Eight automatic qualifiers are up for grabs over the next week.
With the Patriot League Quarterfinals on Tuesday night, there s no reason to turn away from your laptop or TV for the next six days with the amount of action on much of it staggered across the day so you ll be able to see most finishes.
Here are our picks for conference champions a piece that s routinely become bulletin-board fodder on Championship Saturday.
America East
Terry Foy: UMBC
I’m picking the Retrievers because of a combination of home-field advantage, conference tournament experience, close game experience and the idea that defense wins in May (which, in the shot clock era, I’m not even certain is true any longer).
Photo courtesy of Villanova Athletics)
Throughout the season, Villanova has occupied a strange space. Itâs a team that typically is good for an early-season out-of-conference upset â like Maryland in 2020 and â17, Yale in â19 and â18.Â
With a Big East-only schedule for most of 2021, that wasnât an option, and the Wildcats rolled through league competition but hadnât been able to get past Top 10 teams Denver and Georgetown, despite a game against each decided by one goal.
Combine that with a one-sided season-opening loss to the Hoyas that grabbed headlines, and Villanovaâs sat somewhere toward the back of the Top 20 without much fanfare â but still talented and dangerous.
April 30: Semifinals
Front-Runners: Davidson (10-2; 5-0), UMass (11-2; 6-0), Richmond (8-1; 4-0)
The conference split into North and South divisions for 2021 due to COVID-19 scheduling. Davidson is leading the South in wins and UMass is leading the North, both sitting perfect in conference play. Davidson has put together an impressive 2021 campaign with wins over Virginia Tech and High Point, but the real test will come when they have to face Richmond for the first time to maintain their status in the South. The Spiders sit No. 18 in the Media Poll currently.
In the North, UMass handled the next best team easily in a 21-12 victory over Saint Joe’s. If this score is any indication, they’ll likely win their second matchup against them, as well, to maintain the No. 1 seed.
Photo Courtesy of Syracuse Athletic Communications)
Duke took down Virginia in overtime on Thursday. Manhattan, Delaware and Georgetown all won in extra time. Mac O’Keefe is now the career goals leader in DI lacrosse. The Heels rolled the Orange out of the Carrier Dome. Saint Joe s, Delaware and Towson all won vital games.
I was able to watch Michigan at Penn State on Friday night. While it wasn’t the prettiest game you’ll ever see especially on the defensive side of the ball the compete level was high, as both teams let if fly. Mac O Keefe eclipsed the all-time career goal-scoring mark on a sidearm riser that pinged a corner and eventually bagged the golden goal in overtime. To see the Nittany Lions celebrate the win after a difficult campaign was a great reminder: keep battling. All victories, whether big or small, are significant.
By Jim Scott
Apr 11, 2021 12:34 AM
(WISCONSIN ATHLETICS) â Head coach Marisa Moseley has completed her coach staff with the hiring of three assistants. Scott Merritt will join the Badgers as the associate head coach while Kate Barnosky and Caroline Doty have been named assistant coaches, Moseley announced.
âIn putting together my staff, I was committed to selecting individuals who are winners at their cores,â explained Moseley. âEach of these coaches are incredible people first and skilled professionals second. Caroline, Kate, and Scott are the epitome of what Wisconsin Athletics is about â loyal, driven, and dedicated people who are committed and focused on taking Badger womenâs basketball to the top! This is the start of a new era of excellence in Madison and I canât wait for this team and our greater community to embrace these incredibly dynamic coaches.â