Weekend lacrosse primer (March 22): Players and Games of the Week, top 20 polls

Games of the Week

Men

No. 2 Duke (8-1, 0-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) @ No. 12 Syracuse (4-2, 0-1)

Sunday, 2 p.m.

Outlook: The Orange own a 12-6 advantage in this series and are 3-0 at home against the Blue Devils. Offensive depth has been key for both sides as Duke has eight players with 10 points or more and Syracuse has seven with double-digit totals.

Women

No. 1 Boston College (10-0, 1-0 in the ACC) @ No. 3 North Carolina (8-1, 1-0)

Saturday, 12 p.m.

Outlook: The Tar Heels have dominated this series with 15 victories in 18 games, but the Eagles enjoyed a 17-11 romp on March 24, 2018. Boston College’s No. 2 offense (18.8 goals per game) must try to unravel North Carolina’s No. 8 defense (8.3 goals per game).

Players of the Week

Men

Matt Brandau, Yale

Timonium, attackman, freshman

The Boys’ Latin graduate swept Ivy League honors as the Player and Rookie of the Week after amassing eight points on six goals and two assists in the No. 3 Bulldogs’ 16-11 upset of then-No. 3 Cornell on Saturday. Brandau, who had scored five goals in his first four games, ranks second on the team in goals with 11 and is tied for second in points with 17.

Women

Andie Aldave, Notre Dame

Baltimore, midfielder, sophomore

The McDonogh graduate keyed the No. 8 Fighting Irish’s 10-9 upset of then-No. 5 Virginia on Saturday with three goals and two assists, including the game-winning goal with 90 seconds left in the game. Aldave, who was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week, followed up that performance with five goals in Wednesday’s 18-6 thrashing of Vanderbilt.

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Duke's Nakeie Montgomery (15) celebrates after scoring on Maryland's Dan Morris, seated left, during the first half in the semifinals of the NCAA Division 1 college lacrosse tournament in Foxborough, Mass., Saturday, May 26, 2018. (Michael Dwyer / AP)

Inside Lacrosse Top 20 polls

Men

1. Penn State (6-1, 15 first place votes)

2. Duke (8-1, 5)

3. Yale (4-1, 5)

4. Maryland (7-1, 2)

5. Cornell (5-2)

6. Loyola (5-2)

7. Ohio State (6-0)

8. Towson (5-2)

9. Virginia (5-2)

10. High Point (7-1)

11. Notre Dame (4-2)

12. Syracuse (4-2)

13. Denver (4-2)

14. Georgetown (7-1)

15. Lehigh (5-3)

16. Johns Hopkins (4-3)

17. Penn (3-3)

18. Army (6-2)

19. North Carolina (6-2)

20. UMass (5-3)

Women

1. Boston College (10-0, 21 first-place votes)

2. Maryland (8-0, 3)

3. North Carolina (8-1)

4. Syracuse (9-2)

5. Penn (8-1)

6. James Madison (7-1)

7. Virginia (7-3)

8. Notre Dame (8-0)

9. Michigan (10-0)

10. Princeton (5-1)

11. Northwestern (6-3)

12. Duke (7-3)

13. USC (8-1)

14. Navy (6-2)

15. Denver (7-2)

16. Loyola (4-3)

17. Johns Hopkins (7-2)

18. Stanford (6-2)

19. Stony Brook (4-3)

20. Florida (3-6)

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Notre Dame celebrates after defeating Duke, 13-9, at Lincoln Financial Field on May 29, 2023. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)