<p>Men's Division I: NCAA projections</p>
<p>Seeded teams
1. Duke // Getting to two NCAA tournament finals in the past three years without winning it all isn't very satisfying.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Johns Hopkins // Four of its first five games in Baltimore is a good start.</p></li>
<li><p>Virginia // Duke transfer Peter Lamade makes a potent offense even better.</p></li>
<li><p>Georgetown* // Has lost in the NCAA quarterfinals six years in a row.</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton* // Goalie Alex Hewit helped the Tigers lead the country in fewest goals allowed (6.2 a game).</p></li>
<li><p>North Carolina // Last year's trip to the NCAA quarterfinals was a welcome change from 4-10 in 2006.</p></li>
<li><p>Maryland // Ranked in the top 15 in man-up offense, scoring offense and man-down defense in 2007.</p></li>
<li><p>Notre Dame* // Took Johns Hopkins to overtime before losing, 11-10, in the NCAA first round.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Unseeded teams
(in alphabetical order)</p>
<p>Albany* // Great Danes averaged 13.8 goals a game, second to Cornell last season.</p>
<p>Cornell // The Big Red won games by an average of seven goals last season.</p>
<p>Delaware // Replacing the nation's best faceoff specialist, Alex Smith, is a hurdle.</p>
<p>Loyola // Should be able to take advantage of a depleted Massachusetts team and a young Penn State team to make the playoffs.</p>
<p>Navy* // Another 8-0 start would be good, but avoiding a 3-4 finish is critical if the Midshipmen have championship hopes.</p>
<p>Siena* // Junior attackman Matt Girsh finished fourth in the nation with 2.94 goals a game last season.</p>
<p>Syracuse // Opponents converted 71.7 percent of their man-up opportunities against the Orange.</p>
<p>Towson* // Will end a two-year CAA title drought.</p>
<p>*-Automatic qualifier</p>
<p>Game Specifics
Date and Tip Time: Feb. 9, 2008 at 12:00 pm EST
Location: Annapolis, Md. | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Television: None
Video Streaming: None
Radio: WNAV (Annapolis; 1430 AM)
Radio talent: Pete Medhurst
Gametracker: <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a> </p>
<p>Game Preview
The 12th-ranked Midshipmen will open the 2008 campaign Saturday when they play host to VMI ... action is set for 12:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Navy-VMI tilt is one of three game slated for Saturday in what is the earliest opening game in Navy lacrosse history ... the Navy-VMI game kicks off the Div.-I lacrosse season at 12:00 pm, while both the Delaware-Saint Joseph's and Seton Hall-Robert Morris contests are scheduled for 1:00 pm.
Navy enters the 2008 campaign having qualified for four consecutive NCAA Tournaments ... the Mids have reached double digit wins in each of the last four years, including last spring in which Navy produced an 11-4 record ... the Mids have won at least a share of the Patriot League regular season title in each of the last four seasons, while winning the Patriot League Tournament all four years.
Senior attack man Nick Mirabito is the Mids' top returning scorer, producing 44 points on 23 goals and 21 assists ... he has scored a goal or dealt out an assist in 45 of the 46 games in which he has played during his career.
VMI is under the direction of second-year head coach Jeff Shirk, a 2001 graduate of Maryland ... the Keydets turned in a 2-12 record a year ago, including a 1-7 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The Keydets welcome back their top scorer in senior attack man Kevin Hill who paced the team with 50 points on 24 goals and 26 assists ... meanwhile, second-year goalkeeper Sean McCoy returns to man the pipes after giving up 12.70 goals per game last season.
Saturday's contest will air live on 1430 WNAV with Pete Medhurst calling the action.</p>
<p>Navy vs. VMI - The Series
Saturday's contest will be the inaugural meeting between the two programs on the lacrosse field.</p>
<p>DiNola following in brothers¹ footsteps
by Ron Snyder, The Examiner</p>
<p>Annapolis (Map, News) - Jordan DiNola was far from an unknown commodity when he arrived at the Naval Academy almost four years ago.</p>
<p>DiNola first arrived in Annapolis as a teenager to watch older brothers Dustin, and later Seth, compete on the Midshipmen¹s lacrosse team. But despite spending countless hours at the Academy, Jordan DiNola acknowledged he wasn¹t sure he wanted to follow in his brothers¹ footsteps.</p>
<p>But that all changed his senior year of high school, when the allure of serving his country and playing with Seth for a season trumped anything Duke or Notre Dame offered.</p>
<p>"I always kept an open mind, but in the end I felt Navy was the best fit and would provide me the best opportunities in life," DiNola said. "I come from a patriotic family, but I¹m not sure I would have looked at Navy if my brothers had not gone there first."</p>
<p>It turns out the native of Ballston Lake, N.Y., made the right choice, and when the season¹s over, he¹s expected to throw his cap into the air at the graduation ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium just as Dustin did in 2003 and Seth two years later.</p>
<p>But before beginning his career in the armed services, the senior has another mission: anchor one of the game¹s stingiest defenses, one that gave up an average of just 6.6 goals per game third-lowest in the country. The two-time Honorable Mention All-American who had 19 ground balls last season, will begin his task today at noon against Virginia Military Institute at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.</p>
<p>And just like in previous seasons, the Midshipmen¹s success will hinge on their defense. The Midshipmen, the reigning Patriot League champions, went 11-4 last season after losing to North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p>"We always rely on our defense," Navy coach Richie Meade said. "Even when we were young two years ago on defense, we leaned on our defense. It's how we play."</p>
<p>Still, Meade said the Midshipmen made some crucial defensive mistakes last season. Navy lost three games by one goal, including against Maryland and eventual-champion Johns Hopkins. But Meade is confident the return of DiNola should enable Navy to reduce its miscues this spring. It is imperative the Midshipmen play great defensively since it graduated two of their top three scorers from last season, including attacker Ian Dingman (33 goals, 9 assists) and midfielder Billy Looney (20, 14).</p>
<p>"Jordan was a highly recruited kid and we were lucky to get him," Meade said. "He's as good as any defender in the country."</p>
<p>So all he has to do it prove it. DiNola said he¹s completely focused against VMI, which went 2-12 last season. It¹s the first step toward the ultimate goal of getting back to the championship game for the first time since 2004, when Seth was on the squad that lost to Syracuse at M&T Bank Stadium.</p>
<p>"A lot of what we do starts on defense,² DiNola said. ³It¹s the foundation of our team. We've always got to have young guys step up, whether it's on offense or defense, because you can¹t keep the same guys together forever in college."</p>
<p><a href="mailto:rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com">rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com</a></p>
<p>Navy women¹s lacrosse team sets sail for first Division I season by Ron Snyder, The Examiner</p>
<p>Annapolis (Map, News) - Erin Rawlick wanted to play soccer at the Naval Academy, but she wanted to make history even more.</p>
<p>That¹s why the Forest Hill resident gave up soccer, which she¹s played for more than a decade, for the chance to help Navy become the next school in a nationwide trend to launch a Division I women¹s lacrosse team.</p>
<p>Rawlick, a sophomore midfielder, is one of 34 players on the school¹s first varsity lacrosse squad, which opens its season against St. Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 19 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. The game represents the culmination of two years of preparation, which included playing a 23-game club season in 2007. In all, Navy will play 16 games and compete in the Patriot League with the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p>"I never expected to play lacrosse here," said Rawlick, a C. Milton Wright graduate who won a state title in lacrosse in 2004. "But when I heard the lacrosse program was starting up, I felt this was something I had to get involved with."</p>
<p>Winning quickly in women¹s lacrosse is not an impossible task. Three-time defending national champion Northwestern relaunched its program in 2002 after eliminating the program in 1992 because of financial reasons.</p>
<p>Former Maryland standout Kelly Amonte Hiller, who won two national championships as a player in College Park, coaches the Wildcats.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, Amonte Hiller¹s coach at Maryland was Cindy Timchal, who left the Terrapins for Navy in 2006.</p>
<p>Timchal, the all-time winningest coach in women¹s lacrosse, won eight national titles, including seven straight from 1995-01, at Maryland.</p>
<p>"It might take a little more time here because of the requirements at a service academy, but it can be done here," Timchal said. "We have first-class facilities, the support of the athletic department and the ability to offer a first-class education."</p>
<p>Rawlick said the opportunity to play for Timchal last season, even at the club level, was very beneficial, as it allowed her to learn about Timchal's coaching philosophy and keep her stick skills sharp before entering the highly competitive world of Division I.</p>
<p>"The biggest difference will be the speed we are playing against this year,"
said Rawlick, who scored 91 goals and had 36 assists as a freshman. "We just need to try to keep up our energy all season and I feel we can be competitive."</p>
<p>Flannery returns to Bucknell for Navy game</p>
<p>By Tom Housenick
The Daily Item</p>
<p>LEWISBURG Bucknell coach Pat Flannery is back.</p>
<p>The 14th-year coach traveled with the team Friday to Annapolis, Md., and is expected to be on the sideline tonight when Bucknell faces Navy at 7.</p>
<p>Flannery missed the last two games Sunday¹s loss to Army, Wednesday¹s win at Colgate plus much of the second half of the Jan. 30 loss to Lehigh with an undisclosed illness.</p>
<p>Doctors cleared Flannery, who had been taking part in game preparation during his absence.</p>
<p>Flannery was taken to Evangelical Community Hospital after becoming dizzy on the bench early in the second half of the Lehigh game. He was released from the hospital the next night, although he continued to undergo medical tests the next few days at area hospitals.</p>
<p>"After undergoing thorough medical evaluation and treatment, Flannery's doctors have determined the cause of the illness and have given him full authorization to resume coaching," Bucknell said in a statement. "Since this is a personal medical situation, further specifics are being kept private at this time."</p>
<p>Flannery has led Bucknell to three consecutive 20-win seasons. This season, with four of their top 10 players missing time because of injuries, the Bison are 10-12 overall, 5-3 in the Patriot League entering Saturday's game at Navy (10-12, 3-4).</p>
<p>Bucknell won the first meeting, 85-77, and has taken the last seven games in the series.</p>
<p>The Bison are 7-7 without Flannery finishing or starting a game since Feb. 2004. He missed several games in 2004 and 05 because of job-related stress.</p>
<h1>12 Navy def. VMI, 10-2</h1>
<p>For Immediate Release
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>
<p>Mids Open 2008 Lacrosse Season with 10-2 Win Over VMI</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A balanced attack and a stifling defense led the 12th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team (1-0) to a 10-2 victory over VMI (0-1) Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Saturday's game marked the earliest Navy has played a season-opener, while it was also the first game on tap this season in Div. I lacrosse.</p>
<p>"I thought it was a pretty good opening game," said an upbeat Richie Meade who led the Mids to their seventh straight win in a season-opener. "We played of lot of players today ... a lot of inexperienced players which showed early in the game. We have a lot of guys that are playing significant roles for the first time, so it was a great opportunity to get on the field and work through it.</p>
<p>"The question is do you play Feb. 9 on what turned out to be a beautiful day or a Wednesday in April during exam week and having to travel. Sometimes it's a roll of the dice, but for us, it was the best option. It's not really that early truthfully. We've been playing for three weeks and we thought this option was what was best for our team."</p>
<p>In addition to fielding questions about the early start, heading into the game there were plenty of questions as to who would step in and replace Dingman, Looney, Wallin and Wallace, named the fans have become familiar with over the years. The Mids did a nice job of answering the questions by using a balanced offensive attack that featured eight different players scoring Navy's 10 goals, including four first-time scorers.</p>
<p>"I'm confident in our offensive players and while we graduated some very good ones, we also have some very good players on the team now. It's going to be a matter of getting comfortable with one another and today we had the opportunity to get a lot of guys game experience."</p>
<p>And while the offense did its job by putting up double digits on the scoreboard, so, too, did the defense which suffocated VMI's offensive game plan and held the Keydets to just a pair of goals. The Mids took advantage of a veteran defensive lineup, featuring two-time All-American Jordan DiNola (Ballston Lake, N.Y.), in holding one of the most proficient goal scorers in the country, senior attack Kevin Hill, to just a goal.</p>
<p>"If you hold a team to two goals, that's good defense," said Meade, whose defensive squads have traditionally been one of the best in the country. "I don't care who you are playing, that's a solid effort."</p>
<p>Navy opened up a 3-0 lead after the first 15 minutes of play with sophomore attack Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) punching in the season's first goal for the Mids at the 8:27 mark. The play was cued by first-year starting keeper Matt Coughlin (Brightwaters, N.Y.) whose outlet pass to mid-field field set up the goal. A few quick one-timers around and rookie attack Andy Warner (Corning, N.Y.) saw Paul cutting to the crease and Paul popped it in over VMI keeper Sean McCoy's shoulder.</p>
<p>Navy's next two goals were near mirror images of one another as sophomore middie Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) rippled the back of the next from 10 yards out at 7:20, followed by junior midfielder Shane Durkin's (Germantown, Md.) first-collegiate goal from just outside of 10 yards.</p>
<p>VMI finally got on the board when Hill made a sensational move curling around the backside of the goal and shooting the ball as he left his feet. Horizontal to the goal, Hill somehow threaded the ball between the defender and Coughlin to narrow the margin to two (3-1) with more than 10:30 remaining in the second quarter.</p>
<p>While Navy would go on to get just one goal in the second stanza, the marker by sophomore midfielder Joe Lennon (Westminster, Md.), his first, at 5:30 would be the first of seven consecutive goals for the Midshipmen.</p>
<p>Navy pushed its lead to 8-1 after three quarters with goals from senior Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.), Sean Standen (South Hadley, Mass.), Warner and Bobby Lennon (Westminster, Md.). Mirabito has now produced a point (goal or assist) in 46 of the 47 games in which he has played during his career. Warner, meanwhile, scored his first collegiate goal when senior midfielder Terence Higgins (Chappaqua, N.Y.) intercepted a pass at mid-field and got it to Mirabito who then fed Warner. Additionally, the elder Lennon, Bobby, also scored his first collegiate goal, as senior attack Matt Guido (North Caldwell, N.J.) sent him the ball with 1:02 remaining in the third quarter.</p>
<p>Paul scored his second goal off Mirabito's second assist at 9:19, while Standen turned in his second collegiate multi-goal game when he punched in his second with 7:43 remaining in the game to give Navy a 10-1 lead.</p>
<p>The Keydets stopped the Navy run at 6:06 when Tim Moran fed Brett Leonard for the score with 6:06 to go in the contest.</p>
<p>Navy's defense forced 21 VMI turnovers, including 13 in the first half. Meanwhile, it held the Keydets to just 21 shots with the Mids now owning a 28-3 record since 2004 when holding an opponent to 25 or fewer shots. Additionally, the Mids have won 13 in a row when keeping its foes to seven or fewer goals.</p>
<p>The Mids also did a sensational job on faceoffs, winning 10 of the 14 taken. Senior Mikelis Visgauss (Setauket, N.Y.) was 5-for-5, while sophomore Frankie Coppola (Bethesda, Md.) posted a 5-for-7 mark in his first varsity appearance.</p>
<p>Coughlin earned a win in his first collegiate start between the pipes by yielding a pair of goals versus seven saves.</p>
<p>The Midshipmen return to action next Saturday when they travel to Columbus, Ohio and rekindle their series against Ohio State. Action is set for 12:00 pm at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.</p>
<p>Highligts of Saturday's Men's Lacrosse game between Navy and VMI is now available at Navy All-Access.</p>
<p>2008 NCAA Lacrosse Preview: No. 9 Navy Midshipmen</p>
<p>February 06, 2008
Christian Swezey</p>
<p>Inside Lacrosse continues its 2008 NCAA men's lacrosse preview with a detailed look at each of our top 20 teams.</p>
<p>Today we look at No. 9, the Navy Midshipmen</p>
<p>FIVE THINGS TO KNOW</p>
<ol>
<li>Is This the Year?</li>
</ol>
<p>Jordan DiNola and many of the other seniors on the team attended Navy's 46-44 victory over Notre Dame in football in South Bend, Ind., on Nov. 3. The victory was Navy's first in the annual series in 43 games dating from 1963. DiNola said it was not lost on him, or his teammates, that the losing streak to Notre Dame mirrors the lacrosse team's 33-game losing streak to Johns Hopkins.</p>
<p>"As soon as we made the tackle on fourth down, [ending the streak to the Irish] was the first thing that popped into every single one of our minds," DiNola said. "I have literally been asked about it 10,000 times since then."</p>
<ol>
<li>Four Strange Days</li>
</ol>
<p>A Wednesday-Sunday swing in mid-March will prove crucial for Navy's chances of winning the Patriot League.</p>
<p>The Midshipmen host Bucknell on March 19 then play at Colgate on March 23. Two wins would give Navy the inside track on hosting the Patriot League tournament. That advantage is not to be dismissed--the Midshipmen have not lost a conference home game since they joined the Patriot League in 2004.</p>
<p>The games also will feature DiNola, the preseason pick for conference defensive player of the year, against standout attackmen Austin Winter of Bucknell and Brandon Corp of Colgate.</p>
<p>"The quality of the coaching [in the league] has intensified and how the coaches prepare their teams has intensified," Navy Coach Richie Meade said. "The teams are ready to play. Everyone has done a very good job recruiting quality players."</p>
<ol>
<li>That Hurts</li>
</ol>
<p>Sophomore Basil Daratsos (17 goals) and senior Terence Higgins (4 goals, 9 assists) missed much of the preseason with injuries and each is questionable to play in the season opener on Saturday against VMI. Daratsos injured his knee over the summer; Higgins broke his foot in the offseason. They began practicing this week and, though they are expected back by early March at the latest, Meade said he does not have a definite timetable.</p>
<p>Daratsos said he has been asked to be cautious coming back from his injury after junior Bruce Nechanicky, an expected starter on attack, was lost for the year with a recurrance of his knee injury he originally sustained midway through last season. Nechanicky had knee surgery in January.</p>
<ol>
<li>Leading man.</li>
</ol>
<p>Senior Nick Mirabito (23 goals, 21 assists) led Navy in scoring last year--not first-team all-American midfielder Billy Looney (20 goals, 14 assists) or standout attackman Ian Dingman (33, 9).</p>
<p>Mirabito has scored at least one point in 45 of 46 games at Navy and finished last year on a tear: He had three assists against Johns Hopkins and North Carolina in the NCAA tournament and four goals in the Patriot League title game against Colgate.</p>
<p>He appeared to pick up this year where he left off last year with two assists in a scrimmage against UMBC on Jan. 26 but how will he handle drawing the opposing team's top defenseman?</p>
<ol>
<li>A Welcome Break</li>
</ol>
<p>A crucial early-season game is Navy-Cornell on Feb. 23. It is expected to be a one-year deal--North Carolina is likely to be back on Navy's schedule next year--but it promises to be a fascinating one. Navy has a 163-37-2 record against Ivy League teams (77.6 percent). That includes three victories against Ivy teams--including Cornell--in its run to the NCAA title game in 2004.</p>
<p>Meantime, Cornell traditionally has struggled when facing its more regular service academy opponent, Army. Even its Final Four team last year barely got by the Black Knights in a 7-4 victory. The biggest deal for fans is that the game is a rare break from the normally rigid (read: boring) schedules most teams employ.</p>
<p>The best matchup will be Navy's stellar defensive midfield against Big Red MFs Max Seibald, John Glynn and Rocco Romero.</p>
<p>UNIT TO WATCH</p>
<p>DEFENSE</p>
<p>Navy's defense is expected to play a big role this spring</p>
<p>The Midshipmen have not given up more than 12 goals in a game since the 2004 NCAA title game, a 14-13 loss to Syracuse. Their 6.6 goals-against average last year was third in the country.</p>
<p>Yet Navy has a little bit of a new look under first-year defensive coordinator Stan Ross, the former head coach at Butler.</p>
<p>"It's different from what we're used to," DiNola said. "He has a little bit of a different style. He works a lot on the fundamentals...During practice, if we make a mistake, he expects us to correct it ourselves instead of stopping practice to tell us how to do it. He lets us play a little bit more. The seniors definitely have a lot of responsibility."</p>
<p>There is a chance that Navy will try to play up-tempo, for several reasons. One, junior goalie Matt Coughlin is adept at throwing outlet passes, according to Meade. Two, the Midshipmen have a lot of depth at midfield; three, longstick midfielders scored two goals in a scrimmage against Virginia last Saturday and junior shortstick defender Geoff Leone is one of the team's best athletes and smartest players.</p>
<p>But the fourth reason is that Navy was hurt badly by mistakes in the clearing game last year. They were 18 for 32 (56 percent) against Georgetown's aggressive 10-man ride in a 10-9 loss on March 31. By way of comparison, Navy's four-game run to the NCAA title game in 2004 featured a combined 11 failed clears. And in its six-overtime game against UNC in 2002, Navy had only 13 failed clears.</p>
<p>They also went 10 for 19 in the heat against Johns Hopkins; that game also was a 10-9 loss.</p>
<p>Meade said part of the problem was that then-starting goalie Colin Finnegan was an excellent shot stopper but did not always control the ball, meaning Navy had a number of endline clears--and those allowed teams to set up a ride.</p>
<p>"We had guys open," DiNola said. "We just made some really bad decisions in a couple games. We made some adjustments but it's not like everything needed to be changed."</p>
<p>Navy faced a 10-man ride in a scrimmage against Virginia and had nine failed clears, though Meade said the team did not know ahead of time about the 10-man ride and that he thought the experience would definitely come in handy.</p>
<p>BIG QUESTION</p>
<p>Who will score Navy's goals?</p>
<p>Navy is almost always solid on defense. There are two starters back this year, plus junior Thomas Zimmerman, two highly recruited freshmen (Michael Hirsch and Tom Mansfield) and a very deep defensive midfield.</p>
<p>So the Midshipmen may not have to score a lot of goals, but they will have to score some. And the lack of known names isn't necessarily bad news--because historically, Navy has had players who emerged seemingly out of nowhere to have very big offensive seasons.</p>
<p>Then-senior Michael Cataffo entered 2002 with 2 goals and 1 assist in his career; that year, he finished with 17 goals and 15 assists. Joe Bossi scored 44 goals in 2004; he entered with 19 career goals. And in 1975, Fred Cook scored 27 goals after entering the year with 3 in his first three years.</p>
<p>"That's our whole thing; we develop players," Meade said. "Especially our midfielders."</p>
<p>In the preseason scrimmages, junior Michael Beggins started at midfield and scored against UMBC. Sophomore Evan Sullivan, a two-time high school All-America, was on extra-man offense and looked dangerous. Classmate Joe Lennon has great size and is physically sound after missing much of last year with mono. Senior Terence Higgins was one of the most highly-recruited players on the team coming out of high school. Etc.</p>
<p>"We're going to be a different team," Meade said. "I think people will watch us and say, 'Where did they get that guy?' But it's up to" the players.</p>
<p>SCOUTING REPORT</p>
<p>We asked several DI coaches to share their thoughts on this year's top 10 preseason teams. Here¹s what some had to say about the Midshipmen.</p>
<p>³The first thing you have to say about Navy is that they are a very well coached team up-and-down the field...</p>
<p>Their strength has always been in the defensive end and you have to be very disciplined on offense and make sure you don¹t waste any opportunities in transition because you aren¹t going to get many...</p>
<p>Navy doesn¹t vary much one year to another</p>
<p>They are exceptionally well prepared and very disciplined</p>
<p>They are similar to Maryland on offense, though probably a little more up-tempo, and they are always well conditioned...</p>
<p>You better buckle up your chinstraps when you go against Navy, they have always been a physical team</p>
<p>On tape, the things that jump out are how athletic and physical they are.²</p>
<p>Navy-VMI notes, new lacrosse Hall of Fame
By
John Weaver</p>
<p>VMI @ Navy notes</p>
<p>I knew going in that the game probably wouldn't be close. Last year, I drove to Charlottesville to open the season with the imminent blowout that was Drexel vs. Virginia and instead was the only media on hand to witness the greatest upset ever. So I try to keep an open mind. That said, E-Lacrosse had never covered a VMI game, so we were excited to give them some exposure.</p>
<p>If you don¹t know VMI, the Virginia Military Institute, they are located in Lexington, Va., right across from Washington & Lee. I was impressed with the way VMI played steady ball from beginning to end. The 10-2 final score had nothing to do with their effort or execution. They had a steady hand, much the way Navy plays when outmanned.</p>
<p>Navy looked good but probably still got yelled at, because there¹s no winning in a game like that, really. They will need to be better to beat half the teams on their schedule. This is the first Navy team to take the field without a veteran from the national championship game in 2004 and perhaps the least predictable in years. Senior Nick Marabito leads the offense while Jordan DiNola and Brendan Teague are stellar senior defenders. Much will depend on how junior goalkeeper Matt Coughlin does in the cage and how sophomore scorers Tim Paul, Pat Moran and Basil Daratsos play.</p>
<p>We like freshman Andy Warner, who got considerable time Saturday. This class has very few seniors, who are the heart of any Navy team. The Mids will depend heavily on leadership from those mentioned above, along with faceoff specialist Mike Visgauss and attackers Greg Clement and Matt Guido to surpass most expectations.</p>
<p>The new Bilderback-Moore Navy Lacrosse Hall of Fame</p>
<p>I always get a proper perspective with which to approach the season by visiting Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Lining the stadium are the reminders of the sacrifices someone else made for our freedom to play games. We celebrate the boys and now girls competing in a physical contest, that in small part prepares them for whatever they face protecting the next generation of Americans. It is as close to the Native American origins and the ³Little Brother of War² concept as the modern game gets. There¹s even a ceremony for the fallen at the end of each game. It is an American pastime, as cathartic as baseball¹s Opening Day is for some of us.</p>
<p>When the stadium was built, the first class of lacrosse players to take the field were two-time national champions. They retained the title for six more years at their new home, enshrining it as hallowed ground in record time. At the game Saturday, I had the privilege of previewing the brand new Bilderback-Moore Navy Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which has been built inside the stadium, with one of those champions, Dennis Wedekind.</p>
<p>Dennis is a two-time Kelly Award winner as the best keeper in the nation and has no idea what it is like to play college lacrosse and not win a championship. He has four -- and a long career of service as an aviator, saving more than just balls.</p>
<p>Think about it. Class of 1966. Every kid entering the Academy with that class in 1962 knew that the Vietnam War was inevitable. And by 1966, when they won the last of their four titles, they were truly preparing for the raging war they would join within months. It was an age of heroes, only validated by the passing of time. While the war was unpopular and soldiers were not always treated well then, today we are a more mature nation that can separate the duty of a soldier from the reasons for or against any war.</p>
<p>Every kid on the field Saturday entered the Academy, and VMI for that matter, knowing that going to war was a distinctly possible outcome for them. I am awed by it all. As I was awed by walking around the new Hall of Fame with Dennis, Jim Darcangelo and the son of Willis Bilderback, the legendary coach in those glory years.</p>
<p>Look at the video below and you¹ll see a ³stick doctor² hat from the 1950¹s, when that meant repairing wood sticks with fiberglass, re-drilling holes, replacing gut and strings in an era when no two sticks were the same. It¹s a cool exhibition for all ages. Nine silver championship trophies are on hand from the day when we actually awarded a trophy instead of the generic NCAA clip art plaque. The Hall of Fame is accessible to fans during Navy home games for the rest of the season. Check it out and let me know what you think.</p>
<p>Twenty predictions for the 2008 Division I college lacrosse season (Lacrosse Magazine)</p>
<p>Feb. 11, 2008</p>
<p>by Matt DaSilva, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff</p>
<p>As the colors purple and blue cover three quarters of the U.S. weather map, and my fingers freeze in the sub-zero wind chill that leaks through large bay windows at US Lacrosse in Baltimore, I'm glad to report that the 2008 NCAA lacrosse season has begun.</p>
<p>Lacrosse people are so influential, they've managed to redefine the season formerly known as spring to include the first week of February. Take that, farmers.</p>
<p>We've also managed to spend four months prognosticating a season that, in and of itself, is just four months long. As we awake from our perpetual preseason slumber, here are 20 predictions that should get your blood flowing faster than Max Seibald on Red Bull.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The new faceoff procedure regulations are more significant than you
think. Says Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala, "I hate that rule. I hate it." And for good reason - Stephen Peyser dominated the X' late for the Blue Jays in 2007 because he could anticipate the whistles well. Hopkins has held faceoff-specific scrimmages to help limit violations, which in 2008 are a de facto fast break with the violator being forced to leave the field of play. On the flip side, no official wants to directly affect a game's competitive balance. Will the stripes be hesitant to enforce the new procedure? Which brings us to No. 2...</p></li>Cuse, be it Pete Coluccini or impressive freshman John Galloway.</p></li>
<li><p>Bill Tierney will yell at an official.
Death, taxes and Tierney tongue-lashings are the only certainties for a Division I men's lacrosse official.</p></li>
<li><p>More than one goalie will score a goal in 2008.
Loyola-Blakefield (Md.) High School boys' lacrosse coach Jack Crawford, who played in front of former Hopkins great Larry Quinn and coached current Los Angeles Riptide goalie Alex Cade, lamented the trend of goalies coming out of the cage. "It's exciting to watch," he said at the US Lacrosse National Convention in January, "but it's terrible technique." Still, such is the trend in Division I men's lacrosse. Albany's Brett Queener is a lock to score, if not out of the cage, then as a short-stick midfielder. Other goalies who, if they play, are looking to push the ball up field: Virginia freshman Adam Ghitelman, Syracuse freshman John Galloway and Loyola junior Alex Peaty. And who knows, with leading scorer Jim Connolly among eight players suspended for an off-campus fracas, UMass might need Doc Schneider to pot a few this season, too.</p></li>
<li><p>The Penn-Northwestern rematch at Franklin Field in late April will be an utterly awesome game.
LMO's Clare Lochary, who has spent a good deal of time covering Penn and Ivy League women's lacrosse, chimes in with this one. "The Quakers are out for blood," she says. It's also the Wildcats last regular season game before the ALC tournament, and the gap between these two teams has tightened.</p></li>
<li><p>Army will beat Navy.
The rebuilding Midshipmen, who managed just 10 goals against lowly VMI this weekend, stand to lose a couple of others (perhaps beginning at Ohio State on Saturday?) before then. But look for the Black Knights, who return a lot of depth and a terrific goalie (Adam Fullerton), to end the Mids' 10-year winning streak in the service academy rivalry.</p></li>
<li><p>Zack Greer will break Gary Gait's all-time goals scored record as a natural senior, then call it quits.
The Robin to Matt Danowski's Batman would have an opportunity in 2009, with the NCAA-granted fifth year of eligibility, to prove he could lead Duke alone. But has it that Greer has expressed interest in transferring elsewhere for his fifth year - not for lacrosse, but ice hockey. Greer needs 52 goals to break Gary Gait's NCAA career record of 192. He scored 67 goals in 2007.</p></li>
<li><p>Yale will be the third Ivy League men's lacrosse team in the NCAA tournament, after Princeton and Cornell.
Each year it seems, LM mounts some dark horse, for better or worse. In 2006, it was Hofstra. That worked out well, as the Pride spent most the season ranked No. 2 in the country and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. In 2007, it was Fairfield, which went well for about a month, then blew up in our faces. This year, we think we're back on track with Yale, whom some consider the Ivy League's worst team. But with Tyler Castertano being the conference's best feeder since Ryan Boyle, and a some major experience returning on defense, yeah, we'll go there.</p></li>
<li><p>An international recruit not named Nielsen will have a big impact on an NCAA women's lacrosse tournament team.
Northwestern's Hannah Nielsen set an NCAA record for assists in 2007 and is among frontrunners to win the Tewaaraton Trophy as a junior. But she's not the only import to watch in 2008. Jen Adams has worked some of her Aussie voodoo at Maryland, where she and head coach Cathy Reese have lured Sarah Mollison, a gem of the Australian club circuit, and England's Laura Merrifield, who turned heads with her long strides at the IFWLA U-19 World Championship last summer, to play college ball. The Terps also have a certain Canadian on their team who might be the nation's most dominant all-around players. You may have heard of 2007 Tewaaraton finalist Dana Dobbie. Elsewhere, England's Lucy Lynch will be in the mix at James Madison. </p></li>
<li><p>UMass and Notre Dame will be OK, trust me.
These two men's lacrosse programs have garnered an unwanted spotlight early in the 2008 campaign. Eight UMass men's lacrosse players have been suspended, and two have been charged with felonies, in connection to an off-campus brawls that transpired two weeks ago. Meanwhile in South Bend, Irish attackman Will Yeatman, a high-profile sophomore who has enjoyed notoriety as a two-sport standout in football and lacrosse, blew a 0.11 blood-alcohol level and was arrested for operating while intoxicated. He is also suspended indefinitely. The good news: UMass was ranked No. 14 in LM's preseason poll primarily because the Minutemen return their entire starting defense and Doc Schneider in the cage. That unit remains intact. Notre Dame, meanwhile, should be used to playing without Yeatman - the Irish did so all fall. Their biggest strengths are in the goal (Joey Kemp) and on faceoffs (Taylor Clagett), and Ryan Hoff and Duncan Swezey are more than capable of pouring in the goals on attack.</p></li>
<li><p>Some lacrosse Web junkie is going to get kicked out of a press box because of the NCAA's new blogging policy.
Personally, I don't get it. What value does it offer you, the keyboard champions of the world, to have some amateur spouting off choppy play-by-play in poor grammar while the games you care about are probably being televised, anyway? The NCAA has stipulated that Internet media outlets are allowed just three blogs per quarter and one at halftime. You wait with bated breath, I know.</p></li>
<li><p>At least two Big East women's lacrosse teams will qualify for the NCAA tournament...and Georgetown won't be one of them.
It began in 2006, when Notre Dame delivered Georgetown's first-ever loss in Big East conference play. It continued in 2007, when Syracuse won the first-ever Big East tournament and Georgetown did not even qualify for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. With Coco Stanwick, the last vestige of a bloodline that has carried the Hoyas since the late <code>90s, gone, Georgetown is relying on freshmen. Granted, Jordy Kirr and Allison Hubschmann may be two of the best freshmen around. But with Gary Gait calling the shots at</code>Cuse, Shaylyn Blaney joining Jill Byers and Caitlin McKinney at Notre Dame and Rutgers on the rise, the Hoyas may have to settle for fourth-best in the Big East. Speaking of which...</p></li>
<li><p>Blaney, Byers and McKinney (oh my) will have Notre Dame back in NCAA tournament contention.
Look for a feature on this trio in the March issue of LM. Irish head coach Tracy Coyne doesn't like to put pressure on freshmen, but Blaney has ice in her veins and a competitive edge that won't be denied. Talking with these three, there don't appear to be any egos, and the last time Notre Dame had a trio this strong was 2006, when Crysti Foote led the way for McKinney and Byers, then a freshman, to an NCAA final four berth. There are a lot of parallels to be drawn here, and the Irish are resolute on returning to the dance that denied them despite another solid year in 2007.</p></li>
<li><p>A regular-season attendance record will be broken.
Division I lacrosse has become a destination wedding for aspiring programs. Last year, the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium drew 21,080 fans for a new regular-season record. The second incarnation of the event (now the Konica-Minolta Face-Off Classic) on March 1 will feature No. 3 Johns Hopkins against No. 6 Princeton and No. 2 Virginia against No. 9 Syracuse in the same venue. But even that might be eclipsed by the April 19 game at Ohio State, which hosts Denver in Ohio Stadium as a precursor to the Buckeyes' spring football game, a huge draw. Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and the university have marketed this well. And if everything really is bigger in Texas, consider the Patriot Cup - which brings Army, Holy Cross, Navy and Rutgers to Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, on March 15 - another attendance contender.</p></li>
<li><p>Stony Brook will beat Hofstra, fall short of an America East championship, and still qualify for the NCAA tournament.
OK, this might be a bigger deal to me, a native Long Islander, than most. Growing up, if you even hinted that Stony Brook had a chance against almighty Hofstra, you'd be a laughingstock. Heck, the Pride (then the Flying Dutchmen) seldom even scheduled the Seawolves. But the competitive balance of Division I men's lacrosse on the Island has changed. Stony Brook has beaten Hofstra twice since they began regularly scheduled games in 2004, including an overtime victory last year. I like the Seawolves as a sleeper this year. They have an excellent first midfield of Owen Adams, Ryan Hughes and Rhys Duch. The America East is good for two NCAA teams, and UMBC will relent without a go-to attackman.</p></li>
<li><p>Hopkins' women will miss Mary Key more than they think.
Some have intimated that after Key, and all the attention she warranted as the program's all-time leading scorer, graduated, Hopkins' other players would be eager to keep the momentum going without her. The enthusiasm this year was that Kadie Stamper and Lauren Schwarzmann would lead a more-unified core of Blue Jays. But a year after Key led them to their first-ever NCAA tournament victory, the Jays are having a hard time finding an identity. Key, now a member of the U.S. Elite team, tore them up pretty good during an exhibition game at the US Lacrosse Champions Challenge in late January, and Stamper is trying to recover from ACL surgery.</p></li>
<li><p>Georgetown will solve its quarterfinal jinx.
Six straight years the Hoyas have advanced to the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse tournament quarterfinals - and six straight times they've been sent home. Hey, this is a problem most coaches would love to have. Not to mention that four of those six losses (Hopkins in '07, Virginia in '06, Syracuse in '04 and Virginia in '03) came to the eventual national champion. The heat is on 6-foot-4 middies Andrew Brancaccio and Scott Kocis. They can handle it, with Andrew Baird potting the remnants on attack and Jerry Lambe bringing that fifth-year leadership to the defense.</p></li>
<li><p>Maryland won't win the ACC, but might have a chance in an iron-man competition.
These Terps are behemoths, and the envy of Division I men's lacrosse coaches everywhere. Twelve players are listed at 6-foot-3 or taller, and they've got the girth to match the length. Defenseman Joe Cinosky runs like a linebacker. Maryland has serious north-south momentum.</p></li>
<li><p>A subtle addition by addition will reap big rewards in Syracuse.
Making Lelan Rogers his full-time defensive coordinator was the first step in improving a once-beleaguered Syracuse defense for John Desko. The Orange has adopted a hard-nosed makeover, and the defense has been setting the tone, for a change. That's good for whomever is in the cage for
<li><p>The removal of lacrosse scholarship limits in the MAAC stands to affect the conference's competitive balance.
Starting with the 2007-08 academic year, the MAAC, which previously limited member schools to just four scholarships each for men's and women's lacrosse, will begin a transition to the NCAA's maximum allowance of 12.6 and 12, respectively. Traditionally one of the most competitive conferences in both sports, the MAAC by this process - by which the conference will phase in the new limit by two each year - will become a bidding war for better-funded programs. Teams like Providence, which won the conference in men's lacrosse last year, stand to lose the most in this deal. That's not to mention the looming possibility of a Northeast Conference down the line, with Bryant transitioning to Division I. That might spell the demise of the MAAC altogether.</p></li>
<li><p>The Presbyterian men's lacrosse team will spontaneously combust by March.
Talk about baptism by fire. In their first season of Division I play, the Blue Hose, led by enthusiastic head coach Jason Childs, have a schedule that includes Siena and Sacred Heart this month, then a two-week stretch in March during which they face Duke, Bellarmine, Dartmouth, Hobart, Denver and Air Force. Considering Prebyterian has already lost to former Division II foe Mars Hill, it looks like a long, lonely road for South Carolina's only Division I men's lacrosse program.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Quote of the Weekend
"The decision is, are you going to play on Feb. 9, which is a day you're going to scrimmage anyway, or do you play on a Wednesday in April when you're in final exams and you have to travel and miss class and those types of things? It's a trade-off. It's 50 degrees and it could be the middle of April right now. So we got lucky with the weather. It also could have been 22 degrees and sleeting, and then you guys would have a storyline about what an idiot [I am]."</p>
<ul>
<li>Navy men's lacrosse coach Richie Meade, on early season games, following the Midshipmen's 10-2 victory over VMI.</li>
</ul>
<p>Stat of the Weekend
Red-shirt freshman Anthony Ruiz, taking over Delaware's faceoff duties for graduated two-time All-American and all-time NCAA record-holder Alex Smith, was solid, scoring a goal and winning 16 of his 26 faceoff attempts in the Blue Hens' 18-10, season-opening victory over St. Joseph's.</p>
<p>Tougher penalty aimed at reducing violations</p>
<p>Mike Preston
February 13, 2008</p>
<p>After much debate, the NCAA lacrosse rules committee decided to implement changes in the faceoff rule this season, and even though it won't have significant impact, it helps the game.</p>
<p>If there are fewer illegal-procedure penalties called on faceoffs this season, then the new rule probably will serve its purpose.</p>
<p>And if there are more six-on-five fast breaks after faceoffs, then the rule definitely will be getting enforced.</p>
<p>According to the rule change, if a wing player commits a technical violation before a faceoff, that team's faceoff man must leave the field through the special-substitution area as the official begins play with a quick restart at midfield.</p>
<p>Also, when a faceoff violation occurs before the whistle, the offending team's faceoff player must leave the field and be substituted through the special-substitution area.</p>
<p>The time had come to make the change.</p>
<p>Before, if a team committed false starts before the faceoff, the penalty was that the other team got the ball. It wasn't stiff enough.</p>
<p>It seemed as if most teams were willing to take the risk. In one NCAA tournament quarterfinal game alone last spring, there were seven false starts.</p>
<p>Actually, facing off is a game inside the game, and everyone is looking for an edge. These guys try to anticipate the whistle much like a defensive lineman attempts to find the rhythm of a quarterback's snap count.</p>
<p>Are they cheating? Yes, but in sports, they're just trying to find the competitive edge. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't suffer a stiff penalty, just like an attackman caught with an illegal stick.</p>
<p>"The rule was changed to address a very specific issue. There was a consensus," said Navy coach Richie Meade, a member of last year's rules committee, which debated for six hours before deciding. "If this was surgery, this was the least invasive route. It was very straightforward and easy to accomplish. I think once everyone had a comfort level with the intent of the rule, they endorsed it and thought it was a good thing."</p>
<p>Meade is right. It changes very little about the game and no longer gives certain teams an advantage. In the past, if I had a strong defensive team and marginal faceoff specialists, then I'd gamble by moving early on some faceoffs.</p>
<p>If I were Johns Hopkins, Virginia, Syracuse or a team with superior talent, I'd take some risks on faceoffs, too, especially against an inferior team in the postseason.</p>
<p>But I'd think about taking risks now.</p>
<p>"I like it a lot," Towson coach Tony Seaman said. "I hope that it's going to be consistently administered in the right way. I think it's going to stop people from going early and having those violations we've had in the past because you're going to have to pay a price for having that person taken off the field."</p>
<p>The new rule change demands discipline from teams as well as officials. Coaches seem more concerned about whether the referees will be consistent in making the call.</p>
<p>"We have some reservations about it, but I think a lot is going to have to do with the officials and how they enforce it," Syracuse coach John Desko said. "I don't think officials want to be put in the spot to make those decisions. It depends on how they're going to call it. If they're firm with it, the players will adjust. If not, the players will do what they've been doing before."</p>
<p>Virginia coach Dom Starsia said: "I don't think it really addressed the issue. If the result is that few boys will jump, that would be good. My issue is that the officials don't call it when players jump. If the penalty is more severe now, will officials be less inclined to call it in the future? I don't think we can pass judgment until we see it in action."</p>
<p>Officials will be more aware of it now because the penalty is tougher, and it could have a major impact on a game. Coaches will stress it more in practice because of the same reason.</p>
<p>The lacrosse season is only one week old, but several coaches said they saw fewer false starts in the fall than in previous seasons.</p>
<p>"I like it a lot," Princeton coach Bill Tierney said. "But I think the effect is going to be what we thought the rule is going to do. I think the six-on-fives will be minimal. What you've seen already is less jumping on faceoffs ... I hope this really does add up."</p>
<p><a href="mailto:mike.preston@baltsun.com">mike.preston@baltsun.com</a></p>
<p>Navy edges Ohio State, 8-7, in OT thriller</p>
<p>February 16, 2008</p>
<p>Two teams in search of an early-season identity may have found one as Ohio State and No. 11 Navy christened the legendardy Horseshoe in the Buckeyes' thrilling 2008 season opener, a game that resembled the intensity and heartbeat of May instead of February.</p>
<p>Despite huge graduation losses, Navy proved they have enough offense to win, improving to 2-0 with the overtime victory.</p>
<p>"We played nine or 10 guys today and we've gone into the season making a commitment to play a lot of players," said long-time Navy Head Coach Richie Meade, who might be fielding his youngest offensive group in a decade.</p>
<p>"This team has been a lot of fun to coach. It's no secret that a lot of people have thought we could not maintain the standard we have had in the past and that's our challenge. This by no means makes the season but it's a good start."</p>
<p>The Middies got the game-winner off the stick of junior midfielder Michael Beggins, a junior who has felt Meade's wrath in practice the last couple of weeks. "He has waited his turn. I was glad to see him get the chance to score the game-winning goal," Meade said.</p>
<p>Senior attackman Greg Clement scored twice including a highlight reel behind the back goal late in the 4th quarter.</p>
<p>"Everyone is doubting us and each year there are players that come out of the woodwork and start to play better and better," Clement said. "There [are] a lot of skeptics with all the talk of us losing players...but we have depth and players that no one has seen. Through practice you know those guys can play so you have confidence in them, you know what they can do so you're not worried when they step on the field."</p>
<p>Navy also found a cool customer in the cage in rangy goalie Matt Coughlin, a highly recruited junior from Long Island and the son of a captain in the New York City Fire Department.</p>
<p>No wonder he's cool under pressure.</p>
<p>Coughlin traded point blank saves with Buckeye counterpart Stefan Schroder. "It boosts a lot of confidence for us especially because we are a young team," said Coughlin who logged only 13 minutes in four games in 2007. "This affirmed everything I knew, what kind of guts we have. We're tough players."</p>
<p>Ohio State (0-1) proved it is resilient as the talented Buckeyes rallied from 2-0 and 6-2 deficits to force overtime against a traditional power, thanks in part to junior college transfer Pete Poillon, a 2-time All-American, who scored twice. Fellow midfidler and pre-season All-America choice Kevin Buchanan had a hat-trick and scored his last goal at the buzzer to set off a resounding cheer in the 105,000 seat Ohio Stadium.</p>
<p>"We have a goal to win the conference and go to the tournament, go far and hopefully to Boston," said Buchanan. "We're not here to just compete with teams, we're here to beat teams."</p>
<p>Buckeye Coach Joe Breschi, who was coached as a player at North Carolina by Meade, took solace in the fact his team is as tightly bonded as any he's had in Columbus. "They're doing everything together. Their bond is tight and we saw that as they fought back all the way to the last second to send it into overtime," he said.</p>
<p>"They have great character. The love they have for one another and the work they put in to get better is tremendous."</p>
<p>February 18, 2008
Geoff Shannon</p>
<ol>
<li>Drexel in the mix</li>
</ol>
<p>Despite their 11-7 loss to Virginia Sunday, the Dragons moved up a spot from last week, jumping from No. 19 to No. 18 in the nation. I¹d have to agree. Watching the game on television, Drexel handled the Cavaliers well in the first half before Virginia¹s raw talent took over. They have three CAA mates (No. 13 Delaware, No. 14 Towson, No. 15 Hofstra) in front of them, so conference play is going to be huge for Drexel¹s post season aspirations.</p>
<ol>
<li>Mighty Denver makes a go</li>
</ol>
<p>Everyone was expecting the Pioneers to get a boost offensively from Butler-transfer Cliff Smith and Canadian freshman Jamie Lincoln. The pair lived up to the hype, combining for nine goals against Colgate, who many had pegged as a top 20 team. Denver clocks in at No. 16. Can they continue to rise in the rankings?</p>
<ol>
<li>Navy is back.</li>
</ol>
<p>Reports of the Mids¹ demise may have been greatly exaggerated, no? Though they entered the season ranked No. 11 in the media poll, there was a thought that Navy might slide down as the season progressed, suffering the affects of graduation losses and injuries. Then, coach Richie Meade and his guys roll into Ohio State and take an overtime win against a Buckeye team that many people think will cause some havoc in the GWLL. Navy is now at No. 10 and riding a 2-0 record.</p>
<ol>
<li>But Patriot League upstarts disappoint</li>
</ol>
<p>Everyone jumped on the Bucknell and Colgate bandwagon heading into '08. Maybe it¹s time to dampen that enthusiasm? It was a rough week for both teams, no doubt. We mentioned the Maroons¹ loss to Denver, but the Bison's 16-4 loss to Duke was also tough to swallow. Though they entered as the certain underdogs, a competitive showing would have kept them in the polls. Instead, Bucknell drops from the Top 20.</p>
<ol>
<li>UMBC still in, barely</li>
</ol>
<p>I'm surprised that the Retrievers are still in the Top 20. One of the darlings of last year¹s playoff run, UMBC stumbled out to a 0-1 record losing to Delaware 15-7 in their Florida meeting. Yet, the voters kept them in at No. 19. The good news is that they put up seven goals against a tough defense. The Retrievers have Rutgers, Denver and Johns Hopkins in their next three games though. I don¹t see them here next week.</p>
<p>February 18, 2008
Quint Kessenich</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Duke - Blue Devils steamrolled Bucknell on Saturday behind Matt Danowski and Zack Greer. We may be watching one of the best one-two punches ever. Duke held Bucknell to 11 shots on goal. This roster is brimming with talent. Freshman defender Mike Manley played well in his first start. First test will be on March 1st when they host Maryland.</p></li>
<li><p>JHU - Loss to Cornell in final scrimmage will be a wakeup call for the defending champs. Saturday game against Albany shaping up to be a great start of the ESPNU television schedule.</p></li>
<li><p>Cornell - The Big Red have the nation's best stickwork, looked very crisp in final scrimmage win over Hopkins. Cornell travels to LI next weekend to face Navy.</p></li>
<li><p>Virginia - Beat Drexel in Philly on Sunday afternoon. Coach Starsia has shifted midfielder Peter Lamade to attack - replacing an injured Ben Rubeor. It was a brilliant move. Brian Carroll is becoming a force inside on their 3-3 EMO set and he's a zonebuster with a textbook overhand release. Adam Ghitelman looks the part between the pipes, showing poise and presence.</p></li>
<li><p>Syracuse - All reports out of central NY indicate that Cuse will bounce back - certainly a 21-6 dismantling of Villanova is a positive sign. Orange fans will enjoy ESPN2's feature detailing the program's 5-8 season and the steps that have been taken to improve performance in 2008. Airs on Thursday afternoon. Konica-Minolta Classic match-up with Virginia on March 1st will be true litmus test.</p></li>
<li><p>Albany - Took care of Georgetown in their final preseason tuneup. Great Danes have a habit of making goalies look silly with their accuracy. Corey Small is the slickest lefty I've seen since Joe Walters. Albany is quickly becoming the nation's most enjoyable team to watch.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>7 Georgetown - Talented group faces Maryland on Saturday.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Princeton - Tigers host Canisius on Saturday as they prep for their March 1st game in Baltimore against Hopkins.</p></li>
<li><p>North Carolina - Beat Bellarmine 15-2 by outshooting them 35-5 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Tar Heels take the dangerous trip out west to play Denver. Beware of no air!</p></li>
<li><p>Maryland - Young Terps have a terrific faceoff duo with Will Dalton and Bryn Holmes. Wingmen Jeff Reynolds and LSM Brian Farrell will be keys against Georgetown.</p></li>
<li><p>Delaware - The Blue Hens physical style was too much for UMBC. Delaware trying to prove they are more than a one hit wonder. CAA very deep league in 2008 with 4 teams in the Top 20.</p></li>
<li><p>Denver - Offensive explosion against Colgate was impressive. The GWLL had a stellar opening weekend with Denver and Notre Dame beating teams from the Patriot League and ECAC, while Ohio State lost in OT to Navy. The GWLL may be looking at multiple NCAA bids.</p></li>
<li><p>Navy - Grinded out an OT win at Ohio Stadium. Patriot League had a rough first week with Colgate and Bucknell both getting dusted.</p></li>
<li><p>Notre Dame - Sprinted to an early lead against Loyola and held on for the win. Big crowd turned out in Baltimore on a cold but sunny Saturday. Loyola shot only 6 of 34.</p></li>
<li><p>Towson - Ambitious early season schedule features games with Loyola, Denver, Maryland, Virginia, Hofstra and Bucknell before the end of March.</p></li>
<li><p>Drexel - Held their own against Virginia on Sunday. Goaltender Bruce Bickford and faceoff man Zak Fisher will give opponents fits.</p></li>
<li><p>Hofstra -Face UMass on Saturday in Amherst.</p></li>
<li><p>Ohio State - Lost a heartbreaker to Navy.</p></li>
<li><p>Harvard - Reports from Crimson scrimmages have been nothing but complimentary of the job first year head coach John Tillman is doing. Siena, Stony Brook, Umass, Hartford and Fairfield may build confidence. Keep your eye on midfielder Jason Duboe from Illinois, he has looked great in pre-season scriammages and may be one of the best in the Ivy league.</p></li>
<li><p>Dartmouth - Open up with Hartford, Holy Cross, Fairfield and Vermont. Coach Billy Wilson has to replace Nick Bonacci's 45 points. Ari Sussman is tremendously quick behind the crease.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks. College lacrosse coverage starts this Thursday at 4pm on ESPN2 with the Insidelacrosse season preview show. Game coverage debuts on Saturday with Albany at Hopkins at noon on ESPNU and Loyola at Towson shown at 10pm.</p>
<p>By Edward Lee | Sun reporter
February 20, 2008</p>
<p>The Navy men's lacrosse team is giving the term "spread offense" a whole new meaning.</p>
<p>Eleven players have scored at least one goal for the No. 6 Midshipmen, who -- with No. 14 Delaware -- are the only 2-0 teams in Division I.</p>
<p>Sophomore attackman Tim Paul (Loyola) leads Navy with four goals, four players have scored two goals each, and six players have one goal. Senior attackman Nick Mirabito said the results weren't unexpected.</p>
<p>"We knew offensively we were probably more well-rounded," said Mirabito, who leads the team in points with five. "... We might not have one guy we can jump on and rely on him day in and day out, but I think we have a bunch of different guys who can do their own thing and chip away."</p>
<p>The Midshipmen lost more than 50 percent of last year's offense because of graduations. Players such as Ian Dingman (33 goals), Billy Looney (20) and Tommy Wallin (13) departed, leaving what some considered an irreplaceable void in the team's attack.</p>
<p>Navy, however, has adjusted. In Saturday's 8-7 overtime victory at Ohio State, coach Richie Meade played 10 offensive midfielders and four attackmen, rotating players to keep them fresh and spark the attack.</p>
<p>Junior midfielders Michael Beggins, Shane Durkin and Bobby Lennon (Loyola), sophomore midfielder Joe Lennon (Loyola) and freshman attackman Andy Warner scored their first career goals this season, and Beggins' first was the game-winner against the Buckeyes</p>
<p>by Ron Snyder, The Examiner</p>
<p>BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Navy coach Billy Lange said his program has not turned the corner in its rebuilding process, but it¹s getting close.</p>
<p>In a season where UMBC, Morgan State and Loyola have all generated local excitement for being in first place in their respective leagues, Navy is quietly close to doing the same. The Midshipmen (13-12, 6-4 Patriot League) enter tonight¹s home game against defending champion Holy Cross (14-10, 5-6) in second place in the eight-team league, 1 1/2 games behind American (16-10, 8-3).</p>
<p>"We're improving every day and I don't think we're playing our best basketball yet," Lange said. "We're finding a way to win and playing with a purpose. If we¹re able to keep a game close going into the final five or six minutes, we'll always have a chance the way we¹re shooting the ball."</p>
<p>Navy has won its last three games, is above .500 for the first time since Nov. 9 and are two games above .500 in the Patriot League for the first time since January 2002. The Midshipmen¹s latest win came on Saturday when junior guard Clif Colbert connected on an 8-foot jumper with four-tenths of a second remaining to give his team an 82-80 victory at Lafayette.</p>
<p>Lange said for Navy to have a chance of winning its first Patriot League tournament title since 1998, his team needs players like Colbert who had 18 points Saturday to make plays and take some of the pressure off the scoring trio of guards Greg Sprink, Kaleo Kina and Chris Harris. Those players combine to average nearly 50 points a game.</p>
<p>"As important as stars are on any team, the successful programs have guys who step up in other roles," Lange said. "We're getting better and will only continue to do so as long as everyone understands what's expected of them."</p>
<p>One such player for Navy is freshman guard Romeo Garcia. Although he isn't always flashy, Lange is impressed with how the Cypress, Texas native assists in every aspect of the game. This includes his Feb. 13 performance at Lehigh when he had eight points and five rebounds in an 80-75 Navy win.</p>
<p>"This season has been a journey that has only brought us closer together," Garcia said. "It's been everything I could have hoped for and more."</p>
<p>Against Holy Cross, Navy is going for a series sweep after losing 17 straight to the Crusaders going into this season. The Midshipmen won the first meeting between the two schools, 85-74, on Jan. 20.</p>
<p>However, the Crusaders enter Alumni Hall in Annapolis having won three straight and five of their last seven, including a 65-53 victory at Bucknell on Saturday. Holy Cross¹ resurgence comes as the preseason favorites to repeat as champions are getting healthy. Five players missed significant time with injuries.</p>
<p>One player not to miss any action for Holy Cross is senior center Tim Clifford. The 6-foot-11 preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, is averaging 16.6 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.</p>
<p>"Holy Cross is still the champs until someone beats them," Lange said. "They're getting healthy now and are still as tough as any team in the league."</p>
<p><a href="mailto:rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com">rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com</a></p>
<p>after cornell took the early lead, the MIds fought back and were as many as 4 goals ahead heading into the forth... the lead narrowed down to 2 with just minutes left to play--- Cornell's siebald tied it up with just 12 seconds left on the clock, sending the game into OT.</p>
<p>The Big Red won the faceoff, and the game in sudden death OT.</p>
<p>Amazing Navy Tailgate.... LI Parents know how to throw a party!!! The Mids were sent back on the bus to Annapolis this evening, but with enough food to keep their bellies full and then some!!!</p>
<p>As for us parents, we are all heading home to thaw out!!!</p>
<h1>10 Navy plays host to Mount St. Mary's</h1>
<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>
<p>Navy and Mount St. Mary's Meet Under the Lights Friday Night</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A week after suffering its first loss of the 2008 campaign, the nationally-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team (2-1) will be back in action on Friday when it plays host to Mount St. Mary's. Action is set for 7:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.</p>
<p>Ranked 10th by the USILA coaches poll and 11th in this week's Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, Navy had its two-game winning streak snapped abruptly last Saturday on Long Island, when it succumbed to No. 6 Cornell. The Midshipmen held a two-goal lead with a minute remaining in regulation, but goals by Ryan Hurley (0:53) and All-American Max Seibald (0:12) left Navy without an answer to the Big Red's furious flurry and sent the game into extra minutes. Junior attack man Chris Finn scored an unassisted goal just over a minute into overtime to lead the Big Red to an 8-7 victory over 12th-ranked Navy. The loss snapped a 14-game winning streak by the Midshipmen when leading after three quarters of play.</p>
<p>Navy, though, played a fine game on both ends of the field. The Mids were down 4-1 with seven minutes remaining in the half when they pulled together and scored six consecutive goals, including four the end the first half. Five different players accounted for the six goals, including senior Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) who turned in his first hat trick of the season. Meanwhile, Navy's defense held Cornell in check throughout the game, including the third period in which the Big Red mustered just one shot and turned the ball over 20 times during the contest.</p>
<p>The Mids head into Friday night's contest with one of the most balanced offensive arsenals in the country. Twelve different players have scored for Navy this season, including eight who have poked in at least a pair of goals. Mirabito is pacing the Midshipmen with nine points on a team-best five goals and four assists. Sophomore Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) continues to flourish in his role on attack, producing four goals thus far, while rookie attack Andy Warner (Corning, N.Y.) has been nothing short of impressive in the opening weeks with two goals and two assists. Junior keeper Matt Coughlin (Brightwaters, N.Y.) has surrendered 17 goals among the 74 shots in which he has faced and owns a 5.56 goals-against average.</p>
<p>Under the direction of 13th-year head coach Tom Gravante, Mount St. Mary's is likely to experience some ups and downs this season with freshmen comprising 16 of the 32 roster spots. The Mount lost nearly 80 percent of their scoring from a year ago, including their top four scorers. Senior middie Joe Derwent is the team's top returning scorer having produced 13 points on five goals and eight assists. Meanwhile, the Mount also lost their starting keeper, as well as their faceoff specialist.</p>
<p>Mount St. Mary's will have one game under its belt, however, when it makes the hour-plus drive to Annapolis on Friday. Maryland picked up an easy 17-7 victory over the Mount on Tuesday in Emmitsburg where nine different players peppered freshman keeper T.C. DiBartolo in his first collegiate appearance. Derwent, along with freshman Dan Mohr led the way for the Mount with one goal, three assists and two goals, two assists, respectively.</p>
<p>Meeting for the first time since 2002, Navy owns a 5-0 series advantage over Mount St. Mary's. Three of the five games have been played in Annapolis, including a 16-3 decision by the Mids in 2001, the last time the two programs battled in Annapolis. Navy has scored double figure goals in all five contests, while its defense has held Mount St.t Mary's in single digits in every game. The Midshipmen have outscored the Mount, 66-28, in the previous five games.</p>
<p>Single-game tickets for Navy home lacrosse games may be purchased by stopping by the Navy Ticket Office at Ricketts Hall, by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY, via the internet at NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics or at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on game day. Tickets prices are $8 for adults and $5 for students, while groups of 20 or more will be offered a discounted ticket with advance notice.</p>
<p>For those fans unable to attend the game, tune in to 1430 WNAV with the Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst calling the action or log onto NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics where fans can follow the action through Gametracker.</p>