🤔 NCAA FACT OR FICTION?

College lacrosse is back…and so are the hot takes.

It’s normal to overreact to what we see during the first week of the season. If your team wins, it’s “championship or bust.” If your team loses, it’s “maybe next year…”

I’m here to remind you that Memorial Day is still a longgg way from now. Here are five common refrains you’ll hear this week, followed by my verdict on whether they are FACT or FICTION.

🗣 “Syracuse’s offense is unstoppable.”

Fiction. Syracuse dropped 24 goals on Saturday, but the Orange weren’t really tested by Jacksonville’s defense. Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa were able to consistently run past defenders and score unassisted goals. Joey Spallina had five points (3G, 2A) without having to do a ton of quarterbacking. This is a high-octane offense, but tougher defenses will force Syracuse to work harder for goals this season.

🗣 “Duke will take a step back without Brennan O’Neill.”

Fiction. We shouldn’t put too much stock in a win over Bellarmine, but Duke’s 26 goals were the most the Blue Devils have scored in a single game since Brennan O’Neill’s freshman year (2021). The all-new starting attack in 2025 — Eric Malever (Maryland transfer), Luke Grayum (Richmond transfer) and Liam Kershis (freshman) — combined for 13 points in the victory on Saturday.

🗣 “Maryland won the transfer portal.”

Fact. Maryland transfers Matthew Keegan (Binghamton), Bryce Ford (Fairfield) and Jack Dowd (Salisbury) combined for 10 points in a 12-7 win over Richmond. Head coach John Tillman deserves more credit for effectively reloading through the portal.

🗣 “Utah is an NCAA Tournament team.”

Fact. Utah has won the ASUN and made the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons. Going on the road and dropping 19 goals against Ohio State is impressive, and given the way Jacksonville looked against Syracuse, the Utes are the clear favorite to lock up that automatic qualifier once again.

🗣 “Hopkins is back.”

Fact. Is it too soon to really say? Maybe, but this year feels different. Last year, Hopkins blew a late lead at home and lost to Denver in overtime. This time around, the Blue Jays went on the road and beat Denver by a final score of 13-10. Ultimately, for Hopkins, being “back” means a trip to Championship Weekend.

What was your biggest takeaway from the start of College Lacrosse? Reply to this email with something you think is FACT or FICTION!

📉 Ohio State Falls From Top 20

After falling 19-13 to Utah at home, Ohio State (previously ranked No. 17) has fallen out of The People’s Top 20.

Here’s an updated look…

Will Ohio State be able to climb back into the rankings? It feels unlikely at this point. The Buckeyes were the worst team in the Big Ten last season, but at least they played good defense and kept games close. The fact that Utah came into Columbus and dropped 19 goals on their home field is not a good sign.

Ohio State was on the doorstep of an NCAA Championship in 2017. They’ve only been back to the NCAA Tournament once since then (2022). Is head coach Nick Myers starting to feel the heat?

The Buckeyes have a shot to bounce back against Detroit Mercy today.

⭐️ POTW: Hunter Taylor, Michigan

Michigan goalie Hunter Taylor is TLN’s Player of the Week for his performance in a 14-1 win over Marquette on Saturday.

Taylor allowed one goal in the first quarter and gobbled everything else up from there, finishing the game with 10 saves (90.1% save percentage). The one goal allowed is a new program record for Michigan Lacrosse.

Taylor is a junior out of Rockville, Md. He has a career record of 16-10 between the pipes and was named a Big Ten Player to Watch heading into the 2025 season.

🎙 Champ Series Broadcast Schedule

The Premier Lacrosse League and Women’s Lacrosse League have announced the full ESPN broadcast schedule for this month’s Championship Series.

Competition begins on Tuesday Feb. 11, with all Round Robin games streaming live on ESPN+. The Semifinals (Feb. 16) and Championship (Feb. 17) for both the PLL and WLL will air on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Anish Schroff and Ryan Boyle will call PLL games, while Jay Alter and Sheehan Stanwick-Burch will handle the inaugural WLL broadcasts on ESPN. Dana Boyle will serve as a sideline reporter for both PLL and WLL games.

👀 How to Watch MORE Lacrosse!

There are three Men’s Division I games today, but first you might want to check out this video Mitchell Pehlke recently released with Grand Canyon defenseman Garrett Beck — AKA the strongest player in college lacrosse.

Beck’s personal records are insane. He can squat 700 lbs., deadlift 655 lbs. and bench press 500 lbs.

Other D1 games on TV today (all times Eastern)…

3 p.m. — Detroit Mercy at Ohio State (BTN+)
3 p.m. — LIU at Rutgers (BTN+)
6 p.m. — Hopkins at Towson (LacrosseTV)