(Duke Attackman #34 Brennan O’Neil v.s. Denver)
After nearly 350 days, college lacrosse has finally made its return! The 2021 season has been packed with a super competitive nature. With many players entering the transfer portal this season, fans are hyped to see some new faces in some new programs. This season, teams will be able to showcase their skills and get out on the field as normal. This is a breakdown of this week’s Top 20 teams according to the Inside Lacrosse Week 5 Media Poll.
The Top Dogs
This is a collection of the top-caliber collegiate programs in the NCAA. These teams comprise of the most competitive level of talent the game has to offer. All 5 of these teams are making a strong run for the 2021 Men’s Lacrosse Championships in May.
(North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Georgetown, and Syracuse)
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels (7-0)
Wins: Denver (#10), Jacksonville, High Point x2, Richmond, Mercer, and Virginia (#9)
Losses: None
The University of North Carolina shines on all stages in every sport. With UNC Men’s Lacrosse reaching the #1 spot this week, it makes 5 Tar Heel sports programs ranked nationally at the #1 spot in their respected sport. The Tar Heels have shown why they deserve the #1 spot, however. Led by their attack line, #4 Chris Gray has been in the spotlight tallying 28 goals and 17 assists in just 7 games. Gray has been a clear standout on the UNC offense. North Carolina’s win against Virginia in midweek action showcased that they can beat talented Top 10 programs at any time. They will need to continue competing in their ACC conference in order to keep their rank where it is. They are expected to prove themselves when they face #2 Duke on 4/1 in ACC competition. The Tar Heels are surrounded by all-around well-disciplined athletes.
(UNC Attackman #4 Chris Gray v.s. Mercer)
#2 Duke Blue Devils (8-0)
Wins: Denver (#10), Robert Morris, Mercer, Towson, Air Force, Richmond,
High Point, and Jacksonville
Losses: None
The Blue Devils stand with unique talent on the offensive side of the ball. Their offense was granted with 2019 Tewaaraton finalist #23 Michael Sowers (Princeton Transfer) and Inside Lacrosse’s #1 recruit in the Class of 2020 in #34 Brennan O’Neil. The defense is marshaled by senior defender #2 JT Giles-Harris. Giles-Harris is not a force to be reckoned with and has stood out as one of the best defenders in the nation. Finally, #15 Nakeie Montgomery has been a lights-out shooter for Duke. Montgomery has counted 10 goals and 12 assists as their star at the midfield line. Led by head coach John Danowski, the Blue Devil’s are expected to evolve as they learn to play with each other throughout the season.
#3 Maryland Terrapins (4-0)
Wins: Michigan, Penn State (#17), Johns Hopkins (#15), and Rutgers (#6)
Losses: None
The Terrapins have paved their way on the defensive side of the ball. The red and black’s defense is led by #7 Matt Rahill. Rahill plays excellent on-ball defense and is just a complete overall leader. Their offense is littered with studs as well, however. They are quarterbacked by #1 Jared Bernhardt who burned the Rutgers Scarlet Night defense with 6 goals and 1 assist in their last contest. As the Terrapins continue to wreak havoc on the NCAA, opposing teams are going to be forced to put a check on Bernhardt. This team is exceptional and there is no doubt that they have a chance to make something special of it. Head coach John Tillman has an opportunity to repeat another National Championship run with the Terrapins for what would be his 6th championship win as head coach.
#4 Georgetown Hoyas (4-1)
Wins: Villanova, St. John’s, Mount St. Mary’s, and Marquette
Losses: None
The Hoyas have finally come together as a team in order to dominate the competition in 2021. Led by #19 Jake Carraway, the Hoyas have slaughtered every team that has gotten in their path with wins by 10+ goals versus three of their five competitors. Carraway has topped the teams scoring with 21 goals in just 5 games. Georgetown faced #10 Denver today for their first look at a Top 10 competitor. This ended in the Hoya’s first loss of the season. This was a great test for Georgetown as they were looking to continue their hot streak. Keep a close look at the Hoyas as they continue to tear on opponents in conference play.
(Georgetown Attackman #19 Jake Carraway v.s. Villanova)
#5 Syracuse Orange (3-1)
Wins: Virginia (#9), Vermont (#19), and Stony Brook
Losses: Army (#6)
The Orange have been a standout team in the lacrosse world year in and year out. Syracuse head coach John Desko has brought in a roster of players looking to compete. The Orange’s entire starting midfield line was recently named to the Tewaaraton watchlist. These are the leaders - #16 Brendan Curry, #12 Jamie Trimboli, and #23 Tucker Dordevic. These three have put the Orange on the board during the 2021 season. The Orange suffered a rough loss against the Army Black Knights but came back better than ever with a 20-10 win against the #9 Wahoos of Virginia. Cuse looks to remain as a Top 5 competitor as they face #2 Duke on 3/25 in ACC play.
Pushing For The Top
These 6 teams are competing to earn a spot amongst the ‘Top Dogs’ in College Lacrosse. They have been competitors among the bunch, but have slipped up in some areas whether that means losses, team errors, team chemistry, etc. They have earned spots 6-10 on Inside Lacrosse’s Week 5 Media Poll.
(Rutgers, Army West Point, Notre Dame, Virginia, Lehigh, and Denver)
#6 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-1)
Wins: Penn State(#17), Ohio State(#14), and Michigan
Losses: Maryland (#3)
The Scarlet Knights have been dominant in 2021 led by #1 Connor Kirst on offense. Kirst has tallied 11 goals and 7 assists in 4 games for Rutgers and he has no plans of slowing down. Rutgers slipped up this past weekend as Maryland was able to lock up some of Rutger’s key players such as Kirst. Coach Brian Brecht is looking to keep his team hot as they face a fellow B1G 10 opponent in Johns Hopkins on Saturday to keep up conference play.
(Rutgers Defensemen #88 Bobby Russo)
#7 Army West Point Black Knights (3-1)
Wins: Syracuse (#5), Saint Joseph’s, and Boston
Losses: Virginia (#9)
West Point was awarded heavy attention after defeating #5 Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. This was rightfully earned as #20 Brendan Nichtern (Massapequa Native) has recently been raining terror on fellow defenses. Army; however, is very strong on the defensive side of the ball as well. Their defense is ushered by #11 Marcus Hudgins and goalie #21 Wyatt Schupler. Nichtern, Hudgins, and Schupler all received Patriot League 2021 Pre-Season Honors at their respective positions. Year in and year out, the Black Knights are known as a fighting team and they have certainly put that on display this year. I would not be surprised to see them in a Final Four position when May rolls around.
(Army West Point Goalie #21 Wyatt Schupler v.s Syracuse)
#8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0)
Wins: Robert Morris and Bellarmine
Losses: None
The Fighting Irish have had a great start to their 2021 season with two wins against Robert Morris and Bellarmine. Although the Irish have not played many games, I believe they are worth beating good competition as the season continues. Notable leaders for Notre Dame include sophomore attackman #51 Pat Kavanaugh, junior attackman #43 Griffin Westlin, and senior defensemen #4 James Littlefield. From what I have seen, the Irish have talent distributed all throughout their team and coaching staff. It will be nice to see the Irish compete once again on Wednesday versus Marquette.
#9 Virginia Cavaliers (5-2)
Wins: Towson, Army (#7), Loyola (#12), High Point, and Air Force
Losses: Syracuse (#5) and North Carolina (#1)
The Cavs have been lock-down competitors on both sides of the ball for years. Coach Lars Tiffany has done a fantastic job of recruiting talented players for his offense and defense. Virginia is led by star-studded players like #5 Matt Moore on offense and #28 Jared Conners on defense. They are also littered with young talent like #1 Connor Shellenberger and #33 Peter Garno. The depth on the Cavalier roster is too much to discuss. Coming off a National Championship win in 2019, the Wahoos have much more to prove in their upcoming ACC conference matchups. Another team that is worthy of a Final Four spot if they perform with confidence and fire.
(Virginia Attackman #24 Payton Cormier v.s. Army West Point)
#10 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (3-0)
Wins: NJIT, Loyola (#12), Bucknell
Losses: None
The Mountain Hawks have made their way into the Top 10. #47 Cole Kirst, brother of Rutger’s midfielder Connor Kirst, is leading the charge along with #22 attackman Tommy Schelling. Schelling has proved his way with vision as he has 12 assists in just 3 games. The Mountain Hawks proved strong in their matchup with #12 Loyola. Lehigh faces #7 Army in their next home game on March 28th.
#10 Denver Pioneers (6-2)
Wins: Utah, Air Force, Marquette, Providence, and St. John’s
Losses: Duke (#2) and North Carolina (#1)
The Pios began their season as one of the first teams to play after a long break due to the 2020 season cancellation. They started with a win against Utah and have recently won against St. John’s. The Pioneers were challenged when they were on the road in North Carolina v.s. #2 Duke and #1 UNC over a short period of time. These both ended in losses; however, Denver has since rebounded with 5 consecutive wins. Denver received the same amount of votes as Lehigh hence the fact that they are both ranked at the #10 spots. Coach Bill Tierney is a great head coach and I know for a fact that they could possibly make a run with their new addition of TD Ierlan (Yale transfer) at the faceoff X. Denver faced off against #5 Georgetown today and ended in a win. Denver plays Villanova in Big East conference play on March 21st.
Bottom Half
Teams 12-20 on Inside Lacrosse's Media Poll
12. Loyola (3-2)
13. UMass (1-0)
14. Ohio State (2-2)
15. Johns Hopkins (2-2)
16. Navy (2-0)
17. Penn State (1-3)
18. Delaware (5-1)
(Delaware Attackman #6 Charlie Kitchen) 19. Vermont (2-2)
20. Hofstra (3-1)
Honorable Mentions
All of these teams also received votes toward being a part of the Inside Lacrosse Week 5 Media Poll.
Richmond (2-3)
UMBC (2-0)
UAlbany (2-1)
Villanova (3-1)
High Point (1-4)
Marist (1-0)
(Villanova Attackman #39 Keegan Khan)
The 2021 Division I Lacrosse season has been filled with surprises and BARR-Down Sports will be here to cover it for you!
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