Philly will be center of college lacrosse universe this weekend

NOTRE DAME (12-2)

Coach: Kevin Corrigan

Ranks (USILA / Inside Lacrosse / RPI): 2 / 2 / 2

Key wins: Syracuse, UNC, Duke, at Virginia, Albany, Ohio State

Familiar foes: Tomorrow's game will be the second between Notre Dame and Denver this season and the 20th overall. Notre Dame lost by 11-10, in overtime, to the Pioneers in Denver on March 7.

Locals: Conor Kelly, G, Sr. St. David's / Villanova (reserve in goal) . . . Jack Sheridan, D, Jr., West Chester / Malvern Prep (13 games played) . . . Adam Goins, M, Jr., Berwyn / Conestoga (has not played in a game this year) . . . P.J. Finney, M/FO, So., Berwyn / Malvern Prep/Lawrenceville (team's top faceoff man at .517, 103-for-199, team-high 46 ground balls) . . . Kyle Borbi, M, Fr., Medford, N.J. / Shawnee (played in one game).

DENVER (15-2)

Coach: Bill Tierney

Ranks (USILA / Inside Lacrosse / RPI): 3 / 3 / 5

Key wins: Notre Dame, Duke, Ohio State, Brown, Georgetown (2)

Big comeback: In its last game, Denver fell behind Ohio State by 7-1 and then went on a 9-0 run over the second and third quarters . . . .The Pioneers' all-time career scoring leader, Wesley Berg, enters the game with 247 career points and 180 career goals.

Locals: Joey Gigantello, G, Jr., Shamong, N.J. / St. Augustine (reserve in goal).

JOHNS HOPKINS (11-6)

Coach: Dave Pietramala

Ranks (USILA / Inside Lacrosse / RPI): 10 / 13 / 11

Talk about history: Johns Hopkins and Maryland are meeting for the 113th time this week. The series goes back to a 10-0 Johns Hopkins victory in 1895. Johns Hopkins leads the all-time series, 71-40-1.

Locals: Joe Carlini, M, So., Malvern / Malvern Prep (Played all 16 games, has four assists) . . . Eddie Moore, D, Jr., Newtown Square / Malvern Prep (played one game) . . . Drew Kennedy, FO/M, Sr., Wayne / Malvern Prep (played in 16 games, leads JH in FO wins and attempts, takes more than 50 percent of FO).

MARYLAND (14-3)

Coach: John Tillman

Ranks (USILA / Inside Lacrosse / RPI): 7 / 8 / 7

Excellence: The Terps are headed to their 23rd Final Four, the third most among NCAA teams. Meanwhile, both the Maryland men's and women's lacrosse teams are headed to the Final Four together for the 10th season.

Locals: Matt Rambo, A, So., Glenside / La Salle (33 goals, 14 assists, 47 points, leads team in goals and points, first-team all-Big Ten) . . . Casey Ikeda, D, Sr., Berwyn / Conestoga (16 games, four assists, 16 caused turnovers, Big Ten Defensive Player of Year, first-Team all-Big Ten) . . . Tyler Brooke, A, Jr., Berwyn / Conestoga (played in four games) . . . Mike Bender, LSM, Sr., Emmaus / Emmaus/Bellarmine (appeared in all 16 games) . . . Jon Garino, M, So, Newtown Square / Episcopal (played in 12 games, tied for second on team with 37 ground balls) . . . Ryan Lehman, D, Jr., Glen Mills / Garnet Valley (played in four games) . . . Bryce Young, D, Fr., Egg Harbor Township, N.J. / St. Augustine Prep (played in nine games, one goal).

LIMESTONE (19-1)

Coach:J.B. Clarke

After the semifinals: "Our team played very disciplined today, especially offensively," Clarke said, after a 16-6 win over Lake Erie College. "That's a really tough team to play because they chase you are around so hard. We would win faceoffs, and there would be five guys jumping on us. But a lot of guys scored goals for us. We were tough to cover today."

LeMOYNE (16-2)

Coach: Dan Sheehan

The road to Philly: So far in the NCAA Tournament, LeMoyne has defeated LIU Post by a score of 16-8 and then barely got by Merrimack, 8-7, in overtime.

TUFTS (20-2)

Coach: Mike Daly

Tradition: The Jumbos practiced one day this week at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. It has become a tradition for the team -- Dan Kraft, son of Pats owner Robert Kraft, played at Tufts and graduated in 1987.

Locals: Charlie Rubin, M, Jr, Radnor / Radnor (started 22 games, scored four goals). . .Jon Sax, D, So., Villanova / St. Joseph's Prep (played in 15 games).

LYNCHBURG (21-2)

Coach: Steve Koudelka

Honors: The U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association released its all-America teams Tuesday, and the Hornets had seven members honored, with two landing on the first-team - Austin Steward and Eric Lombardo.

Locals: Brooks Melvin, A, Fr., North Wales / Wissahickon (two goals in eight games) . . . Ian Sawyer, M, Jr., Berlin, N.J. / Eastern (played in 11 games) . . . Evan Leeder, D, Sr., West Chester / Salesianum (started 23 games, 25 ground balls) . . . Robert Logan, M, Fr., Media / Penncrest (seven games) . . . Ryan Connors, D, Jr., Doylestown / Central Bucks East (12 games) . . . Aaron Murphy, A, Jr., Downingtown / Downingtown East (44 goals and 48 assists).

DUKE (16-4)

Coach: Kerstin Kimel

Rivals: Duke and North Carolina will square off for the 31st time in tonight's NCAA semifinals. The Tar Heels hold a 16-14 advantage in the series after winning in the regular season, 12-6,

Locals: Kitty Morrissey, D/M, So., Philadelphia / Springside (two goals in seven games) ... Taylor Trimble, M, Sr., Rosemont / Episcopal Academy (36 goals and 10 assists in 20 games)

NORTH CAROLINA (17-3)

Coach: Jenny Levy

More rivals: "You come to a North Carolina, you go to a Duke, to play in big games," Levy said. "You also go to both of those programs, and a lot of the people that we compete against, to compete for a national championship. So I don't think it's unfamiliar territory for either program."

Locals: Marie McCool, M, Fr., Moorestown, N.J. / Moorestown (named on May 12 to the 2015-16 U.S. National Team tryout pool) ... Alyssa Andress, M, Jr., Doylestown / Archbishop Wood ... Margaret Corzel, D, Sr., Berwyn / Merion Mercy Academy (tied for team lead with 22 caused turnovers, named second-team all-ACC in 2015) ... Kelly Devlin, M, Sr., Downingtown / Downington East (named on May 12 to the 2015-16 U.S. National Team tryout pool. Named All-ACC Tournament in 2015) ... Stephanie Lobb, D, So., West Chester / West Chester East (19 ground balls in 20 games) ... Sophie McCoy, M, So., Kennett Square / Tower Hill School.

SYRACUSE (16-7)

Coach: Gary Gait

You remember: Gait played for the Philadelphia Wings for five seasons, winning two championships.

Locals: Bridget Chakey, M, Fr., Havertown / The Agnes Irwin School (played in two games) ... Kelly Cross, M, Jr., Oreland / Upper Dublin (14 goals and six assists in 11 games) ... Bri Barratt, M, Fr., Bristol / The Hun School of Princeton ... Melina Woon Avery, GK, Fr., Ardmore / Harriton (reserve goalie played in three games).

MARYLAND (19-1)

Coach: Cathy Reese

Tradition: Maryland has had a lopsided advantage over Syracuse through the history of the two programs, with the Terps winning 17 of 18 previous matchups. This will be the fourth time the teams have met in the final four in the last six years. This year, their only loss of the season was to Ohio State.

SUNY-CORTLAND (20-1)

Coach: Kelly Lickert-Orr

Streaking: The Red Dragons have won 17 games in a row, but that isn't their most impressive streak. This is: They are making their fifth consecutive trip to the Division III Final Four and their sixth since 2006.

MIDDLEBURY

Coach: Missy Foote

Unrivaled: This is Foote's 35th and final season as coach. She has won five NCAA titles, and her teams have been to the tournament in 21 of the last 22 seasons. They've also been to 17 Final Fours.

FRANKLIN & MARSHALL (20-2)

Coach: Mike Faith

Sibling rivals: Franklin & Marshall junior Anastasia Mergner will be playing against her sister tomorrow afternoon. Mergner's sister, Georgia, is a midfielder for the Bantams.

Locals: Gabby Frank, A, So., Moorestown, N.J. / Moorestown (second on the team with 51 goals) ... Caroline Doran, D, Jr., Ardmore / Haverford (started 22 games, 25 ground balls) ... Siobhan Burke, M, So., West Chester / West Chester East (four goals in 16 games) ... Stephanie Speese, D, Jr., Fort Washington / Upper Dublin (played in 22 games) ... Claire Jackson, A, So., Malvern / Conestoga (nine goals in 14 games).

TRINITY (20-1)

Coach: Katy Dissinger

More streaking: Trinity owns the nation's best winning streak, at 20 games. The Bantams won the NCAA Tournament Regional for the fourth straight year and are in their fourth straight Final Four.

Locals: Noelle Smith, D, Fr., Moorestown, N.J. / Moorestown Friends (played in one game).