Championship Weekend: Preview of NCAA men's lacrosse Final Four
The biggest event in the sport of lacrosse is at hand, and the experience of the Championship Weekend stage will be new to most of the participants at this year’s NCAA tournament finale.
Top seed and defending champion Maryland is the only member of last season’s semifinal foursome to make it back to Foxborough, Mass. The Terrapins’ semifinal opponent, fourth-seeded Duke, is a tournament regular but hasn’t reached the semifinal round since claiming its most recent title in 2014. No. 2 Albany has come close in recent years but is now in its first Final Four. No. 3 Yale, winner of three consecutive Ivy League tournaments, has also been close but is in the semifinals for the first time since its lone appearance in 1990.
That is not to say that the presence of any of these participants comes as a surprise. All four teams, in fact, spent time this season at No. 1 in the polls. And, while the teams might lack experience at major venues like Gillette Stadium, there will be no shortage of star power and flashy stick skills on hand.
Albany enters the weekend with the most productive offense in the nation, averaging 14.61 goals a game. But all four squads are in the top 10, with Duke second at 13.78 and Yale fourth at 13.61.
All of this is to say longtime fans of the sport have high hopes for some spectator-friendly action over the weekend. That could especially be true of Saturday’s first semifinal between Albany and Yale.
“We’re hoping so,” says Albany coach Scott Marr. “They like to play at a high tempo, too, so we absolutely feel like this could be a high-scoring game.”
Their initial encounter in the regular season didn’t exactly deliver as Yale prevailed 14-6. But that contest also featured a memorable moment of sportsmanship between two of the sport’s best playmakers. The Great Danes’ standout attackman Connor Fields had to leave the game with a knee injury. but as he made his way to the sideline, Yale’s star attackman Ben Reeves came the length of the field to give Fields a pat on the helmet.
“At face value, he’s just a high-character kid,” says Bulldogs’ coach Andy Shay of Reeves, who was named Yale’s male athlete of the year earlier this week. “He’s even more impressive when you get to know him.”
Both teams are now looking forward to the rematch. Fields, though still not at full speed, is back in action and is still one of the best feeders in the game.
“It’s a team that we beat when they were undermanned physically,” Shay says. “I think our guys understand that this is going to be a tremendous challenge.”
“Honestly, they played outstanding that day,” Marr says. “But we feel like now we’re at full strength, so I think our kids are glad to have the opportunity to play them again.”
Maryland and Duke did not meet during the regular season, and their encounters are less frequent since the Terrapins’ departure from the ACC. But it remains and important rivalry in the sport, with a basis in mutual respect.
“I do believe there is a parallel,” says Duke coach John Danowski. He adds that his son Matt, now an assistant on his staff, has said he likes the Maryland alums he’s encountered in professional and international competition. “He’s always said they’re similarly spirited kids.”
Some of those Maryland alums played a major role for last year’s title team. Terrapins’ coach John Tillman is appreciative of the effort it took for his new crop of team leaders to get them back to Championship Weekend.
“There was a lot that needed to be done,” he says. “But just to see the leadership grow day-by day, week by week, it’s been enjoyable but challenging on many levels.”
Men’s lacrosse Final Four
Saturday in Foxborough, Mass.
No. 2 Albany (16-2) vs. No. 3 Yale (15-3), Noon ET, ESPN2
Coaches: Scott Marr (18th season at Albany), Andy Shay (15th season at Yale).
NCAA championships: Albany none, Yale none.
Road to Foxborough: Albany — Beat Richmond 18-9, Denver 15-13. Yale — Beat UMass 15-13, Loyola (Md.) 8-5.
Key players: Albany — A Connor Fields, Sr. (31 G, 50 A); A Tehoka Nanticoke, Fr. (49 G, 42 A); FOS T.D. Lirlan, So. (.810 FO%, 246 ground balls, 5 G, 4 A). Yale — A Ben Reeves, (56 G, 46 A); A Jackson Morrill, So. (37 G, 26 A); FOS Conor Mackie, Sr. (.646 FO%, 176 ground balls, 3 G).
Quick sticks: Lirlan’s dominance on faceoffs is a major part of the Great Danes’ big offensive numbers, but Yale’s Mackie was one of his few opponents to get the better of him when they met in the regular season. … If both high-octane attacks get in gear, the goalies will have to be sharp. Albany senior JD Colarusso has a solid .574 save percentage, but Yale freshman Jack Starr has played well in the playoffs. … The winner of this contest will have the opportunity to become the 12th different program to claim a championship in the NCAA era.
No. 1 Maryland (14-3) vs. No. 4 Duke (15-3), 2:30 p.m. ET approx., ESPN2
Coaches: John Tillman (eighth season at Maryland), John Danowski (12th season at Duke).
NCAA championships: Maryland three (last 2017), Duke three (last 2014).
Road to Foxborough: Maryland — Beat Robert Morris 14-11, Cornell 13-8. Duke — Beat Villanova 17-11, Johns Hopkins 14-9.
Key players: Maryland — M Connor Kelly, Sr. (45 G, 33 A); M Jared Bernhardt, So. (38 G, 16 A); M Logan Wisnauskas, Fr. (33 G, 14 A). Duke — A Justin Guterding, Sr. (61 G, 43 A); M Brad Smith, (28 G, 33 A); A Joe Robertson, Fr. (43 G, 11 A).
Quick sticks: Though Guterding is the primary point producer, the Duke offense is flexible enough that he isn’t the primary initiator in six-on-six sets. Nevertheless, he’ll still likely draw plenty of attention from Bryce Young and Curtis Corley, Maryland’s main on-ball defenders. … The goalies in this clash are both seniors with plenty of big-game experience. The Terrapins’ Dan Morris, the winning keeper with 11 stops in last season’s championship game, has an 8.94 goals-against average and a .529 save percentage this season. Duke’s Danny Fowler (8.40 GAA, .538 save percentage) was a redshirt in 2014 and is the only member of the Blue Devils’ roster who has first-hand experience with the Championship Weekend atmosphere.
Championship Monday, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN2.