We've got four games this weekend. Denver will host two games while the Naval Academy will host Sunday's matches. The TNIAAM crew have provided their predictions for this weekends games. Tell us what you think and how you see the weekend going.
Albany Great Danes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Saturday, 3 pm, ESPNU)
Jim: This is such a hard one to pick. I'm pretty sure I have Notre Dame beating Albany and going to the finals, but I'm not sure they make it out of this game. Obviously the Irish have a very talented defense led by Matt Landis and a very good goalie in Shane Doss, but they will be facing the most potent offense in college lacrosse and maybe the greatest player to ever play in Lyle Thompson. The Irish looked wobbly in their win over Towson, a game which really could have gone either way, while Albany's defense, traditionally known as a weak spot on this team, looked fabulous. I'm changing my original pick and taking Albany. Prediction: Albany 17 - Notre Dame 14
Brian: When you think about Notre Dame and Albany, the gut reaction is to think defense vs. offense. But don't discount Notre Dame's offense in 2015, as the Irish rank 8th in the nation at 13.46 goals per game. Notre Dame's defense was able to really frustrate Syracuse earlier in the season, and I think they'll be able to somewhat contain Albany's offense. At least enough for the Irish offense to offset the scoring and lead them back to another Final Four. Prediction: Irish 14 - Albany 13
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Denver Pioneers (Saturday, 5:30 pm, ESPNU)
Jim: The Pios have a lot of firepower, but at the end of the day we still don't know which Ohio State team will show up. My gut tells me that Denver will take the win, but I'm not very confident. I will be very interested to see how Tom Carey plays, he had 15 saves in the win over Duke and I expect him to play well again. It is expected that Denver's faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste will be 100% after taking a shot to the neck against Duke, but he will need to bounce back after a less than stellar performance against the Blue Devils. Prediction: Denver 13 - Ohio State 11
Brian: I picked Duke to knock off the Pioneers in my bracket, but I was very conflicted over it. Now with the Blue Devils out of the way, and Ohio State playing on the road at altitude, this should be the easiest matchup of the quarterfinals. Denver has the talent, the home cooking and the coaching to advance easily. Prediction: Denver 16 - Ohio State 10
Syracuse Orange vs. Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (Sunday, 12 pm, ESPN2)
Jim: I already gave you my preview for this game. The Jays are trending upwards and may be meeting the Orange at the right time. This is a rivalry game and I expect it to be tight. Don't be surprised to see overtime either. Prediction: Syracuse 14 - Hopkins 12
Brian:In the second-most exciting game of the weekend - next to Albany/Notre Dame - Syracuse will hold off Johns Hopkins en route to another Final Four. It's going to be close ... probably too close ... but ultimately this senior-laden team will pull out the win behind another star performance from Kevin Rice. Prediction: Let's go with Syracuse 12 - Hopkins 11 in a nail biter.
Maryland Terrapins vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (Sunday, 2:30 pm, ESPN2)
Jim: I think Maryland is going to have massive problems. The Terps are a defensive team but will not be able to stop this high powered Tar Heel attack. This could be the blowout in the quarterfinals. Prediction: UNC 16 - Maryland 8
Brian: Really thought Colgate was going to pull the upset on Carolina last week, and now the Tar Heels are facing a better version of Colgate's defense in Maryland, who leads the nation in scoring defense and defensive efficiency. The Terps held Carolina to just eight goals in a home win back in March, but I think the second time around the coaching staff will be more prepared and North Carolina advances to its first final four in 22 years. At least I hope this happens because Maryland continues to ruin lacrosse with their style and I want no part of them if SU makes it to Philadelphia. Prediction: Carolina 12 - Maryland 8
Your turn in the comments...