D1 Men: Top 10 New Englanders to watch in the NCAA tournament

Two locals clash, as Joey Manown of Duke works a shot around Peter Dearth of Syracuse. (Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

With former Brewster Academy star Josh Jordan (Lunenberg, Mass.) and UMBC beating Marist, 14-8, in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, the nation's top 16 teams are set in stone.

That has eight matchups slated for Saturday and Sunday, with Yale looking to defend its national championship. While the Bulldogs are the sole team from New England in the Big Dance, there are plenty of local connections to watch for elsewhere.

From that, New England Lacrosse Journal has highlighted 10 players from the region who could come up big for their respective teams.

These players have been rocks all season long and will need to be reliable as ever when it matters most. Based on how 2019 has gone so far, that shouldn't pose any problems.