NCAA Lacrosse: No. 7 Syracuse Faces No. 1 Notre Dame at Big City CLassic

This weekend if full of exciting games, but this one may top them all. On Saturday evening in MetLife Stadium, Syracuse will look to knock off No. 1 Notre Dame in a critical Big East showdown. 

Just two weeks ago, Syracuse was among the Top 5 teams in the country, but a bad loss to Hobart had the Orange fall a few spots in the weeks since. 

Notre Dame took a hold of the top spot in the polls after defeating Villanova last weekend, while previous No. 1 Denver was upset by Fairfield. With little separation among the nation's elite teams, a good seed in the NCAA tournament will be a coveted asset. 

Right now, VIllanova, Syracuse and Notre Dame are all tied at the top of the conference. Each team is 4-1, meaning the winner of this game will take the No. 1 seed in the league's postseason tournament. 

Syracuse is lead on offense by Jojo Marasco, who has recorded an astounding 46 points as a midfielder this year. The Orange offense is a tremendous off-ball group; they are crafty and tough to guard, even for a veteran Notre Dame defense.

The Irish defense is anchored by senior goalie John Kemp. He has 106 saves this season, but his true value comes in his ability to communicate and maneuver his defense. He always plays big in big games, and his experience in the NCAA tournament will bode well for the Irish as they play more meaningful games down the stretch.

This matchup gives Notre Dame a true opportunity to prove themselves as the best team in the country, while Syracuse will try and show that they are playing their best lacrosse right now.

With a lot of senior leadership and good coaching from both sides, I see no way this is not a really close game. Hopefully for fans of lacrosse, this will be one to remember.

The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU directly following the Princeton-Cornell game, which takes place at 4 p.m.