Key matchup: Goldstock vs. Ball in their respective goal cages. Note their classes. This could be the biggest week of each of their playing lives and so much pressure is on their shoulders

The skinny: The parallels between these two programs are uncanny. The head coaches, Gary Gait of Syracuse and Scott Teeter, worked together during Canada’s FIL World Cup campaign. As such, both have worked to bring in an aggressive, athletic style of play. But the last few weeks have been kind to neither team. Louisville is 1-8 in their last nine games, having lost six straight. Syracuse is 2-6 in their last eight, having lost three straight.

What’s particularly damning is the teams’ collective performance in the clutch. Louisville lost late leads against Virginia and Virginia Tech, and Syracuse has lost four one-goal games this year.

Both teams need to catch fire, starting right now, in order to be eligible for the NCAA Division I tournament.

Note: Go to Instagram (@totc) after the game is over for my Unfiltered perspective on the contest.

Senior Kylie Ohlmiller of Stony Brook University, in a 22-7 win over the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, broke a pair of long-standing NCAA Division I scoring records.

With a backhand shot in the first half, she surpassed the combined goals and assists record of 445 previously held by the immortal Jen Adams of Maryland. Later in the game, Ohlmiller assisted her sister Taryn for a goal, which made her the all-time assist leader in NCAA history, surpassing Hannah Nielsen of Northwestern.

Ohlmiller played her scholastic lacrosse for Islip (N.Y.), located about 10 miles south of Stony Brook University, and the only time the last nine years that the Buccaneers finished greater than .500 was her senior year of high school, when the team finished 10-5.

But since Ohlmiller stepped on campus, Stony Brook has won 70 games and lost just eight. More importantly, the Seawolves have no losses this season and are the top team in all the land.