Unsettled: There's a Reason They Play the Games

Welcome to this week's edition of Unsettled, a weekly look at big stories, random observations and the numbers from the NCAA men's lacrosse scene. Check back each Sunday for the latest.

I had an old boss that was fond of saying, “Comparative scores indicate only that the game was played.”

We got a reminder of that this weekend – past results are just that, something from the past. It’s why we play the games.

Virginia was dead in the water almost a month ago following a blown lead against Johns Hopkins and an ugly showing against Towson. After vanquishing its Duke demon yesterday, winning a regular season game against the Blue Devils for the first time since 2004, the Cavaliers have suddenly won four straight games and are the only ACC team with two wins.

Duke led 6-5 at the half, but Virginia scored five times in the third quarter and came back for a 14-10 win. Virginia had multiple offensive threats — Ryan Colsey (3g, 1a), Brendan Millon (1g, 5a) Truitt Sunderland (4g) and Brendan Millon (1g, 4a) — and goalie Jake Marek (13) had his fourth straight game with double-digit saves, all resulting in Virginia wins.

Johns Hopkins didn’t seem ready to carry much momentum of its own from the Virginia comeback, losing to Syracuse in its next game and letting a game slip away from Rutgers last weekend. But yesterday, facing a dangerous Penn State team, Hopkins came back from a 9-4 deficit with seven straight goals and beat the Nittany Lions 11-10. Hopkins, which faded down the stretch last year, is positioned to write its own story.

How did Rutgers build off its comeback against Hopkins? By losing to Michigan, 13-10, today – Michigan’s first win Feb. 10, ending a string of seven straight losses.

The nation’s two last unbeaten teams also went down this weekend. Though it was no surprise that former No. 1 Notre Dame was able to beat No. 1 Richmond, it was surprising in the way it happened. Notre Dame scored five seconds into the game, scored twice in the opening minute and led 8-0 after 15 minutes of play. Richmond got back within three goals on two separate occasions, but the early hole was too much.

Sacred Heart was flat out surprised after opening the season with 10 straight wins. Quinnipiac was 2-8 entering the game and trailed the Pioneers by six goals late in the second quarter. The Bobcats then scored 11 of the next 13 goals and stormed back for a 16-14 win. Sacred Heart has a chance to flip things around when it travels to MAAC-leading Siena next week.

Random Observations

North Carolina may become the fifth team to hold the top spot in the USA Lacrosse rankings, presented by CWENCH Hydration, when the poll is released on Monday. The Tar Heels have been rock solid over the last month, including Saturday’s 14-9 win over Syracuse – one of those teams that previously held the No. 1 spot.

There were some familiar themes for UNC – the dangerous shooting of Dom Pietramala (five goals) and strong faceoff play from Brady Wambach (16 of 26 against a quality foe in John Muller) – but a new emerging theme is the play of freshman Josh Marcus in goal. Marcus has had three straight games with double-digit saves and Saturday’s numbers – 15 saves and 62.5 save percentage – were both the best of his career.

If there’s anyone that bleeds PMS 186 C (Maryland’s official pantone color for the school’s red), it’s Riley Reese. His mom, Cathy, was an All-American at Maryland and is the head coach of the nation’s No. 1 program. His dad, Brian, was an All-American at Maryland before a lengthy pro career as a player and coach. His younger brother, Brody, is a freshman on the Terps and younger sister, Cayden, is the nation's No. 1 high school player and headed to Maryland next season.

For Riley, a senior defenseman, it’s been a battle to get on the field at Maryland. Injuries kept him off the field in 2023 and 2025, but he moved into the Terps starting lineup following the injury to Will Schaller three games ago. Reese is making the most of the opportunity. On the Terps’ senior night, Reese scoring the game-winning goal in overtime of an 8-7 win against Ohio State – his first career goal.

Quite a way to score your first career goal. Riley Reese with the finish as @TerpsMLax nips Ohio State 8-7 in OT to move into a tie for first place in the Big Ten. pic.twitter.com/LVSvzeESIw

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALMag) April 5, 2026

One of the best turnarounds this season has been Loyola. The Greyhounds are alone atop the Patriot League following a 19-11 win over Boston University, just its second win against the Terriers since 2018. Loyola also owns a strong win over Towson among its 7-4 record after back-to-back losing seasons.

By the Numbers 

4 • Straight goals by Harvard to close the game in a 12-10 comeback win against Brown. Teddy Malone scored two in a row to tie it and Logan Turley closed the game with two of his own. 

5 • Consecutive losses for Denver since a Feb. 28 win over Michigan. The Pioneers fell to Villanova, 9-7, on Saturday and have scored just a combined 35 goals in the five losses. 

38 • Combined goals in Utah’s 24-14 win over Mercer. Utah, which scored 32 goals in a game earlier this year against Iona, has a combined 44 goals in its first two ASUN games of the season. 

8 • Career-high points for Navy’s Mac Haley (3g, 5a) in a 20-13 win over Holy Cross. The effort came a week after his 24-game scoring streak ended.

16 • Season-high goals allowed by Penn. Cornell got back on the winning side with a 16-8 win over the Quakers, its first at Franklin Field since 2018. Willem Firth scored four goals. 

17 • Consecutive wins for Yale against Dartmouth. The Bulldogs got four goals from William Sheehan in an 18-7 win on Saturday. 

2 • Consecutive overtime wins for Marquette to open Big East play. A week after edging Providence in extra time, Marquette went on the road to beat St. John’s, 11-10, on Nolan Rappis’ second goal. Carsen Brandt had two goals and five assists with the fifth assist coming on the game-winner.