DUKE NO. 1 😈 O'NEILL WINS POTW

For the third consecutive week, a new team sits atop The People's Top 20.

The Duke Blue Devils (10-1) are the new No. 1, after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers (7-2) on the road by a score of 16-14 last Friday. Duke has now won 17 straight regular-season games against Virginia, illustrating an uncanny dominance over their ACC rival.

Duke's team defense was tremendous against Virginia, as Tewaaraton Award candidate Connor Shellenberger (one shot, zero goals) was completely neutralized. But the biggest reason why the Blue Devils came out on top was the utter dominance of Brennan O'Neill, who scored six goals and dished out three assists.

O'Neill was named TLN Player of the Week for his nine-point performance against Virginia:

[Click here or on the graphic above to watch highlights of O'Neill vs. Virginia]

O'Neill currently leads all Division I Men's Lacrosse players with 61 points on the season. He has been a prolific goal scorer ever since he stepped on campus at Duke. But now in his third season, he is really starting to blossom as a distributor. Through 11 games, he has 26 assists — which already dwarfs his previous career high (21 assists).

Because he entered college with such lofty expectations, some lacrosse fans will find ways to criticize O'Neill until he leads Duke to a National Championship. Based on the way he and the Blue Devils are rolling right now, this might be the year that he silences the last of his critics.

🧐 Was Syracuse Robbed?

Syracuse fans are NOT happy with the way their game against Notre Dame was officiated last Saturday. During the fourth quarter, Syracuse's Finn Thomson took a shot that appeared to cross the goal line but was officially ruled a save by Notre Dame goalie Liam Entenmann.

Here's the play in GIF form:

[Click here to watch the moment with sound]

While it's pretty evident the ball was in the net, the question is whether it was a loose ball. Section 11 of the NCAA rulebook explicitly states that if a ball crosses over the goal line while in the goalie's stick, it is not a loose ball — and therefore, not a goal.

Here's that portion of the rulebook:

The question is now whether the ball crossed the goal line before entering the goalie's stick. That part is certainly up for debate, but with only one slow-motion angle of the play, we will never possess definitive evidence one way or the other.

This play was controversial because, had it been ruled a goal, Syracuse would've had a two-goal lead with roughly 12 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Instead, Notre Dame went on to score nine unanswered goals en route to a 20-12 victory.

Considering how momentous this call was, should officials be assisted by video replay in college lacrosse? Let us know in the poll below.

✍️ Michigan Makes History

Michigan beat Maryland for the first time in program history on Saturday, as the Wolverines went on the road and took down the defending champs by a final score of 16-11. The Terps have had their struggles this season, but the way this game unfolded was absolutely shocking.

Michigan built a 6-2 lead in the first quarter and did not trail the rest of the way. Maryland's defense, which hadn't allowed an opponent to eclipse 15 goals all season, had no answer for Michael Boehm (four goals, two assists) and Josh Zawada (three goals, four assists).

The Big Ten is now a complete mystery. Will Maryland figure it out before the postseason? Can Michigan capitalize on this momentum? Is Johns Hopkins suddenly the team to beat? Does Penn State have what it takes to go on a run? What's wrong with Rutgers and Ohio State?

Five of these six teams are currently ranked in The People's Top 20, and it's impossible to predict which one will ultimately win the conference.

📊 D1 Statistical Update

Individual Points1. Brennan O'Neill, Duke — 612. Tye Kurtz, Delaware — 573. JP Ward, Delaware — 514. Matt Campbell, Villanova — 495. Dylan Pallonetti, Stony Brook — 49

Save Percentage1. Matt Knote, UMass — .615t2. Joe Persico, Manhattan — .578t2. Will Mark, Syracuse — .5784. Chayse Ierlan, Cornell — .5755. Luke Staudt, Loyola — .573Face-Off Percentage1. Zach Cole, St. Joe's — .6542. Matthew DeSouza, Binghamton — .6493. Tommy Burke, Vermont — .6454. Justin Wietfeldt, Michigan — .6445. Nathan LaLiberte, Bryant — .643Team Offense1. Virginia — 18.1 goals/game2. Notre Dame — 16.4 goals/game3. North Carolina — 16.1 goals/game4. Duke — 15.6 goals/game5. Cornell — 15.4 goals/gameTeam Defense1. Army — 7.9 goals/game2. Manhattan — 8.1 goals/game3. North Carolina — 8.5 goals/game4. Delaware — 8.6 goals/game5. UMBC — 8.9 goals/game

📺 Midweek TV/Streaming Info

All times Eastern (streaming links via Inside Lacrosse/USA Lacrosse Magazine):

Tuesday, April 4:2:30 p.m. — St. Joe's at Monmouth (LacrosseTV)4 p.m. — Boston U at Yale (ESPN+)

Wednesday, April 5:*No Division I Men's games

Thursday, April 6:*No Division I Men's games