Collegiate Men's Lacrosse

GreatAmerican · March 1, 2008, 6:11am

<h1>10 Navy def. Mount St. Mary's, 12-5</h1>

For Immediate Release
Friday, Feb. 29, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Navy's Attack Spearheads 12-5 Rout Over Mount St. Mary's

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy's starting attack scored six goals and pitched in five assists to lead the 10th-ranked Midshipmen to a 12-5 victory over Mount St. Mary's (0-2) in men's lacrosse action Friday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy, who improves to 3-1 on the season, now owns a 6-0 series record against the Mount and has outscored them, 78-33.

"This was a good game for us to play," said Navy head coach Richie Meade, whose Midshipmen have played more games this season than any other team in Div. I. "I'm disappointed that Mount St. Mary's scored five goals, but I felt like they really had to work hard for them. Overall, I felt like our team played well. We played a lot of guys in the hopes of trying to get them some experience.

"Right now I feel like everybody's just trying to survive," added Meade in reference to how his team stacks up against the competition. "I'm happy with where our defense is at and where our clearing game is at. Offensively, we are working hard, moving the ball around and generating shots. We will continue to improve each game, we are just trying to be patient."

Senior Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) led the Midshipmen with five points on a team-best three goals and two assists. Mirabito, who has scored in 49 of the 50 games during his career, pitched in his second hat trick in as many games. Additionally, behind his five-point game he moved into a tie for 15th on the Mids' all-time points list with 126, equalling Eddie McKinnon's mark (1999-02). He is just four points from becoming one of only 15 players in program history to reach 130 points.

In addition to Mirabito's fire power, Navy saw second-year attack Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) punch in two goals, while assisting on two others and senior Gregory Clement (Dallas, Texas) turned in a goal and an assist.

The game got off to a slow start as both teams found it difficult to take care of the ball. Though Mount St. Mary's seemed to have possession for much of the early portion of the game, it managed just one shot in the opening 15 minutes of play. Navy finally got on the scoreboard when Paul fed Clement from behind the goal and Clement stuck the ball over rookie keeper T.C. DiBartolo's shoulder at the 4:37 mark.

Navy added to its lead just before the end of the quarter when sophomore Brendan Connors (Bellmore, N.Y.) found Michael Beggins (Smithtown, N.Y.) who ripped a 10-yarder from the left side of the field with 51 seconds remaining. It was the first assist of Connors' career, while marking Beggins' second career goal and first since scoring the game-winner against Ohio State two weeks ago.

Mount St. Mary's briefly stopped the Mids by scoring an extra-man goal at 12:09 in the second stanza. Top returning scorer Joe Derwent worked with Geery Grant to narrow Navy's lead to just one (2-1).

The Mids, though, went on to score the next three goals to lead 5-1 with 3:27 to go in the opening half. Among the three goals was a nice transition play that begin behind the Mount St. Mary's cage with junior defensive midfielder Bobby Lennon (Westminster, Md.) picking up the loose ball. Lennon sent an outlet pass to mid-field where Zack Schroeder (Deer Park, N.Y.) quickly found Paul. Paul took off with only the keeper to beat and after cocking back, he unleashed a powerful shot that rippled the back of the net before DiBartolo realized it was out of Paul's stick.

It was the Mount who got the final say by half's end as Dan Mohr stationed himself on the far left crease where Jim O'Shea threaded a pass and Mohr scored on an ankle biter to send Mount St. Mary's to the locker room down, 5-2.

Navy opened up an 8-2 lead with just under 11 minutes to play in the second half by scoring three quick goals, including an extra-man strike by sophomore middie Joe Lennon (Westminster, Md.) 21 seconds into the half.

The two teams traded goals to wind down the third period with the Midshipmen holding a comfortable 9-3 lead.

The fourth quarter featured five goals, three by Navy and a pair by the Mount. Two of Navy's three goals in the final stanza were scored by sophomore local product Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.), who finished with two goals and an assist.

The Mount, whose team is made up of half freshmen, were led by Mohr and O'Shea who each pitched in a pair of goals to go along with Geery's strike. Making just his second collegiate appearance, DiBartolo was sensational in the goal early on, making 13 stops, including nine in the first half. Ben Trapp also did a fantastic job in the faceoff department, where he won 13 of the 18 draws in which he took.

The Mids will be back in action next Friday when they play host to Mount St. Mary's. Action is set for 7:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

GreatAmerican · March 7, 2008, 9:09pm

Navy at Lafayette
Saturday, March 8 1:00 pm Easton, Pa. Rappolt Field

Broadcast Information
Television: None
Radio/Internet: None
Live Stats: None

Game Preview
After returning home a week ago to pick up a 12-5 victory over Mount St. Mary's, the Midshipmen will be back on the road Saturday when they travel to Easton, Pa., to face Lafayette in both teams' Patriot League opener ... faceoff is set for 1:00 pm at Lafayette's Rappolt Field.
Due to the lack of a covered press facility at Rappolt Field, there will be no radio coverage of Saturday's game.
The Midshipmen enter Saturday's contest with a 3-1 record, suffering their lone loss this season at the hands of Cornell in overtime (8-7).
Navy will head into its game against Lafayette boasting a 13-game winning streak against Patriot League foes ... additionally, Navy has won 14 consecutive games against teams not ranked among the nation's top 20.
Navy owns a 3-1 record in Patriot League openers, including a 2-0 mark against Lafayette ... last season the Mids opened their league ledger with a 9-4 victory over the Leopards.
Sixth-year head coach Terry Mangan has the Leopards headed down the right path as they own a 2-1 record already surpassing last year's win total, while equalling its win marks from 2003, '04, '05 and '06 ... Lafayette has early wins over Wagner and emerging D-I squad Presbyterian ... rookie attack Tom Perini has been sensational through the first three games, pacing the team with 11 points on 10 goals and one assist.

Taking the Field in ...
10 Navy has won 10 or more games in each of the previous four seasons.
9 Navy has scored nine or more goals against Lafayette in all eight previous contests ... the Mids are 8-0 against the Leopards.
8 Dating back to last year's Johns Hopkins game, senior attack Nick Mirabito has produced an assist in eight straight contests.
7 Junior keeper Matt Coughlin has twice turned in career-high seven save games this season (Cornell, VMI).
6 Six different Navy players have produced multiple goal games this season, including sophomore attack Tim Paul who has scored two goals in three of the four games this season.
5 Over the last five years, Navy owns the second most wins in D-I lax with 52.
4 Navy has made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a championship game battle against Syracuse in 2004.
3 The Midshipmen have been winners of three of their four Patriot League openers since joining the conference in 2004 ... they are 2-0 against Lafayette in openers.
2 Since the beginning of 2004, Navy has lost just two games against unranked opponents (30-2).
1 Senior Nick Mirabito has been held without a point in just once in his 50-game career, last year's double overtime loss to Maryland.

Patriot League Success
Since joining the Patriot League in 2004, Navy is 31-2 (.938) against opponents from the league, including an 8-0 mark in the Patriot League Tournament ... the Mids lost regular-season contests to Bucknell in '05 and Colgate in '06.
The Mids have produced undefeated marks in conference action in two of the last four years ... 7-0 in '04 and 6-0 in '07.
Navy has won at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title in each of its four years as a member of the league ... additionally, the Mids have claimed the league's tournament crown all four years.
24 different Mids have garnered All-Patriot League recognition, while 13 of the 24 have earned honors multiple times.
Richie Meade was named the 2004 Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading the Mids to a flawless 7-0 mark in league competition ... he received the award a second time after guiding Navy to a 6-0 record last spring.

Fast Facts
Navy senior attack Nick Mirabito has turned in a goal or an assist in 49 of the 50 games in which he has played during his career ... his 40-game streak was snapped against Maryland last spring and was the second-longest active streak in Div. I lax at the time ... he is currently riding a nine-game consecutive points run, including four straight games with a goal and eight straight with an assist.
Mirabito has pitched a hat trick in each of the last two games ... he has turned in 13 hat tricks during his career.
Navy has held the lead at halftime in every game this season ... the Mids have lost 12 in a row when trailing at the break and 57 straight when trailing after three quarters of play.
Navy had its 14-game winning streak when leading after three quarters snapped when it dropped an 8-7 decision against Cornell in extra minutes.
The Mids have held three of their four opponents to seven or fewer goals this season ... Navy has won 15 in a row when achieving this feat.
Navy has scored a goal in 1005-consecutive games dating back to 1910.

A Look Back at the Mount St. Mary's Win
Navy's starting attack scored six goals and pitched in five assists to lead the 10th-ranked Mids (3-1) to a 12-5 victory over Mount St. Mary's (0-2) last Friday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium ... Navy now owns a 6-0 series record against the Mount and has outscored them, 78-33.
Senior Nick Mirabito led Navy with five points on a team-best three goals and two assists ... Mirabito, who has scored in 49 of the 50 games during his career, pitched in his second hat trick in as many games ... behind his five-point game he moved into a tie for 15th on the Mids' all-time points list with 126, equalling Eddie McKinnon's mark (1999-02).
Navy saw second-year attack Tim Paul punch in two goals, while assisting on two others and senior Gregory Clement turned in a goal and an assist.
Though Mount St. Mary's seemed to have possession for much of the early portion of the game, it managed just one shot in the opening 15 minutes of play.

GreatAmerican · March 10, 2008, 5:21pm

<h1>10 Navy def. Lafayette, 8-5</h1>

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

No. 10 Navy Beats Lafayette in Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Opener

EASTON, Pa. - The 10th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team (4-1, 1-0 Patriot League) let little stand in its way of picking up a victory over Lafayette (2-2, 0-1 Patriot League) Saturday afternoon in its Patriot League opener, not even the weather. After a 15-minute delay due to lightning, the Midshipmen braved a driving rain storm that included periods of sleet and wind gusts of 20 miles per hour as they cruised to an 8-5 win over the Leopards at Rappolt Field.

Sophomore midfielder Joe Lennon (Westminster, Md.) enjoyed a career day as he paced the Midshipmen with two goals and a pair of assists. It marked the first time in his young career that he has recorded a multi-point, multi-goal or multi-assist performance. Meanwhile, senior Gregory Clement (Dallas, Texas) also scored a pair of goals and classmate Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) extended his points streak to 50 of his last 51 games by turning in a goal and two assists.

Due to the rain-soaked turf and the pouring rain, both teams had a difficult time holding onto the ball early in the game. In fact, the two programs combined to commit 14 turnovers in the first 15 minutes of the contest.

The two teams finally settled down and into an offense after the first five minutes and Navy got on the scoreboard when Lennon found an opening past Lafayette keeper Jeff Canfield at the 8:30 mark. Just under two minutes elapsed when Mirabito sat behind the goal and found Clement standing on the crease, giving Navy a 2-0 advantage.

The Mids pushed their lead to 4-0 when junior Shane Durkin (Germantown, Md.) and Lennon scored back-to-back goals a minute apart from nearly the same position on the field. Lennon's shot was perfectly placed as he was able to bounce it through Canfield's legs for his second score of the day at 8:51.

To Lafayette's credit, it remained poised and freshman attack Tom Perini, like so many times this season, carried the torch to get his Leopards back into the game. Working with second-year attack Matt Mersky, Perini punched in back-to-back goals at 6:52 and 4:09 to narrow the Mids' lead to just two.

Navy, answered however, as Mirabito fed sophomore attack Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) at the crease and Paul was forced to shoot the ball from over his shoulder, surprising Canfield as the ball rippled the back of the net to give Navy a 5-2 lead with three minutes remaining in the half.

With 2:02 to go, the Mersky-Perini combination struck once again with Perini turning in the hat trick to cut Navy's lead to 5-3 heading into the half.

The Midshipmen opened the second half with a quick strike from Clement, who fired off a 10-yard shot from the left side off Lennon's pass. Though Navy struck quickly, it would be the only goal scored in the period by either team, as the Mids' defense held the Leopards to just one shot in the third.

Lafayette cut into Navy's lead just eight seconds into the final stanza when Mersky was found to be in the right place at the right time. He picked up a ground ball on the doorstep after Navy's Matt Coughlin (Brightwaters, N.Y.) stopped a Lafayette shot, but was unable to reel it in. Mersky grabbed the grounder and poked it in. The Leopards got as close as just one goal with 10 minutes remaining in the game when starting middie Steve Serling scored an unassisted goal.

Less than 90 seconds later, Lennon fed sophomore midfielder Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) to push Navy's lead to two and Mirabito fired in his lone goal of the day to seal the win for the Mids with 4:18 remaining.

Navy's defense played a stellar game, holding the Leopards scoreless in the first and third quarters. For the game, Lafayette got off just 22 shots with Coughlin making a career-high nine stops, including back-to-back point-blank saves in the opening quarter against Mersky.

Navy's faceoff specialists also enjoyed a successful afternoon where senior Mikelis Visgauss (Setauket, N.Y.) (8-11) and sophomore Frankie Coppola (Bethesda, Md.) (4-5) combined to win 12 of the 17 draws.

Navy, who has won 14 consecutive Patriot League contests, is now 32-2 against Patriot League opponents since joining the league in 2004. Additionally, the Mids improve to 4-1 in Patriot League openers, including a 3-0 mark against Lafayette.

The Mids will be back in action on Tuesday when they play host to Patriot League foe Lehigh. Action is set for 3:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Voice of Navy Lacrosse, Pete Medhurst, will call the action and can be heard via the internet only at <a href="http://www.wnav.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.wnav.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 10, 2008, 5:54pm

<h1>11 Navy plays host to Lehigh</h1>

For Immediate Release
Monday, March 10, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

11th-Ranked Navy Men's Lacrosse Looks to Extend Winning Streak Against Lehigh

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The 11th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team (4-1, 1-0 Patriot League) will look to extend its 22-game winning streak over Patriot League foe Lehigh (3-3, 1-0 Patriot League) on Tuesday when the two programs clash at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Faceoff is set for 3:00 pm.

Ranked 11th by the USILA coaches poll and 10th in this week's Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, Navy opened its Patriot League ledger last Saturday with an 8-5 victory over Lafayette at a rain-soaked Rappolt Field in Easton, Pa. Navy opened up a four-goal lead on the Leopards, which featured a pair of Joe Lennon (Westminster, Md.) goals, before the Leopards finally got on the scoreboard. Lafayette rookie attack Tom Perini scored three goals in the second period to help trim the Navy lead to 5-3 at the half. Navy pushed its lead to 6-3 just 50 seconds into the second half, while Navy's defense held Lafayette scoreless for the first 20 minutes of the second stanza. Lafayette scored back-to-back goals to begin the final period and were down just one, 6-5, with 10 minutes to play in the game. However, goals by sophomore midfielder Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) (8:41) and senior attack Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, Md.) (4:18) helped seal the win for the Midshipmen.

Lennon enjoyed a career day as he paced the Midshipmen with two goals and a pair of assists. It marked the first time in his young career that he has recorded a multi-point, multi-goal or multi-assist performance. Meanwhile, senior Gregory Clement (Dallas, Texas) also scored a pair of goals and Mirabito extended his points streak to 50 of his last 51 games by turning in a goal and two assists.

Navy continues to spread its offense around, as 12 different players have scored goals for the Mids and four different players have been responsible for their four game-winners. Mirabito is the team's leading scorer with 17 points on nine goals and eight assists. Sophomore Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) is second with nine points on seven goals and a pair of assists. Ironically, neither of those two players have scored game-winners for the Mids this season.

Defensively, Navy remains solid, giving up just over five goals per game (5.4). Last week, the defensive unit held its foes scoreless for three quarters (Mount St. Mary's in the 1st; Lafayette in the 1st and 3rd). Junior Matt Coughlin (Brightwaters, N.Y.) has played all but 3:21 in goal for the Mids where he has surrendered 27 goals, while making 32 saves. He is coming off a career-high nine-save effort against the Leopards.

First-year head coach Kevin Cassese has put together a challenging schedule for his Lehigh Mountain Hawks, playing nationally-ranked Drexel and top-ranked Duke in recent weeks. The former Duke All-American, who is a member of Team USA and the MLL's Philadelphia Barrage, took over the program in July and has led the Mountain Hawks to a 3-3 record, including a 10-5 win over Patriot League foe Holy Cross.

Averaging 8.0 goals per game, one would be surprised to learn that Lehigh lost 75 percent of its scoring from a year ago, as its top five point producers are gone. Those five players accounted for 122 of the 163 points, 71 of the 96 goals and 51 of the 67 assists. Cassese, however, has done a solid job in merging Lehigh's veteran players with its youth. Junior attack Ricky Cornetta has stepped forward as the team leader with 12 points on 10 goals and two assists, while classmate Max Dahlem has turned in 11 points on eight goals and three assists. Newcomer Jonathan Stumpf, hailing from nearby Ellicott City, produced four of his five goals this season in last Saturday's 15-6 win over Wagner.

Along with veteran keeper Eric Spirko, who has given up 50 goals while making stops on 45.7 percent of the shots he has face, junior Daniel Honeywell has served as the leader of Lehigh's defensive unit.

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.

For those fans unable to attend the game, be sure to log onto 1430</a> WNAV Your Hometown Station Annapolis, Maryland to hear the Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst call the action. Additionally, the game will be shown live via Navy All-Access which is located on Navy's web site at NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics or follow the game via Gametracker which is also located on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2008, 4:52am

<h1>11 Navy def. Lehigh, 14-3</h1>

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

No. 11 Navy Rolls Past Lehigh, 14-3

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Turning in his first collegiate hat trick, junior midfielder Sean Standen (South Hadley, Mass.) was one of eight different players to score for the Midshipmen as the 11th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team rolled to a 14-3 victory over Patriot League foe Lehigh (3-4, 1-1 Patriot League) Tuesday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids, who are now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play, have won 23 consecutive games against the Mountain Hawks.

Not only did Standen score goals a plenty, so, too, did Gregory Clement (Dallas, Texas) (Sr./A), Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) (So./A), Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) (Sr./A) and Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) (So./M). All four players pitched in a pair of goals, while Mirabito added a career-high four assists to finish the game with six points.

Navy's defense complemented its offense, holding Lehigh without a shot in the opening period and 23 for the game. It marked the fourth time this season that Navy's opponent has been held scoreless in the opening 15 minutes of action, including the third straight game. The Mountain Hawks scored their first goal of the game at 8:29 in the second and would not score again until two minutes into the fourth quarter.

"I can't really be critical of anything today," said Navy head coach Richie Meade. "We made good decisions and I was particularly pleased with the way we controlled the ball at attack.

"We've been working hard over the last several weeks to improve and I think we are accomplishing that. We were able to get a lot of guys playing time today and hopefully the game experience will pay off down the line for some of our young players."

"Certainly the better team won today," said first-year head coach Kevin Cassese. "Navy's poles extended so far out, we couldn't execute our game plan. They were terrific today."

Much like Saturday's game at Lafayette, the Mids opened up a four-goal lead by the early minutes of the second quarter. Moran punched in a pair of goals, including the game's opening goal just 1:05 into the contest. His goal at 13:30 in the second, a nicely-played bouncer, pushed Navy's lead to 4-0. Mirabito, meanwhile, fed Navy's final three goals in the run.

Lehigh briefly interrupted Navy's run when Max Dahlem fired in a shot off an unsettled play at 8:29. Navy keeper Matt Coughlin (Brightwaters, N.Y.), who finished the day with six saves, came out of the goal to help run down a loose ball. After Lehigh came up with the ball, Coughlin dashed back to the cage where he barely got squared off before Dahlem turned a defender and scored his ninth goal of the year.

Navy answered seven minutes later when senior Clement scored an extra-man goal off a pass from none other than Mirabito. His goal at 1:39 was the first of six straight goals for the Mids.

The Mids ended the half leading 6-1 after Clement tucked in his second goal with just 14 ticks remaining in the opening half. Coughlin stepped up and made a sensational save against defenseman Dan Honeywell that sent Coughlin to the ground. Coughlin scooped up the ball and sent the outlet pass to Paul who was stationed at mid-field. Paul sprinted to the box and made the pass to Clement who sent it sailing over the shoulder of Lehigh keeper Eric Spirko.

Navy outscored Lehigh 4-0 in the third quarter, which featured several impressive plays by the Midshipmen. Paul fired a shot at 12:17 that came out of his stick so hard and so fast, Spirko never moved and reacted only after the ball has behind him. Less than a minute later, Lehigh was called for being offside. Junior defensive midfielder Geoff Leone quickly grabbed the ball as the official blew his whistle, throwing the ball from the sideline to Mirabito, who was unmarked on the crease, and Mirabito one-timed it past Spirko.

The Midshipmen owned a 10-1 lead after three quarters and went on to outscore the Mountain Hawks 4-2 in the final stanza. Two of the four goals were scored by faceoff specialists Mikelis Visgauss (Setauket, N.Y.) and Dan Decker (Randallstown, Md.) who each won the draw and took it to the cage. For Decker, it was his first collegiate goal. Meanwhile, also scoring his first collegiate goal was rookie Brian Striffler (Virginia Beach, Va.) who score the first goal of the fourth quarter for the Midshipmen at the 10-minute mark.

Navy has won 15 consecutive Patriot League games and holds a 30-2 record against league opponents since joining the league in 2004. The Mids have won four straight Patriot League Tournament titles and have risen to the top as the team to beat.

"I guess it's a compliment for people to put a target on your back as the team to beat," said Meade.

The Mids will be back in action on Saturday when they face Holy Cross at 1:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Central in The Patriot Cup held at Texas Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Navy-Holy Cross contest is part of a four-game event that features a pair of high school games, as well as two Div. I college contests. The Episcopal School of Dallas and St. Mary's (Annapolis) High Schools will open the day with a game at 9:30 am, followed by Navy-Holy Cross at 12:00 pm, followed by a 3:00 pm tilt between Rutgers and Army and the Highland Park, Memphis University School game wraps the day at 5:30 pm. There will not be radio coverage of the contest, however, fans who are unable to attend the game can follow along via Gametracker on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2008, 8:22am

Wednesday, March 12, 2008; Page E02

Navy senior attackman Greg Clement's most important assist did not come until a few hours after a 14-3 victory over Lehigh in a Patriot League men's lacrosse game yesterday in Annapolis.

Soon after the game, the Midshipmen (5-1, 2-0) left for Dallas. They will spend part of their spring break at King Ranch, an 825,000-acre spread in Kingsville, Tex., before facing Holy Cross at Texas Stadium on Saturday. Clement's father, James H. Clement, is the chairman of King Ranch and arranged the visit.

Navy will arrive in a good mood. The Mountain Hawks (3-4, 1-1) turned the ball over on their first seven possessions and did not take a shot until 18 minutes 37 seconds elapsed; by then, Navy led 4-0.

Senior Jordan DiNola held leading scorer Ricky Cornetta to no points and one shot, a desperation shot as the first half ended that went wide. Meantime, Navy's top three offensive midfields played almost equally. The third midfield led the way with four goals, including three by junior Sean Standen. Senior Nick Mirabito had two goals and four assists and Clement added two goals for Navy.

"That was our most complete game so far," DiNola said.

-- Christian Swezey

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2008, 9:15am

Mirabito has 2 goals, 4 assists as Mids take Mountain Hawks apart behind formidable offense

By Edward Lee | Sun reporter
March 12, 2008

The Navy men's lacrosse team turned a difficult matchup into a demolition.

The No. 6 Midshipmen scored the game's first four goals and 10 of the first 11 en route to a 14-3 romp over visiting Lehigh yesterday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.

Navy, the four-time Patriot League tournament champion that improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Patriot League, has won 15 consecutive games against conference opponents. (The Midshipmen lost to Colgate, 6-3, on March 18, 2006.)

"We're a target in our league, and we take pride in that," senior defenseman Jordan DiNola said. "Every game we have to play our best because no one's going to really sleep on us."

Navy's output - a season high - against the Mountain Hawks (3-4, 1-1) was the program's highest since scoring 16 goals in a nine-goal victory over Lehigh on April 16, 2004.

Senior attackman Nick Mirabito paced the Midshipmen with six points on a career-high two goals and four assists. Junior midfielder Sean Standen recorded three goals and sophomore attackman Tim Paul added two goals and an assist.

"We just wanted to stick to what we do and run our plays, run our offense," said Mirabito, who has recorded at least a point in 51 of his past 52 games. "The difference between today and some past games is that we did it consistently. We didn't veer away from it very much at all."

As productive as Navy's offense was, the defense was equally solid, forcing the Mountain Hawks into committing five turnovers on their first five possessions, with zero shots.

Freshman midfielder Jonathan Stumpf (Centennial) took Lehigh's first shot - a volley that clanged off the crossbar behind Navy junior goalkeeper Matt Coughlin (six saves) - with 12 minutes, 24 seconds left in the second quarter.

After junior attackman Max Dahlem put the Mountain Hawks on the scoreboard with 8:29 left in the second quarter, they didn't get another goal for another 25:36, when senior midfielder Gregory Furst scored with 12:53 left in the game.

Lehigh's three goals - a season low - was agonizing to coach Kevin Cassese, whose team played then-No. 2 Duke to a 4-4 score at halftime a week ago.

"We've got to really circle the wagons and look at the small-picture items," he said. "Our game plan was to draw the slides, make the easy pass and attack to the backside. We didn't even get a chance to do that because their poles were extended so far on us."

<a href="mailto:edward.lee@baltsun.com">edward.lee@baltsun.com</a>

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2008, 9:23am

by Andrew Vitelli, The Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Navy¹s stingy defense and attacker Nick Mirabito's generosity were too much for Lehigh to handle Wednesday.

Mirabito tallied a career-high four assists and tied his career best with six points as tenth-ranked Navy cruised to a 14-3 win over Lehigh in front of 758 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. In the process, Mirabito took over the Patriot League lead with 12 assists.

"I think we¹re starting to find ourselves as an offense," Mirabito said. "Guys are starting to understand where they belong and what they're doing out there."

Midfielder Sean Standen scored three goals and attacker Tim Paul added two goals and an assist for Navy (5-1, 2-0 Patriot League). Five Navy players had at least two goals in the Midshipmen¹s highest scoring game of the season.

Navy wasted no time against Lehigh, as Patrick Moran scored an unassisted goal a little more than a minue into the game. Lehigh (3-4, 1-1) did not get on the board until 6:31 into the second quarter, when Max Dahlem scored an unassisted goal. By that time Navy led 4-1, and the Midshipmen took a 6-1 lead into halftime.

The second half was more of the same as Lehigh did not score until it found the back of the net twice in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.

Lehigh's three goals were the second lowest total by a Navy opponent this season. Navy held VMI to two goals in the season opener. The Midshipmen were fourth in the nation and best in the league in goals against average with 5.4 goals allowed a game heading into yesterday's game.

"Defensively, we felt like we could focus on their best players and minimize their opportunities," defender Jordan DiNola said. ³That was probably the most complete defensive game we¹ve played so far."

Navy's win continued nearly a century of domination over the Mountain Hawks. It was Navy's 23rd straight win in the series. The Midshipmen have not lost to Lehigh since 1913. Last year, Navy topped the Mountain Hawks 9-5 at Lehigh.

Navy's will head to Dallas for another league game against Holy Cross (3-2, 0-2) at Texas Stadium. The Midshipmen beat Holy Cross 12-2 in their only meeting last year.

Navy coach Richie Meade said he was pleased with his team's effort against Lehigh, which included winning by their largest margin of the season.

"We had a lot of respect for [Lehigh] and I just thing we played well," Meade said. "I can't really look at what we did and be critical of anything,"

<a href="mailto:avitelli@baltimoreexaminer.com">avitelli@baltimoreexaminer.com</a>

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2008, 6:34pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published March 12, 2008

Coaches, by nature, are never happy and satisfied. Coaches can usually pick apart their team's performance in any game and find something to complain about.

Navy head coach Richie Meade made a rare admission following yesterday's Patriot League men's lacrosse contest against Lehigh.

"We played well. I can't look at what we did today and be critical of anything. Everything went pretty well," Meade said.

Indeed, the Midshipmen were dominant in all facets of the game in whipping the Mountain Hawks 14-3 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Senior attackman Nick Mirabito scored two goals and dished off a career-high four assists to lead an offense that passed and shot the ball extremely well. Senior Jordy DiNola anchored a defense that harassed Lehigh from start to finish and allowed just one goal through three quarters.

Junior midfielder Sean Standen registered his first career hat trick for Navy, which has won 23 in a row against Lehigh. Sophomore attackman Tim Paul, senior attackman Greg Clement and sophomore midfielder Patrick Moran scored two goals apiece for the 11th-ranked Midshipmen, who improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Patriot League.

It was a season-high number of goals for Navy, which had eight different players find the back of the net. The Mids dominated possession, handled the ball brilliantly and dissected the Mountain Hawks' aggressive defense with precision.

"We were very concerned about the Lehigh defense because they had pressured people in the past," Meade said. "I was pleased that our attack controlled play. I thought we shared the ball, we moved it, our guys made good decisions."

There were questions about the Navy offense entering the season due to the loss of such key scorers as attackman Ian Dingman and midfielder Billy Looney. The Mids also had to adjust to the departure of offensive coordinator John Tillman, who became head coach at Harvard.

Navy has struggled to put the ball in the hole at times this season, a malady Meade attributes more to having a lot of young players on offense. However, the Midshipmen looked extremely smooth yesterday with midfielder Terrence Higgins contributing two assists to an attack that had 12 different players reach the scoring column.

"Putting up 14 goals feels good. Offensively, I felt we controlled the ball well and hit the shots we should have," said Mirabito, who leads Navy in scoring with 11 goals and 12 assists. "Today was a step in the right direction. I think we're starting to find ourselves as an offense. We're starting to get our groove. Guys are starting to understand where they belong and what they're doing out there."

Senior Mikelis Visgauss did most of the damage as Navy won 13 of 21 faceoffs. The Midshipmen dominated the ground balls to the tune of 42-28 with Visguass gobbling up eight and Clement scooping five.

Navy's starting close defense of DiNola, Brendan Teague and Andy Tormey was suffocating. Defensive midfielders Jaren Woeppel and Geoff Leone also played key roles as the Mids held the Mountain Hawks to without a shot in the first quarter.

"It's tough to play offense when big boys with long poles are in your face all day. Navy's long sticks were extending so far out, we couldn't execute our game plan," first-year Lehigh head coach Kevin Cassese said.

Moran, a Severn School product, scored both of his goals in the first half to help Navy grab a commanding 6-1 lead. Mirabito was in a giving mood, handing out all four of his helpers by intermission.

Mirabito had two goals as the Mids outscored the visitors 4-0 in the third quarter to turn the game into a rout, increasing their advantage to 10-1. Through three quarters, Lehigh (3-4, 1-1) had difficulty maintaining possession and running its basic offense, much less scoring goals.

"I think this was the most complete game we've played so far," DiNola said of the dominating defensive effort. "We take pride in being disciplined and playing team defense. We wanted to focus on their best players and minimize their opportunites, and I think we did that. They only scored one goal on settled offense."

Navy used 28 substitutes yesterday as nearly every player that stayed at the academy for spring break and dressed got into the game. Meade likes the way this team has developed so far.

"We've been working hard over the last several weeks to improve and I think we are accomplishing that. We were able to get a lot of guys playing time today and hopefully the game experience will pay off down the line for some of our young players," he said.

"I like coaching this team. The seniors are selfless and doing a great job of leading a young, inexperienced group. As a team, I think we are very unselfish."

Navy now travels to Dallas for a neutral site meeting with Patriot League foe Holy Cross. Army will also take on Rutgers in what is being billed as the Patriot Cup at Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys in Irving.

GreatAmerican · March 13, 2008, 1:18pm

By
Ed Lee

Don¹t scoff. For the second straight season, Dallas, Tex., is the site of a Patriot League showdown between Navy and Holy Cross.

The teams will play in Texas Stadium, home of the NFL¹s Cowboys, as part of the 2008 Patriot Cup on Saturday. The No. 6 Midshipmen (5-1) and Holy Cross (3-2) will play at 1 p.m., and No. 18 Army (2-2) and Rutgers (1-2) will tangle at 4 p.m.

"Our administration doesn¹t like to lose home games, but it¹s a great event," Navy coach Richie Meade said, noting that proceeds from the games will benefit Wounded Warrior, a non-profit organization aiding soldiers injured during conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations. "It¹s going to be a great opportunity for us to play in a big venue in the state of Texas, which is becoming a legitimate state for lacrosse."

Holy Cross coach Adam Pascal agreed, adding, "It¹s an opportunity to play in front of a different audience. It gets us some exposure, and I thought the kids would love the chance to play in Texas Stadium."

Midshipmen senior attackman Gregory Clement, who hails from Dallas, said lacrosse is being well-received by Texas locals.

"The last time I saw, there were 60 lacrosse programs in Texas, and that was a few years ago," he said. "I¹m sure it¹s more than that now. Kids are quitting football to play lacrosse. Sure, it¹s not as big as football, but it¹s growing."

GreatAmerican · March 13, 2008, 5:51pm

Game 7: Navy vs. Holy Cross
Saturday, March 15 1:00 pm EDT/12:00 pm CDT Dallas, Texas Texas Stadium

Game Preview
After picking up a 14-3 victory over Lehigh in Annapolis on Tuesday, Navy (5-1, 2-0 Patriot League) will look to keep its three-game winning streak intact when it battles league foe Holy Cross (3-2, 0-2 Patriot League) on Saturday in Dallas ... the two teams are slated to faceoff at 1:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Central at Texas Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
There will be NO radio coverage for the game, however fans are invited to follow the game via Gametracker which is located on Navys official web site, <a href="http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.NavySports.com(.)</a>
Eight different players scored goals, including junior midfielder Sean Standen who turned in his first collegiate hat trick, to lead the Mids to their 23rd consecutive win over Lehigh ... Navy owned a 3-0 advantage after the first quarter, a 6-1 lead at the half and owned a 10-1 advantage after three quarters of play ... the Mids defense not only held Lehigh without a goal in the opening period of action, the Mountain Hawks were unable to get a shot off.
Since picking up an impressive 7-6 victory over Yale on Feb. 24, the Crusaders have dropped two of their last three, both game against Patriot League teams ... Holy Cross is coming off a 15-5 loss at the hands of Colgate ... Edison Parzanese and Luke Marchand each scored markers for the Crusaders.

Taking the Field in ...
10 Dating back to last years Johns Hopkins game, senior attack Nick Mirabito has produced an assist in 10 straight contests.
9 Sophomore Tim Paul has turned in nine multi-goal games during his career, including a team-best four this season.
8 Eight of Navys 15 players who have scored goals this season are first-time goal scorers ... only two of the eight are freshmen.
7 Navy has scored seven or more goals in all six games this year.
6 With his two-goal, four-assist performance against Lehigh on Tuesday, senior Nick Mirabito tied his career with six points.
5 Over the last five years, Navy, along with Johns Hopkins, own the most wins in D-I lax with 54.
4 Navys defense has held four of its six opponents scoreless in the opening period, including each of the last three.
3 Coming into this season, senior Gregory Clement had scored three of his four career goals against Holy Cross, including two in last years game played in Dallas.
2 Since the beginning of 2004, Navy has lost just two games against unranked opponents (32-2).
1 Senior Nick Mirabito has been held without a point just once in his 52-game career, last years double overtime loss to Maryland.

Texas Welcomes Navy
This is the second year in a row that Navy has traveled to the state of Texas to play a regular-season contest.
Last year, Navy defeated Patriot League foe Holy Cross, 12-2, at SMUs Ford Stadium in Dallas ... it was the first Div. I mens lacrosse game in the Dallas Metroplex and the first trip back to the state since the Mids beat Johns Hopkins, 9-6, on May 8, 1971, at the Houston Astrodome.
Navy returns to Dallas this Saturday where it will once against compete against Holy Cross, but this time Texas Stadium will play host to the Mids and Crusaders. 
The Navy-Holy Cross game is part of a four-game showcase dubbed the 2008 Ford Patriot Cup that will feature some of the nations premier collegiate and high school programs.
As title sponsor of the event, the North Texas Ford Dealers will present a check in the amount of $20,000 to the North Texas Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse and donate 1,000 tickets to Navy and Army personnel.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization which provides programs and services to the severely injured service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Navy vs. Holy Cross The Series
Saturdays contest between Navy and Holy Cross will be just the fifth meeting between the two programs, while it is the second consecutive year in which the Mids and Crusaders battle in Dallas.
Navy has won all four games in the series, including the inaugural meeting in which the Mids manhandled the Crusaders, 23-5, in Annapolis.
Navy has scored eight or more goals in all four games, while producing double figure markers in three of the four ... the Mids defense, however, has held Holy Cross to five or fewer goals in every game.

Neutral Ground
As a whole, neutral site games have been an oddity during the 101-year history at the Naval Academy ... just 16 games have been played on neutral ground.
That said, during head coach Richie Meades tenure, 13 games have been played at a neutral site with Saturdays Navy-Holy Cross game being the 14th.
Navy owns a 10-6 overall record in neutral site matches, including a 9-4 mark under Meade.
Over the last five seasons Richie Meades Midshipmen have become accustomed to playing at least one neutral site regular-season game ... in 2004 Navy played Colgate in Orlando, in 2005, Navy opened the season against Providence by playing at Branford High School in Connecticut and later played Colgate in Orlando ... in 2006, Navy and Bucknell battled one another in San Diego at the First 4 Invitational ... in 2007, Navy faced Holy Cross in Texas ... this season, the Mids dropped a heartbreaker to Cornell in overtime in Long Island on Feb. 23.

Fast Facts
Navy senior attack Nick Mirabito has turned in a goal or an assist in 51 of the 52 games in which he has played during his career ... his 40-game streak was snapped against Maryland last spring and was the second-longest active streak in Div. I lax at the time ... he is currently riding an 11-game consecutive points run, including six straight games with a goal and 10 straight with an assist.
Two players have turned in hat trick this season ... Nick Mirabito has pitched a hat trick in two of the last four games, while junior Sean Standen is coming off his first collegiate three-goal performance in Navys win over Lehigh.
Navy has held the lead at halftime in every game this season ... the Mids have lost 12 in a row when trailing at the break and 57 straight when trailing after three quarters of play.
The Mids have held five of their six opponents to seven or fewer goals this season ... Navy has won 17 in a row when achieving this feat.
Navys defense has held four of its six opponents scoreless in the opening period, including each of the last three ... the Mids have outscored their opponents, 14-3, in the first quarter, 5-0 in league action.
Navy has put more shots on goal in the first half (70) than its opponents have shot as a whole in the first half (60, 32 on goal)
Five different players have accounted for Navys five game-winners this season ... ironically, the two top goal producers on the team, Nick Mirabito and Tim Paul, are without a game-winner.

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2008, 8:55am

04:31 AM CDT on Friday, March 14, 2008

By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News
<a href="mailto:kwhitmire@dallasnews.com">kwhitmire@dallasnews.com</a>

In collegiate lacrosse terms, Dallas is becoming the new South Padre Island.

Over the next four days, three Division I men's lacrosse matches will be played in the Dallas area, up from one a year ago.

It's a trend that should continue. Warm weather, plus the opportunity to recruit Texas athletes, is making this area a hot spring break destination for collegiate lacrosse.

For the majority of lacrosse programs in the Northeast and East Coast, Dallas might as well be Padre.

"We played in a monsoon last Saturday," Rutgers coach Jim Stagnitta said. "It will be a nice respite to be able to play with shorts on and not everybody on the sideline jumping up and down [to keep warm]. It certainly makes for a better brand of lacrosse."

On Saturday, lacrosse invades one of the shrines to football in the Lone Star State, when the Patriot Cup is played at Texas Stadium. Navy plays Holy Cross at noon, followed by Army against Rutgers at 3 p.m.

The collegiate matches will be bookended by a pair of high school games: Episcopal School of Dallas vs. St. Mary's of Annapolis (Md.) at 9:30 a.m. and Highland Park vs. Memphis (Tenn.) University School at 5 p.m.

Proceeds from the Patriot Cup benefit the Wounded Warrior Projects, which helps severely injured service men and women. The Navy lacrosse team practices at The Episcopal School of Dallas on Tuesday.

MILTON HINNANT / DMN
The Navy lacrosse team practiced at The Episcopal School of Dallas on Tuesday.

The North Texas chapter of U.S. Lacrosse is promising each Patriot Cup college participant $20,000 to help cover expenses, said president Tom Fitzsimmons. He said that figure is roughly half of what each team will spend on travel and that the money comes from sponsorships, ticket sales and private donors.

"We would not be surprised if spring break affects it negatively, but we're hoping for 8,000 to 10,000 people throughout the day," Fitzsimmons said.

On Tuesday, Cornell and the University of Denver will play at 7 p.m. at Highland Park's Highlander Stadium.

These aren't even the area's first collegiate lacrosse matches this year. Duke and Stanford played a women's match Feb. 17 at SMU's Westcott Field.

All of this year's matches can be traced back to when Navy played Holy Cross a year ago at SMU's Ford Stadium. That match, billed as the area's first-ever Division I lacrosse match, had a paid attendance of 1,572 and created interest in staging more lacrosse events here.

The Navy-Holy Cross game was the brainchild of Jamey Clement, father of Navy senior attack Gregory Clement, an Episcopal School of Dallas graduate. The North Texas chapter of U.S. Lacrosse took the mantle as the host entity.

Fitzsimmons said the reaction to the 2007 match was so enthusiastic, the plan is to make showcases like this year's Patriot Cup an annual event. Organizers are hoping to bring in Air Force next year.

"It was a beautiful, sunny day [in 2007]. They're used to snowy, rainy temperatures," Fitzsimmons said. "They like that, plus I think more importantly, they see Texas as a growth state for the sport."

Ironically, the growth probably won't be at the collegiate level. Although SMU, TCU and North Texas have club teams, spokesmen at all three schools said there are no discussions about adding men's or women's lacrosse in the near future.

"There's probably a little bit more interest there in a women's team," said Fitzsimmons, noting Title IX constraints. "We probably will have professional lacrosse here before we have Division I lacrosse."

However, Fitzsimmons said lacrosse is growing rapidly in the area at all other levels. He estimated there are seven men's teams and 220 youth teams in the North Texas area, and said the 4,200 members of U.S. Lacrosse in North Texas is equal to the rest of the state.

The growth has not gone unnoticed by the participants in the two upcoming college events. Gregory Clement starts for Navy; Plano products Nick and Thomas Palesky play for Army.

Denver features four area players: Carlos Navarro from ESD and Highland Park products Ryan Fanning and Charley and John Dickenson.

"It's come a long way," said Rutgers' Stagnitta, who used to run lacrosse camps in Houston and Austin nearly 20 years ago. "I think the football players in Texas are now starting to play lacrosse. It's more common in the Northeast for football players in the spring to pick up a lacrosse stick. Now you have some of the best athletes playing lacrosse, and certainly there's terrific athletes down there."

There's also terrific hospitality, apparently, which helped draw Rutgers to Dallas.

"Navy's the one that first approached us," Stagnitta said. "They said it was a great experience for them. It coincided with our spring break. It just worked out to be a good weekend for us."

Navy coach Richie Meade likened the trips to Dallas to a bowl game because of the organization and hospitality. And just like for football teams that go to bowls, it's a chance to go to a warm-weather site and get a little recruiting exposure.

"This event is kind of in a category of a new type of lacrosse events," Meade said. "I think it's going to be the wave of the future. I think that this event itself is going to become a really popular event for teams to play in."

Not to mention the chance to play in unique facilities.

"I grew up in New York, so playing at Texas Stadium is like going to Disneyland," Meade said. "It's one of those places like, does it really exist?"

PATRIOT CUP TEAMS
Navy

Location: Annapolis, Md.

Coach: Richie Meade

Nickname: Midshipmen

Travel to Texas Stadium: 1,380 miles

Notable: Gregory Clement, a senior attack from the Episcopal School of Dallas, scored two goals in last year's 12-2 win over Holy Cross played at SMU. ... Navy is ranked No. 10 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Top 20 poll.

Holy Cross

Location: Worcester, Mass.

Coach: Adam Pascal

Nickname: Crusaders

Travel to Texas Stadium: 1,517 miles

Notable: Holy Cross is 0-2 in Patriot League play; Navy is 2-0. ... On Feb. 26, Jimmy Harrison was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week and Matt Moran was named Rookie of the Week.

Army

Location: West Point, NY

Coach: Joe Alberici

Nickname: Black Knights

Travel to Texas Stadium: 1,393 miles

Notable: Brothers Nick and Thomas Palesky from Plano play for Army. Nick is a freshman midfielder and Thomas is a freshman goalkeeper. ... Army is ranked No. 15.

Rutgers

Location: New Brunswick, NJ

Coach: Jim Stagnitta

Nickname: Scarlet Knights

Travel to Texas Stadium: 1,351 miles

Notable: Rutgers was ranked No. 19 before dropping out of the Top 20 this week following a 10-7 loss to No. 20 Fairfield. ... Sophomore Justin Pennington was named ECAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five goals vs. Delaware earlier this month.

PATRIOT CUP

When: Saturday

Where: Texas Stadium

Tickets: $10 military and students;

$15 adults (good for all four games)

Web site: <a href="http://www.2008patriotcup.com%5B/url%5D">www.2008patriotcup.com</a>

SCHEDULE

Episcopal School of Dallas vs.

St. Mary's of Annapolis (Md.), 9:30 a.m.

Navy vs. Holy Cross, noon

Army vs. Rutgers, 3:00

Highland Park vs.

Memphis (Tenn.) University School, 5:00

NCAA MEN'S LACROSSE

Game: Regulation game is 60 minutes divided into four periods of 15 minutes each. Goal counts one point.

Teams: 10 players per team. Players are designated as goalkeeper, defense, midfield or attack.

Field: Rectangular, 110 yards long and 60 yards wide

Goals and goal lines: Goals are 15 yards from each end line and 6 feet wide and 6 feet high. Since Saturday's matches will be on an artifical surface, two flat irons, each attached to a vertical post, will meet at a point seven feet behind the goal to support the goal. The goal crease is a circle with a radius of 9 feet around the midpoint of the goal line. Goalkeeper may not catch the ball but may stop the ball in any manner with stick or body inside the goal crease. No opposing player may make contact with the goalkeeper while he/she is in the goal crease

Ball: The ball is smooth rubber. It is 7 3/4 to 8 inches in circumference and weighs 5 to 5 1/2 ounces.

Crosse: Is made of wood or synthetic material and is a fixed length of 40 to 42 inches (short crosse) or 52 to 72 inches (long crosse). Goalkeepers crosse may be anywhere from 40 to 72 inches.

Equipment: Goalkeepers wear a chest protector and a throat protector. All players wear a protective helmet with a face mask, mouthpiece and gloves.

Advancing the ball: Upon gaining possession of the ball, inside its defensive half, a team must advance the ball past the center line within 20 seconds or turn over the possession. Once across the center line, a team has 10 seconds to bring the ball into the attack area. The ball is kept in play by being carried, thrown or batted with the crosse or kicked in any direction. Defenders may body-check an opponent in possession of the ball from the front or side from above the waist to below the neck. Defenders may check an opponent's crosse with his own crosse when the opponent is in possession of the ball or within five yards of a loose ball.

Officials: Recommended that three are used.

Source: NCAA.org

GreatAmerican · March 15, 2008, 5:45pm

by Ron Snyder, The Examiner

Annapolis (Map, News) - Navy is one of just three undefeated women's lacrosse teams, and has yet to be held to fewer than 18 goals and four opponents failed to score more than six. Its average margin of victory is 15, and its five game-winning streak is trumped by just two teams one being three-time defending champion Northwestern.

But today at noon at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, the team could add another accomplishment in just its first year as a Division I team by moving into a tie for first place in the Patriot League.

Navy (5-0) will host two-time defending league champion Holy Cross (0-5) in its first league game, as the Midshipmen conclude a six-game homestand to open the season. The Midshipmen, who have outscored the opposition, 102-27, are coming off an 18-6 victory over St. Mary¹s (Calif.) this past Sunday.

"We are obviously excited to get the Patriot League season under way," Navy coach Cindy Timchal said. "It will be interesting to see how we match up and I know the girls are ready to get into league action."

Navy has five players who have at least 12 points, including sophomore midfielder Erin Rawlick (20 goals, 9 assists), senior midfielder Amanda Towey (8, 18) and freshman midfielder Meg Decker (17, 6).

Decker decided two years ago she wanted to attend the Naval Academy, a decision she solidified when the service academy announced it would add a women's lacrosse team.

"This has been an amazing opportunity for me," said Decker a former standout at Mount de Sales. "The winning has been nice, but the best part has been watching this team grow up together. [As a plebe] you learn a lot about yourself during this year. You learn how far you can push yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. It's very interesting to watch how much people grow up during this time."

Holy Cross has yet to play a home game, and the road has really taken a toll on the Crusaders, who have been outscored, 69-35. Holy Cross also lost its Patriot League opener at Colgate, 11-8, on March 8.

Freshman midfielder Meg O¹Leary leads the Crusaders with eight points (6 goals, 2 assists) with Kristine Corkum adding six goals on the season. Freshman goalie Amy Martin has played all 300 minutes in goal, and has allowed an average of 13.8 goals per game with a .461 save percentage.

"This season will be full of challenges and playing our first Patriot League game in just the next one on that list," Decker said. "You look at the people who attend the Naval Academy and they are athletic, hard-working and goal-oriented people. When you put 11 people like that on the field at one time, there¹s nothing they can't accomplish if they work together."

<a href="mailto:rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com">rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com</a>

GreatAmerican · March 15, 2008, 9:32pm

<h1>11 Navy def. Holy Cross, 16-3</h1>

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Mens Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Mids Cruise to 16-3 Victory over Holy Cross at Texas Stadium

IRVING, Texas Surrendering just two shots in the opening half, the 11th-ranked Navy mens lacrosse team jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead and went on to capture a 16-3 victory over Holy Cross (3-3, 0-3 Patriot League) Saturday afternoon at Texas Stadium. Eleven different players scored for the Midshipmen including senior Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) who turned in his second consecutive six-point performance that featured two goals and four assists.

Dubbed the 2008 Ford Patriot Cup, the Navy-Holy Cross was the second of four mens lacrosse games scheduled for Saturday at Texas Stadium. St. Marys High School in Annapolis opened the days festivities with a 15-5 victory over the Episcopal School of Dallas, followed by Navys big 16-3 win against the Crusaders. Army and Rutgers battled at 3:00 pm, while Highland Park concluded the day with a 5:30 battle against Memphis University High School out of Tennessee.

Mirabito served as the teams catalyst from the opening whistle, as he had a hand in each of the Mids first five goals. Navy scored the games first goal five minutes into the contest when Mirabito found fellow attack Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.)standing on the crease and Paul punched in the first of his team-leading three goals in the game.

Three minutes later, the Midshipmen executed its first of two extra-man opportunities as Mirabitos pass sliced through the crowd of players and sophomore midfielder Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) swiftly picked up the ball and shot it past Holy Cross keeper Jimmy Harrison.

Navy held a 3-0 lead by the end of the first quarter when Mirabito scooped up a saved shot taken by teammate Joe Lennon (Westminster) and fired it in at 5:45.

The Mids went on to score a season-high seven goals in the second quarter, including an athletic play by Mirabito with 11:22 remaining. Holy Cross was attempting to clear the ball when Mirabito intercepted the pass just shy of mid-field. Mirabito was off to the races, beating a long pole, as well as Harrison who came out of the goal to assist with the clearing play. Mirabito scored his second goal from seven yards out into an empty goal.

After he had his earlier shot in the game turned away, Lennon pushed the Navy lead to 11-0 just 54 seconds into the second half when he muscled a shot past Harrison.

Holy Cross finally got on the scoreboard when Toby Banta fed John Marino who struck with a five-yarder from the left side of the cage at 12:03. The Crusaders put a second goal on the board at 9:22 when Luke Marchand set up from 12 yards out, shooting the ball hard and over Navy keeper Matt Coughlins (Brightwaters, N.Y.) left shoulder.

Navy, though, would get score the quarters final goal with Lennon firing in his second goal of the day with 2:15 remaining.

The Midshipmen scored four of the games final five goals, including a marker at 13:51 by senior Evan Boyle (Wilbraham, Mass.) who scored his first collegiate goal. Also scoring his first collegiate goal was rookie Kevin Doyle (Towson, Md.) who finished with a pair of goals, including his first in the second period and second in the final stanza.

Navy won the faceoff war (13-22) with senior Dan Decker (Randallstown, Md.) claiming seven of the 11 draws he took, along with Mikelis Visgauss (Setauket, N.Y.) (4-6), Frankie Coppola (Bethesda, Md.) (1-2) and Brian Striffler (Virginia Beach, Va.) (1-3).

The Midshipmen return to action next Wednesday when they play host to Bucknell who owns a five-game winning streak and is coming off a 9-7 victory over Patriot League foe Lafayette on Saturday in Lewisburg, Pa. Wednesday game is slated for 4 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

GreatAmerican · March 16, 2008, 2:57pm

ESD alum waves flag, then helps Navy cruise past Holy Cross

12:46 AM CDT on Sunday, March 16, 2008

By DAMON L. SAYLES / The Dallas Morning News
<a href="mailto:dsayles@dallasnews.com">dsayles@dallasnews.com</a>

IRVING * Navy lacrosse standout Gregory Clement couldn't decide which felt better Saturday afternoon: helping his team earn an easy victory or playing in front of friends and family.

Turns out Clement's most memorable highlight came when he ran out of the Texas Stadium tunnel carrying the United States flag to the star at midfield.

"I'm a Cowboys fan, and running out the tunnel's a pretty different experience," said Clement, a former Episcopal School of Dallas star who helped Navy cruise to a 16-3 win over Holy Cross in the 2008 Ford Patriot Cup.

"I'll probably never do anything like this again. It'll probably be one of the experiences I'll remember for the rest of my life."

Clement, the only Texan on the team, was one of 11 Navy players to score Saturday. He was a four-year letterwinner and an All-American in lacrosse at ESD, leading the team to state titles in 2002 and 2003.

"It's awesome to play in Dallas, in front of people I know who couldn't make it up [to Annapolis, Md.]," Clement said. "Texas Stadium couldn't have been a better place. It doesn't get any better than that."

Attendance for the Patriot Cup was estimated at 2,000.

Highland Park wins: Highland Park concluded the four-match showcase with a 10-8 victory against Memphis (Tenn.) University School. The event featured two high school and two college games.

Highland Park took a five-goal lead early in the fourth quarter and held off a MUS rally. MUS scored three goals in the final six minutes and pulled to within two at the 4:14 mark.

Kevin Fritts, Will Ziegler and Johnny McKnight each had two goals for Highland Park, ranked No. 1 in the state in the latest Texas High School Lacrosse League rankings.

Memphis, the Tennessee Scholastic Lacrosse Association state runner-up last season, will leave the Dallas area 1-2. MUS beat Jesuit, 7-3, on Wednesday but lost to ESD, 7-4, on Friday.

Cowboys or Redskins? St. Mary's of Annapolis (Md.) coach Matt Hogan has a team full of Washington Redskins fans. He added that a couple of closet Cowboys fans are sprinkled in, as well.

Before St. Mary's 15-5 victory over ESD, Hogan noticed his players' expressions as they entered the Texas Stadium locker rooms. Some were awestruck; others, not so much.

"One of our players, Pat Egan, wore his LaRon Landry jersey up here before we warmed up," Hogan said, referring to the Redskins safety. "It was still interesting to see the kids walk up to the lockers of some of their favorite players.

"We actually called the Washington Redskins before we left and asked if they'd let us wear one of their decals. We wondered if that would be a good or bad decision. We knew we wouldn't win any fans over it."

Liked or disliked, St. Mary's (3-0) was respected. The 15 goals were the most ESD has given up in a game this season. St. Mary's beat Highland Park, 13-6, in a meeting unattached to the Patriot Cup on Friday.

Briefly: Army edged Rutgers, 12-11, in the closest game of the day. Twins Nick and Thomas Palesky, former Plano standouts, are the only Texans on the Army roster. Thomas, a goalkeeper, was SportsDay's 2006 Player of the Year. ... Rutgers freshman Stephen Belichick, the son of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, saw minimal playing time.

Proceeds from the Patriot Cup benefited the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization catering to injured service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers recently wounded overseas were on the sidelines and recognized during the games.

GreatAmerican · March 16, 2008, 3:00pm

Unbeaten Mids' hopes for immediate NCAA splash hinge on conference, beginning Saturday against two-time defending champ Holy Cross

by Mark Medina, Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

Meg Decker found herself in an awkward interview. She visited the Naval Academy convinced she wasn't going to play lacrosse despite lettering twice and finishing as a 2007 all-county midfielder and team MVP for Mount de Sales (Md.) Academy.

But that didn't stop members of Navy's club lacrosse team from persuading Decker to commit in time for the Midshipmen's inaugural season in Division I in 2008.

Soon enough, Navy head coach Cindy Timchal outlined her vision for the program to Decker. The vision included plans to replicate the success from Maryland, where Timchal finished with seven straight national titles and three undefeated seasons.

"She started asking me questions," Decker said. "Ones like, 'Are you good? Are you fast? Will you get better? Are you going to be better than your sister?'"

The fourth question threw Decker for a loop. Her sister, Gail, was an All-American and 2004 Tewaaraton Trophy finalist for James Madison.

Decker wanted to say no, but she didn't want to suggest she lacked confidence. Instead, she answered truthfully.

"I never thought of it like that," Decker remembered telling Timchal. "I can if you make me better."

It was the answer Timchal wanted. The winningest coach in NCAA history has high expectations for Navy's inaugural campaign and confidence in her ability to tap undeveloped talent.

So far, so good.

The Midshipmen have opened with a 5-0 record heading into Patriot League play, which starts Saturday against two-time defending league champion Holy Cross at noon.

"As the season unfolds, anything can happen," Timchal said. "Players get hurt, and that changes the complexity of a team. We're all healthy and ready to go. But our goal is to be well-prepared for each team. Being a first-year program, it'll be much easier to look back at the accomplishments and measure the progress after the season."

The progress so far? The Midshipmen are averaging 20.4 goals a game and yielding just 5.4, including a 24-0 blowout against St. Francis in which they did not allow a shot on goal.

Six players have already cracked double digits in points, including Patriot League Player of the Week Erin Rawlick (20g, 9a), Amanda Towey (8g, 18a), Decker (17g, 6 a), Katrina Nietsch (15g), Mary Ruttum (15g) and Kaylen Klingenstein (12g). Freshman Caitlin Mandrin Hill also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading Navy with 16 ground balls and causing nine turnovers.

Navy also has also converted 88.5 percent of its clears, a mark Timchal acknowledged has exceeded her expectations.

Though Timchal won't commit to any benchmarks for her first year, Towey, a club team holdover who leads Division I with 18 assists, said she and the players expect an NCAA tournament bid.

"That's definitely a goal on my top priority list," Towey said. "It's achievable. We'll see. We have Holy Cross on Saturday, and hopefully it'll go in our favor. A lot of us have confidence and feel we're ready for the Patriot League."

In 2008, the Patriot League champion will meet the America East champion in a play-in game for the NCAA tournament. (The Northeast and MAAC winners meet in the other play-in game.)

In Navy's final campaign as a US Lacrosse Women's Division Intercollegiate Associates (WDIA) team in 2007, the Mids finished with an 18-5 record, including a 1-3 mark against Division I opponents. Towey already sees the difference between club and Division I competition unfolding.

"I was ecstatic when we found out we going to have a varsity team," Towey said. "We definitely want to leave our mark. This is a stepping stone for our team to grow. Hopefully our program will be successful."

GreatAmerican · March 17, 2008, 7:14pm

Navy pair pick up Patriot League award

For Immediate Release
Monday, March 17, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Patriot League Names Navy's Mirabito, DiNola Players of the Week

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Navy senior lacrosse players Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) and Jordan DiNola (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) have been named the Patriot League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, the league office announced Monday afternoon. It is the second time this season the offensive-defensive punch has been honored by the Patriot League.

Mirabito is coming off one of the most successful weeks of his collegiate career, producing 12 points on four goals and eight assists in wins over Lehigh (14-3) and Holy Cross (16-3). The four-year starting attack began the week with a two-goal, career-high four-assist performance against Lehigh. He was spectacular in the early moments of the game, providing a goal or an assist on four of Navy's first five scores. He followed up with another spectacular two-goal, four-assist effort in the Mids' victory over the Crusaders at the 2008 Ford Patriot Cup held in Dallas, Texas. This time around, Mirabito had a hand in each of the Mids' first five goals en route to the biggest goal output by Navy since last year's 19-8 win over North Carolina.

Recording a point (goal/assist) in 52 of the 53 games in which he has played, Mirabito has turned in a point in 12 consecutive games including seven straight with a goal and 11 in a row with an assist. He is pacing the team with 29 points on 13 goals and 16 assists, all of which are Navy highs. Ranked 10th on Navy's career points list with 141, he is just five points shy of joining the Patriot League's all-time top 10 point producers.

While Mirabito provided the spark on offense, DiNola, the Mids' team captain and 2008 Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, anchored a defensive unit that was nothing short of spectacular. The Mids held Lehigh and Holy Cross to a combined 36 shots, six of which were generated into goals. Navy held Lehigh without a shot in the first quarter of the game, while Holy Cross was able to muster just two shots in the entire first half. Navy held Lehigh scoreless in the first and third quarters, while surrendering just one goal in the first 47 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Holy Cross didn't get on the scoreboard until three minutes into the second half.

For his part, DiNola marked Lehigh's leading scorer Ricky Cornetta who managed a last second shot at the end of the opening half of play. He was held scoreless in the game. Meanwhile, he kept Holy Cross leading scorer Edison Parzanese under wraps. Parzanese finished the game with three shots and a fourth quarter assist on extra-man.

Navy's defense as a whole has been solid the entire year, holding five of its seven opponents scoreless in the opening quarter of play. Giving up 4.71 goals per game, the defense is ranked No. 3 in the country, while the Mids' man-down squad is ranked 10th, holding its opponents scoreless on 80 percent of their opportunities.

The eighth-ranked Midshipmen will be back in action on Wednesday when they play host to 12th-ranked Bucknell. Action is set for 4:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

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.

For those fans unable to attend the game, be sure to log onto 1430</a> WNAV Your Hometown Station Annapolis, Maryland to hear the Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst call the action. Additionally, the game will be shown live via Navy All-Access which is located on Navy's web site at NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics or follow the game via Gametracker which is also located on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 18, 2008, 11:17am

March 17th, 2008 by Quint Kessenich

<ol>
<li>Duke (7-0) - Handled North Carolina 19-9 on Saturday in Durham and beat Presbyterian 18-4 on Tuesday. Danowski and Co. averaging 17.7 goals per game, comparable to Duke¹s football team, which averaged 17.9 last fall. The Blue Devils¹ bandwagon has become a popular ride with the only speed bumps appearing to be hubris and injury. But remember, Championship rings aren't minted in March, they¹re worn in May. Team Fuqua¹s next challenge Colgate on Tuesday and then a trip to DC to face Georgetown.</li>
<li>Virginia (8-0) - Outscored Towson 18-13, helping raise their 16 goals per game average. Extra man is an amazing 21-for-30 * that¹s 70 percent. Brian Carroll already has eight extra man goals. Garrett Billings has 37 points and Danny Gladding has 34. Freewheeling style will be an interesting mix for Hopkins on Saturday in Charlottesville.</li>
<li>Syracuse (4-1) - Intangibles are back for the Orange * tee shirt sales in the Dome will once again be brisk. Head, heart and hustle provided the final four goals of the game on Saturday in a 14-13 OT win over rival Hopkins. Sharp shooter Steven Brooks continues to vie for Midfielder of the Year honors for SU, which has one-goal wins over Army, Georgetown and Hopkins and an OT loss to UVA * 4 of their 5 games decided by 1 goal.</li>
<li>North Carolina (5-1) - Tar Heels torpedoed by Duke, as the Blue Devils led 10-2 in the second quarter. Carolina missed the goal 17 times. On Tuesday, the Heels struggled a bit, but beat Providence 8-6. Heels host Maryland on March 22.</li>
<li>Notre Dame (5-1) - Rebounded from loss to North Carolina by whipping Dartmouth 19-7 on Saturday. The old formula that faceoffs and goaltending win championships applies to the Fighting Irish. Taylor Claggett has won 63 percent of his faceoffs and goalie Joey Kemp has a 64 percent mark between the pipes.</li>
<li>Cornell (3-1) - Big Red has quickly become the dominant sports program in the Ancient 8 with their men¹s basketball and wrestling teams taking Ivy titles this year. Jeff Tambroni¹s crew shut down Canisius 14-3 on Wednesday, and is holding opponents to 29 percent shooting accuracy. They are, however, allowing close to a .500 mark when opponents are on the EMO.</li>
<li>Georgetown (3-2) - Snuck by Hobart in 2OT¹s this weekend on a goal by Andrew Baird. The Hoyas have beaten the Statesmen 13 straight times. Brendan Cannon exploded with 7 points against Delaware on Wednesday as the beltway bullies rolled 18-10.</li>
<li>Johns Hopkins (3-2) - Blue Jays gave up 14 goals at home in this weekend¹s OT loss to Syracuse. With a three goal lead Hopkins suffered engine failure, winning just one of the final nine face-offs. Hopkins has been out shot (53-34) and outscored (14-12) in the 4th quarter of games in 2008. Jays now staring at the ACC portion of their schedule, with their opening win over Albany dropping in value like Bears Stearns.</li>
<li>Princeton (2-2) - The Orange and Black found Hofstra to be a kinder foe than Hopkins or Virginia, catching the Pride at the right time. Opponents are shooting 28 percent against the Tigers right now, compared to 20 percent in 2007. Coach Bill Tierney pointed out to me that he felt this team would improve considerably in March and April * Tigers are moving in the right direction.</li>
<li>Bucknell (5-1) - Bison have wins over Hobart, Ohio State, Mt. St. Mary¹s, Fairfield and Lafayette after dropping their opener to Duke. Bucknell is only a 40 percent faceoff team and shoots a lower percentage than their opponents, but have managed to outscore opponents 17-3 in the 1st quarter. Austin Winter has 12 assists.</li>
<li>Navy (6-1) - Navy has workmanlike wins over VMI, Ohio State, Mt. St. Mary¹s, Lafayette, Lehigh and Holy Cross. Right now the Mids are bottom feeders who have yet to beat a Top 15 team, but in the six games remaining on their schedule they have plenty of chances to prove themselves, starting with Bucknell on Wednesday at home.</li>
<li>Maryland (5-2) - Terps were upset by UMBC on Friday night as their extra man went 0-for-6. Premature coronation of the Terp freshman class had repercussions, because immediate success can sometimes be the worst thing for a young player to experience. Baby Terps bounced back on Sunday verses Air Force. Maryland must face North Carolina, Virginia, Hopkins and Navy in the next 4 weeks. Yikes.</li>
<li>Drexel (6-1) - Winning streak is now at 6 games after toasting Albany 7-6 on Saturday and cross-town rival St. Joseph¹s 12-5 on Tuesday. Colin Amber has 22 points and Andrew Chapman has found the net 14 times but the big storyline is goalie Bruce Bickford and his 68 percemt save efficiency. March 25 at Notre Dame is a golden opportunity for the Dragons.</li>
<li>Army (3-2) - When you are playing for a cause bigger than the individual, great things can be accomplished. Army beat Rutgers in Texas Stadium 12-11 in an event that benefited the Wounded Warrior project. Ten of the last 12 games in the Army-Rutgers series have been one-goal affairs. Cadets have one-goal losses to Syracuse and Cornell sandwiched between wins over VMI, Air Force and Rutgers. Coach Joe Alberici¹s offense is shooting 32 percent compared to 22 percent in 2007. Lehigh and Holy Cross are up next.</li>
<li>Loyola (3-2) - Built a 9-1 lead in Queens, NY against St. Johns and held on. Shane Koppens now has 10 assists, helping the Greyhounds to wins over Towson, Penn State, St John¹s, with losses coming against Notre Dame and Duke.</li>
<li>Delaware (5-2) - It was a week to forget for the Blue Man Group. They got dusted by Georgetown on Wednesday 18-10, then were upset on Saturday by Stony Brook 19-16. That¹s 37 goals against in two games! Jordan McBride scored 10 goals for the Seawolves. Blue Hens have nagging injuries to Kevin Kaminski and Brett Manney and a defense surrendering more than 10 goals per game.</li>
<li>UMBC (3-3) - Coach Don Zimmerman has resuscitated the Retrievers after a 1-3 start. UMBC beat intra-state rival Maryland on Friday night 9-8 in OT and there¹s a tsunami of positive karma hovering over the Catonsville, MD campus as the men¹s basketball team ventures into March Madness.</li>
<li>Ohio State (3-2) - Buckeyes have two overtime losses (Navy and Bucknell), but held serve against Penn State, Colgate and Robert Morris. Senior Kevin Buchanan has 17 points in five games. Buckeyes are only winning 43 percent of their faceoffs. Joe Breschi¹s Scarlet and Gray play at Villanova on Tuesday and then host UMBC in a key contest on Saturday.</li>
<li>Hofstra (2-2) - Last week¹s Hopkins upset was followed by a headache as the Pride fell to Princeton Saturday 11-6. The JHU win will be worth something come tournament time * but losses to UMass and Princeton prevent a higher rank. Up next: Towson on Friday on Long Island.</li>
<li>Harvard (4-1) - An opening loss to Siena hurt the Crimson, but since then first year coach John Tillman has led his team to wins over Stony Brook, UMass, Hartford and most recently Fairfield. Harvard travels to Penn for its highly anticipated Ivy League opener on March 22.</li>
</ol>

Question of the week: How do you explain the fact that 4000 fans watched Duke beat North Carolina in Durham, NC * while only 3500 showed up at Homewood Field in Baltimore MD to watch Syracuse beat Hopkins?

As the weather warms up, get out and watch a game * but please enjoy your lacrosse responsibly.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks. The revolution will be televised on March 29 on ESPN2 as Virginia travels to Maryland. Quint can be reached at <a href="mailto:quint@insidelacrosse.com">quint@insidelacrosse.com</a>

GreatAmerican · March 18, 2008, 5:44pm

Game 8: Navy vs. Bucknell
Wednesday, March 19 4:00 pm Annapolis, Md. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Television: None
Radio/Internet: Watch: Navy All-Access on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com;%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com;</a> Listen: None
Live Stats: Gametracker on NavySports.com

Game Preview
No. 8 Navy (6-1, 3-0 Patriot League) plays the first of two very tough Patriot League opponents this week when it plays host to 12th-ranked Bucknell (5-1, 1-0 Patriot League) on Wednesday ... action is set to begin at 4:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
There will be NO radio coverage for the game, however fans are invited to log onto NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics where they can watch a live video feed via Navy All-Access ... additionally fans can follow the game for free via Gametracker which is located on Navy's web site.
Navy held Holy Cross scoreless in the opening half en route to building a 10-0 halftime lead and an eventual 16-3 victory last Saturday at the 2008 Ford Patriot Cup ... 11 different players scored goals for Navy, while sophomore Tim Paul turned in his second collegiate hat trick and senior Nick Mirabito played a role in each of Navy's first five goals.
The Mids are ranked third in the country in scoring defense, giving up 4.71 goals per game, while their offense is the 16th best in the nation, producing 10.71 goals per contest.
After jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the opening quarter, Bucknell held off an upset-minded Lafayette team, 9-7, last Saturday in Lewisburg ... junior attack Joe Mele turned in a hat trick, scoring all three goals in the second half, while keeper Nick Sciubba made four of his six saves in the second half.
The tandem of Austin Winter and Tim Brandau are among the country's top 50 scorers, as both are turning in 2.83 points per game, as the offense as a whole is ranked 28th with its 9.00 goals per outing.

Taking the Field in ...
10 10 of the 19 players who have scored goals this season for the Mids are first-time goal scorers ... meanwhile only three of the 10 are freshmen.
9 Senior Nick Mirabito is just nine points shy of becoming only the ninth player in program history to reach 150 points during their career.
8 Senior Nick Mirabito is one of three players on the roster to produce a point against Bucknell ... he owns eight points on four goals and four assists.
7 Navy has scored seven or more goals in all seven games this year.
6 Senior Nick Mirabito has produced six points in each of the last two games (2G, 4A in both).
5 Navy's defense has held five of its seven opponents scoreless in the opening period, including each of the last four.
4 Attackmen Gregory Clement and Tim Paul are both riding four-game goal-scoring streaks.
3 Navy's defense has given up just three extra-man goals this season on 15 attempts (80.0).
2 Since the beginning of 2004, Navy has lost just two games against unranked opponents (33-2).
1 Navy is the nation's leader in wins over the last five years with 55.

Fast Facts
Navy senior attack Nick Mirabito has turned in a goal or an assist in 52 of the 53 games in which he has played during his career ... his 40-game streak was snapped against Maryland last spring and was the second-longest active streak in Div. I lax at the time ... he is currently riding a 12-game consecutive points run, including seven straight games with a goal and 11 straight with an assist.
Three players have turned in hat tricks this season ... Nick Mirabito has pitched a hat trick in two of the last five games, while junior Sean Standen recorded his first collegiate three-goal performance in Navy's win over Lehigh and sophomore Tim Paul produced his second collegiate hat trick with three markers against Holy Cross on Saturday.
Navy has held the lead at halftime in every game this season ... the Mids have lost 12 in a row when trailing at the break and 57 straight when trailing after three quarters of play.
The Mids have held six of their seven opponents to seven or fewer goals this season ... Navy has won 18 in a row when achieving this feat.
Navy's defense has held five of its seven opponents scoreless in the opening period, including each of the last four ... the Mids have outscored their opponents, 17-3, in the first quarter, including 8-0 in league action.
Navy has put more shots on goal in the first half (91) than its opponents have shot as a whole in the first half (62, 33 on goal)
Five different players have accounted for Navy's six game-winners this season ... ironically, the two top goal producers on the team, Nick Mirabito and Tim Paul, are without a game-winner.
Navy's 13-goal win over Holy Cross was the largest margin of victory by a Richie Meade-led team since 2006 when the Mids defeated Holy Cross by 14 (17-3) ... meanwhile it's tied as the seventh-largest margin of victory by Meade's Mids.
Navy is coming off back-to-back double-digit victories over Lehigh (14-3) and Holy Cross (16-3) ... the last time the Mids achieved that feat was in 2000 when Navy defeated Stony Brook, 16-4, followed by a 17-2 win over rival Academy Air Force in a span of just four days.
Ranked No. 3 in the country, Navy's defense held Lehigh and Holy Cross to a combined 36 shots a year ago ... it held Lehigh without a shot in the first quarter of its game, while the Crusaders managed just two shots in the opening half of Saturday's game.

Navy vs. Bucknell - The Series
Wednesday's contest between Navy and Bucknell marks only the seventh game in a series that began in 1996 ... Navy holds a narrow, 4-2, advantage and has won two in a row.
Navy and Bucknell met twice (1996, '97) before the Midshipmen joined the Patriot League in 2004 ... since becoming a member, the Mids have won three of the four games ... in fact, Navy has lost just two Patriot League games in the last five years and the 2005 regular-season Bucknell contest is one of the two losses.
Navy owns a 2-1 edge over the Bison in games played in Annapolis, however the last time the two battled at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was in 2004 when the Mids beat Bucknell, 11-5.

The Last Time ...
Senior attack Ian Dingman scored three goals, including a critical fourth-quarter goal with 5:20 left that stopped a Bucknell rally, to help lead Navy to a 6-3 victory over Bucknell at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
With the win, the Mids improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1986 and for only the second time since 1965.
Navy dominated play in the first half and through much of the third quarter, scoring five of the first six goals of the game.
Dingman got Navy on the board with a man-up goal at 7:56 in the first quarter off an assist from Nick Mirabito.
Dingman made it 2-0 with 3:28 left in the first quarter off an assist from attack Bruce Nechanicky and then Nechanicky scored a goal of his own early in the second period off an assist from senior William Wallace to make it 3-0 Navy.
The Bison finally got on the board with 10:39 left in the half on a man-up goal by Perry Menzies, but senior middie Tommy Wallin answered with 1:03 remaining off an assist from Nechanicky to give Navy a comfortable 4-1 lead at the half.
Four minutes into the second half, Nechanicky made it 5-1 off an assist from Mirabito.
Bucknell worked its way back into the game on back-to-back goals by Joe Mele and Brian Gargan ... Gargan's goal came with 33 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Navy man-down defense was tested in the fourth quarter as the Mids were hit with four penalties in a two-minute span ... Navy was two men down for one minute and then had to kill a 30-second penalty and a one-minute penalty in succession.
After returning to full strength, the Mids reassumed control and Dingman's unassisted goal put the game away.
The Navy defense was sensational once again, allowing just nine shots on goal.
Another key facet was the faceoff game as the Mids won all 12 draws, including an 8-for-8 performance by Wallace, while Mikelis Visgauss was 4-for-4.Home Field Advantage
Navy owns a 28-6 record (.824) in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the start of the 2004 campaign, outscoring its foes, 388-215 (11.4 to 6.3 gpg).
Navy has not lost a Patriot League game at home in its five years as a member of the conference.
The Mids have allowed just four teams (Colgate in '07; Georgetown in '05; Ohio State and Johns Hopkins in '04) to reach double digits in games played on their home field over the last five seasons ... Navy has held 14 of its 34 opponents to five or fewer goals since 2004 in games played at home.
Navy owns a 68-28 (.708) record at home under the direction of head coach Richie Meade ... the Mids have reached four wins at home every season Meade has been the head coach are just one shy of reaching that mark again this season ... Navy has recorded five or more wins at home in six of Meade's 14 seasons, including seven wins in 2004, '05, '06 and '07.
Junior Sean Standen has scored five of his six goals this season at home and six of the seven during his career ... sophomore Patrick Moran also has an affinity for playing at home where he has scored five of his eight goals in '08 and seven of his 10 career markers.

Meet the Mids
Navy will hold its annual "Meet the Mids" event on Saturday, March 29, following Navy's game against nationally-ranked Georgetown (5:00 pm) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. 
Members of the 10th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team will be available for autographs on the Blue Concourse, with the first 300 kids in line for the postgame autograph session receiving a Navy lacrosse "Meet the Mids" t-shirt, compliments of Chick-fil-A. 
In addition, Navy's 2008 lacrosse poster and an autograph card will be available, while prizes will be handed out.

Patriot League Success
Since joining the Patriot League in 2004, Navy is 34-2 (.944) against opponents from the league, including an 8-0 mark in the Patriot League Tournament ... the Mids lost regular-season contests to Bucknell in '05 and Colgate in '06.
Navy has won 16 consecutive games against Patriot League teams ... its last loss was a 6-3 decision against Colgate on March 18, 2006, in Hamilton, N.Y.
The Mids own an 18-0 record at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium against Patriot League competition since joining the conference ... the Mids are 12-0 during the regular season and 6-0 in the conference tournament.
The Mids have produced undefeated marks in conference action in two of the last five years ... 7-0 in 2004 and 6-0 in '07.
Navy has won at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title in each of its first four years as a member of the league ... additionally, the Mids have claimed the league's tournament crown all four years.
24 different Mids have garnered All-Patriot League recognition, while 13 of the 24 have earned honors multiple times.
Richie Meade was named the 2004 Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading the Mids to a flawless 7-0 mark in league competition ... he received the award a second time after guiding Navy to a 6-0 record last spring.

GreatAmerican · March 18, 2008, 6:23pm

Navy-Bucknell game on Navy All-Access

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Navy-Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Game To Be Carried on Navy All-Access

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Wednesday's Patriot League men's lacrosse game featuring eighth-ranked Navy vs. No. 12 Bucknell will be aired live on Navy All-Access with the Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst calling the action.

Subscribers to Navy All-Access will have the ability to watch and/or listen to several of Navy's remaining men's lacrosse games, including the Mids' Easter Sunday battle against Patriot League foe Colgate beginning at 12:00 pm. Additionally, subscribers have access to all of Navy's home men's and women's basketball games, along with select football highlight packages and football postgame press conference coverage. Navy home football games are also available via Navy All-Access free of charge.

The subscription price for Navy All-Access is $6.95 per month, $49.95 for a 12-month package and 99.95 for CBS College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) All-Access XXL, which will provide you access to every CBS College Sports Network.com school. For the best results, you should have broadband and high-speed cable access to the internet. To sign in or subscribe to Navy All-Access, log onto NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics and click on the All-Access button on the right side of the page.

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