We got another foursome of games today and by tonight we’ll have whittled down the number of BBQ participants to eight. As Chris mentioned yesterday, while we all can’t wait for the Final Four, knowing that there are only a handful of games left in 2018 is kind of a bummer. Anyway, let’s honor the last weeks of the season in the best way possible, by sitting on the couch all day and ignoring the long list of chores we were all supposed to do today. It’s as God intended.

You can find today’s Big Board directly below. Clicking on the team name will take you to that team’s homepage. Clicking on the Stream cell will take you to the broadcast of that game, while the Live Stats cell will take you to the live stats of that game.

Game Previews

#1 Maryland vs. Robert Morris: The top seed Terps take on Robert Morris in the first game of the day today. Robert Morris ended up in this game after defeating Canisius 12-6 on Wednesday. While Maryland is the clear favorite this afternoon, don’t sleep on the Colonials. Indeed, Robert Morris has experience playing B1G teams, having gone 1-1 versus Penn State (W) & Rutgers (L) earlier this season, so they aren’t afraid of Maryland. Given their depth and experience, Terps should be able to pull away fro RMU when it is all said and done, however, Robert Morris can play and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is late in the 3rd quarter and RMU is only down 2-3 goals.

One thing to look out for pregame is for any reports regarding whether or not Robert Morris goalie Alex Heger will play today. Heger is second in the nation in save percentage, however, he did not play in the Canisius game earlier this week. RMU’s Chris Reynolds filled in admirably on Wednedsay for the Colonials, but having one of the best best goalies in the country on the field versus the Terps would certainly be ideal.

#7 Notre Dame vs. Denver: It’s another round in this heated rivalry that dates back to the now defunct Great Western Lacrosse League. The Pios and Fighting Irish know each other well, in fact this is the third time in the last four years these two teams have met in the NCAA Tournament and it’s usually a good game when these two hook up. Indeed, seven of the last ten games between these two programs have been decided by a single goal (with five of them going ending OT). I have a feeling that we are in for another one goal treat today.

#5 Johns Hopkins vs. Georgetown: Fresh off of beating the Terps in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays now have to go up against another DMV team, the Georgetown Hoyas. While Georgetown & Hopkins are roughly an hour away from each other, they rarely play one another. Indeed, this will be just the third meeting between the two teams ever (Hopkins leads series 2-0). If you’re a Hopkins fan looking for a good sign of things to come in the dance, playing the Hoyas in the NCAA Tournament may be just what the doctor ordered. Indeed, the last time the Jays played Georgetown was in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, where Hopkins won 14-6 over the Hoyas in the Quarterfinals. As many of you know, the Jays would go on to win the 2007 title after vanquishing the Hoyas.

#8 Syracuse vs. Cornell: There are few rivalries in all of lacrosse that can match the history and intensity of the rivalry between Syracuse vs. Cornell. Whether it is in the regular season, the early rounds of the dance, or Memorial Day Monday, both teams always leave it all out on the field when they link up. Not like this game needs anymore juice, but I have a feeling Cornell might be a little hyped up coming into this game, especially since they had to travel to play it. Indeed, they had a better regular season than Syracuse, won the Ivy League Tournament AQ after beating Yale, and beat Syracuse in the regular season. I am sure lots of Big Red fans feel this game should be at Schoellkopf Field.

Oh by the way, today is Chris’ last game in the Carrier Dome. If you see him, make sure you say hi to him or do a dab right in front of him.

Attachments

BINGO CARDS!! Get your College Crosse 2018 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament Bingo Cards here!!!

Make sure you read Skyler’s most recent post on the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Shadows crept across the LaValle Stadium field, as the game prolonged from mid-afternoon to evening. The grueling NCAA Tournament battle was deep in the second overtime. It was exhausting to just watch.

But somehow Penn sophomore goalie Mikaila Cheeseman was focused as ever. When Katie O’Donnell, Penn State’s star, raced toward the cage with 46 seconds to play in double-OT, Cheeseman was up for the task.

Throughout the week of prep, Cheeseman studied O’Donnell, the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. She watched her release, her tendencies, her footwork.

With the game on the line, Cheeseman stabbed her stick to her left and saved the shot, her 13th of the game. But more importantly, she saved her team’s season.

“Every time she makes a save, I just stand there like ‘oh my God, she just did that,’” Penn freshman Zoe Belodeau said. “Then it takes me like five seconds to realize, ‘oh. It’s coming back now. I need to play offense.’”

Dr. Fred Opie dropped another great podcast. Check out his most recent episode with Cornell legend & Hall of Famer Tim Goldstein.

Song of the Day

Big day today .... let’s do this properly.