Weekend lacrosse primer (May 3): Players and Games of the Week, top 20 polls

By Edward Lee

The Baltimore Sun

May 03, 2019 5:00 AM

TD Ierlan won a record 26 of 26 faceoffs for Yal in win over Harvard last week. (Handout / HANDOUT)

Players of the Week

Men

TD Ierlan, Yale

Victor, N.Y., faceoff specialist, junior

The Ivy League’s Player of the Week went 26-for-26 on draws, collected 20 ground balls, scored one goal and assisted another in the No. 2 Bulldogs’ 22-11 thumping of Harvard on Saturday. Ierlan, who leads all NCAA Division I players in both faceoff percentage (.794) and ground balls per game (14.6), broke the previous record for most draws without a loss held by Sacred Heart’s Zach Smith (25-of-25 against Hartford) on April 25, 2007.

Samantha Mehalick had an 11-goal game for Marist last week. (Handout / HANDOUT)

Women

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Samantha Mehalick, Marist

North Brunswick, N.J., attacker, junior

Mehalick scored a school-record 11 goals on 17 shots – including the game-winner with seven seconds remaining – in the Red Foxes’ 15-14 win against Manhattan in the quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament Saturday. Mehalick, who ranks fourth in the nation in goals per game (4.2), was one goal shy of the NCAA Division I mark set by former Loyola Maryland attacker Stacey Morlang against American on May 1, 2002.

Games of the Week

Men

No. 9 Cornell (10-4, 4-2 Ivy League) vs. No. 2 Yale (11-2, 5-1)

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Friday, 8:30 p.m.

Outlook: Last year’s Ivy League tournament final — which the Bulldogs lost, 14-8, before capturing the NCAA Division I championship — is the second of two semifinals in the conference playoffs In New York City. Yale handled the Big Red, 16-11, on March 16 and has won four of the past five meetings.

Women

No. 7 Michigan (15-2, 4-2 Big Ten) vs. No. 5 Northwestern (12-4, 5-1)

Friday, 7:30 p.m.

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Outlook: The Wolverines will get a taste of their first conference postseason, while the Wildcats will participate in their fifth consecutive Big Ten tournament at Johns Hopkins’ Homewood Field. Northwestern secured a 13-11 win against Michigan on April 18 and is 8-0 against the Wolverines.

Johns Hopkins upsets No. 2 Maryland, 16-11, in men's lacrosse; Terps women coast past JHU

Saturday’s lacrosse doubleheader at Maryland Stadium in College Park began with the No. 2 Maryland women rolling Johns Hopkins and ended with the Blue Jays men upending the No. 2 Terps.

By Edward Lee

Apr 27, 2019 10:15 PM

Inside Lacrosse Top 20 polls

Men

1. Penn State (12-1)

2. Yale (11-2)

3. Penn (9-3)

4. Virginia (12-3)

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5. Maryland (11-3)

6. Loyola Md. (11-3)

7. Duke (11-4)

8. Notre Dame (8-5)

9. Cornell (10-4)

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10. Syracuse (9-4)

11. High Point (12-2)

12. Towson (9-4)

13. UMass (10-4)

14. Denver (9-4)

15. Ohio State (8-4)

16. Johns Hopkins (7-6)

17. Georgetown (11-4)

18. North Carolina (8-7)

19. Army (10-4)

20. Villanova (8-6)

Receiving votes: Boston University, Delaware, Rutgers, Air Force, Princeton, Stony Brook

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Also, the Maryland women have taken advantage of free-position shots, Forry Smith provided a lift for the Johns Hopkins men, and the Hood women said goodbye to their head coach.

By Edward Lee

May 03, 2019 5:00 AM

Women

1. Maryland (17-0)

2. North Carolina (15-3)

3. Boston College (19-1)

4. Syracuse (15-4)

5. Northwestern (12-4)

6. Virginia (12-6)

7. Michigan (15-2)

8. Notre Dame (13-4)

9. James Madison (14-3)