The stage is set at Scott Stadium for a historic Men's Lacrosse Championship Weekend. Broadcast live on ESPN2 this Saturday, top-seeded Princeton faces Duke at noon, followed immediately by a massive ACC rematch between [2] Notre Dame and [6] Syracuse at 2:30 PM.

Most Recent Championship: 2001

Princeton’s offense is led by All-Americans Nate Kabiri (Tewaaraton Finalist, 78 PTS), Chad Palumbo (72 PTS), and Tucker Wade (42 PTS). Alongside them, a deep supporting cast provides ample support to help shape the nation's number-three scoring offense.

But the Tigers aren’t just an offensive juggernaut.

Their defense is anchored by Ryan Croddick (Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Co-Outstanding Goalie winner) and All-American defender Jack Stahl, with a pair of All-American defensive midfielders rounding out the nation’s 15th overall scoring defense.

They boast a top-20 face-off unit, led by All-American Andrew McMeekin.

Princeton has only lost two games this season, and they have avenged both.

They fell to Penn State 13-7 in their opening game, but got the better of them in the NCAA tournament.

They also lost to Cornell 13-11 in the regular season, a loss they more than avenged in the Ivy League Championship.

With a 3-1 record against Big Ten opponents and a 2-0 mark against the ACC (’Cuse and UNC), Princeton is a team that has learned from its losses, leaving them with no real question marks.

Most Recent Championship: 2014

Duke’s offense is led by All-Americans Benn Johnston (48 PTS) and Max Sloat (43 PTS), backed by a balanced and dangerous supporting cast that rounds out the nation’s number-four scoring offense.

Their defense is led by Aidan Maguire (Lt. Raymond J. Enners Outstanding Player of the Year) and lockdown All-American defender Charlie Johnson.

Furthermore, Duke leads all remaining tournament teams in ground balls per game and has the top remaining face-off unit led by Cal Girard. While Duke leads in these categories, Princeton is the very next team in both statistical departments, trailing them by only fractions of a percent.

Though Duke entered the tournament on the bubble, they were immediately the one team nobody wanted to play.

When you dig into their schedule, you see a one-goal loss to Syracuse, a four goal loss to Virginia, a two goal loss to Cornell, and a one-goal loss to Notre Dame. Four NCAA tournament teams, two of which are playing this weekend.

They have shown that they can compete with the top teams, and they are playing their best lacrosse right now.

Most Recent Championship: 2024

Notre Dame’s offense is led by All-American Josh Yago (47 PTS), with Luke Miller (42 PTS) and Brock Behrman (32 PTS) rounding out a dangerous attack unit.

What truly separates the Fighting Irish offense is their unparalleled depth at the midfield; they are one of the few programs in the country with the personnel to seamlessly roll out three high-caliber midfield lines.

But as the old adage goes, defense wins championships, and Notre Dame boasts the nation’s top remaining defensive unit. The backline is headlined by two-time William C. Schmeisser Defensive Player of the Year and Tewaaraton finalist Shawn Lyght, alongside fellow First Team All-American Will Donovan.

Anchoring them in cage is All-American goalie Thomas Ricciardelli. Their face off unit, led by Tyler Spano, is right behind Duke and Princeton’s by merely fractions of a percent.

Notre Dame beat Syracuse 16-11 earlier this season, and their only losses on the year have come at the hands of Virginia.

As they prepare to face the Orange once more, the Irish will lean heavily on that stellar defense to punch their ticket, looking to make their third national title game appearance in the past four years.

Most Recent Championship: 2009

Syracuse’s offense is led by All-Americans Joey Spallina (Tewaaraton Finalist, 85 PTS), Michael Leo (58 PTS), and Luke Rhoa (42 PTS). Alongside this elite trio, a dangerous supporting cast consistently stretches opposing defenses to round out a highly potent scoring attack.

Defensively, the Orange are anchored by All-American poles Riley Figueiras and Billy Dwan III. Backed by elite short-stick defensive midfield play, this unit possesses all the physical tools to match up with the nation’s best.

Syracuse also features a lethal weapon at the stripe in face-off specialist John Mullen, who enters the weekend with massive momentum following a stellar performance against North Carolina’s elite unit.

While a grueling early-season out-of-conference schedule tested this team, the Orange have found their stride when it matters most. They just avenged a pair of losses to North Carolina by knocking the Tar Heels out of the NCAA tournament last weekend.

Notre Dame got the better of them in the regular season, but ‘Cuse is primed to avenge that loss.

With a senior class deeply motivated by the storied history of the program, Syracuse has all the pieces in place. Could this be the year the Orange return to the mountain top?

Ahead of an unforgettable Championship Weekend at Martin Stadium, we have you covered for all the final four action broadcasting live on ESPNU this afternoon.

Click to watch Deemer break down the historic battle between [1] Northwestern and [4] Johns Hopkins at 5:30 PM, or tune into Andie Aldave's expert preview of the legendary rivalry between [2] North Carolina and [3] Maryland kicking off at 3:00 PM.

Most Recent Championship: 2023

Northwestern’s offense is led by a dynamic scoring threat in Tewaaraton Finalist Madison Taylor (124 PTS), with Aditi Foster (62 PTS) and Taylor Lapointe (48 PTS) fueling a highly efficient attack. They rank tenth nationally in scoring offense and eleventh in free position percentage.

Defensively, Northwestern boasts a backline anchored by Jenika Cuocco, who ranks fourth in the nation in save percentage. This stellar play between the pipes has pushed the Wildcats to 22nd nationally in scoring defense.

Northwestern commands the tempo with the nation’s top remaining draw unit, ranking sixth overall in draw control percentage.

The Wildcats have proved they can handle the heavy hitters this season, picking up massive wins over North Carolina and Johns Hopkins, alongside a pair of victories over Maryland.

Equipped with elite offensive firepower, a world-class goaltender, and a dominant draw unit, Northwestern holds the ultimate trump card as they conveniently host Championship Weekend on their own turf.

Most Recent Championship: N/A

For the first time in program history, Johns Hopkins has punched its ticket to the Final Four.

The Blue Jays’ historic run is powered by a relentless, high-octane offense featuring an elite scoring trio in Ava Angello (106 PTS), Laci Downey (103 PTS), and Taylor Hoss (102 PTS). This three-headed monster fuels the nation's seventh-overall scoring offense.

Hopkins is third in the country for ground balls per game, and their defense is anchored by Tewaaraton Finalist Reagan O’Brien, who leads the entire country in caused turnovers per game.

Of their mere four losses on the year, three were razor-thin, competitive battles dropped to heavyweights Maryland (twice) and Northwestern.

Hopkins has captured marquee victories over Michigan, Rutgers, James Madison, Loyola Maryland, and a pair of wins over Stony Brook.

Hopkins enters the weekend with all the pieces necessary to shock the lacrosse world. A semifinal upset over top-seeded Northwestern would not only advance them to their first-ever National Championship game, but it would shatter the Wildcats’ legendary 38-0 postseason home winning streak.

Most Recent Championship: 2025

North Carolina enters the weekend with a singular focus: securing back-to-back national titles and cementing the dawn of a new college lacrosse dynasty.

The Tar Heels’ bid for a repeat is fueled by the nation’s number-one scoring offense, spearheaded by reigning national player of the year and Tewaaraton finalist Chloe Humphrey (148 PTS). But that is not all, the Tar Heels boast five additional players with 40 or more points on the year, the most of any remaining semifinalist.

Beyond raw firepower, North Carolina dominates in key areas of the game. They rank third nationally in free-position percentage and 13th in turnovers per game, making them the top remaining tournament team in both critical categories.

That offensive efficiency is perfectly mirrored on the other side of the ball, where All-American Sam Forrest anchors the country's number-five overall scoring defense.

Backed by an elite draw unit ranking 11th in the nation, the Tar Heels excel between the lines.

This is a program that has been on the sport's biggest stage and knows exactly how to win when the pressure mounts. However, the first obstacle standing in the way of their repeat title is a massive one: a historic Maryland program making its highly anticipated return to Championship Weekend.

Most Recent Championship: 2019

Maryland is making their astounding 29th trip to Championship Weekend, a testament to the program's legendary standard of excellence.

The Terrapins’ potent offense is firing on all cylinders at the perfect time, led by Lauren LaPointe (89 PTS), Kristen Shanahan (74 PTS), and Kori Edmondson (61 PTS). They boast a dynamic offense that can score in a multitude of ways, making them all that much more dangerous.

On the defensive side, Maryland features elite star power anchored by goalkeeper JJ Suriano, who ranks third nationally in save percentage, alongside lockdown All-American defender Maddy Sterling.

Maryland has an elite draw unit that ranks 21st nationally in draw control percentage, led by Kayla Gilmore.

Maryland’s losses come from a pair of one-goal games vs Northwestern, and from conference foe Michigan.

They have notable wins over Syracuse, James Madison, Johns Hopkins (twice), and Navy.

Now, the stage is set for an absolute heavyweight clash: a renewed, deep-rooted rivalry with North Carolina in what will be their highly anticipated first meeting since 2020.

Coach Class and Coach Dunn

Forwarded this email? You can subscribe here to stay in the loop 👍.

When crafting any email to a college coach, make it clear and concise. Your goal should be to make it as easy as possible for a coach to quickly learn about you.

Put your graduation year in the subject.

Make sure to have your high school team and club team right at the top of your email.

List your GPA and and some of your coursework (any AP and Honors distinctions that you may have).

As long as a coach knows that you are interested in the school, and you provide some of the key pieces of information regarding yourself, that is enough for most coaches to start to look into you.

What is going to be the thing that differentiates you in this process. Check out this creative way Scott Stuber found to do this!

Matt

Year 7 of our Fall Training kicks off in September!

Locations include:

All registrations posted on the link below.

Catching and throwing is one of the most basic skills as a defender, yet many don't fully know the proper way to do it. In fact, every single freshman defender at Maryland has to relearn how to catch and throw with the proper mechanics when they step onto campus.

In this video, Matt Dunn and Maryland All-American defenders AJ Larkin and Will Schaller walk through how they are taught to handle a longpole, including how to catch and throw and switch hands efficiently as high-level college players.

✅ Want to see more lacrosse drills, tips and breakdowns? Check out our YouTube page!

For coaches who want to level up, the FCL Coach Community is the best resource on the market for men’s and women’s coaching staffs looking to continue developing.

It includes over 40 college coach webinars, 150+ drills for offense, defense, and full-team compete, as well as sessions focused on schemes and strategies.

Every two weeks, we release a newsletter specifically tailored to coaches.

To check out previous newsletters or to subscribe, you can visit the Full Coaches Corner Archive Here.