Tag: NCAA men’s lacrosse

Rutgers men’s lacrosse dropped three spots in this week’s rankings

Rutgers men’s lacrosse (8-5) dropped three spots in this week’s Inside Lacrosse and the USILA rankings.

Rutgers men’s lacrosse (8-5) dropped three spots in this week’s Inside Lacrosse rankings. Previously ranked No. 11, the Scarlet Knights are now No. 14 in this week’s latest poll.

In the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association’s latest rankings, the Scarlet Knights are No. 16, dropping three spots (No. 13) from last week’s poll. According to the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse RPI poll, Rutgers is ranked No. 13. 

With losses to No. 7 Maryland and No. 5 Penn State, the Scarlet Knights are currently riding a two-game losing streak heading into this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament.

[lawrence-related id=16229]

The Scarlet Knights finished the season tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference standings with Ohio State. The Buckeyes won the head-to-head matchup, giving them the tied breaker over the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers, the sixth seed, will hit the road to take on the third seed Maryland. The Scarlet Knights lost 8-11 at home in their previous matchup against the Terps.

Rutgers Ross Scott, Brain Cameron, and Dante Kulas are leading the Scarlet Knights in goals with 25 and will try to shake Rutgers losing streak as they prepare for their Big Ten Tournament matchup.

[lawrence-related id=25710]

[mm-video type=video id=01gy8gbmdpghw4dgbwfy playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gy8gbmdpghw4dgbwfy/01gy8gbmdpghw4dgbwfy-68d672a023b366c550a43f1391d6d494.jpg]

Virginia men’s lacrosse is not shying away from the chance to three-peat as National Champions

On the cusp of a dynasty in Charlottesville, UVA lacrosse has all the tools it needs for a third straight NCAA title.

It’s difficult to repeat as a champion in any sport. It’s even harder to three-peat, but that’s what Lars Tiffany and the Virginia men’s lacrosse team is setting out to do this season. The Cavaliers won the whole shebang in 2019, and — after an unexpected break in 2020 because of the pandemic — lifted the trophy again on Memorial Day in 2021.

Depending on who you ask, the three-peat has been successfully executed in men’s college lacrosse two or three times. Johns Hopkins (1978-80) accomplished the feat first. If you ask Syracuse fans, they’ll tell you the Orange did it 1998-90, but the NCAA vacated the 1990 win and would like it if we pretended it never happened. Princeton was the last team to win three straight NCAA tournaments, taking home the titles from 1996-98.

So can the Cavaliers follow in the footsteps of these legendary programs? Virginia enters the 2022 season atop the national polls and return a significant core from the team that won it all in 2021. Tiffany, now in his sixth season in Charlottesville, is cautiously optimistic and approaching the season more openly than he did after the 2019 title.

Heading into the 2020 season, Tiffany was emphatic that his team put the past behind them and not dwell on repeating or defending the title. Now, after the unexpected COVID disruptions and some conversations with well-known sport psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella, he’s changed his tune a little.

“We’re having a lot more fun with our recent history as opposed to, ‘don’t talk about it, deny it,'” Tiffany told media on Wednesday afternoon. “Instead, if we want to make reference to last year and what we did last year, let’s enjoy that and embrace it.”

Everyone will be gunning for the Hoos, so here’s why they have what it takes to join the elite three-peat company as their season kicks off Saturday against Air Force (1pm, ACC Network Extra).