Todd Karpovich shares his latest power rankings for the seven local Division I lacrosse teams as well as his player of the week.
Player of the Week
UMBC Senior Attackman Brett Baucia
The Archbishop Spalding grad finished with a career-high four goals on 10 shots as the Retrievers knocked off Drexel, the defending Colonial Athletic Association champions. Last season, Baucia played in a career-high 10 games, including three starts.
1. Maryland (3-0)
Previous Game: Defeated No. 9 Syracuse, 14-10
Spotlight: Fifth-year attackman Logan Wisnauskas (Boys’ Latin) scored four goals to lead the Terrapins to another signature victory. Wisnauskas moved to second on Maryland’s all-time goal-scoring list with 156 and recorded his 100th assist. Graduate midfielder Jonathan Donville added three goals and an assist. Fifth-year midfielder Anthony DeMaio scored twice with a helper.
This Week’s National Ranking: No. 1
Next Up: Hosts No. 20 Princeton Feb. 26
2. Johns Hopkins (3-1)
Previous Game: Defeated No. 19 Loyola, 11-10
Spotlight: The Blue Jays scored three times during the final 10 minutes to knock off the Greyhounds in the “Battle of Charles Street.” It was also the 1,000th all-time victory in program history. Senior attackman Joey Epstein (Landon) led the Blue Jays with two goals and three assists. Graduate goalie Josh Kirson posted a career-high 14 saves for the Blue Jays.
This Week’s National Ranking: No. 11
Next Up: Visits No. 12 North Carolina Feb. 27
3. UMBC (1-0)
Previous Game: Defeated Drexel (votes), 12-8
Spotlight: In addition to Baucia’s stellar performance, sophomore midfielder Zach Dudley (St. Mary’s) won 13 of 21 faceoffs. Junior attackman Mike Doughty (Glenelg) and freshman attackman Jordan Galloway added two goals apiece for UMBC, which never trailed in the game. The Retrievers are 17-4 in their last 21 regular-season games dating back to 2019.
Next Up: Visits Mount St. Mary’s Feb. 25
4. Loyola (0-2)
Previous Game: Lost to No. 11 Johns Hopkins, 11-10
Spotlight: Sophomore midfielder Seth Higgins scored five minutes into the fourth quarter to give the Greyhounds a 10-8 lead, but they could not stop a rally by the Blue Jays. Junior attackman Joey Kamish led the Greyhounds with four goals, while graduate attackman Aidan Olmstead had four assists. Graduate attackman Kevin Lindley added two goals and an assist for Loyola, which had a 33-27 advantage in ground balls.
This Week’s National Ranking: No. 19
Next Up: Hosts No. 5 Rutgers Feb. 26
5. Navy (3-1)
Previous Game: Defeated Hofstra, 13-6; defeated Manhattan, 9-6
Spotlight: Sophomore midfielder Dane Swanson scored four goals and had an assist, while junior midfielder Patrick Skalniak scored two goals with three assists to lead the Midshipmen against Hofstra. Two days later, Navy took down Manhattan as senior Jacob Jarosz (Severn) and junior Nate Hammond combined to win 16 of 18 draws. Six players accounted for Navy’s nine goals.
Next Up: Hosts High Point (votes) Feb. 26
6. Mount St. Mary’s (2-2)
Previous Game: Lost to Towson 13-8; defeated Hampton, 17-5
Spotlight: Sophomore goalie Griffin McGinley made 15 saves while junior long-stick midfielder Steven Schmitt scored twice in the loss to the Tigers. Senior attackmen Jared McMahon (four goals) and Kyle DeCrispino (hat trick) paced the Mountaineers past Hampton.
Next Up: Hosts UMBC Feb. 25
7. Towson (1-2)
Previous Game: Defeated Mount St. Mary’s, 13-8; lost to No. 2 Virginia, 18-9
Spotlight: Senior attackman James Avanzato had three goals and two assists, while junior midfielder Kyle Berkeley had a goal and four assists in the victory against the Mountaineers. Junior attackman Nick DeMaio, Berkeley and Avanzato scored twice in the loss to Virginia. Towson held a 4-1 lead in that game before being overwhelmed by the second-ranked Cavaliers.
Next Up: Hosts Richmond (votes) Feb. 26
Photo Credit: Gail Burton/UMBC Athletics