When the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament field was announced three weeks ago, conventional wisdom among professional analysts and casual observers alike was that the event would be a wide-open affair.
In the end, however, it’s the top two seeds left standing who will square off for the title on Memorial Day in Charlottesville, Virginia. Furthermore, both finalists reached this point by winning their three previous tournament contests in decisive fashion. In short, they’ve left little doubt that they are the two best teams.
We’ll soon learn which powerhouse program will emerge victorious in 2026. Here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s matchup.
No. 1 Princeton (16-2) vs. No. 2 Notre Dame (13-2)
Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Championship history: Over the course of nearly four decades, Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan gradually built the Fighting Irish program up to elite status, and the team now goes for its third title in four seasons. Princeton claimed six national championships from 1992 through 2001 under coaching legend Bill Tierney, and the Tigers now look to complete the long climb back to the top of the mountain with Matt Madalon at the helm.
Keys to victory: First and foremost, both teams have been getting superb goaltending in the month of May. Notre Dame’s Thomas Ricciardelli and Princeton’s Ryan Croddick each rank in the top 10 nationally in save percentage, and both were outstanding in their respective semifinal wins Saturday. … Concurrently, both keepers have been getting excellent support from their close defensive units. Shawn Lyght is the headliner of the group for Notre Dame, but long-stick midfielder Will Donovan is also a major takeaway threat. Tigers’ shutdown defender Jack Stahl usually draws the assignment of marking the opponent’s principal attackman. … Ah yes, scoring. Normally that’s the first thing we talk about when discussing championship caliber teams in this sport. To be sure there’s fire power for both these squads, but they’re here mainly because of their balance. The Tigers have more depth at the offensive end, with the attack trio of Nate Kabiri, Chad Palumbo and Colin Burns are supported by a deep midfield corps. The breakout star for the Notre Dame attack has been Josh Yago, a grad transfer from Air Force who has notched seven goals and seven assists over the last two games.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA lacrosse tournament title game matches Princeton, Notre Dame