The Crease Dive's College Lacrosse Weekend Preview Featuring Drake Porter From Syracuse
Earlier this week Chief wrote a blog about how it's now officially hockey season with the NFL season being done for the year. Then Reags quickly followed that up with a blog about how actually it's officially college basketball season now. Now both of them are really phenomenal guys. Just a couple of truly great individuals. With that being said...they're both dead wrong. Because now that the Super Bowl is over, it is officially college lacrosse season. And this weekend's slate of games is absolutely loaded.
So to get us ready for the weekend, we had Syracuse goalie Drake Porter stop by to talk to us about the upcoming season for the orange. We talked about why goalies need to start embracing the flow more, how jealous he is of the Mountain Dew flavor selections here in America as a Canadian, what his goal song would be if he ever decides to go full send and run the ball end-to-end, and then a little bit of lax talk as well. Also on this episode we break down everything you might have missed from the first weekend of the season including Chris Gray going absolutely bonkers in his UNC debut and February Duke doing February Duke things. Finally we wrapped things up with our weekend previews and picks.
You can also listen to this week's episode right here on Spotify:
College Lacrosse Weekend Preview
Colgate @ #5 Syracuse // Today, 4pm // ACCN // Line: Cuse -8.5, O/u 23
There's nothing better than a little Happy Hour Lax to get your weekend started on a Friday afternoon. Either cut out of work early or crack a few open for your final hour at the office. What a time to be alive.
Colgate got their dicks kicked in last week by UNC to start the season. Now they have another ACC opponent and…well I don't see this going any better for them this time around. I mean not only does Syracuse get to bring back Tucker Dordevic from injury. Not only did Syracuse get to add Chase Scanlan (now wearing #22) after he transferred out of Loyola. But Colgate also beat Syracuse in their season opener last year so 'Cuse gets the edge in a revenge game here. This Syracuse team is absolutely loaded at every position. Between the pipes with Drake Porter, defensively with Nick Mellen, at the midfield with Chase Scanlan, and then a filthy unit down at attack. I see Syracuse putting up at least 18 this afternoon and I can't imagine Colgate even comes close to keeping pace with that.
Jordie's Pick: Cuse -8.5
#7 Duke @ #20 High Point // Saturday, 12pm // ESPN+ // Line: Duke -3.5, O/u 24.5
We have pretty much the exact same setup in High Point vs Duke tomorrow that we do in Cuse vs Colgate today. Not only is Duke the more complete team here but they also have the revenge factor after they got upset by Asher Nolting and the Panthers last season. Now with that being said…this is February and this is Duke. This team never looks great in the first month of the season but I think after already dropping their season opener to Air Force last weekend, Danowski is going to have these boys rolling this weekend. Even with losing Joe Robertson for the season with a torn ACL, I think Duke just has too many weapons all over the field for High Point to match given the fact that this is a borderline must win game for Duke with their schedule coming up.
I'll say this, though. High Point was able to keep the first half close against Maryland before the Terps rolled in the 2nd half. I think that Asher Nolting is one of those guys who easily makes everybody else around him better and elevates the entire team's game. So as much as I think Duke gets back on track here with a win, I think it'll be close in the 4th quarter.
Jordie's Pick: Duke ML, High Point +3.5
#18 UMass @ #15 Army // Saturday, 12pm // Patriot League Network // Line: Army -1.5, O/u 19.5
This has the potential to be the best game of the weekend so if you have the ability throw it on one of your screens, do it. UMass hasn't been able to beat Army to start the season since 2014 but 9 of their top 10 scorers from last year return. They lost by 1 to Army, Yale and Hofstra last year and were able to string together 10 wins. So this is a team on the rise.
As for Army, they bring back Brendan Nichtern who put up 7 points in this game last year, 79 points on the season, and was a freshman. They were also a super young team that now brings back 8 of their top 10 scorers from last year. Granted, losing Johnny Surdick at pole and AJ Barretto in the net will be tough holes for them to fill. But I think both of these teams could finish in the top 15 this year so this one looks like it could be the closest game of the weekend.
Jordie's Pick: UMass +1.5
#17 Towson @ #13 Johns Hopkins // Saturday, 1pm // ESPN3 // Line: Hopkins -2.5, O/u 21.5
Towson bullied the shit out of Hopkins last year 17-8. That was after Hopkins had bullied the shit out of Towson 2 years ago 14-6. I'm pretty sure these teams have flip flopped on who wins every year for at least the past 5, so that would give Hopkins the immediate advantage tomorrow.
Now the biggest difference maker in this game will be whether or not Joey Epstein plays. Hopkins says that he's day-to-day right now with a lower body injury. So even if he does play, he can't possibly be at 100%. And if he doesn't play? Well Hopkins still has plenty of weapons offensively, and Towson graduated the majority of their best players from last year. But no Epstein on the field for Hopkins turns this one into more of a toss up for me. If we get at least a 50% Joey Epstein? I think Hopkins starts to pour it on by the end. So as of right now, I don't have a pick but I'm leaning Hopkins ML regardless.
#1 Penn State @ Villanova // Saturday, 1pm // Line: PSU -4.5, O/u 26.5
Villanova is one of those teams that I'll never allow myself to believe in. And especially not when they have to play against quite possibly the greatest offense that college lacrosse has ever seen. I know that last week wasn't the absolute shit kicking that we thought we'd see out of Penn State over Lafayette. But that was really just a test run for this week. Now they're loose. Now they've got themselves going. We already saw Ament and O'Keefe just toying with defenders out there making the game look disgustingly easy. And this is pretty much a home game for a lot of Penn State's top players. They only put up 16 against Lafayette last week, I think tomorrow we'll probably see them hit the 20 spot for the first time this season. If Villanova gets lucky, maybe they go on a run towards the end of the game to get to double digits.
Jordie's Pick: Penn State -4.5
#14 Loyola @ #2 Virginia // Saturday, 2pm // ACCN // Line: UVA - 3, O/u 26.5
The defending champs kick off their 2020 campaign tomorrow with their annual season opener against Loyola and folks,,,,,I think we might have a massacre on the way.
These two programs couldn't possibly be trending in any more opposite directions right now. Virginia just won the national championship last year and they are primed to head straight back to Memorial Day Weekend this year. They bring back Dox Aitken. They bring back Matt Moore. They bring back Michael Kraus. They bring back Ian Laviano and Jared Conners Petey Lasalla and Alex Rode back between the pipes. So many guys who played such a major role in last year's championship are back for another round.
Then we have Loyola. They lost Chase Scanlan to Syracuse. And then even more devastating they lost Pat Spencer to graduation and now playing a 5th year of basketball at Northwestern. The best player to ever come through the program. One of the greatest players in the history of college lacrosse. And now they play their first game in the post-Pat Spencer era. Pat had 49 goals and 114 points last year. Chase Scanlan had 43 goals and 58 points last year. Not only do they have those massive holes to make up for, but you look at Kevin Lindley who had 60 goals last year but only 4 assists. 60 goals is absolutely insane but when you realize that Pat Spencer had 65 assists, who is going to be getting the ball to Kevin Lindley this year? It would be one thing if you just lost one of those guys but losing both in the same year is a kill shot.
Jordie's Pick: Cavs -3.
Now go out there and have yourselves a weekend, boys and girls. And let the sweet, sweet voice of Mikey Powell take you there.
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