7 College Games I'm Looking Forward to Most in 2023

With the recent schedule drops, here are seven games that I am looking forward to most this season, all for different reasons.

Game 1 (Scrimmage) - Delaware at Penn (Wednesday, Feb. 1 @3:00 p.m.)

Why I'm Excited

Yeah it's a scrimmage, but what an opportunity for both teams. UPenn will compete for a second straight Ivy League title after returning most of their roster. Delaware, who upset #2 seed Georgetown last year, also retains most of their core players and will try to use last years experience to make a deeper run this year. While this game won't be televised, I'm very excited to hear reports of who stood out and how the game went via Twitter.

Game 2 - North Carolina at Johns Hopkins (Tue, Feb. 14 @5:00 p.m.)

Why I'm Excited

It feels like both teams are written off this year in their respective conferences, but I wouldn't be surprised to see both of them  push for an NCAA birth. This early, out-of-conference game will be a good gauge for how the rest of the season will go for both teams. This game will be filled with transfers I expect to have big roles. For UNC, their whole offense will look different after losing 4 of their top 6 point leaders last season. Expect Bryant transfer Logan McGovern to run the show at attack while Harry Wellford (Bucknell), Sean Goldsmith (Mercer), and Griffin Gallagher (Gettysburg) should see considerable playing time. Defensively, Andrew Geppert (Brown) and JT Roselle (Marist) are proven players and should help UNC's young defenders adjust to the college game. For Johns Hopkins, signs point towards Marquette transfer Russell Melendez starting at attack while former Bryant goalie Luke Caracciolo will likely be the starter between the pipes. Alex Mazzone (Georgetown) is a Preseason All-American Honorable Mention and should be JHU's best defensive player.

Game 3 - Harvard at Virgina (Saturday, Feb. 18 @4:00 p.m.)

Why I'm Excited

This game will give us a picture of who Harvard is going to be in 2023. Are they still too young to compete for a title in the loaded Ivy League this year? Or will they prove they are ready for the moment? On the flip side, how will Virginia, the preseason #1, handle pesky out-of-conference teams that will give them their best every game? On paper it's a superteam, but will they have struggles early on? For what it's worth, I think Virginia drops either this game to the Crimson or their opener against Michigan, which I debated putting instead.

Game 4 - Notre Dame at Georgetown (Saturday, Feb. 25 @TBD)

Why I'm Excited

Is this a championship game preview? But seriously, there's an argument these are the two most balanced teams in the country. Strong goaltender? Check. Elite midfielders? Check. Between the lines guys? Check. Defenders? Check. Faceoff is maybe the one position Notre Dame has question marks, but even then I think sophomore Will Lynch takes the next step after going 49% as a freshman. The Hoyas pulled away from the Fighting Irish in the 4th quarter of their tilt last season, but don't be surprised if this game comes down to the last position.

Game 5 - Duke at Saint Joseph's (Saturday, Mar. 25 @12:00 p.m.)

Why I'm Excited

A fun out-of-conference matchup you don't see very often. Saint Joseph's has high expectations for this season and for good reason. They have an exciting attack unit (Bohmer, Anderson, and Page) and a top faceoff man in Zach Cole. On the other side, Duke is Duke and will be loaded with talent across the board. Brennan O'Neill should be a Tewaaraton finalist, but the biggest question mark is how does Coach Danowski utilize his roster to create cohesion on offense? This game should be a high scoring battle, with the best individual battle coming at the faceoff stripe between Zach Cole and Jake Naso.

Game 6 - Boston University at Navy (Friday, Mar. 31 @7:00 p.m.)

Why I'm Excited

We haven't seen two Patriot League teams with this type of talent (outside of Loyola) in some time. Boston University has a three-headed monster at attack with D'Alto, Perfetto, and Ley. LSM Roy Meyer is a First Team All-American candidate while goalie Matt Garber is a rock-solid starter. For Navy, midfielder Pat Skalniak is coming off a career year while other key pieces come back. I also expect a big jump from Xavier Arline after getting better and better last season as well as contributions from a great plebe class. This will be a good game.

Game 7 - Maryland at Ohio State (Sunday, Apr. 9 @7:00 p.m.)

Why I'm Excited

I love Sunday night lacrosse. Ohio State's new stadium will be packed to the brim for what should be a crucial conference game. Maryland has gotten the best of Ohio State for the past few years, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Buckeyes come out on top in this one. Army transfer Marcus Hudgins and LIU transfer Richie LaCalandra will be impactful for Coach Myers this season. For the Terps, it remains to be seen what transfers (if any) have meaningful roles. They will still be good, but probably not as much as last year, leaving the door open for other Big Ten teams like Ohio State.

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