Welcome to On the Run. Here's what you need to know about what happened in college lacrosse this weekend, plus some little things that I loved. Quick and easy to read while you're on the run!

Today’s writeup in a snapshot 📸:

• 👀 The Headliner: Notre Dame is Back on Track

• 🤝 Supporting Cast: Iona Wins First MAAC Game

• 🎯 Quick Hits: Save of the Year?!

• 📈 On the Rise: Michigan’s Alex Lobel

👀 The Headliner: Notre Dame Dominates Duke

The storyline that stole the show this weekend.

On March 11, I wrote that there were warning signs for Notre Dame offensively, but there’s not necessarily a problem and they’ll figure it out.

lt looked like Notre Dame had it more or less figured out in a 14-7 win over Duke.

Sliding Devon McLane to attack has solidified the third attack position. His IQ and balanced shooting/feeding ability complement the scoring prowess of Jake Taylor and the playmaking ability of Chris Kavanagh so well.

While you lose a midfielder when you make that switch, I still like the Fighting Irish’s depth at this position. Will Angrick has been playing like an All-American while we know what Jordan Faison can do. Fisher Finley and Jalen Seymour are experienced options, and I’ve seen some flashes from Will Maheras.

But what makes this offense even more dynamic is the emergence freshman Matt Jeffrey. An elite athlete, Jeffrey missed all of fall ball as a member of the football team, but it seems like he’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of as a midfielder.

His made this goal against All-American SSDM Aidan Maguire look easy.

He just looks like a different athlete out there, similar to Faison last season, and it looks like he’s finding his stride, which is a scary thought.

McLane, Faison and Jeffrey all missed fall ball, so there’s a little bit of an acclimation period when that happens. But with these three clicking, this Notre Dame offense is up and running again, which we knew was going to happen, we just didn’t know when.

As for Duke, the offense doesn’t have it figured out.

Obviously Notre Dame is a strong team defensively, but if your attack unit can’t win a 1v1 matchup, there’s not a lot of optimism for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Andrew McAdorey and Benn Johnston are game-changers, but they need a little bit more from the players around them to be taken as a legit contender.

🤝 The Supporting Cast

The things that weren't maybe the star of the weekend, but still important.

1. No Undefeated Teams Remain ❌

Fairfield lost 17-16 to Stony Brook, which means no undefeated teams remain.

I always struggle with where to rank undefeated teams like Fairfield. It’s a cool story, but they were up to #12 in the Inside Lacrosse media poll.

I get it, they’re undefeated, but should they have been ranked ahead of teams like Harvard and Johns Hopkins? Probably not.

That being said, whoever emerges as the conference champion in the CAA will not be an easy out in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, and that includes Fairfield.

2. Iona Earns Their First Conference Win ✅

The Gaels have won their first ever MAAC game, beating Quinnipiac 12-8.

I did not anticipate Iona being competitive in the MAAC this year, espicially after a 16-1 loss to Sacred Heart last week.

But credit to Iona and their coaching staff, they regrouped and pulled out a massive win.

I have no clue how Iona will be the rest of the season, but this is no doubt a positive stepping stone and solidifies Iona as an up and coming program in the MAAC.

3. Syracuse Grits Out Win vs UVA 🍊

Owen Hiltz scored the last two goals for the Orange as they pull out a huge ACC result against UVA.

While Syracuse was 7-2, they didn’t exactly have the strongest resume, as their best win was against a fading Johns Hopkins squad. So this game was equally as important for the Orange as it was for UVA, who are now in serious, serious risk of missing the NCAA Tournament.

🎯 Quick Hits

The weekend's standout plays, hustle moments, and everything in between.

📈 On the Rise

Spotlighting players and teams who are setting themselves up for big things ahead.

1. Georgetown’s Pax Marshall 🐶

Slotting into the starting attack on the lefty side, Marshall had four goals on six shots to help the Hoyas defeat a pesky Providence team.

The sophomore scored his first two goals on righty cuts, then buried two lefty step down looks against a zone defense.

He’s not that flashy, but Marshall has a great understanding of spacing within the offense and is making the most of his opportunities right now as a lefty shooter and inside finisher in the absence of Jack Schubert.

2. Army’s Hill Plunkett ⚔️

The brother of All-American midfielder Evan Plunkett, Hill is providing a spark for this Black Knights offense.

He’s a dynamic dodger, but I’ve been particular impressed with his finishing ability, including an lefty up the hash goal this past weekend in a big win over UNC.

3. Michigan’s Alex Lobel 〽️

Starting in his first ever contest for the Wolverines, Lobel tallied a hat-trick in a massive Big Ten win for Michigan.

Undersized at 5-foot-8, 170 pounds, Lobel is a slick finisher and dodger and looks to make himself a bigger part of this offense as conference play rolls on.

4. Syracuse’s Payton Anderson 🍊

Like Lobel, Anderson earned his first career start on the lefty side, scoring two goals for the Orange in their win over Virginia.

A highly-rated recruit, Anderson showed off his athleticism with this diving goal early on in the contest as the 1st quarter was winding down.

Read previous week’s here:

• Read Week 0

• Read Week 1

• Read Week 2

• Read Week 3

• Read Week 4

• Read Week 5

• Read Week 6

• Read Week 7