NCAA Lacrosse Championship 2019: Virginia vs. Yale Schedule, Preview

One game will decide the 2019 NCAA men's lacrosse national championship as No. 3 Virginia takes on No. 5 Yale in the final.

Each of these teams were among the best in the country throughout the regular season, but it still wasn't easy to reach this point. Virginia survived a double-overtime battle against No. 2 Duke in the first semifinal Saturday, while Yale outplayed the No. 1 overall seed Penn State in the second matchup.

The drama has created an exciting final for Memorial Day.

NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship Info

When: Monday, May 27

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN2

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Tournament Bracket: NCAA.com

Preview

Virginia showed an impressive offensive attack throughout the season, but the NCAA tournament gave the team a chance to put its resolve on display.

In the quarterfinals against Maryland, the Cavaliers scored five straight goals in the fourth quarter to tie things up before eventually winning it in overtime with a Matt Moore goal.

There was a similar story in the semifinals Saturday against Duke, as the Cavaliers somehow won after they trailed by two goals with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. Ian Laviano scored the tying goal with 15 seconds left as well as the winning score in double overtime:

Laviano ended up with four goals in the 13-12 victory, bringing his season total to 50.

"This is the game at its best and obviously a showcase, this type of weekend," Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said after the game, per Eddie Timanus of USA Today. "We had another fun one today. Obviously I have talented men, guys who can make plays."

Combining the offensive skill and the ability to fight back no matter the score, the Hoos shouldn't be counted out Monday.

Still, things will only get tougher in the final when the squad takes on Yale.

Penn State was the No. 1 seed going into the tournament with the best scoring offense in the country, but Yale was second-best in this category and showcased what it can do Saturday.

The squad jumped out to a huge lead in the early going with a 10-2 advantage through the first quarter:

Freshman Matt Brandau continued his incredible season with seven goals and one assist to lead the way for the Bulldogs in the 21-17 victory.

The Nittany Lions had been incredible all year as the tournament's top seed with 13 straight wins entering Saturday and only one loss keeping them from a perfect season. They had the offensive firepower to come back, but the underdogs kept attacking and did enough to keep the margin out of reach.

It also became the highest-scoring semifinal in NCAA history, per the ESPN broadcast.

The Bulldogs surprised many with their run to the national title a year ago as the No. 3 seed, but even as the No. 5 seed this season, the defending champs weren't sneaking up on anyone. 

That hasn't mattered as the Ivy League squad continues to outplay everyone it faces.

With the talent on the field between the two teams, Yale and Virginia should combine for a thrilling title bout Monday.