Overtime is the early theme in the 2014 college season. With the expanded field, these one-goal affairs could play a factor when determining the bubble teams. Otherwise, it was a good week for the ACC. We saw some impressive victories by some of the up-and-coming programs. If these February games are any indication, we might be in for a bedeviling season.
1 Duke (2-0)—Duke got a head start and won a big February contest against a top team in Denver. Tip of the hat to goaltender Luke Aaron who came off the bench to record eight saves in the final three quarters. Good sign for the Blue Devils as they received nine goals from its first and second midfield lines. John Danowski’s team will next be in action on Friday night against UPenn on ESPN3.
2 Syracuse (2-0)—The Orange avoided another upset at the hands of Albany thanks to a team effort. Randy Staats (5, 2) and Dylan Donahue (3, 2) drove the offense while Chris Daddio controlled the face-offs (13 groundballs, 24-36), while the goaltenders combined for 16 saves. Up next is their first dip in the ACC hosting Maryland.
3 North Carolina (2-0)—Three different players recorded hat tricks as the Tar Heels ran over Manhattan 21-5. The offense unloaded 66 total shots while 16 different players recorded at least a point. Dartmouth is next on the schedule before the Irish march into Chapel Hill the following week.
4 Notre Dame (1-0)—Thirteen different goal scorers contributed to the Fighting Irish’s 19-7 victory in Jacksonville at the Moe’s Southwest Grill Lacrosse Classic. They were impressive at face offs (23-30) and the defense held the Dolphins to 18 shots. A good test approaches with Penn State this Saturday.
5 Maryland (2-0)—Ho-hum game for the Terps who smothered UMBC 14-3. Mike Chanenchuk (2, 3) paced the offense, while Michael Ehrhardt (6 GB, 3 caused turnovers) and Niko Amato (8 saves) blanked UMBC for three quarters. They also dominated ground balls 40-17. Next up is a showdown with ACC-newcomer Syracuse.
6 Denver (1-1)—Good effort by the Pioneers against Duke, but they fell short in the second half 14-10. Bill Tierney’s squad has talent but needs to gain experience if they wish to dethrone one of the big fishes. Mistakes, like the clear game (9-14), groundballs (lost 32-21) and finishing shots. The players will need their rest for this week. They take on Marist then Canisius on Saturday then Sunday.
7 Virginia (3-0)—Another one goal affair, another one goal win for the Wahoos. Similar to the Loyola game, Virginia allowed Drexel to get back into this one in the second half. Mark Cockerton was the hero this time, scoring the team’s final two goals, including the overtime winner with 15 seconds remaining. Dom Starsia’s team takes on Rutgers on Saturday then travels to The Mount on Tuesday.
8 Johns Hopkins (2-0)—The Blue Jays fell behind Towson early but seized control in the middle quarters to pull away. Brandon Bennn, Ryan Brown and John Crawley each had four goals while Wells Stanwick contributed a goal and five assists. Future Big Ten foe Michigan is up next.
9 Princeton (0-0)—The Ivy League teams start their seasons this weekend. Princeton will be a favorite to win the conference with Tewaarton nominee Tom Schreiber. The Tigers host Hofstra on ESPNU at 11 am.
10 Loyola (1-1)—Charlie Toomey’s team would not be denied this week as they found a way to win in the extra frame against Penn State. No rest for the weary as the Greyhounds have a quick turnaround against Towson on Wednesday before traveling to Massachusetts to take on Holy Cross.
11 Albany (0-1)—Second year in a row that we had a shootout at the Carrier Dome. The Great Danes came back from a five-goal deficit in the fourth quarter but Syracuse came out on top in overtime. Ty Thompson had five goals while Lyle had a goal and five assists.
12 Penn State (1-1)—Credit to Joe Tambroni’s boys for showing heart down the stretch. They scored four goals in the fourth quarter to force overtime against Loyola before the Greyhounds ended it on their first possession. Shane Sturgis continues to standout, following up his seven-point opening week performance with a five-point afternoon. It does not get easier as they travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.
13 Yale (0-0)—The Bulldogs look to begin their quest for a three-peat of the Ivy League crown when they welcome St. John’s this week.
14 Lehigh (3-0)—Convincing wins over Furman and Marquette, along with a thrilling 7-6 triple overtime victory over Villanova. The Mountainhawks have received balanced contributions on both ends of the field.
15 UMass (2-0)—Earned a well-deserved overtime win over Ohio State. Nick Mariano had a four goal game, including the game winner with seven seconds left in overtime.
16 Penn (0-0)—The Quakers will be tested early when they visit Duke on Friday night.
17 Ohio State (0-2)—Back-to-back overtime losses to John’s Hopkins and UMass. Jesse King was held to one assist against the Minutemen. If they falter in the ECAC, these losses come back to bite them for an automatic bid.
18 Saint John’s (1-0)—An unimpressive win over Holy Cross to start the year. All three attackmen had hat tricks. Yale should present a good early test for the Johnnies in New Haven.
19 Cornell (0-0)—The post-Pannell/DeLuca era begins this weekend against Hobart.
20 Bucknell (1-1)—The Bison were unable to overcome Bryant’s strong start and were knocked off 12-9. Many things did not go right for them: Goaltender Sam Grinberg (six saves) was outplayed by his counterpart, they lost the possession battle (lost groundballs 35-23), while the offense did not move the ball enough. Their first Patriot League opponent in Navy comes to campus this week.
Honorable Mentions:
Marquette (1-1)—The Golden Eagles bounced back from their defeat to Lehigh last week and took down Hofstra at Joe Amplo’s old stomping grounds. FOGO Cullen Cassidy and goaltender JJ Sagl stepped up to claim this win on the road.
Bryant (1-1)—A notable victory over Bucknell behind 16 saves by Gunnar Waldt and four point days from Tucker James and Collins Grantz.
