Quint Kessenich: Taking a final look at the final four

Two weeks ago, the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament began with a mishmash of the old guard and surprising upstarts.

Now, with four teams set to duel for the national title starting Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., that formula still holds true.

The stunners: Loyola is making its first championship weekend appearance in 14 years, and Maryland is in the semifinals for the second straight year despite losing five of last season’s starters to graduation.

The usual suspects: Duke made the semifinals for the eighth time despite another rocky start to the season, and the nation’s best defense has Notre Dame looking for a berth in the championship game for the second time in three years.

Here’s a closer look at each team and what it needs to do to party on Memorial Day:

—By Quint Kessenich, Special to The Baltimore Sun