
A packed slate full of inter-conference battles is upon us. In typical New England fashion, a snowstorm is on the horizon as well. Some games have been rescheduled to avoid the weather, while others are likely headed from Saturday to Sunday. Such is life in the paradise of New England. Let’s take a closer look at this weekend’s D-1 matchups.
UMass vs. Yale, Friday 1 p.m.
A potential bounce-back game for both squads, this is going to be a physical game regardless of the score. UMass is always physical, so that’s a given, but this Yale defense is still angry about giving up seven goals in the first quarter to Penn State last week. It should make for an explosive mix of tradition and desire.
This game is going to be decided by turnovers. Yes, the dreaded negative stat that no one talks about in lacrosse is the difference-maker here. UMass is averaging 17 turnovers a game right now. For context, that ties the Minutemen for 40th place -- well into the bottom half of the division. You could argue that Yale lost the game against Penn State last week based solely on its inability to take care of the ball, and you would win that argument.