well and did a good job to hold their top guys down."

Things don't get any easier from here, naturally. Because Denver was one of the two predetermined sites to host one of the two quarterfinal doubleheaders, the first time for this round to be held west of the Mississippi, the Buckeyes will essentially have to win another road game. Another trend isn't working in the Buckeyes' favor: Three of the first-round contests held a week ago re-matched teams that had met in the regular season. In all three cases, the team that lost the first time around bounced back to win in the tournament.

"It's tough to beat a team twice," Myers says. "They've won 10 straight games since they played us, and that's for good reason. They're very talented."

But Myers also says his team's familiarity with the Pioneers, who used to be in the same conference before the Big Ten began sponsoring the sport this season, could be a plus: "We're very familiar with them. Our seniors are 3-2 in their careers against Denver. I don't think there are many groups that can say that. But they force you to play their best lacrosse to beat them. They're very efficient on offense, they don't turn it over, and they shoot very well. It's a mountain to climb, and we have to do it in the backyard, but we're excited about it."

Pioneers coach Bill Tierney knows first-hand that the rematch theory doesn't always hold. "The one thing we do know is that they can beat us. "We're highly aware of that," he says. "They've got a couple of great senior leaders, which you need at this time of year."

Whether or not the Buckeyes advance, it's already been a successful postseason for the Big Ten with all three of its tournament entrants reaching the round of eight. Johns Hopkins, a lacrosse independent for decades, made the most of its new league affiliation by winning the conference tournament.

"I don't think we've been disappointed in any way shape or form," says Blue Jays coach Dave Pietramala. "The Big Ten has been first class. They've made us feel every bit as much a part of it as the full-time members. Having (commissioner) Jim Delany come to our first conference game against Rutgers was huge."

"I'm not surprised the teams have had success," says Maryland coach John Tillman. "We're excited about the future. I think it was a good first year for Big Ten lacrosse. Those schools have great resources and have been successful at anything they've committed themselves to."

The Blue Jays and Terrapins get to spend the weekend much closer to home in the Sunday pair of games in Annapolis, where both can expect plenty of home-state crowd support. <b>Johns Hopkins takes on frequent postseason rival Syracuse</b> (noon ET, ESPN2), while <b>Maryland renews acquaintances with former ACC rival North Carolina</b> (2:30 p.m., ESPN2). The Orange and JHU have combined to win the tournament 20 times since the NCAA began sanctioning the sport in 1971.

"It says something that we're playing Hopkins in the second round," Syracuse coach John Desko says. "It certainly speaks to the growth of the game. There are a lot more teams that can compete at the highest level and a lot more players to choose from."

The Tar Heels and Terrapins are hoping to end lengthy championship droughts, but both programs also claim multiple NCAA titles. Maryland managed a 10-8 win against North Carolina earlier, the lone ACC squad that remained on the Terrapins schedule following their departure to the Big Ten. UNC fans are hoping the trend of rematch reversals continues, but coach Joe Breschi knows it's hardly a given.

"It's been two months since we played Maryland. We're a different team, and so are they," he says. "It's in their territory, but maybe we can get the Hopkins and Syracuse fans to root for us."

As it happens, all four of the teams assembling in Denver will be looking for their first NCAA crown. The participants in the early game Saturday, top-seeded <b>Notre Dame and Albany</b> (3 p.m. ET, ESPNU), didn't meet this year. But it is still a rematch of a sort; they faced off last season in the quarterfinal round as well, with the Fighting Irish prevailing in a memorable 14-13 overtime thriller.

"I think they're actually better than they were last year," says Albany coach Scott Marr. "But I think we feel good. The thing we learned from last year is how to finish some of these close games. We talk about finishing, and that's been our mindset all year."

Despite a nine-point outing from all-time scoring leader Lyle Thompson last week in the Great Danes' first-round win at Cornell, it was the score by goalie Blaze Riorden following a length-of-the-field run near the end of the third quarter that was the most replayed highlight from the opening weekend.

Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan isn't overly concerned about another goalie sprint, but he readily acknowledges there's more to worry about than Thompson. "They're very consistent in their philosophy. I think what gets lost with them is the depth and athleticism of their midfield," he says.