NCAA Lacrosse Tournament 2015: Second Round Bracket, Preview and Predictions
If the first round of the 2015 NCAA lacrosse tournament was any indication, the second round won't be one to miss.
The first weekend had shocking upsets, big plays and thrilling games wrapped into a two-day span, and this weekend should be no different. The nation's top eight teams will battle with four trips to the Final Four on the line.
Read on for a complete schedule, preview and predictions for the tournament's second round.
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| No. 1 Notre Dame vs. Albany | 3:00 p.m. | ESPNU |
| No. 4 Denver vs. Ohio State | 5:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| No. 2 Syracuse vs. Johns Hopkins | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Maryland | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
Game Previews
No. 1 Notre Dame vs. Albany
The rematch we've all been waiting for.
After Notre Dame erased a five-goal fourth-quarter deficit in last year's quarterfinal matchup, Albany will undoubtedly be looking for revenge. The Great Danes were one goal away from earning their first-ever Final Four bid last season, and if they get the same opportunity this season, don't expect them to pass it up.
"We have a completely different mind-set going into this game. Notre Dame's a different team," said Albany midfielder Tim Cox, per Mark Singelais of the Times Union. "At the same time, we want to pay them back for what they did last year. It's in the back of our minds. But we're going to try to forget that come game time and come out with a different outcome."
This year's matchup will feature two of the nation's top attackmen in UND's Matt Kavanagh and Albany's Lyle Thompson. The two Tewaaraton Award finalists will surely put on a show, but after Duke put Notre Dame’s weaknesses on display, Kavanagh may not be able to do enough to carry the Fighting Irish to the Final Four.
Prediction: Albany 15, Notre Dame 13
No. 4 Denver vs. Ohio State
Wins over Notre Dame and Duke have cemented Denver as one of the nation's top teams. But the Pioneers have also dropped a few winnable games, including contests against North Carolina and, yes, Ohio State.
The Buckeyes seem to be the tournament's Cinderella team after upsetting Duke last weekend, but they may not be an underdog at all. They have big wins over Johns Hopkins and Maryland to complement their resume-building victory over Denver, but winning the "revenge game" won't come nearly as easily this time around.
"[Ohio State is an] amazing team," said Denver coach Bill Tierney, via DenverPioneers.com. "It was interesting watching them last night; I hadn’t seen them in a while, but they play exactly like we want to play. They play great defense, they have a really good goalie, and they control the pace of play. It’s going to be interesting to see how we play each other."
Although OSU won the early-season matchup, Denver is a much-improved team. The Pioneers' attack line, led by Wesley Berg, has proved to be among the nation's best and will be too much for the Buckeyes.
Prediction: Denver 13, Ohio State 10
No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Maryland
UNC's matchup with Maryland is another revenge game, as the Terrapins earned a 10-8 win earlier this season over the Tar Heels. Since that game, though, Maryland struggled with injuries, including a lingering shoulder ailment to faceoff specialist Charlie Raffa that led to multiple absences in crucial games.
The Terps dropped back-to-back Big Ten contests to Johns Hopkins and Ohio State, but they seemed to get back on their feet with a first-round victory over Yale. Similarly, North Carolina ended its ACC season with back-to-back losses but got an impressive win over Colgate to open the tournament.
Ultimately, North Carolina won't be focused on revenge, but that's what it'll get. UNC's high-tempo style will be too much for the Terps the second time around.
Prediction: North Carolina 14, Maryland 13 (OT)
No. 2 Syracuse vs. Johns Hopkins
The two winningest Division I programs of all time will meet for the second time this season on Sunday, with Syracuse winning the first game 13-10. 'Cuse coach John Desko and his team know that earning another victory over Johns Hopkins won't be a cakewalk, though.
"It's never easy to try to beat somebody twice in one year, so we know they're going to be fired up," Desko said, via Nate Mink of Syracuse.com. "I have to get in [my players'] heads that it's a different team we're playing this time around."
The Blue Jays' slaughtering of Virginia, 19-7, and Syracuse's victory over Marist, 20-8, were the two largest margins of victory in the tournament's first round. Both teams won their respective conference tournaments and are hitting their stride at the right time.
In the end, though, it will be Syracuse's battle-tested experience that will pay off. Playing top ACC teams week in and week out molded Syracuse into a legitimate title contender, and it will surely be put on display over the next two weeks.
Prediction: Syracuse 16, Johns Hopkins 14
Samuel Benson is a featured columnist covering college lacrosse. Contact him at bensonsamb@gmail.com.
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