Tue Apr 27 2021 | Patrick Stevens | College
PHOTO BY JOHN STROHSACKER
At this point in the season, it’s all about opportunity.
That’s why the chart of at-large teams in the weekly bracket exercise is reduced to only a dozen teams scrambling for eight spots. It’s not that top-30 teams in the America East (Albany), the Metro Atlantic (Monmouth), the Northeast (Hobart and Bryant) and the Southern (High Point) conferences have no chance to make the NCAA tournament.
But because of some combination of a questionable loss or two, the absence of high-end victories and (especially) no games left against potential top-10 teams, they basically have one opportunity left: To win their conference tournaments.
Fri Apr 23 2021 | Patrick Stevens | College
PHOTO BY RICH BARNES / SYRACUSE ATHLETICS
Tanner Cook scored twice in UNC s 21-9 win over Syracuse.
Joe Breschi thought it was time for a reward.
His North Carolina men’s lacrosse team was more than two months into a season filled with pandemic protocols. It was coming off its first two losses of the season, an overtime setback at Duke followed by an 18-16 stumble at home against Virginia.
So what better time to show some appreciation than in the middle of an only-in-2021 road trip, a one-day, up-and-back to Syracuse?
The Tar Heels met for breakfast in Chapel Hill at 7 a.m., and nearly eight hours later, they were ready to play the Orange. But with Syracuse going through its Senior Day ceremonies, Breschi brought the Tar Heels off the field.
Thu Apr 22 2021 | Nelson Rice | Fuel
Emily Hawryschuk is returning to Syracuse to use her sixth year of eligibility in 2022. (Photo by John Strohsacker)
Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:
1. Emily Hawryschuk is coming back.
Two months ago when Syracuse’s Emily Hawryschuk announced the torn ACL she suffered in practice before the Orange’s second game would keep her out the rest of the season, she ended on a positive note. “#51 is not signing off just yet.”
The statement was a sign of things to come.
Hawryschuk, one of the best players in the college game, announced on her social media platforms Wednesday afternoon that she will use her sixth year of eligibility to play a final season in the Carrier Dome for Gary Gait.
Thu Apr 22 2021 | Patrick Stevens | College
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARQUETTE ATHLETICS
Marquette’s 7-6 quadruple-overtime victory at Providence didn’t take forever. It just felt that way.
The Golden Eagles won it on redshirt-freshman Devon Cowan’s goal with three seconds left in the fourth extra session. At 75 minutes, 57 seconds, it was the longest Division I game since Princeton edged Yale 10-9 in five overtimes on March 24, 2012.
“I’m young, but I think it took years off my life,” Marquette coach Andrew Stimmel said. “I thought our staff did a great job of staying calm on the outside, but I looked down at my watch and my heart rate was in the 140s and 150s. There were some nerves there, for sure. It almost felt like we like we played another game. I know it wasn’t that in minutes, but we were honestly lucky to make our flight after the game.”
Wed Apr 21 2021 | Patrick Stevens | College
PHOTO BY JOHN STROHSACKER
One of this season’s blessings is that there aren’t nearly as many what-ifs associated with it as a year ago, when the pandemic wiped out the final seven weeks of the regular season, plus the NCAA tournament.
Which isn’t to say there aren’t things to wonder about. Just how the Ivy League’s teams would have fared is something we’ll never know; Penn’s return to action on Friday at Division III Cabrini aside.
For the purposes of projecting an NCAA tournament bracket, it would be great to know how Maryland would have done against non-Big Ten competition. The Terrapins are 9-0 after Sunday’s 18-8 pummeling of Ohio State and have outscored their largely overmatched conference foes by an average of 7.44 goals a game. They have yet to trail in the second half in any game.