Well friends, last weekend went about as well for the Black Knights as it could possibly have gone. Yeah, the Army-Navy Game was arguably more exciting than it needed to be. But it was Army-Navy. I mean, I’m not sure what you were expecting, but both teams were always gonna bring their best stuff.
The Black Knights now stand 4-2 in the Patriot League, locking them into an unbelievable six-way tie for first place. Thankfully, that’s going to change. If they win out, I *think* they will probably head to the Patriot League Tournament seeded second. If they somehow drop another game, though, we’re liable to see chaos.
The good news is that if the Army Team winds up in a multi-team tie, the overall records become an important tie-breaker. The bad news is that whatever else happens, Army will almost certainly wind up in some kind of tie with either Colgate or Boston University, and the Black Knights own a head-to-head win against neither team.
.@ArmyWP_MLax's secret weapon on Saturday became Paul Johnson, back from injury and ready to make a difference.
— Inside Lacrosse (@Inside_Lacrosse) April 16, 2024
“That goal in the fourth quarter to put us up for good is a big deal. To watch Paul do it gave it a little extra punch.” (via @SwezeyLacrosse) https://t.co/jE533ftbO4
Looking Ahead
Army plays at Bucknell (4-8, 2-4 in the Patriot League) tomorrow night, starting at 7:30 pm. Not to take anything for granted because crazy things happen in college sports all the time, but this is a game that the Black Knights should win handily.
It’s worth noting, however, that Army FOGO Will Coletti came up limping late in the Army-Navy Game. Army Head Coach Joe Alberici called Coletti the “our MVP” after last weekend’s game given the way he allows the team to dominate offensive possessions in games. If Coletti sits this week, the game overall will likely be much closer than we might otherwise expect.
Will he sit?
Maybe. We don’t know how badly he was injured, but the team is most certainly going to need him a week from now when they take on Loyola on the road. The Greyhounds haven’t had a particularly noteworthy season overall (6-6, 4-2 in the Patriot League), but they’ve done as well as Army in League play. That makes next week’s contest both an opportunity to knock off a rival and a must-win for standing heading into the Patriot League Tournament.
Thankfully, the Black Knights have an opportunity with the way the Patriot League schedule shakes out over the next two weeks. This week we have:
— Loyola at Navy
— BU at Lehigh
— Colgate at Holy Cross
Either Loyola or Navy will get knocked out of the logjam for first place this weekend, as will either BU or Lehigh. Black Knights fans should root for Navy (Ugh, I know) and Lehigh since Army owns wins over those teams. Unfortunately, Colgate’s team bus is more likely to get struck by a meteorite than their lax team is likely to lose to Holy Cross on the road.
Yet another accolade for our guy Sean!
— Army Men's Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) April 17, 2024
He's been named to the @USILA_Lax Team of the Week!#NOW pic.twitter.com/HMhgWYPQbh
The next week then sees:
— Army at Loyola
— BU at Colgate
— Bucknell at Navy
— Lehigh at Lafayette
Granted, anything could happen. What’s most likely, though, is that either BU or Colgate wins the regular season title, and Army is either second or third after tie-breakers. This all depends on how Navy and BU do against their respective foes this weekend.
The Black Knights would vastly prefer second because that gives them the quarter-final round bye. With that said, if Army can just keep winning games, the seeding will most likely take care of itself.
.@ArmyWP_MLax used a big fourth quarter to earn the Star last Saturday at Michie Stadium! #ArmyNavy
— Army-Navy Game (@ArmyNavyGame) April 17, 2024
🎥 Highlights ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/EISGwon0DG
Beat Bucknell!
Though the Bison haven’t won a lot of League games, they have played close against most of their conference rivals. Junior Attacker Connor Davis leads the team with 37 points (33 goals, 4 assists), followed by sophomore Attacker Michael Meyer with (16 goals, 10 assists). Sophomore Goalie Jaz Zanelli has 60 saves, good for a 47.2% save rate.
BISON WIN! The rookies account for five of the seven goals, and Jaz Zanelli racks up a career-high 18 saves. We're back home next Friday for a big one against Army on Senior Night! 🥍 #rayBucknell 🥍 pic.twitter.com/dQcAwJjiqX
— Bucknell Men's Lax (@Bucknell_MLAX) April 13, 2024
Bucknell has won 47.1% of their faceoffs this season. Will Coletti would undoubtedly eat that up, but if he doesn’t start, we may well wind up with an adventure in the faceoff circle.
First faceoff goes at 7:30 pm this Friday on ESPN+. The weather should be cloudy but basically warm with temperatures starting in the lower-60s and falling maybe into the lower-50s as the evening progresses. Thankfully, they’re not expecting much wind.
As always this season, this is a game that the Black Knights absolutely must win. This team can absolutely not afford to drop another game heading into the Patriot League Tournament.
A fourth quarter for the ages😤💪#NOW pic.twitter.com/ZVROecKIGx
— Army Men's Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) April 16, 2024
Go Army! Beat Bucknell!!!
Cover image via Facebook: Army West Point Lacrosse.
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