Top MAAC Games To Watch

The MAAC was the seventh conference to have every team announce their schedule.

With that, let’s list some of the best regular season games involving Big East teams in 2017.

We’ll start with listing some nonconference games to watch.

FEBRUARY

Wagner @ Manhattan (February 11)

Marist @ Colgate (February 11)

Monmouth @ Villanova (February 11)

Michigan @ Detroit Mercy (February 15)

Robert Morris @ Manhattan (February 18)

Marist @ Air Force (February 18)

Siena @ Hobart (February 18)

Marist @ Princeton (February 21)

Wagner @ Monmouth (February 21)

Jacksonville @ Detroit Mercy (February 23)

Monmouth @ Delaware (February 25)

Siena @ UMass Lowell (February 25)

MARCH

Canisius @ Cleveland State (March 4)

Drexel @ Marist (March 4)

St. John’s @ Siena (March 4)

Quinnipiac @ Princeton (March 7)

Monmouth @ St. Joe’s (March 10)

UMass Lowell @ Manhattan (March 11)

UMBC @ Marist (March 11)

Hartford @ Quinnipiac (March 11)

Canisius @ Hobart (March 14)

Siena @ Bryant (March 14)

Binghamton @ Canisius (March 28)

APRIL

Monmouth @ Lafayette (April 4)

Canisius @ Robert Morris (April 18)

Detroit Mercy @ Cleveland State (April 29)

TOP GAME: I mean if Marist-Air Force goes to four overtimes like it did last year, yeah it’s gonna be the top MAAC nonconference game to watch. I don’t think it’ll go beyond two overtimes (if it even goes to overtime at all), but it should still be an exciting game to watch.

TOP MATCHUP: With Monmouth returning pretty much their entire team for one more year, how will their offense fare against one of the nation’s best goaltenders in T.J. Jones from St. Joe’s? Two of St. Joe’s starting defenders are also back in Charles Giunta and Shane Taggert as well, so it will certainly be a tough task for Chris Daly and company to complete.

UNDER-THE-RADAR GAME: The Quinnipiac-Princeton game is worth noting, as the Tigers are in the first year of the Matt Madalon era. Brian Feldman and Foster Cuomo bolster the Bobcat defense, along with goaltender Jack Brust. The Bobcats made a late run in the season and won the MAAC championship, while Princeton hopes to start their rebuild on a positive note.

From the nonconference games to the conference games, here’s my Top 5.

1. Marist @ Quinnipiac (April 8) - The MAAC title game for the past two years is a no-brainer. These two teams have taken large steps into their development as lacrosse programs, and both have high expectations again of making the NCAA Tournament. Marist is supposed to have an underrated defense as well.
2. Monmouth @ Marist (April 1) - In the MAAC semifinals last year, the Red Foxes defeated the Hawks on a very late goal with a few seconds left in regulation. It broke Monmouth’s hearts on a very good season. The Hawks have improved since their first season four years ago, and a win over Marist would mean a ton for this program.
3. Siena @ Monmouth (March 25) - Siena returns most of their starters from a year ago, and although they only won three games last year, they should be able to contend for a spot in the MAAC tournament. Chris Robertson and Jordan Barlow are the Saints’ two top attackmen from a year ago, but Monmouth’s defense will try to shut them down for another year.
4. Canisius @ Manhattan (March 25) - The Jaspers fell to the Golden Griffins last year, 13-11. Manhattan hopes to get out of the cellar in the MAAC and even compete for a spot in the conference tournament. Canisius made it as the fourth seed last year.
5. Canisius @ Detroit Mercy (April 8) - Basically because of this:

Still sounds delicious.