Collegiate Men's Lacrosse

GreatAmerican · March 30, 2008, 2:29pm

<h1>4 Georgetown def. #10 Navy, 11-10 OT</h1>

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

Fourth-Ranked Georgetown Escapes Upset-Minded Mids

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The 10th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team outscored No. 4 Georgetown, 7-4, in the second half, but it was Hoyas rookie Ricky Mirabito who would play the spoiler as his crease-line goal led Georgetown to an 11-10 overtime victory against the Midshipmen Saturday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy sophomore midfielder Basil Daratsos (Niskayuna, N.Y.) evened the score with 38.9 seconds left in regulation, but it was not to be as the Mids dropped just their second game of the 2008 campaign, including their second overtime game against a top-six opponent.

The Hoyas opened up the game by scoring on an errant clearing pass by junior keeper Tommy Phelan (Towson, Md.). After coming up with a spot-on save against senior attack Andrew Baird, Phelan threw the ball right back into Baird's stick and easily beat Phelan to put the Hoyas up at 8:24 in the game.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Georgetown owned a 5-1 lead and Navy was forced to work itself out of a tough deficit against a team that handed No. 1 Duke its first loss of the year just a week earlier.

Navy, though, narrowed the lead to two when it got its first of two goals in the second stanza from an unlikely source. Just seconds after checking into the game, senior Evan Boyle (Wilbraham, Mass.) worked the backside of the cage and saw junior attack Matt Bitter (Manhasset, N.Y.), who entered the action at the same time Boyle did. Boyle fed Bitter who sank his shot from the right side door step with 9:35 remaining. A little less than eight minutes later, Navy finally got a shot off on its third extra-man attempt and this time, second-year middie Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) would succeed in getting his 10-yarder from the left wing to ripple the net.

Navy won the ensuing faceoff, but it was unable to keep possession of the ball and in turning it over, Georgetown made the most of it. Scoring his second goal of the second quarter, Andrew Brancaccio curled around the left side of the cage and his underhanded sidewinder sailed it from seven yards out, giving the Hoyas a 6-3 cushion with 26.5 seconds left in the half.

Georgetown picked up where it had left off, scoring the first two goals of the third quarter and pushing its lead to five at 8-3 with 7:04 left in the quarter.

Moran, however, sparked a four-goal run by the Midshipmen by scoring back-to-back goals less than a minute apart (6:18, 5:25). Also in the mix were Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) from Terence Higgins (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and an incredible behind the back goal by Gregory Clement (Dallas, Texas) with 1:01 remaining in the third.

But like the second quarter, Navy was unable to keep the Hoyas under wraps and with 19.2 seconds left in the quarter, Jake Samperton put Georgetown back up by two, 9-7.

A minute and a half into the fourth quarter, Daratsos picked up a loose ball just outside of the crease and poked in his first goal since the Cornell game a month and a half ago. The two teams would fight off one another for the next 10 minutes before All-American attack Brendan Cannon came alive and scored a six-yarder from the left side of the field to give the Hoyas a two-goal advantage with 3:28 remaining.

Forty seconds later, Navy countered with Clement's second goal to get the Mids within one. Georgetown came up with the ensuing draw, but was unsuccessful in extending the lead and with under a minute to go, Navy had the ball. Daratsos took off with the ball and drilled a shot from nearly 10 yards out past Hoyas keeper Miles Kass to knot the game at 10-all.

Both teams had a solid chance to score at the end of regulation. Senior captain Jordan DiNola (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) picked off a pass on the defensive end of the field and found shorty Geoff Leone (Massapequa, N.Y.) who scampered to the box where he found starting attack Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) who whaled a shot in the direction of Kass. Kass made a nice save and quickly threw the ball the length of the field where waiting on the other end was Baird who caught the ball and shot. Phelan, who was out of the goal, made a miraculous kick save to stymie what would have been the game-tying shot with 00.3 remaining.

After winning just one of the four draws in the fourth quarter, Navy senior Mikelis Visgauss (Setauket, N.Y.) won an important faceoff to open the overtime period. Looking to invert, Navy sophomore middie Joe Lennon (Westminster) found himself with just the keeper to beat with his defender slipping. But Lennon's shot would sail just wide of the goal. With the shot backed up, Navy retained possession and got a second look at the goal when Moran sent his shot just wide of the cage.

The Mids would then turn the ball over near the top of the box and Georgetown's Cannon found Ricky Mirabito sitting on the crease in transition and the younger Mirabito brother punched in the game-winner 2:18 into the extra period to dash Navy's upset hopes.

"It's disappointing to lose a one goal game to Georgetown," said Navy head coach Richie Meade. "I was please with our ability to battle back in the game, but I was not pleased that we were down 8-3 in the first place. It's an awful tall task to ask a team to come back from five goals down in the second half against a team like Georgetown.

"It was a tale of two halves," added Meade. "I don't think we played very well in the first half and quite frankly we gave away too many unsettled goals. It seemed like we finally came to life offensively in the second half.

"I thought we had several chances in overtime, but they just didn't fall for us."

After getting off just 10 shots in the opening half, Navy doubled it up in the second half, scoring four goals off its eight shots in the fourth quarter which got the Mids back into the game. Meanwhile, after a sloppy first quarter in their clearing game, Navy was 11-12 in the second half and finished 19-24 for the game.

Navy's extra-man unit struggled, earning goals on just one of its four opportunities. The Mids turned the ball over on each of their first two chances, unable to get a shot off in either of those opportunities.

Phelan, who got the starting nod for the second straight game, turned in a solid effort, matching his career high in saves with 13. Navy's defense, which was ranked No. 1 in the country, giving up 4.28 goals per game, allowed double digits for the first time since last year's NCAA Tournament loss to North Carolina. It's only the 12th time in the last 74 games that an opponent has put up double figures against the Mids. The Hoyas are responsible for three of those 12 games.

Moran led the way for the Midshipmen with his first collegiate hat trick, while Clement and Nick Mirabito each produced a pair of goals and an assist. Georgetown, meanwhile, was anchored by Baird and Ricky Mirabito who each pitched a hat trick and Cannon who turned in a goal and three assists and was instrumental in the Hoyas win at the end of the game.

Georgetown, who has won five in a row against the Midshipmen, including back-to-back one-goal decisions, was presented the Scott Boyle Memorial Trophy for the third consecutive year. A longtime official, Boyle tragically passed away in 2005 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium while officiating the Georgetown-Navy game. His peers and family established a cup the following season in Boyle's memory that will be awarded annually to the winner of the Georgetown-Navy contest.

The Midshipmen will be back in action next Friday when they travel to College Park, Md., where they will face the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins. Maryland dismantled top-ranked Virginia, 13-7, on Saturday at Byrd Stadium and for the second straight week, the Mids will be faced with a tall task in battling a team who has knocked off the No. 1-ranked team. Friday's contest is slated for an 8:00 pm faceoff and will be televised live by ESPNU and locally via WMAR-TV (Ch. 2) with Quint Kessinich and Scott Garceau calling the action. The game will also be available on 1430 WNAV with Pete Medhurst calling the play by play.

GreatAmerican · March 30, 2008, 2:32pm

Georgetown 11, Navy 10

By Christian Swezey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 30, 2008; Page D05

Navy senior Nick Mirabito did not get to shake hands with his brother, Georgetown redshirt freshman Ricky Mirabito, following Georgetown's 11-10, sudden-death overtime victory before 7,135 yesterday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Each finished with three points -- Nick Mirabito had two goals and an assist and Ricky had three goals. But it was Ricky Mirabito who had the most memorable moment: He scored the winning goal on a breakaway following a pass from senior Brendan Cannon with 1 minute 42 seconds left in overtime.

And that goal landed Ricky Mirabito on a television interview during the traditional postgame handshake between the teams. His brother glanced at him briefly as he passed through the handshake line.

Navy (8-2) had the ball first in overtime, but shots from sophomores Joe Lennon and Patrick Moran went wide. Following an errant pass, Georgetown sophomore Chris Schuville came up with a loose ball near midfield and passed to Cannon.

Cannon went immediately toward the goal and drew two defenders, seniors Jordan DiNola and Brendan Teague. He then passed to Mirabito, who was open near the goal. Junior Andy Tormey, the last defender between Mirabito and the goal, slipped, and Mirabito caught the pass and shot high past junior goalkeeper Tommy Phelan.

"Chris Schuville made a play at midfield. It was kind of a scramble, you know they're going to be sliding all over the place," Mirabito said. "I was just trying to position myself. . . . I just kind of turned and dumped it in."

The Hoyas (5-2) had taken an 8-3 lead following a goal by Mirabito with 7:04 left in the third quarter. To that point, they had outshot the Midshipmen 24-11.

But Navy's offense got going. It scored four consecutive goals, including a behind-the-back goal by senior Greg Clement, assisted by Nick Mirabito, that made the score 8-7 with 1:01 left in the third quarter.

Georgetown led 10-8 following a goal by Cannon with 3:28 left in regulation. Navy scored the final two goals and tied the game at 10 on a goal by sophomore Basil Daratsos with 38 seconds left.

But the dramatics were not over. DiNola intercepted a pass with 15 seconds left and passed to sophomore Tim Paul, whose 12-yard shot was saved by senior goalie Miles Kass. Kass's long outlet pass was caught by senior Andrew Baird, who turned and fired into a seemingly open goal.

Phelan, however, saved the shot with his ankle with 0.02 of a second left. Baird and Phelan had played together at Loyola (Balt.) High.

"I couldn't let my high school teammate get one on me at the buzzer," Phelan said. "I never would have heard the end of it."

Instead, it was left to a pair of brothers to settle the bragging rights.

"Nick played a great game," Ricky Mirabito said. "Glad it's over and we don't have to do it again."

Baird finished with three goals and sophomore Barney Ehrmann had two interceptions and four groundballs for the Hoyas. Moran had three goals and Phelan added 13 saves for Navy.

GreatAmerican · March 30, 2008, 2:34pm

Mids' six-game winning streak ends despite rally from five-goal deficit

By Edward Lee | Sun reporter
March 30, 2008

Perhaps no one was more surprised than Ricky Mirabito.

With Navy and Georgetown extended to overtime, Mirabito, a sophomore attackman for the Hoyas, found himself with the ball alone in front of the Midshipmen's cage.

Mirabito, labeled by Hoyas coach Dave Urick as one of the top two finishers on the team, put a shot past Navy junior goalkeeper Tommy Phelan with 1:42 left in the extra period to send No. 7 Georgetown to an 11-10 upset of the No. 3 Midshipmen before 7,135 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis yesterday.

"I definitely thought there would be a second slide [from a defenseman], and I was going to have to throw it cross-crease," Mirabito said of his third goal of the game and first career game-winner for the Hoyas. "It's a scramble situation, and they're out of position. It was just luck."

Georgetown (5-2) has won the past five meetings with Navy. The Hoyas have won four straight, including an 11-7 upset of then-No. 1 Duke a week ago.

The Midshipmen (8-2), whose six-game winning streak ended, won the faceoff to begin overtime, and senior Nick Mirabito - Ricky's brother - and sophomore midfielder Patrick Moran (Severn) both took shots that went wide right of Georgetown senior goalie Miles Kass.

Hoyas sophomore midfielder Chris Schuville picked up a ground ball and passed to senior attackman Brendan Cannon, who spotted Ricky Mirabito alone for the game-winner.

Mirabito's heroics overshadowed Navy's furious rally to send the game into overtime.

Georgetown scored five of the game's first six goals and had an 8-3 advantage with 7:04 left in the third quarter. But the Midshipmen scored seven of the next nine goals, tying the score at 10 when sophomore midfielder Basil Daratsos bounced a shot from eight yards out with 38.9 seconds left in regulation.

"I'm pleased we battled back from being down 8-3," Navy coach Richie Meade said. "I'm not pleased we were down 8-3. It's an awful tall task to ask a group to come back five goals in the second half on a team like Georgetown."

Cannon led all scorers with four points on a goal and three assists, and Hoyas senior attackman Andrew Baird (Loyola) had three goals. Moran paced the Midshipmen with three goals, and senior attackman Gregory Clement and Nick Mirabito each added two goals and an assist.

Baird nearly ended the game in regulation when he caught a long clearing pass from Kass and fired the ball at a backpedaling Phelan (13 saves). The goalie deflected the shot with his left ankle in the final seconds.

"Didn't want an old high school teammate scoring on me at the buzzer," joked Phelan, a Loyola graduate. "Could never live that down."

Phelan made his second consecutive start in place of Matt Coughlin. The junior who started Navy's first eight contests participated in warm-ups, but the coaching staff chose to let Coughlin's injured right hamstring rest and heal.

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

GreatAmerican · March 30, 2008, 2:49pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published March 30, 2008

Ricky Mirabito has been attending Navy lacrosse games since he was a junior at Chenango Forks High in Binghamton, N.Y. He came close to joining older brother Nick in Annapolis before choosing Georgetown instead. Mirabito knows most of the current Midshipmen well and last night he broke their hearts.

Mirabito's goal at the 1:42 mark of overtime lifted fourth-ranked Georgetown to a thrilling 11-10 overtime victory over No. 10 Navy before a boisterous crowd of 7,135 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Midfielder Chris Schuville started the game-winning sequence by scooping a loose ball and racing across midfield to give Georgetown a numbers advantage. Schuville passed ahead to attackman Brendan Cannon, who spotted Mirabito open next to the goal for a one-on-one shot he fired past the left ear of Navy goalie Tommy Phelan.

"It was a transition play created by No. 9 (Schuville) and we had numbers. When Brendan got the ball and started going to the goal, my guy slid off me and I was just kind of standing there all alone," said Mirabito, a redshirt freshman.

Mirabito and fellow attackman Andrew Baird scored three goals apiece for Georgetown (5-2), which had to survive a furious comeback to beat Navy for the seventh time in the last eight meetings. Cannon contributed a goal and three assists for the Hoyas, who led 8-3 midway through the third quarter.

Junior midfielder Patrick Moran scored back-to-back goals in the third quarter to spark a spirited rally by Navy, which outscored the visitors 7-2 over the final 22 minutes of regulation to tie the score 10-10 and force overtime.

"I'm pleased we battled back from being down 8-3. I'm not pleased we got down 8-3. It's an awful tall task to ask a team to come back from five goals down against a team the caliber of Georgetown," Navy head coach Richie Meade said.

"Defensively, we let down in this game. We gave up too many unsettled goals and we had some breakdowns in our scheme on some of the patterns they ran inside. They scored in six-on-six situations off screens."

Indeed, Baird, Mirabito and others consistently came open on the crease and took feeds from behind for point-blank shots that Phelan had little chance to stop. Georgetown out-shot Navy 19-10 in the first half.

The Midshipmen finally clamped down on defense after falling behind by five goals, holding the Hoyas to just four shots in the fourth quarter. Phelan, who started his second straight game in place of injured starter Matt Coughlin (hamstring), said it was simply a matter of being more aggressive and communicating.

"Mentally, we turned it up a notch. We started talking and getting out on the hands of their key players," Phelan said. "If we had played with that kind of intensity in the first half, it would have been a victory."

Nick Mirabito and Greg Clement scored two goals each for Navy (8-2), which found success offensively with an invert formation that enabled the midfielders to attack short stick defenders from behind.

Moran, a Severn School product, jump-started the rally with two goals in less than a minute while Mirabito had a goal and an assist during a 4-0 run that cut the Navy deficit to 8-7 with 1:01 left in the third quarter.

The Midshipmen got within one on two more occasions before sophomore midfielder Basil Daratsos scooped a loose ball in front of the net and fired an 8-yard shot that finally tied the score at 10 with 39 seconds left in regulation.

"We knew they were going to put a run together and it was just a matter of weathering it," Ricky Mirabito said.

Navy got the ball first in the overtime, but had two shots go wide of the goal before committing a turnover.

It marked the fourth time since 2003 that Georgetown has beaten Navy by two goals or less. Looking at the final statistics, Meade had a tough time swallowing this one since Navy won the key possession categories of face-offs and ground balls while getting more saves from its goaltender.

"This was a tale of two halves. We came to life in the second half and fought hard," Meade said. "It's very disappointing because I thought we had chances to win the game in overtime. We got off several good shots and they just didn't fall."

GreatAmerican · March 30, 2008, 8:21pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Mens Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Seniors Lead Mids to Ninth-Place Finish at Lacrosse Homes Invitational

GRASONVILLE, Md. Led by seniors Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) and Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.), the Navy mens golf team placed ninth at the 19-team Lacrosse Homes Collegiate Invitational at the Prospect Bay Country Club in Grasonville, Md. on Sunday. The senior duo paced the Midshipmen with a 9-over par 153 to place 19th amongst the field of nearly 100 individuals.

Longwood, the only school to finish under 600, came from a stroke behind UNC Greensboro on the final day to claim the team title with a 22-over 598. Liberty placed second with its 24-over par 600, while UNC Greensboro dropped to third with a 26-over par 602. Meanwhile, Loyola's Michael Mulieri shot a second day 3-under par 69 in taking medalist honors. It was the only sub-70 round of the tournament.

Navy opened the tournament with a strong 19-over par 307 and found itself in a three-way tie for fifth place. The final round, however, was not kind to the Midshipmen, dropping to ninth in the final standings, while tacking on 10 strokes to its total. The Mids turned in a 48-over par 224 for the tournament, just two strokes behind Cornell who placed eighth and a stroke ahead of St. Bonaventure who was 10th.

Two of Navys five golfers improved upon their scores on the second day, however both golfers struggled to find their game in the opening round. After posting an 11-over par 83 on the first day, senior Ryan Sload (Lancaster, Pa.) peeled off six strokes from his score and finished tied for 59 with a 16-over par 160. Second-year standout Michael Harrigan (Moorestown, N.J.) shaved two strokes off his score with a 13-over par 85 on Sunday to finish the two-day tournament in 93rd with a 172.

Renninger, the Mids team captain, owned Navys low round of the tournament by turning in a 2-over par 74 on Saturday. He shot a 7-over par 79 in the second round to fall back to 19th alongside Schoen. Schoen opened up just a stroke behind Renninger with a 3-over par 75, but he, too, dropped back by posting a 6-over par 78 in the final round.

Junior David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio) placed 49th after struggling in the final round. He opened the invitational by posting a 3-over par 75, but fell back after turning in an 11-over par 83 on Sunday to record a 14-over par 158.

Navy will take the next 11 days to retool its game after the first three weeks of spring action before returning to competition at the NC State Intercollegiate in Wallace, N.C. on April 11-13.

Team Scores: 1 Longwood (300-298-598), 2. Liberty (300-300-600), 3. UNC Greensboro (299-303-602), 4. Loyola (310-299-609), 5. James Madison (306-308-614), 6. Army (307-310-617), 7. Georgetown (307-312-619), 8. Cornell (311-311-622), 9. Navy (307-317-624), 10. St. Bonaventure (311-314-625), 11. Towson (321-305-626), T12. Boston College (311-317-628), T12. Rutgers (319-309-628), T14. Yale (318-314-632), T14. Brown (318-314-632), 16. Siena (320-316-636), 17. St. Joseph's (327-315-642), 18. Drexel (330-314-644), 19. LIU (320-337-657).

The Midshipmen: T19 Erich Schoen (75-78-153), T19 Chris Renninger (74-79-153), T49 David Miller (75-83-158), T59 Ryan Sload (83-77-160), 93 Michael Harrigan (87-85-172).

GreatAmerican · March 31, 2008, 10:36am

Mar 31, 2008 4:00 AM (4 hrs ago) by Andrew Vitelli, The Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The rest of the nation found out on Saturday what Maryland's players already knew: There is no team in the nation that Maryland can't beat.

Few teams are hotter than the fourth-ranked Terrapins, who had little trouble knocking off the top-ranked and previously unbeaten Virginia Cavaliers, 13-7, in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Byrd Stadium.

A week earlier, Maryland beat then-fifth-ranked North Carolina 13-8, in Chapel Hill.

"You can see it in practice," Maryland coach Dave Cottle said. I knew we were going to play as well as we could play, I just didn't know if it was good enough and today it was."

The Terrapins (7-2, 2-1 ACC) have looked unstoppable in their past threegames since falling, 9-8, to UMBC in triple overtime in Catonsville.

Maryland has another test on Friday night at 8, when it faces ninth-ranked Navy (8-2) at Byrd Stadium.

The Midshipmen are coming off an 11-10 overtime loss to Georgetown, which snapped their six-game winning streak. But still, Navy is allowing opponents to average fewer than five goals per game.

"They're a machine," Cottle said. "They grind you out, they play great defense, and we're going to have to find some ways to score."

Maryland's defense also has been impressive, holding Virginia (9-1), which averaged nearly 15 goals a game to just seven its lowest output of the season.

"I've never seen us play like this," Maryland junior goalie Jason Carter, who played all but the last minute and recorded a career-high 15 saves, said. "We slid to everybody. It was amazing. We did what we wanted to do, and the defense played awesome."

Cottle usually plays Carter for a half and Brian Phipps for the other, but Carter played so well in the first half that Cottle decided to stick with the hot hand and it paid off.

But it wasn't enough for Carter to earn the starting job permanently, as Phipps will start against the Midshipmen.

Midfielder Jeff Reynolds has been the Terrapins' top scoring option recently, and he recorded his second straight hat trick on Saturday. The junior has eight goals in his past three games.

Travis Reed recorded his fourth hat trick of the season and added two assists on Saturday, which is a good sign for the Terrapins. The freshman attacker had three straight games with at least three goals early in the season, but the former standout at Boys¹ Latin had not recorded more than one goal in any of the past four games before Saturday's win.

"I started the season off a lot stronger than I had been the last couple games," Reed, who leads the team with 18 goals, said. "I think today was a way to get my confidence up again."

After dominating two of the best teams in the nation, the Terrapins' confidence is at a season-high.

"I think the only people who thought we were going to win was our team, the guys in our locker room," Carter said. "Today was just our day."

GreatAmerican · April 1, 2008, 4:20am

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy womens lacrosse team looks to remain unbeaten at home on Tuesday afternoon with a big Patriot League contest against preseason league favorite, American, beginning at 5:00 pm. The Mids are 7-2 overall and 1-1 in league play, but boast a 7-0 record at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. American enters the contest with a 5-6 overall mark, but is atop the league standings with a 3-0 mark.

The game will be streamed online as part of the Navy All-Access package available at NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics. Joe Miller will handle the call from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. To sign in or subscribe to Navy All-Access, fans can go to NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics and click on the All-Access button on the right side of the page.

The Mids are coming off a disappointing 15-10 loss at Davidson on Saturday. The Mids fell behind 10-3 at the half, but played much better in the second half to make a game of it. However, Navys struggles continued on the road, as it dropped to 0-2 away from Annapolis and has now lost two of its last three games.

Navy continues to rank high in several categories on the NCAA leaderboard. The Mids are third nationally in scoring offense (16.56), third in scoring margin (+7.22) and second in draw controls per game (16.44). Overall, the Mids are in the top 20 of seven different NCAA categories.

The Mids are paced by a pair of midfielders in sophomore Erin Rawlick and freshman Meg Decker. Rawlick leads the team with 36 goals and 48 points and is second on the team with 12 assists. She scored a school-record nine points (7 g, 2 a) last Tuesday in a 15-12 win over Canisius, a total that ranks as the third-most points in a game in the country this season. She is the league leader in points per game (5.22) in the Patriot League and ranks fourth nationally. She is tied for the league lead in goals per game (4.00) and is fourth in the nation in that category as well.

Decker, meanwhile, has contributed 40 points (30 g, 10 a), and scored 10 points in two contests last week. She is third in the Patriot League and 18th nationally in goals per game (3.33) and is fifth in the league in points per game (4.44). She is the third-highest scoring freshman in the country and just two freshmen nationally have scored more goals than her.

In addition, Amanda Towey, Mary Ruttum and Katrina Nietsch have each scored at least 22 points during the season. The group of Rawlick, Decker, Towey, Ruttum and Nietsch have scored 116 of Navys 149 goals this year and 168 of Navys 208 points.

In goal, Natalie Blandon has had an up-and-down season so far. She stopped a career-high 14 shots in a win last week against Canisius, then struggled against Davidson, stopping just six shots and giving up 13 goals. She owns a 9.59 GAA with a .433 save percentage.

American, the preseason favorite to win the Patriot League, is 5-6 overall and 3-0 in league play and is coming off a 14-12 loss at Stoby Brook on Saturday. The Eagles have lost two games in a row, a stretch that was preceded by four wins in a row. The Eagles have defeated Bucknell, Lehigh and Lafayette in league play. Defense is the Eagles specialty as Kristine Vida has been spectacular in goal for American. She has been named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week three times and owns a .519 save percentage and a 10.83 GAA. She is aided by Caitlin Bell, who was the preseason selection for Defensive Player of the Year.

Offensively, Americans Jackie Lane lead the team with 39 points (28 g, 11 a) and three other players have each scored at least 10 goals. Lauren Lane leads the team with nine assists. American is averaging 9.63 goals per game as a team, while giving up 10.73.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Navy will be in action next on Saturday, with a 12:00 start at Lehigh. The Mids next home action will be on Tuesday, April 9, for a 4:00 pm start against Howard.

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 10:56am

By Quint Kessenich
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Six weeks into the college lacrosse season, we've learned a lot about the teams vying for a chance to play on championship weekend. But as the weather heats up, so do the conference races -- where we separate the true contenders from the pretenders. This time of year is when good coaches earn their money; games are won or lost because of a team's preparation, game plan and scouting. April is when all of their hard work comes together. At the midway point of the season, here's a look at where we stand:

Which team is No. 1? Syracuse took over the top spot this week, supplanting Virginia, which held on to No. 1 for just one week before losing to Maryland. The Orange are 8-1, with wins against Army, Georgetown, at Johns Hopkins and Loyola and the loss coming in overtime at the hands of the Cavaliers. While those wins came against talented teams -- one top-10 and three top-20 -- Syracuse doesn't play as tough a schedule as those teams in the ACC.

Right now, Duke is hands down the most talented team in the country. The stumbling blocks for the Blue Devils? Team chemistry and hubris. Trying to integrate the fifth-year seniors into the team -- while allowing the younger players to grow and take on leadership roles -- is a tough task for John Danowski. Duke's lone loss -- to Georgetown -- was the result of complacent defense. Because Duke's attack is so prolific, the Blue Devils don't sweat giving up a few goals. Against the Hoyas, the attack met a hot goalie in Miles Kass, and wasn't able to carry the team. What you do after a loss defines you as a team. Teams that move forward will be the ones you'll see on Memorial Day weekend in Foxborough, Mass.

Duke lost in the finals last season, but was emotionally drained from off-field events before it got to the championship game. That won't happen this season.

What have been the biggest surprises so far? Maryland has to be one of the biggest surprises of the season. The Baby Terps are 7-2 despite experiencing a lot of turnover on defense, starting four freshmen on attack and playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. Maryland already has wins over Georgetown, North Carolina and Virginia. Maryland's two losses? Duke and UMBC -- the latter a game the Terps should
have won. It's a much better start than anyone could have expected.

Army has also started the season at 7-2 -- and its two losses were by a goal apiece. This is the same team that finished the 2007 season on an eight-game losing streak. The Knights play a tough schedule that includes Duke and archrival Navy, a team they haven't beaten in the past 13 tries. Senior goalie Adam Fullerton leads a talented roster, and coach Joe Alberici's team is winning games by winning all of the major statistical categories.

Drexel turned the corner last year and has continued to move forward this season. The Dragons are making incremental improvements and are a tough opponent. Cornell, which sustained heavy graduation losses, has started the season at 7-1 (the lone loss was to UNC early in the season). If coach Jeff Tambroni can have another one- or two-loss season, he'll reserve a spot in the Hall of Fame.

What have been the biggest disappointments so far? Possibly the most shocking record this season is Johns Hopkins' 3-4 mark. The defending champions had a top-10 defense last year and returned all but two starters. The Blue Jays rank among the worst defenses this season and the team is mired in a four-game losing streak with Duke up next on the schedule.

Albany's 2-5 record is a surprise thus far. The Great Danes have great upside, and I expect them to turn it around and contend for the America East automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament. UMBC is having a good year, but Albany remains the class of the conference.

Who are the players to watch?
Duke's Matt Danowski, the reigning Tewaaraton Trophy winner (lacrosse's
version of the Heisman), has to be considered the favorite at this point in the season. He'll have some competition from Syracuse's Mike Leveille, especially if the Orange continue to cruise, and from teammate Zack Greer. Should the race tighten up, Danowski will probably be on the outside looking in, because the committee will take into account his status as a fifth-year senior.

Other players to watch: Duke's Nick O'Hara, Maryland's Brian Farrell, Syracuse's Matt Abbott and Loyola's P.T. Ricci.

Who are the top rookies?
Virginia's freshman twins, Rhamel and Shamel Bratton, received most of the
preseason publicity, but a few rookies on other teams have stepped up to make an immediate contribution. Among the best: Maryland's trio of Travis Reed, Grant Catalino and Ryan Young; Duke's Mike Manley; and Syracuse's John Galloway.

Who can we expect to see in the NCAA tournament?
It's too early to start playing bracketologist, but it's a safe bet to say the ACC will dominate the bids: Duke, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia should all make the field of 16. Notre Dame, Syracuse, Georgetown and Cornell are on their way to punching tickets as well. The winner of the April 12 meeting between Army and Navy should also make the field. There is still plenty of lacrosse to be played, and this is fluid at best.

Now that spring is here, get outside and watch a game -- or if you can't get to a game, let it come to you. The ESPN family of networks is broadcasting over 40 games this season, including the NCAA tournament.

Quint Kessenich covers college and professional lacrosse for ESPN. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:quint@insidelacrosse.com">quint@insidelacrosse.com</a>.

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 10:59am

April 2nd, 2008 in Sports

You know how you felt before that history exam worth 40 percent of your semester grade? Remember the anticipation leading up to your first high school date with the cute girl/guy from home room?

Now combine them, and that¹s kind of how Terrapin men¹s lacrosse long pole Brian Farrell is feeling right now waiting to play Friday¹s home game against Navy.

³It gets you pumped up,² said Farrell, who is one of 27 Terps who has never suited up for a home game against the Midshipmen. ³You already get chills down your back come Wednesday and you¹ve still got two days to prepare. It¹s going to be fun, and it should be a good game.²

It¹s an 8 p.m. Friday start time that should bring a large crowd out to Byrd Stadium. (If you¹re looking for incentive to go, the first 1,000 fans in get free t-shirts.)

Junior midfielder Jeremy Sieverts, a Butler transfer, is readying for his first shot at Navy at home. Last year¹s game at Navy-Marine Corps. Field in Annapolis brought out 14,625 to see the Terps win 8-7 in two overtimes, and Sieverts doesn¹t expect anything different this yearexcept for maybe a few more Terp fans.

³Last year was a great experience playing there,² Sieverts said. ³I think it will be just as exciting with a great atmosphere again this year. We¹re really excited for Friday.²

For freshmen like attackman Grant Catalino, it¹s a new experience altogether. Even though he¹s played in rivalry games already this season, Catalino admitted he really doesn¹t know what to expect.

³The last few games have been pretty big rivalries, but from what I hear the Navy game is one of the biggest we have here,² Catalino said. ³I¹m looking forward to it. I¹m excited but nervous at the same time.²

Add in the fact that the Terps haven¹t beat Navy at home since 2002 and that both teams are ranked in the top-10 for the fifth straight year, and it should make enough for high drama at Byrd.

Maybe even enough to make you blow off studying for that big exam. Go ahead and ask the cute kid on your dorm floor to accompany you.

<a href="mailto:edetweilerdbk@gmail.com">edetweilerdbk@gmail.com</a>

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 1:11pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

The Greene Turtle to Host Navy Men's Lacrosse Viewing Party

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Greene Turtle in Edgewater, a sponsor of Navy athletics, will host a viewing party on Friday at 8:00 pm when the ninth-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team battles No. 3 Maryland on ESPNU. Meeting for the 63rd straight year, it's the second-longest continuous lacrosse series between Navy and an opponent. Seven of the last nine games between the Mids and Terps have been decided by a goal, including each of the last two contests played at College Park in which Navy has claimed wins. The Midshipmen head into Friday's contest in College Park boasting an 8-2 record and lead the Patriot League with their 5-0 mark. Meanwhile, the Terps are coming off a huge win last weekend in College Park, knocking off the top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, 13-7.

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 8:22pm

Mike Preston
April 2, 2008

Mikelis Visgauss, meet Will Dalton and Bryn Holmes.

These three guys will get to know each other pretty well Friday night at 8, when No. 6 Maryland hosts No. 8 Navy at Byrd Stadium.

It should be the normal Maryland-Navy game, complete with a lot of pushing and shoving.

And the game probably will be decided by one goal, with the winner having won the special teams battles or faceoffs.

That's where Dalton, Holmes and Visgauss come in. They are faceoff specialists.

Right now, Visgauss has the edge because he has been more consistent over an extended period of time.

But that could change Friday night.

"When we've beaten them, we've won faceoffs in crucial times," Maryland coach Dave Cottle said. "I'm sure the faceoffs will play a big role in this one as well."

Winning faceoffs is important for a number of reasons. It helps control the pace of the game, provides more opportunities to score on offense and can help hide defensive weaknesses.

To find a major reason Navy (8-2) and Maryland (7-2) are successful this season, look no further than their faceoff specialists.

As a team, Maryland has won 115 and lost 93, a .553 percentage. Navy has won 102 and lost 79 (.564). Sixty percent is the magic number for most teams.

Visgauss is at .606, having won 77 of 127.

"He is great," Cottle said of Visgauss. "He is so competitive, tough. A lot of guys rely on different moves, but he stays low to the ground, and a lot of his wins are from the ground balls he picks up."

Visgauss eats up ground balls. He has 49 this season, sixth most in the country. In his previous seasons at Navy, Visgauss played other roles, but now he is the faceoff specialist.

"He takes about 90 percent of their faceoffs," Dalton said. "He is the key to their offense. He has a lot of different moves and is extremely scrappy. He changes hands a lot and jams you a lot. He gets the ball to the outside and plays you for it. He is very athletic."

Maryland's faceoff game relies heavily on the other two. Holmes has won 54 of 87 for a .621 percentage, and Dalton has a .489 percentage, having won 46 of 94.

The difference between the two is that Holmes is quicker and faster. Dalton is fast for his size, too, and the Terps like the muscle he brings with his 260-pound body.

Saturday in a 13-7 win against then-No. 1 Virginia, Holmes and Dalton combined to win 15 of 23 faceoffs, starting several fast breaks. Dalton had one goal and Holmes had an assist.

"Dalton is a local kid, a hard clamper," Navy coach Richie Meade said. "When he gets the ball, he is hard to deal with offensively. You've got to stop him, but he is tough to stop once he gets up a head of steam.

"Holmes is a little tough guy. The comment we got on him is that every game he seems to whack somebody. He goes in and plays with a chip on his shoulder."

It's going to be a hard, tough, physical game because that's the style of their coaches, and the way both teams like to play the game.

Four of the past six games have been decided by a goal.

Overall, Maryland is a big, physical team with a lot of huge defensemen. Navy's M.O. never changes. The Midshipmen just outrun and outhustle you. They never stop playing the game.

But the best game will be at the middle of the field for the faceoffs. You have three good ones in Visgauss, Holmes and Dalton. And then you have those wings crashing down trying to find the ball.

"I've always liked the way Maryland plays the game," Meade said. "It's hard-nosed, blue-collar, and now they've got guys like Holmes and Dalton making plays. I think there's going to be a lot of carnage at midfield."

<a href="mailto:mike.preston@baltsun.com">mike.preston@baltsun.com</a>

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 9:14pm

Game 11: Navy at Maryland
Friday, April 4 8:00 pm College Park, Md. Byrd Stadium

Television: ESPNU, WMAR-TV (Ch. 2-Baltimore)
Scott Garceau (play by play), Quint Kessenich (analyst)

Radio/Internet: 
Listen: 1430 WNAV, 1050 WFED (Pete Medhurst)
Listen: Navy All-Access on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a>

Live Stats: 
Gametracker on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a>

Game Preview
After having its six-game winning streak cut short by the No. 4 Georgetown Hoyas last Saturday, ninth-ranked Navy (8-2, 5-0 Patriot League) will travel to College Park to face No. 3 Maryland (7-2, 2-1 ACC) on Friday ... faceoff is slated for 8:00 pm at Byrd Stadium.
Friday's contest will be televised live on ESPNU and locally on WMAR-TV (Ch. 2-Baltimore) ... WMAR-TV sports anchor Scott Garceau (play by play) and former Johns Hopkins All-American goalkeeper and two-time ('88, '89) Kelly Award winner Quint Kessenich (analyst) will call the action.
The Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst will make the call live on 1430 WNAV, as well as 1050 WFED.
Additionally, fans can log onto <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a> where they can follow the game for free via Gametracker.
Navy outscored Georgetown 7-4 in the second half, including two goals each by Gregory Clement, Basil Daratsos and Patrick Moran, but it was Georgetown redshirt freshman Ricky Mirabito who scored 2:18 into overtime to lead the fourth-ranked Hoyas to an 11-10 win over the Mids ... it's just the sixth time in the last 40 games that an opponent has put up double figures against Navy.
Maryland is coming off an impressive 13-7 win over No. 1-ranked Virginia last Saturday ... rookie attack Travis Reed and redshirt junior Jeff Reynolds helped propel the Terps as each turned in hat tricks ... junior keeper Jason Carter, meanwhile, made 15 stops in goal.

Taking the Field in ...
10 Senior attack Nick Mirabito appears among the top 10 on Navy's career points (9th, 149) and goals (T8th, 91) leader boards.
9 Navy has held the lead at halftime in 9 of its 10 games this season.
8 Eight of the last 13 games between Navy and Maryland have been decided by one goal, includeing each of the last three.
7 Navy has scored seven or more goals in nine of its 10 games this year.
6 Six players on Navy's roster have produced hat tricks during their careers, including four this season.
5 Navy has held its opponent to five or fewer goals in seven of its 10 games.
4 Nick Mirabito (18-19) is one of only four players in the country who have amassed 18 goals and 18 assists this season ... he joins Duke's Matt Danowski (26-30) and Zack Greer (33-20), along with Virginia's Garrett Billings (22-18).
3 Only three Navy players on the current roster have scored goals against Maryland, including sophomores Tim Paul and Basil Daratsos who each scored a pair in their first game against the Terps.
2 Navy's two losses this season have been overtime decisions to sixth-ranked Cornell and fourth-ranked Georgetown.
1 Navy is the nation's leader in wins over the last five years with 57 ... Duke is second with 55 wins.

Byrd Stadium Renovation
Due to ongoing construction of The Suites at Byrd Stadium, fans will find significant differences regarding seating on Friday night.
Fans must enter the stadium on the North side of the field -- opposite Tyser Tower, directly under the Upper Deck ... fans will not be allowed to enter the stadium on the South side of the field.
For more information, log onto <a href="http://umterps.cstv.com/sports/m-lacros/spec-rel/032508aad.html%5B/url%5D">http://umterps.cstv.com/sports/m-lacros/spec-rel/032508aad.html</a> (.)

Navy vs. Maryland - The Series
On Friday night, Navy and Maryland will meet for the 63rd-consecutive year ... it's the second-longest continuous lacrosse series between Navy and another opponent ... only Army has played Navy longer (next week is the 76th-straight year the two have met).
Maryland leads the series, 50-31-1, however, the Midshipmen have won three of the last four contests, including two in a row at Byrd Stadium in College Park.
Seven of the last nine games played between the two teams have been decided by one goal, including last year's double overtime win by the Terps which snapped Navy's three-game winning streak in the series.
The Terrapins own a 21-12 advantage in games played in College Park, including wins in five of the last seven ... the Mids, however, claimed a 9-6 win in 2004 and a 7-6 victory in 2006.
Only three Navy players on this year's roster have scored goals against Maryland - Basil Daratsos and Tim Paul each scored two goals a year ago as freshmen, while senior middie Terence Higgins scored in his sophomore campaign when Navy beat Maryland, 7-6, in College Park.
Though he is ranked No. 8 in the program's goal scoring history, Navy senior attack Nick Mirabito has never scored a goal against Maryland ... he turned in an assist in each of his first two games and last year he was held without a goal or an assist ... having logged 56-career games, last year's Maryland tilt is the only game in which Mirabito has not scored a goal or dealt out an assist ... at the time, his 40-game point streak was the second-longest active streak in Div. I.
Navy's 9-6 win over Maryland in 2004 is the first document win over a No. 1-ranked opponent in program history.

The Last Time ...
Midfielder Dan Groot's goal 42 seconds into the second overtime period snapped Navy's three-game stronghold over Maryland, as the 11th-ranked Terps upset No. 6 Navy, 8-7, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in front of 14,625 fans. It is the third-largest documented crowd to see a game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the 11th largest in NCAA Div. I history (regular-season game).
Despite a two-goal deficit with just under six minutes remaining in the contest, Maryland kept its composure. The Terps trimmed the lead to one with 4:53 left when Michael Phipps fed Jeremy Sieverts who was slashing in front of the crease and one-timed it past Navy keeper Colin Finnegan. Minutes later, junior midfielder Drew Evans sent the game into overtime after his low-to-high shot sailed over Finnegan's right shoulder from more than 10 yards out with just seven seconds remaining in regulation.
Navy had its best opportunity to score when rookie midfielder Basil Daratsos fired off a shot in the first overtime period, only to have it stuffed by Terrapin goalkeeper Brian Phipps, who had a sensational game in goal with 13 stops.
Navy rookies Daratsos and Tim Paul, starting his first-collegiate game in place of the injured Bruce Nechanicky, turned in solid performances for the Midshipmen, including early in the contest when Paul fed Daratsos for the game's first goal with just 1:42 elapsed. Daratsos finished the game with a pair of goals, while Paul scored back-to-back markers early in the third quarter.
On the heels of Paul's two goals, senior attack Ian Dingman fired off his lone goal of the game at the 8:27 mark to give the Mids a 6-4 lead. Dingman added a pair of goals in the loss.
Navy outshot the Terps, 30-24, including a 15-5 advantage after the first two quarters. Maryland turned the tables in the second half, owning a 16-13 advantage, including a 10-5 edge in the third quarter. Navy face-off specialists William Wallace and Mikelis Visgauss did a fantastic job of giving the Midshipmen possession. The two combined (Wallace 7-11, Visgauss 6-7) to win 13-of-18 draws with the 19th taken by close defenseman Andy Tormey.

Upon Further Review
The following are a few highlights/notes from last Saturday's Navy-Georgetown game.
Sophomore midfielder Patrick Moran pitched his first collegiate hat trick ... he is one of six players on the Navy roster who have turned in hat tricks during their careers and the fourth different player this season.
Senior attack Gregory Clement turned in his second career three-point performance with a pair of goals and an assist ... he first achieved the feat in Navy's 8-7 overtime win at Ohio State on Feb. 16.
Scoring a goal for the first time in seven games was second-year middie Basil Daratsos, who scored two goals in the four quarter including the game-tying goal with 39 seconds remaining in regulation ... Daratsos had last scored a goal in the Mids' 8-7 overtime loss to Cornell on Feb. 23.
Sophomore attack Tim Paul saw his six-game goal-scoring streak come to an end ... he had scored at least a goal in each of the games during the Mids' six-game winning streak, including four multi-goal performances.
Navy's six-game home winning streak was snapped ... the Georgetown loss was the Mids' first loss at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since last year's double-overtime loss (8-7) against 11th-ranked Maryland.
Navy suffered only its second loss since 2004 when scoring 10 or more goals ... going into the game, the Mids owned a 33-1 record when scoring in double figures.
It's just the sixth time in the last 40 games (2006-present) in which Navy's defensive unit has given up 10 or more goals.

Navy-Maryland Ties
Fourth-year Navy assistant coach Ryan Moran is a 2003 graduate of Maryland where he received All-America honors and All-ACC recognition as a midfielder for the Terrapins lacrosse team ... he scored a combined 50 points in his final two years of action.
Maryland junior midfielder Jeremy Sieverts played his first season at Butler for first-year Navy assistant coach Stan Ross, who was the head coach of the Bulldogs before the program was dropped following the 2007 campaign.

A Closer Look at Navy's Schedule
Seven of Navy's 13 regular-season opponents this season are among the nation's top 20 teams according to the March 31 edition of the USILA Coaches Poll ... Maryland (3), Georgetown (5) and Cornell (7) are all among the top 10, while Johns Hopkins (11), Bucknell (13), Army (14) and Ohio State (18) round out Navy's ranked foes.
Navy owns a 1-2 record against opponents who have appeared in the national rankings at the time of the contest.
Since the start of the 2004 season, Navy has played 38 of its 74 games against teams ranked in the top 25, posting a 23-15 record ... two of the losses have come against the No. 1-ranked team in the country at the time (Johns Hopkins twice) ... meanwhile, five of the losses have been at the hands of Georgetown ('05, '06 2x, '07, '08) ... other losses to ranked teams in that span were against No. 20 Ohio State ('04), No. 4 Syracuse ('04), No. 7 Georgetown ('05), No. 6 Virginia ('05), No. 5 Georgetown ('06), No. 12 Johns Hopkins ('06), No. 5 Georgetown ('06), No. 7 Georgetown ('07), No. 11 Maryland ('07), No. 7 Johns Hopkins ('07), No. 9 North Carolina ('07) and No. 6 Cornell ('08).
In fact, since the start of the 2000 campaign, 68 of Navy's 126 games have been against ranked teams ... in those games against ranked opponents, Navy is 35-33 (.515).
In games against unranked foes since 2000, Navy is 53-5 (.914) ... the losses have come to UMBC ('01), Air Force and Penn State ('03), Bucknell ('05) and Colgate ('06).

Fast Facts
Senior attack Nick Mirabito has turned in a goal or an assist in 55 of the 56 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 15-game consecutive points run, including 14 straight games with an assist.
Nick Mirabito is one of only four players in the country with at least 18 goals and 18 assists ... he joins Duke's Matt Danowski (26-30) and Zack Greer (33-20), along with Virginia's Garrett Billings (22-18) ... Mirabito has 18 goals and 19 assists in 2008.
Sophomore attack Tim Paul has turned in multi-goal games six times this season, while Nick Mirabito has five games with two or more goals.
Four players have turned in hat tricks this season ... Nick Mirabito has pitched a hat trick in three games (14 in his career), while junior Sean Standen recorded his first collegiate three-goal performance in Navy's win over Lehigh ... sophomore Tim Paul produced his second collegiate hat trick with three markers against Holy Cross at Texas Stadium, while second-year midfielder Patrick Moran tallied his first three-goal game in last week's loss against No. 4 Georgetown.
Navy has held the lead at halftime in nine of the 10 games this season ... the Georgetown game was the first time this season the Mids have trailed at the break ... the Mids have lost 13 in a row when trailing at the break and 58 straight when trailing after three quarters of play.
The Mids have held four of their last five opponents to three goals, including nationally-ranked Bucknell.
The Mids have outscored their opponents, 20-8, in the first quarter this spring, including 10-2 in Patriot League play.
Six different players have accounted for Navy's eight game-winners this season ... ironically, the two top goal producers on the team, Nick Mirabito and Tim Paul, were without a game-winner until the two teamed up against Bucknell and Mirabito fed Paul for the game-winner in OT.
Navy has played a program-record four OT games this season and own a 2-2 record in those contests ... Bucknell is the only team in the Patriot League who has forced the Midshipmen into extra minutes since Navy joined the conference in 2004 ... the Bison upset the Mids in 2005, 8-7, and dropped a 4-3 OT decision in Annapolis this season.
Navy turned in back-to-back double-digit victories over Lehigh (14-3) and Holy Cross (16-3) marking the first time the Mids have achieved that feat since 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.
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.

A Dominant Stretch
Navy is in the midst of one of its most dominant five-year runs in school history ... since the start of the 2004 season, Navy owns a 57-17 record (.770).
Boasting 57 wins, Navy owns more victories over the last five years than any other Div. I program, while its .770 winning percentage is third behind Cornell (.803) and Johns Hopkins (.783).
During that same stretch, Navy is 23-15 (.605) against ranked teams and 34-2 mark (.944) against unranked foes.
Since the start of the 2004 season, Navy owns a 7-7 (.500) record against teams ranked higher than it in the USILA Coaches Poll ... against lower ranked or unranked teams, Navy is 50-10 (.833).
The Mids have posted a 29-7 (.806) record at home, outscoring their foes, 402-229 during that span ... just five teams have reached double digits on Navy's home field during that stretch.
The Mids are also respectable on road, owning a 19-7 record in true road affairs over the last five years and defeating 11 ranked teams in the process ... two of Navy's seven road losses have come against unranked Patriot League opponents.
Over the last five seasons, the Mids have produced the top-three win totals in school history ... in 2004, Navy won 15 games en route to its NCAA Championship game appearance and in 2005, the Mids produced 12 wins in earning their second-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth ... Navy won 11 games in 2006 and '07.
The Class of 2007 became the winningest class in school history on March 21, 2007, when it claimed its 45th win in 56 contests ... the Class of '07 graduated having won 49 of its 64 contests (.766) ... the Class of '06 turned in a 44-18 record (.710) ... the Class of '08 owns a 42-14 record (.750).
Behind a 12-1 win over Army in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals last spring, the Mids picked up their 10th win of the season, marking the fourth consecutive year Navy has won 10 or more games ... it's only the second time in program history and the first time since 1975-78, the Mids have strung together double-figure wins in four straight years (15 in 2004, 12 in 2005, 11 in 2006 and 11 in 2007).

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 10:35am

by Gary Lambrecht, The Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Ryan Young recalled a men¹s lacrosse practice at the University of Maryland this fall, where he, along with Grant Catalino and Travis Reed, made a mark as impact attackers.

There was one day I remember we were only stopped once, he said. I knew we¹d probably be running together. Since Day One, we¹ve had such chemistry.

Who knew these three freshmen, even as highly touted as they were coming out of high school, would be making this kind of statement this early in their careers?

There is nothing unusual about a freshman stepping in and providing immediate pop at the Division I lacrosse level. But three freshmen taking over an entire position group and leading an offense? That¹s a far different story.

I¹ve never seen that, said Maryland coach Dave Cottle, who has been coaching college lacrosse since 1983.

The third-ranked Terrapins, who could seal an NCAA Tournament bid by beating visiting and ninth-ranked Navy tonight, have turned lots of heads with young talent sprinkled throughout their roster.

Sophomore long-stick midfielder Brian Farrell (five goals, one assist) leads a big-play defense that has generated 17 points in transition. Freshman defenseman Max Schmidt starts on a group that has allowed just 7.4 goals per game. Freshman midfielder Tony Mendez has scored five points on the second line. Sophomore goalie Brian Phipps (5.92 goals-allowed average) has been excellent, while splitting time with Jason Carter.

But it all starts with the Three Amigos, who bring the complementary skills, size and personalities to Maryland¹s front line. In Saturday¹s 13-7 upset victory over then-unbeaten and top-ranked Virginia, the Terps¹ freshmen attackers combined for six goals.

At 6-foot, 170-pounds, Young is the dodger, the slasher who can shred a defense with a one-on-one move and make it pay with his passing and =shooting. Young (seven goals) leads Maryland with 15 assists.

Then come the finishers. Reed, the 5-foot-9, 195-pound former Boys¹ Latin star with the unruly mop of hair that is a throwback to the 1970s, is the left-handed sharpshooter who is deadly when he gets to his comfort zone on the wing. After zapping Virginia with a hat trick in the second quarter, he maintained his team lead in goals (18) and points (23).

At 6-foot-5, 240-pounds, Catalino (15 goals, five assists) is the masher inside, the tight end in lacrosse pads, the right-hander with the slick, shooting touch. Catalino announced his arrival by scoring four goals in a
season-opening, 11-6 win at Georgetown. He concluded his two-goal day against Virginia by scoring in close with 6-foot, 203-pound junior defenseman Matt Kelly all over him.

This group might be too young to appreciate the noise they are making at Maryland, which has possibly its most athletic team ever under Cottle. Young, Reed and Catalino certainly are too young to take themselves too seriously.

Me and Ryan are always making fun of each other, me for being fat, him for being skinny as a stick, Reed said.

Said Young: Grant isn¹t as goofy as Travis, but they¹re both goofy. Travis really lightens the mood at practice. Grant makes you think how could someone that big do that? Travis has to do what he has to do, because of how slow he is.

Since arriving from Loyola in 2001, Cottle had never started more than one freshman.

Then, along came this crew, led by the Three Amigos, who are the Terps¹ three leading scorers. Reed is shooting a blistering 37.5 percent. Catalino is not far behind at 35.7 percent. With them leading the way, the Terps are the best shooting team Cottle has had in College Park.

Only two Terps since 1962 have led Maryland in points as freshman: Mike Mollott as a red-shirt freshman in 2000 and Joe Walters in 2003. But that list surely is about to grow.

Travis is a game-winner. He¹s the smartest one, Cottle said. Ryan Young was phenomenal in the fall. He¹s the most athletic one, and he¹s as tough as they come. Grant has great vision and probably has the most upside because of his size. He¹s as big as they come.

Gary Lambrecht writes about the NFL, Major League Baseball and college sports. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:glambrecht@baltimoreexaminer.com">glambrecht@baltimoreexaminer.com</a>.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 10:39am

by Ron Snyder, The Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Maryland junior midfielder Jeremy Sieverts thought his lacrosse career was finished a little more than a year ago, but now he¹s fewer than two months away from it possibly reaching its pinnacle.

Sieverts has six goals and six assists during the third-ranked Terrapins¹ quest to win their first national title since 1975 not bad for someone who never envisioned playing for Maryland.

Sieverts¹ plan after a stellar career at McDonogh was to lead the rebuilding effort at Butler, which had a fledgling team under Coach Stan Ross. But that changed after his freshman year, when the school in Indianapolis eliminated its men¹s lacrosse program, leaving Sieverts, Ross and the rest of the Bulldogs wandering if their days of playing college lacrosse were finished.

But when Maryland (7-2) hosts ninth-ranked Navy (8-2) tonight at 8 at Byrd Stadium, Sieverts and Ross will have a reunion, with Ross in his first season as an assistant coach at Navy and Sieverts in his second year at Maryland. Ross¹ relationship with Cottle, under whom he assisted at Loyola College in 1996, played a major role in Sieverts being extended an invitation to come to College Park.

I never expected any of this to happen when I decided to go to Butler, Sieverts, who had 16 goals and nine assists in 2006 at Butler, said. I just can¹t thank Coach Ross enough for what he did for us and the other players at Butler. He helped us find a new home before he even knew what he was going to do himself. Everything always happens for a reason.

Tonight¹s game is pivotal for both teams, as the winner is in the driver¹s seat to secure a berth in the 16-team NCAA Tournament, with the loser still in pretty good shape to make the field as long as it loses no more than once the rest of the way.

Maryland extended its winning streak to three games by posting its biggest victory of the year, a 13-7 thrashing of then-top-ranked Virginia. Navy had its six-game winning streak end with an 11-10 overtime loss against Georgetown last week.

The Midshipmen, who are 2-2 in overtime games this year, lost, 8-7, in double overtime last season to the Terrapins after winning the previous three meetings.

We could be 6-4 as easily as we could have been 10-0 this season, Ross said. Lacrosse is growing at every level but in Division I, which means there are a lot more quality players now and not all of them can go to Maryland, Johns Hopkins or Duke.

Ross said he expects a strong showing from Sieverts tonight, just as he has seen from all of his former players who landed at other schools, including Mount St. Mary¹s sophomore defender Dan Gassel, who played well in Navy¹s 12-5 victory over the Mountaineers last month.

All of those guys are getting a second chance now, Ross said. They were in the position of having something they love being taken away from them, so I think they are playing even harder now because they appreciate what they have.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 10:44am

By Patrick Stevens
April 4, 2008

Patrick Moran grew up in Annapolis, dreamed of playing lacrosse at Navy and considered the Midshipmen's rivalry with Maryland a personal favorite.

Joe Lennon was a fixture at Navy-Maryland games growing up while watching his brother Clipper play, most memorably in a 2004 upset of the then No. 1 Terrapins on a sun-splashed afternoon at Byrd Stadium.

Yet neither midfielder both first-year starters on a line decimated by graduation and hampered in the preseason by injury has seen the series quite like they will tonight, when the No. 9 Midshipmen (8-2) visit the No. 3 Terps (7-2).

It's just the latest new experience for the sophomores, whose solid play in the first half of the season helped Navy enter April with only two losses both in overtime to top-10 teams (Cornell and Georgetown).

That was the big question that everybody had in the fall, and it lingered and it's kind of like a chip on our shoulder right now, coach Richie Meade said. It's 'Who are these guys?' and 'Who's going to play?' and 'Who's going to score goals?'

As it turns out, both Moran (13 goals) and Lennon (eight goals and five assists), who were unknown commodities entering the season, have provided offense.

Both were instrumental in Navy's erasure of a five-goal deficit on Saturday against Georgetown. Moran scored three goals, and Lennon had two assists before Georgetown squeezed out the victory.

It was an encouraging sign even in a loss. Lennon played only once last year. Moran did score twice in an early season game against North Carolina, but it was a surprise; Navy's online game tracker could handle only a 50-man roster, and Moran was among the reserves omitted. His goals were credited to a goalie until a correction could be made.

There was little doubt Lennon and Moran could make a difference. Veterans Billy Looney, William Wallace and Tommy Wallin graduated, leaving spots on the top two midfields.

Then Basil Daratsos tore an ACL in August, an injury he returned from in time for the Mids' opener but clearly not at the same level initially as a year ago.

He wasn't there at the beginning either, Lennon said. ³It kind of came down to guys that had no experience whatsoever. Even though we didn't have any experience, it was us. There was nobody else. We had to be the ones who stepped up and did something.

So they have but not without their share of struggles. At the start of the season, Navy's offense displayed virtually no spontaneity. Lennon and Moran in particular were trying to be too technical and too precise rather than simply playing the game.

Some of it stemmed from a desire not to draw attention for a mistake, as well as a concern a poorly timed error could lead to a banishment to the bench. Yet another factor was basic unfamiliarity with playing at the
college level.

Last year, we really didn't get that many opportunities, and just starting for the first time, it's a lot, just coming into the stadium with all those people there, Moran said. Just getting more comfortable and working with each other, we just know where each other is going to be now.

It's led to a far more functional offense, helping the Mids mature quicker than some might have expected in the preseason.

Other teams play guys, and they're young Baby Terps and Baby Bisons, I hear all that stuff, and we never talk about that, Meade said. We just play. Joe and Pat both have kind of matured into pretty good players. I
don't think they're anywhere near where they have to be to play at this level, but they're getting there.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:30pm

Featured Game...
Navy at Maryland...
There aren't too many rivalries better than this one...
The University of Maryland lacrosse team is on a roll. Last week the Terps, in quite an upset, overturned UVA in College Park. This week they will host Navy at home.

Navy is licking its wounds from an overtime loss to Georgetown in Annapolis, when the winning goal was scored by the younger brother of a Navy player.

Despite the regularity of this rivalry (annually for 63 years), only three players on Navy's current roster have scored goals against Maryland. Among the non-scorers is senior and four year starter Nick Mirabito, Navy's top scorer and assist leader. And missing from this contest is likely to be Division I's goals-against leading goalie, Midshipman Matt Coughlin (4.56 GA).

The question is largely whether Navy will be able to control the tremendous athleticism of Maryland. The Mids cannot afford to allow the Terps to bring their clamorous, free-wheeling game to the stadium. Navy needs to dictate the pace of this game and shake the sloppiness which characterized the first two quarters of its effort against Georgetown. This may be complicated by the weather. The present forecast for game time is 62° with a high liklihood of thunder storms.

One of the great characteristics of this rivalry is intensity. The 2004 game between these teams was one of the best 10 games the Swami has ever seen. Both teams played at 100% for all four quarters of that classic.

Navy has been a member of the Patriot League for four years and has won the league title each of those years. The Mids have only lost two Patriot League games during that period of time.

This year, however, the Swami thinks things might be different. Both Army and Bucknell have very competitive teams. Either could bump Navy from the PL Championship. So Navy needs an insurance win over a top team--something which the Mids do not have this season. This game offers that opportunity, as no other game on its schedule does. That's because it is not yet clear whether Hopkins (scheduled for two weeks) will even finish with a winning season. Yes, this is going to be another great game.

The Game of the Week:
Navy at Maryland

Friday, April 4, 8:00 PM, Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD

This game will be televised live on ESPNU, DirecTV Channel 609

<ol>
<li>Navy (#10) at Maryland (#4)--(Friday, April 4, 8:00 PM, College Park, MD)--TV GAME--Ironically, Johns Hopkins has to lay heavily on Navy's mind this week. The Blue Jays, whose dilemma is more fully explained below, now probably do not offer Navy the quality win it so badly needs. With an RPI below Bucknell, and sure to dip even more with Mt. St. Mary's (#35 RPI) on its schedule, the Jays are busy fighting for a winning record. So, beating Hopkins in two weeks will do nothing for the Mids. Maryland is simply the last team left on Navy's schedule that can get the Mids to the playoffs. Navy had better take this game seriously because it is not at all clear that Navy can win the Patriot League this season. This is always a great game. If the Mids fight hard and play control ball, they can beat Maryland. Maryland is a highly athletic team and opponents who have tried to take on Maryland with a free-wheeling toe-to-toe athletic strategy (Georgetown, Virginia, North Carolina) have met sad ends. Those who have controlled the game and kept their heads about them (UMBC) have been rewarded. Navy is capable of playing that kind of game when the team listens to its coach--a sometime variable factor. The Swami likes the Mids narrowly.</li>
</ol>

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:32pm

April 04, 2008
Geoff Shannon

Though not as heralded as the Maryland-Johns Hopkins rivalry, the intrastate matchup between the No. 4 Terrapins and No. 9 Naval Academy is a hard-hitting contest that fans of both teams love to get into.

This year, both teams are trying to position themselves for a strong second half run. Maryland is coming off an impressive 13-7 victory at home against then-No. 1 ranked Virginia. Navy lost at 11-10 OT heartbreaker to rival Georgetown at Marine Corp Stadium. For the Midshipmen, coach Richie Meade is hoping to lockdown Maryland's to face-off transition and focus attention on the Terps' attack unit.

"[Maryland coach] Dave [Cottle] has done a great job with his team," says Meade. "Right now they're winning games on the big-little pick behind the goal, drawing the shortstick with the roll off to that. Of course it matters who've they played, and when they've played them, and it's not the only thing they do offensively. But, they scored four goals on that move in the second quarter [against Virginia.]"

Breakdown
Attack

Grant Catalino

Much has been said about the Maryland rookie trio of Travis Reed, Ryan Young, and Grant Catalino. They are currently ranked 1-3 among Maryland scorers with a combined 53 points. All three players are contributing as advertised; Reed with the lefty shoot and high lacrosse IQ, Young the assists point guard, and Catalino the tough matchup with rocket right hand Cannon. Navy, meanwhile, has seen big contributions from Nick Mirabito (37 points) which was expected. Tim Paul and Gregory Clements have combined for 33 points.

ADVANTAGE: Even. Maryland hasn't seen a defense like Navy's line, while Maryland's defense is a physically imposing. This game will be defined in the matchup.

Midfield

Both are intriguing groups, because both teams run deep on the midfield lines. The biggest surprise for Maryland's midfield has been redshirt-junior Jeff Reynolds, who has posted 14 goals including three against Virginia last week. Dan Groot, Jeremy Sieverts, Tony Mendes and Adam Sear provide the depth, and Max Ritz continues to run middie with some duty on attack. Navy midfielder Patrick Moran is having a spectacular year, and posted three goals against Georgetown. Joe Lennon, Basil Daratsos and D-middie Geoff Leone are also contributing extensively.

ADVANTAGE: Maryland, with a slight edge. Both teams have depth, but Maryland's middies have a better offensive history.

Defense

Joe Cinosky, Ryne Adolph and rookie Max Schmidt have been the core of Maryland's defense this year, though just like at every other position they've rotated in players for matchup purposes. Brian Farrell continues to play strong LSM and push the ball in the transition game. Navy's defense continued to hold on to its No. 1 national ranking despite allowing 11 goals to Georgetown last week.

ADVANTAGE: Navy. They are No. 1 for a reason, and should match up to Maryland's young troopers at attack.

Goalie

Another intriguing showdown. Maryland keepers Brian Phipps and Jason Carter had been switching in cage for most of the season, but coach Cottle decided to stay with Carter's hot hand against Virginia last week. The official word is that Cottle will continue to switch up the goalies, unless one has the hot hand like Carter did. Tommy Phelan has continued his strong performance in cage for The Midshipmen, making 13 saves against the Hoyas.

ADVANTAGE: Even. Too many strengths on either side, and the defenses in front with dictate tempo.

X-FACTOR
Face-Off Transition

Maryland took advantage of face-off transition last week against Virginia, with Bryn Holmes and Will Dalton pushing the ball quickly against the Cavalier defense. With Brian Ferrell and Jeff Reynolds providing scoring options on either wing, this is a dangerous group to defend. Senior Mikelis Visgauss has anchored the Mids' face-off unit, including winning 13-24 against Georgetown last week.

ADVANTAGE: Maryland, but only if they can push transition. Navy's effectiveness at stopping the Terps here could mean the difference between a win and loss.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:34pm

DI Men¹s Bracket: First Round, First Look
April 3rd, 2008 by Jon Brand

"Playoffs?!. Don't talk about playoffs! Are you kidding me?"

Our apologies to former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Mora and any one else feels that way right now, but it¹s about that time of year where we can start to turn our thoughts to the most exciting part of the college lacrosse season: the playoffs.

In preparation for "May Madness," we present you with our preliminary DI bracket - all eight first round matchups, based our projections of how each team will finish in the regular season.

Everyone on the Inside Lacrosse editorial staff got a crack at weighing in and we¹re fairly confident this intial model will hold up through the regular season, but we¹ll update it each week. From here on out, especially as we head toward conference tournaments at the end of the month, each game is crucial to seeding.

After the jump, an explanation of methodology and our first-round matchups for the 08 tournament.

Methodology

To calculate who would end up where, and who should be seeded, we relied heavily on quality wins and strength of schedule, just like the NCAA does, but we didn¹t weigh teams by clusters of five (the NCAA does), but by top 10 and top 20.

We also had to determine most of the matchups by geography, like the tournament committee does. The NCAA will only pay for two first round flights for teams and puts restrictions on ground travel distance (up to 350 miles between schools). Every game, except for Providence/Duke and Notre Dame/Cornell, involves fewer than 350 miles of travel by the visitors.

With that in mind, here are the matchups, complete with who will get the AQs from those conferences that have them:
First Round Matchups

Projected Top 10 wins: 6. They've already beaten Maryland and UNC. They'll beat Hopkins and UVA and then win two ACC tournament games (UNC and UVA) to win the ACC crown).

Projected Top 20 wins: 2. Bucknell and Army

Vs.

Providence (MAAC AQ)

Top 10 wins: 4. They¹ve beaten Cuse and Hopkins, will beat UNC this weekend and then win one in the ACC tourney against Maryland.

Top 20 wins: 2. Drexel and Princeton

Vs.

Princeton
Top 10 wins: 0
Top 20 wins: 1. Hofstra

<h1>3 Syracuse</h1>

Top 10 wins: 3. G¹town, Hopkins, Cornell
Top 20 wins: 5. Army, Hobart, Loyola, Princeton, Albany

Vs.

Army
Top 10 wins: 0
Top 20 wins: 3. Hofstra, Bucknell and Bucknell in Patriot semis

<h1>4 Maryland</h1>

Top 10 wins: 4. G¹town, UNC, Virginia, and Navy
Top 20 wins: 0

Vs.

Hofstra
Top 10 wins: 1. Johns Hopkins
Top 20 wins: 0

Top 10 wins: 3. Cornell, Notre Dame, Hopkins
Top 20 wins: 2. OSU, Hofstra Denver finishes outside top 20.

Vs.

Drexel (CAA AQ)
Top 10 wins: 0
Top 20 wins: 2. Hofstra and Hofstra in CAA finals.

<h1>6 Georgetown (ECAC AQ)</h1>

Top 10 wins: 2. Duke, Navy
Top 20 wins: 2. Delaware, Loyola

Vs.

UMBC (America East AQ)
Top 10 wins: 1. Maryland
Top 20 wins: 1. Ohio State.

<h1>7 Cornell (Ivy AQ)</h1>

Top 10 wins: 1. Navy
Top 20 wins: 2. Army, Princeton

Vs.

Notre Dame (GWLL AQ)
Top 10 wins: 0
Top 20 wins: 4. Loyola, Drexel, Ohio State, OSU in GWLL final

<h1>8 Johns Hopkins</h1>

Top 10 wins: 2. Maryland and Navy
Top 20 wins: 2. Princeton, UMBC

Vs.

Navy (Patriot AQ)
Top 10 wins: 0
Top 20 wins: 3. Bucknell, Army, Army in Patriot finals

So there you have it - what we think, right now, the first round will look like. What do you think? The comment board is open

navy2010 · April 5, 2008, 2:42pm

** Navy downs Maryland 5:4 **

Can this possibly be the year they finally take HOPKINS????!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

itlstallion422 · April 5, 2008, 4:08pm

[quote]
Can this possibly be the year they finally take HOPKINS????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[/quote]

Like with Notre Dame, I won't believe it until I see it. My first ever Navy lax game was the '04 game against Hopkins. Possibly one of the most exciting lax games I've ever seen, but we blew a two goal lead in the final quarter and lost it in OT. Since then every year has been a nail biter. After last night's game and they way hopkins has been playing, we are definitely in a good position to pull it off. However, good or bad year, this is still hopkins

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