NEWARK, DEL. 

#1 Princeton (14-2) vs. #8 Penn State (10-5)
Sunday, 12 pm

How They Got Here 

Princeton has been arguably the most consistent team in the country this season and its 17-8 win over Marist in the first round was its ninth straight victory. The Tigers are loaded offensively with five players in double figures in both goals and assists — led by Tewaaraton finalist Nate Kabiri (35g, 41a) — and goalie Ryan Croddick was named a first team All-American by USA Lacrosse. 

Penn State has been an enigma this season — big-time wins mixed with puzzling losses — but the Nittany Lions are cooking right now. They won the Big Ten championship by doubling up Johns Hopkins and then put the clamps on Army in a 10-6 first round victory in the NCAA tournament. Hunter Aquino has battled injuries all year, but he’s one of the best in the country when he’s on the field. He had a hat trick in the win over Army after combining for five goals in two Big Ten tournament wins.

Series History 

They’ve only played six times, but one of them was earlier this season when Penn State poured in seven goals in the first quarter in a 13-7 win in Princeton’s season-opener. That was just the second win in the series for Penn State, but they’ve played on three times this century — this year’s game, an 11-10 Princeton overtime win last year and a 13-12 Penn State win in 2023.

Storyline to Watch 

Faceoffs are always important, but even more so in this game given the explosiveness of each of these offenses. Penn State won six of the first eight faceoffs to fuel its hot start in the first meeting and 14 of 24 overall. Both teams are capable of getting it done at the dot. Penn State has won 60.2 percent this season with USA Lacrosse HM All-American Reid Gills and Colby Baldwin splitting the duties. Princeton is winning at a 55.3 percent clip with Andrew McMeekin in the primary role. McMeekin has been at least .500 in his last 10 games.

Georgetown (11-4) vs. Duke (10-4)
Sunday, 2:30 p.m. 

How They Got Here 

Georgetown head coach Kevin Warne said that not many people expected Georgetown to beat Virginia, but here the Hoyas are after a 14-10 win on Sunday night. Brothers and Colgate transfers Liam and Rory Connor have been lights out for the Hoyas, combining for 75 goals and 67 assists. Georgetown has been an incredible model of consistency, winning eight straight Big East championships. Now the challenge is to get past the quarterfinal round and return to Championship Weekend for the first time since 1999. 

Not many expected Duke to even be in the dance, but here the Blue Devils are. A dominant 16-12 win to close the regular season over North Carolina, coupled with favorable results from other teams in conference tournaments, got the Blue Devils into the tournament field and they took full advantage. Duke rallied with five straight goals in the fourth quarter to beat Richmond 14-12 in the first round. Duke’s star players — Benn Johnston (A), Max Sloat (M), Aidan Maguire (SSDM) and Charlie Johnson (D) — are matchup nightmares.

Series History 

Duke leads the series 10-2, but they’ve only played once since 2017 — a 16-12 Georgetown win in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. Georgetown dominated the third quarter to break a 7-7 halftime tie and Aidan Carroll, now in the PLL, poured in six goals. The Hoyas also controlled faceoffs, winning 21 of 31, but Duke’s Cal Girard is much improved, winning at a 59 percent clip this season. Girard won 21 of 27 against Richmond, his best outing of the season.

Storyline to Watch 

Georgetown goalie Anderson Moore has seen a lot of shots this season and he’s held up well with a 56.4 save percentage. He’s been in double-digits in saves in all but one game this season, and had a season-high 15 in the win over Virginia. He’s as reliable as they come. How will the Blue Devils counter in goal? Duke sophomore Buck Cunningham gave the Blue Devils a spark with 15 saves in a tight 7-6 loss to Notre Dame and then made 12 saves in the win over North Carolina. He made seven first half saves in the win over Richmond, but none in the second half. Junior Patrick Jameison has 48 career starts, including the first 11 games this season, and was an All-ACC selection last year. Who gets the nod?