2017 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament: First Round Results

It was a wild weekend packed with a ton of lacrosse action. In case you missed any of it, we at Approach Clothing will quickly get you brought back up to speed.

Sat. May 13

FINAL: Towson 12, No. 7 Penn State 8 (University Park, PA)

Last season, Towson shocked the world when they knocked off No. 2 Denver by a score of 10-9. This year they spoiler once again by knocking off Coach Tambroni’s Nittany Lions in the first round. Penn State was considered by many a lock for a Final Four appearance in Boston. However, the Nittany Lions will regroup and look to build upon in 2018 what they accomplished in the 2017 season.

FINAL: Duke 19, No. 6 Johns Hopkins 6 (Baltimore, MD)

The Blue Devils went on the road and absolutely destroyed the Blue Jays defense. This game was never even close. At halftime, Duke had a comfortable seven-goal lead. Johns Hopkins goalie, Brock Turnbaugh, made an early exit after getting pulled following 14 goals allowed while only saving seven shots. Almost all of the Blue Devil offense was created by Justin Guterding. The junior attackman racked up an impressive four goals and 10 points.

FINAL: No. 5 Denver 17, Air Force 12 (Denver, CO)

After being bounced in the first round last tournament by Towson, Bill Tierney's high-powered Pioneers are on a mission to make an appearance in Boston this season. A lot of the offense was created by Denver’s FOGO, Trevor “The Beast” Baptiste, racking up a ridiculous 18 ground balls.

Look for Baptiste to lead the way for the Pioneers to make an appearance in Boston. Denver sent the Air Force flying out of the tournament early by a finish of 17-12.

FINAL: No. 8 Albany 15, North Carolina 12 (Albany, NY)

The Great Danes’ starting midfielders singlehandedly eliminated any chance of the Tar Heels to repeat as National Champions. Adam Osika, Kyle McClancy and Bennett Drake combined for 13 of Albany’s 15 goals in their win over North Carolina. Despite Albany having a better ranking and North Carolina’s post-championship slump, Saturday's win over the Tar Heels was a huge first-round win for a team with not much experience winning in the tournament.

Sun. May 14

FINAL: No. 4 Notre Dame 15, Marquette 9 (Notre Dame, IN)

Marquette’s first tournament appearance was short-lived. Brendan Gleason helped push the Fighting Irish to the next round. Notre Dame is a heavy favorite by many to be a lock for a Final Four appearance in Boston. There is not much to say about the Kevin Corrigan-led Fighting Irish, they don't blow you away offensively, and they aren't impossible to score on. But when the game is on the line, they find a way to win.

FINAL: No. 1 Maryland 13, Bryant 10 (College Park, MD)

After making three straight tournament appearances, Bryant missed the tournament in 2016. After bouncing back and making an appearance in 2017, Bryant had the difficult task of facing Matt Rambo and the Maryland Terrapins. Despite a threat of a 4th quarter comeback, Bryant fell short of pulling off the upset of all upsets against Maryland; 13-10 Final.

The Terrapins have made the tournament 16 straight seasons but have not hoisted a trophy on Memorial Day since 1975. Matt Rambo is arguably the best lacrosse player in the country and could easily lead his team to its first Championship in 42 years.

FINAL: No. 3 Ohio State 7, Loyola (MD) 4 (Columbus, OH)

Despite the ugliest uniforms I have ever seen, the Ohio State Buckeyes outlasted Loyola 7-4. Goalkeeper Tom Carey had an impressive day in net, saving 12 shots and allowing four goals.

Ohio State has had a breakout season and coming off a great game in the Big Ten Championship game against Maryland; many are considering Ohio State a real threat this tournament. Ohio State fell short of beating Maryland for the Big Ten title 10-9. Neither team had more than a two-goal lead. With the chance for a rematch in the national championship, an Ohio State-Maryland title game would be one hell of a story.

FINAL: No. 2 Syracuse 11, Yale 10 (Syracuse, NY)

After trailing the Bulldogs 6-4 at halftime, the Orange owned the second half outscoring Yale 7-4. Syracuse is looking for its first championship since 2009. After impressive wins over Albany, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Notre Dame and North Carolina, head coach John Desko’s team have certainly played in enough big games not to get rattled by the competition in the tournament. Look for the Orange to pack their bags for a trip to Boston.

The Quarterfinals will be played Sat. May 20 and Sun. May 21..

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