INTRODUCING: THE PEOPLE'S TOP 2️⃣0️⃣

🙌 Fan-Influenced Power Rankings

College lacrosse features a LOT of polls and rankings. Some are up to a vote by coaches, while others are left up to a vote by members of the media.

There has never been a college lacrosse poll that called on fans to vote… until now.

TLN is introducing "The People’s Top 20," a weekly ranking of the best teams in Division-I lacrosse according to fans. The first ranking is out now, and the debate is already underway in the comment section. Don’t like that Maryland is above Virginia for the No. 1 spot? Annoyed that your team was snubbed from the Top 20 entirely?? Make your voice heard in the comments. If enough fans agree with you, the rankings will shift accordingly. You may even see your comment featured in the following week’s post 👀

Think of this week’s rankings as a conversation starter for a larger discussion that will span from now until Memorial Day. Right now, everyone is undefeated. But that will change in a matter of days. As we soak in the season together, "The People’s Top 20" will be an interactive opportunity to call your shots and talk trash with thousands of other fans. We’re looking forward to seeing who comes out on top when it’s all said and done.

OK, now let’s hit some other key talking points heading into the season…

 📈 2023 Tewaaraton Favorites (Plus One Sleeper)

On Monday, we asked our fans who will win the Tewaaraton Award this spring. Our graphic featured the following players...

Pat Kavanagh, Notre Dame: A senior attackman who led the Fighting Irish in scoring last year and was a Tewaaraton finalist as a sophomore in 2021.

Connor Shellenberger, Virginia: A redshirt-junior attackman who was a Tewaaraton finalist last year and was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament during the Cavaliers' title run in 2021.

Sam Handley, Penn: A senior midfielder who is the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year and was recently named 2023 Division-I Preseason Player of the Year by USA Lacrosse Magazine.

Brennan O'Neill, Duke: A junior attackman who was the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school and has since made back-to-back All-ACC teams.

The one player who kept coming up in the comment section as a "snub" was Yale's Matt Brandau. The senior attackman had 99 points (57 goals, 42 assists) last season and led the Bulldogs to an appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals. If the four names above are the lead candidates to win this year's Tewaaraton Award, Brandau is a legitimate sleeper who deserves more recognition heading into the 2023 season.

More of this in 2023 please, Matt 🤯

💥 Game of the Week: Hopkins at Jacksonville

We've got a FULL slate of NCAA Division-I lacrosse games this weekend. I mean, just look at it...isn't it beautiful?

Most of the games this Saturday are in the early afternoon, but we do have a pretty solid night cap with Johns Hopkins visiting Jacksonville for a 7 p.m. ET start at Rock Stadium.

These two teams met in the season opener at Homewood Field last season, and the Blue Jays were able to pull out a 11-8 victory thanks to a hat trick from attackman Connor DeSimone (now with the PLL's Archers). Former D-III standout Max Waldbaum, who transferred to Jacksonville from Tufts, burst onto the D-I scene with four goals in the losing effort.

The rematch will be an interesting one, as it may set the trajectory for both programs in 2023. Jacksonville rebounded from the early season loss last season, finishing 14-3 and peaking inside the Top 10 toward the end of the year. Hopkins, on the other hand, never discovered its stride and finished with a losing record for the second straight season.

 🤑 Lacrosse Facilities Reaching New Levels

When it comes to building new lacrosse facilities, we are seeing NCAA Division-I programs throw down some SERIOUS cash. Ohio State, for example, is ready to open its new $24 million lacrosse stadium on Saturday against Air Force.

Here's an aerial view of the Buckeyes' new home:

That's pretty impressive. But so is the proposal for Navy's new $22 million lacrosse center. Check out the plan for the two-story, 33,000-square-foot facility in the video below.

Sign us up for a facility tour! 🤝

 👀 Coming Soon To TLN...

We have a special project coming at TLN that we want to tease. It's a monthly installment that we think you'll enjoy.

Here's your hint for the first drop: 🥍👾📕