NCAA FIRST ROUND
Massachusetts (11-7) at No. 1 Northwestern (19-0), SUNDAY, 1 p.m.
It is safe to assume that the second meeting between these two teams will be closer than the first – a 22-5 Wildcats’ win in Amherst, Mass. – during which Hannah Nielsen tied the NCAA career assists record. Massachusetts is a better team now than it was entering that contest six weeks ago, and NU is without injured senior attacker Hilary Bowen, who scored three goals. But while third-year coach and former NU assistant Alexis Venechanos has done an impressive job getting the Minutewomen their first NCAA tournament berth in 25 years, her squad ultimately does not have the firepower to keep up with mentor Kelly Amonte Hiller’s explosive attack.
Daily Pick: NU
Georgetown (13-5) at No. 8 Princeton (13-3), SUNDAY, 11 a.m.
While Princeton does not have any bad losses, it also has only one quality win – an 8-7 squeaker over Virginia in the first half of the season. On the other hand, Georgetown has defeated Duke, Syracuse, Notre Dame and lost by a slim margin against Maryland (a team Princeton lost 20-12 against to close the regular season). The Tigers have the No. 4 defense in the nation, but the Hoyas managed to reach double digits against the Orange and Fighting Irish’s top-10 units. Doing so against Princeton will punch their ticket to the second round.
Daily Pick: Georgetown
Virginia (11-7) at No. 5 Duke (14-5), SUNDAY, 1 p.m.
The Cavaliers might be the most inconsistent team in the tournament. Virginia gave No.1 Northwestern its toughest game of the season, but also needed overtime to beat Penn State. It defeated Syracuse on the road, but also lost at Old Dominion. Duke won 13-12 at Virginia earlier this season – a game in which the Blue Devils scored with 11 seconds left following a Cavaliers turnover. Duke has been a model of consistency in making the past three national semifinals, but Virginia tends to play to its competition. The Cavaliers should be especially fired up for this game, and even though the Blue Devils are playing well right now, an upset is a real possibility.
Daily Pick: Virginia
Fairfield (17-2) at No. 4 Pennsylvania (13-2), SUNDAY, 12 p.m.
Fairfield, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions and 16-10 winners over Sacred Heart in the NCAA play-in game, has one of the most high-powered offenses in the tournament. The Stags average 16.5 goals per game – second only to the Cats. But Penn is a tough matchup. Fairfield’s only two losses this season came against Ivy League schools Yale and Dartmouth – games in which the Stags scored 18 goals combined. How are they supposed to beat the Ivy League champion, who is the top defensive team in the country and steaming mad after losing to Stanford for the second straight year?
Daily Pick: Pennsylvania
Towson (13-5) at No. 3 North Carolina (13-4), SUNDAY, 12 p.m.
This is the third time in five seasons that Towson, the Colonial Athletic Association champion, has earned its way into the NCAA tournament. The Tigers lost in the first round each of their last two trips, and their lack of quality wins this season suggests a similar result is likely against the Tar Heels. North Carolina might be the most vulnerable of the top four seeds, with an average scoring margin of less than two goals per game. But the Tar Heels have one of the best defenders in the nation in Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Amber Falcone, and their only losses have come against Duke, Northwestern and Maryland. This game will not be a blowout, since the Tar Heels have not beaten anybody this year by 10 goals or more, but they should still win comfortably.
Daily Pick: North Carolina
Vanderbilt (10-6) at No. 6 Notre Dame (15-4), SUNDAY, 3 p.m.
Some were surprised by Vanderbilt’s inclusion in the tournament as an at-large bid, considering that the Commodores only placed fourth in their five-team conference and lost four of six games against other teams in the tournament. Not only did the Commodores get in, but they got a highly favorable draw against a team they beat 18-11 less than a month ago. Notre Dame features Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Jillian Byers, who is second in the country in goals scored. But the Fighting Irish did not win a game against a fellow tournament team until they rallied to win the Big East Tournament. Vanderbilt has been up-and-down all season long and has not won a tournament game since 2004. But in the end, its top-10 attack should fuel another upset victory over Notre Dame.
Daily Pick: Vanderbilt
Boston University (15-3) at No. 7 Syracuse (13-4), SUNDAY, 2:30 p.m.
Boston University has Sarah Dalton, whose 86 goals during the regular season ranked first in the nation and were good for an average of almost five scores per game. But the Orange kept her off the scoreboard in their 17-8 win against the Terriers two months ago. BU did not put together a particularly impressive résumé during the regular season. Massachusetts was its only win against a team in the tournament field and it finished with no victories over teams ranked in the top-15. Expect Dalton to score, but Syracuse will still win fairly easily.
Daily Pick: Syracuse
Colgate (14-4) at Maryland (19-0), SUNDAY, 11 a.m.
Maryland is a very young team, with no senior starters. But that lack of veteran leadership should not cause any problems against the winners of the Patriot League. It is a clash of strengths, with the third-ranked Terrapins offense going up against the Raiders’ third-ranked defense. But Colgate has faced only one ranked team (Penn State), which it lost to decisively, and did not face anyone who made the tournament. Maryland boasts impressive depth, with seven players scoring at least 20 goals for the season. Colgate will have a hard time keeping pace in this one.
Daily Pick: Maryland
