Will things ever settle in 2024?
As more teams enter the conference schedule, the answer is probably not. Even the results of non-conference games during a light mid-week schedule have already all but guaranteed top-20 shakeups come Monday (namely, Denver’s win over Stony Brook on a last-minute score by former Middlebury star Jane Earley).
Where does that leave us heading into the weekend? Heading into a familiar (for 2024) place where people should expect unexpected results.
Stanford (4-2) at Colorado (5-2) – Friday, 5 p.m. (Pac-12 Plus)
A pair of Pac-12 contenders collide in Boulder.
No. 7 Notre Dame (6-2) at No. 2 Boston College (8-1) – Saturday, 12 p.m. (ACCNX)
These two teams played three times last season — all BC wins, including in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments — but it’s a new year, as coaches say.
No. 8 UNC (6-2) at No. 14 Syracuse (4-3) – Saturday, 12 p.m. (ACC Network)
It’s always fun when these two teams play, but this season, the Tar Heels and Orange enter the game in search of an offensive identity — Saturday would be as good of a time as any to find it.
No. 12 Stony Brook (5-2) at Towson (2-4) – Saturday, 12 p.m. (Flo Live)
After back-to-back top-20 losses, expect the Seawolves to come out with a vengeance in this 2023 CAA title-game rematch, a 19-4 Stony Brook rout.
Game of the Week: No. 3 Michigan (9-0) at No. 10 Penn (6-0) — Saturday, 12 p.m. (ESPN+)
If you like defense, feast your eyes on this out-of-conference clash between two teams that rank in the top three in Division I in goals allowed per game.
No. 5 Maryland (6-1) at Ohio State (6-2) – Saturday, 1 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
The Terps deployed a balanced attack and got 14 saves from Emily Sterling in an upset over James Madison last weekend — now, it’s go time in the Big 10.
No. 11 Johns Hopkins (7-2) at No. 1 Northwestern (7-1) – Saturday, 2 p.m. (BTN+)
This one will get interesting if the Blue Jays can play at their best for 60 minutes.
No. 9 Loyola (6-0) at Army (2-5) – Saturday, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
Loyola has remained reliable in a season of rankings chaos — the Black Knights and star Brigid Duffy would like to change that.
No. 18 Yale (6-0) at Rutgers (5-3) – Sunday, 12 p.m. (BTN+)
I have no St. Patrick’s Day jokes, but this game between teams hoping to shake up their respective conferences is a fun precursor to corned beef and cabbage.
Stanford (4-2) at No. 15 Denver (4-2) – Sunday, 3 p.m. (Pioneer All-Access)
As Monday’s Stony Brook win proved, it’s too Earley to write off Denver (h/t Kenny DeJohn for that one).
