Quint Kessenich writes this column for The Baltimore Sun every Friday. For more lacrosse news from The Sun, visit their Lacrosse Insider blog for daily news and notes. Also, follow them on Twitter @LacrosseInsider.

Charlie Raffa's health is an X-factor for this weekend's semifinal game. (Inside Lacrosse Photo: Rich Barnes)

The seeds of doubt have been planted.

Maryland, Notre Dame, Duke and Denver are left in the running for the men’s lacrosse crown, and it looks like a tossup as to who’s going to emerge on Memorial Day.

For the first time in five years, four seeded teams reached championship weekend. For a while, it appeared that a Cinderella or two might get through to the semifinals at M&T Bank Stadium, but one by one their hopes withered.

The best teams in the country are here, and there’s room for only one to bloom.

Watch Quint, Paul Carcaterra and Anish Shroff break down the semifinals here.

No. 1 seed Duke vs. No. 5 Denver — 1 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2

The Pioneers (16-2) haven't lost since March 1, reeling off 13 straight wins with an offense that shoots 37 percent and ranks No. 3 in the nation in scoring. Bill Tierney won six NCAA titles at Princeton and is making his third appearance in the semifinals as Denver coach. He is the Vince Lombardi of lacrosse. “If the ball gets stuck in your stick, you get stuck on the bench,” Tierney said of his skilled goal scorers.

The Pioneers roster is represented by 20 states and Canada and makes up the most balanced team in the field. Their top six offensive players all have more than 30 points, while their defense ranks No. 6 in scoring. They use a righty-lefty two-goalie system; both Jamie Faus (righty) and Ryan LaPlante (lefty) would start for every team in the field except Maryland.

What to watch on Denver: Denver’s defense must find a way to slow down Duke midfielder Myles Jones and attackman Jordan Wolf, a Tewaaraton Award finalist.

Denver X-factor: Faceoffs are an area of vulnerability. Denver's goal is to win 40 percent of the draws and not to allow any fast-break goals from faceoffs. If the Pios pull that off against Duke All-American Brendan Fowler, they have a great shot to advance.

The Blue Devils (15-3) have won 11 of their last 12 games and make their eighth consecutive semifinal appearance. The defending champs haven't been held below 15 goals in their last 10 games and rank No. 2 in scoring offense for coach John Danowski, the lacrosse version of the Zen master. Wolf has 92 points, good for third in the country behind Albany's Lyle and Miles Thompson. Jones, just a sophomore, has been unstoppable in the second half of the season scoring 44 points in the last nine games. The 6-foot-4 240-pounder has a dominant combination of size, speed, skill, vision and IQ.

What to watch on Duke: Offensive depth and defensive execution. The Blue Devils will run their first midfield into the ground. Their defensive slide, rotations and recovery patterns must be perfect. They have a group of rangy, physical and aggressive defenders who excel in the one-on-one cover game. Like Georgetown hoops in the 1980s, the Devils will try to make this a man-on-man battle and hope not to have to support — or toss their system in the trash and pack it in tight, protecting the paint.

Duke X-factor: Injuries have hit Duke late in the season. Long-pole defender Luke Duprey and southpaw sniper Josh Dionne both suffered major knee injuries. Dionne scored 49 goals this spring and is their best interior offensive finisher. Duprey's leadership, presence on faceoff wings and communication have been missed on the defensive end. Danowski's already thin lineup will be challenged to win two games in three days.

“Adversity touches teams in different ways,” said Danowski. “The fun of coaching is each team takes its journey in different ways.”

Key player: Fowler, the Most Oustanding Player of championship weekend in 2013, gives Duke a potential edge at the faceoff X. He is tenacious, fast and technically sound, and battles hard for 50-50 ground balls.

Next page: Maryland vs. Notre Dame

No. 7 Maryland vs. No. 6 Notre Dame — 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2

The Terps (13-3) have the nation’s best scoring defense, led by senior goalie Niko Amato. The Philadelphia-area native has won 48 games and is part of a graduating class that's been to championship weekend three times. Maryland wins by making stops and dominating the possession stats with faceoff man Charlie Raffa. Their offense went dormant in losses to North Carolina, Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame. Mike Chanenchuk is the trigger man, having scored 35 goals while drawing the long pole. The Terps’ freshman class accounts for over 30 percent of their scoring.

Maryland hasn't won an NCAA championship since 1975, but coach John Tillman has them in the hunt once again. “We have to be who we are: Play fast and think ahead, trying to make adjustments based on the two prior games against Notre Dame,” Tillman said. A home-field advantage could push Maryland to the top of the mountain.

What to watch on Maryland: For my money, Mike Chanenchuk has put together a Midfielder of the Year season. If Chanenchuk can't score, how will Maryland keep up?

Maryland X-factor: Raffa has been a warrior all year, battling leg injuries and wearing a large knee brace while winning possessions. He won 81 percent of the faceoffs against Notre Dame in the teams’ two games this season. Raffa played with a noticeable limp in the quarterfinals. Can he make it through the weekend?

The Fighting Irish (11-5) were 6-5 and on the brink of extinction when they upset Maryland, 6-5, in an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinal. The win gave Notre Dame and coach Kevin Corrigan a second wind, and the ACC champions have averaged 15 goals per game in their last four wins.

“We never quit, we adjust and adapt and do what we have to do to compete,” said Corrigan. “We will play the full 60 minutes and 110 yards.”

They must reload and recover emotionally and physically after an epic NCAA tournament quarterfinal overtime win over Albany. Matt Kavanagh (35 goals, 30 assists) has been clutch, providing game-winners, drawing fouls and dodging strong left-handed to pay dirt. The team is typically known for its defense but ranks No. 27 in that category this season.

What to watch on Notre Dame: Winning the possession game, or breaking even in that category, is critical. Notre Dame had only 16 settled possessions against Maryland in the ACC semifinal win.

Notre Dame X-factor: Midfielder Nick Ossello is a superb athlete from Colorado who takes faceoffs in relief of Liam O'Connor and runs a regular shift with the top midfield group. Ossello’s burst creates big plays. Defensive midfielder Jack Near is one of the fastest players in the country; his end-to-end runs spearhead a dangerous transition offense.

Key player: Notre Dame goalie Conor Kelly is 5-1 since winning the starting job back last month after early-season struggles led to a benching. He made a total of 26 saves in the Irish's two games against Maryland this season.