Collegiate Men's Lacrosse

GreatAmerican · April 26, 2008, 2:44pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published April 20, 2008

Navy head coach Richie Meade saw his carefully crafted game-plan fall completely apart during yesterday's lacrosse game against Johns Hopkins. Meade knew Navy needed to control the faceoffs in order to gain a possession advantage, but the Hopkins duo of Stephen Peyser and Matt Dolente dominated that area of the game to the tune of 13-8.

Meade thought his goaltender would need to make 12-14 saves against a Hopkins team that shoots the ball extremely well. Starter Tommy Phelan only managed to stop seven shots.

Meade thought it was important to grab an early lead to get some positive momentum going. The Midshipmen fell behind quickly and had to play catch-up the whole way.

Senior attackman Kevin Huntley led the way as seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins jumped to an early lead and steadily pulled away to a convincing 12-5 victory over No. 10 Navy yesterday in Annapolis. A crowd of 16,042, second-largest to watch a lacrosse game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, saw the Midshipmen suffer their 34th consecutive loss in the annual series.

"I thought we needed to play at a much higher level coming out of the blocks. I thought Hopkins played especially well in the first quarter. They shot the ball really well and seized the lead," Meade said.

Huntley got Hopkins started by scooping up a loose ball in front of the net and firing a behind-the-back shot past Phelan. The Midshipmen committed a pair of penalties in the opening stanza and paid the price as the Blue Jays scored a pair of extra man goals to take a 4-0 lead just over 10 minutes into the game.

"Any time you can score first few goals of the game and gain some momentum it's a good thing. We always want to win the first five minutes of the game and today we did that," said Huntley, who had a hat trick and an assist in the first quarter.

Sophomore attackman Tim Paul briefly stopped the bleeding for Navy with back-to-back goals late in the opening period. Paul fired in a bounce shot off a fastbreak then used a great change of direction move to get free for a cannon crank shot he blasted into the top corner of the cage.

However, Huntley halted the brief rally by scoring just seven seconds after Paul's second goal thanks to an assist from Peyser, who won the faceoff cleanly to give Hopkins a numbers advantage.

Hopkins effectively put the game away by outscoring Navy 3-0 in the third quarter with attackman Michael Doneger netting two of the goals and midfielder Mark Bryan contributing a goal and assist.

"We saw on film that Georgetown had some success throwing the ball inside against Navy," Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala said. "Fortunately, we've had a presence emerge inside in Michael Doneger."

Hopkins scored two goals as a result of rebounds, two goals directly from winning faceoffs and two goals in man up situations.

"Hopkins is very opportunistic. The ball popped out in front of the net and they were in the right spot to stick a goal," Navy defenseman Jordy DiNola said. "In the six-on-six, settled defensive game, we played pretty well. We just need to clean some things up in the special situations such as extra man and fastbreaks."

Anne Arundel County products Eric Zerrlaut (St. Mary's) and Michael Evans (South River) anchored a suffocating close defense for Hopkins, which forced Navy to settle for perimeter shots. Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Gvozden (Severna Park) ate up those types of attempts and wound up with 16 saves.

"I give all the credit to my defense. They were forcing 15-yard shot all day and that makes my job a lot easier," said Gvozden, who had a large contingent of family and friends in attendance to see one of the finest performances of his young career.

Hopkins held Navy scoreless for more than 30 minutes before attackman Greg Clement netted a rebound goal with 3:14 remaining in the game to cut the deficit to 11-4.

"At the end of the day, we didn't have the ball nearly as much as they did," Meade said.

All-American midfielder Paul Rabil had a goal and assist for Johns Hopkins (5-5), which has now won two in a row after suffering a five-game losing streak that was the longest in program history.

"Our backs were against the wall and I'm seeing a sense of urgency in our play," Pietramala said. "We are starting to become an ego-less team. We had nine different goal-scorers today and we played great team defense."

Matt Coughlin, who opened the season as Navy's starting goalie and fashioned a 6-0 record, entered the game in the fourth quarter and allowed two goals without making a save. It was Coughlin's first appearance since he got injured against Bucknell on March 8.

Navy (9-4), which has lost two in a row, will be on the road for the Patriot League Tournament, which begins Friday at Army. Navy will play Colgate, which upset Bucknell last night, at 7 p.m. and Bucknell will face Army.

"There are peaks and valleys every team goes through during the season," Meade said. "I've stressed the importance of poise and confidence to our players. Everything we want to do is in front of us. We're going to make the corrections we need to make and move forward."

Johns Hopkins (5-5) 5 1 3 3 - 12

Navy (9-4) 2 1 0 2 - 5

GOALS: JH - Huntley 3, Doneger 2, Rabil, Peyser, Bryan, Wharton, Boyle, Jaffe, Miller. N - Paul 2, Mirabito, Standen, Clement. ASSISTS: JH - Bryan, Duerr, Huntley, Peyser, Rabil. N - Gallagher, Moran. SHOTS: JH - 25. N - 37. SAVES: JH - Gvozden 16, Sheain 1. N - Phelan 7, Coughlin 0. FACEOFFS: JH - 13. N - 8. GROUND BALLS: JH - 26. N - 25.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:14am

Lacrosse bracketology: April 20

Johns Hopkins is back in (and could be headed for a No. 4 seed if it wins out).

Bucknell has spectacularly played its way out.

A big mess remains to be resolved in the final two weeks of the lacrosse regular season.

Here's a 16-team field to ponder (the top half of the draw funnels into Annapolis, the bottom half into Ithaca for the quarterfinals), with the NCAA's travel restrictions taken into account:

(1) Duke vs. MAAC/Canisius

<ul>
<li>The only thing saving the MAAC champion from a painful trip to Durham is the absence of a second team from the west. If two make it, the MAAC winner simply gets to be run out of the Dome in the first round.</li>
</ul>

(8) PATRIOT/Army vs. IVY/Princeton

<ul>
<li>The Tigers emerge as a possibility after ripping Cornell. It still isn't enough to net a home game --- yet.</li>
</ul>

(5) Johns Hopkins vs. AMERICA EAST/UMBC

<ul>
<li>Hopkins pops up after getting to .500. RPI and strength of schedule will be the Blue Jays' friend thanks to a merciless schedule.</li>
</ul>

(4) Maryland vs. Navy

<ul>
<li>I'm not sold on the Terps as a No. 4 seed, but someone needs to fill the spot. Navy barely edge Denver and Notre Dame for the final at-large spot, but the Mids would still be wise to win the Patriot League title.</li>
</ul>

(3) Virginia vs. ECAC/Loyola

<ul>
<li>The Cavaliers can pretty much solidify the No. 3 seed with a victory over Maryland in the ACC tournament on Friday. Two wins this weekend --- and that would probably mean a victory over Duke --- might vault the Cavaliers higher.</li>
</ul>

(6) North Carolina vs. Georgetown

<ul>
<li>Or you could just switch the site. The Hoyas lost their home game as a result of Hopkins working its way back into the field. Carolina, by the way, hasn't won an ACC tournament game since 1996, and a meeting with Duke doesn't give much reason to think that streak will end this year.</li>
</ul>

(7) Cornell vs. GWLL/Ohio State

<ul>
<li>The computer still likes the Big Red's profile. To keep this spot, they'd better beat Brown and Hobart down the stretch.</li>
</ul>

(2) Syracuse vs. CAA/Drexel

<ul>
<li>The Orange dusted off Albany and should win out. They won't have to worry about leaving upstate New York until the final four, but a possible road game at Cornell in the quarterfinals isn't much of a reward.</li>
</ul>

--- Patrick Stevens

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:40am

Quint</a> Kessenich's first look at the brackets | IL Blog Central

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 9:05am

By
Christian Swezey
Washington Post

A CSI: Lax-style look at some trends that emerged from Johns Hopkins's 12-5 win over Navy on Saturday.

1.) Rest is Helping Stephen Peyser
Johns Hopkins freshman MF Matt Dolente won 6 of 10 faceoffs against Navy and 3 of 5 against Maryland. Those are important contributions: As we wrote in the mid-season review, Hopkins needed Dolente to get going because Peyser was getting worn down taking every faceoff and playing with the first midfield.

In overtime against Syracuse, Peyser in particular looked tired--and not only did he lose the faceoff in overtime, but he was defending Steven Brooks when Brooks got his hands free and scored the winner.

Peyser's newfound energy was seen in the opening faceoff of the fourth quarter. He won it cleanly and scored on a 12-yard, left-handed shot after he beat a longstick defender. The Blue Jays also have given him a shift or two off from the first midfield in the past two games.

2.) Peyser is the most unique faceoff man in the game.
Maryland and Navy double-poled the wings on faceoffs against Peyser. But Peyser rendered the tactic moot because he oftens wins the ball to himself; i.e., there is no groundball chance and really there's no chance for the defenders to crash on him.

By the end of the Navy game, the Mids had a pole and a shortstick on the wings. The pole went immediately to the defensive end, the shorty immediately to the offensive end. Navy had no chance to make it a one-on-one groundball battle with Peyser because Peyser was so much bigger than Navy faceoff specialist Mikelis Visgauss.

3.) Why Navy's Offense Is Struggling
Early in the season, sophomore MF Patrick Moran established his home-run shot--an angled shot from 8-10 yards off the wing. With that shot, he scored two goals against Georgetown, one against Maryland and one against Colgate. On Saturday, he tried the shot once--and sophomore goalie Michael Gvozden made the save.

Meantime, Navy Insider Dick Long believes that Navy's emphasis on controlling the ball on offense is making it play tight.

Navy's game plan was to attack the Hopkins goalie so as to make him make saves while Hopkins wanted to play Navy tight man on man and be slow to slide. Hopkins was successful and Navy was not. Navy shot selections in angle and distance were suspect (being kind) creating basically turnovers going the other way. Hopkins played their defense to make Navy beat them one on one and it was successful.

<pre><code>Navy's defense is still one of the top in the country but not scoring goals on the other end makes every possession critical. Navy needs to find some "creators" on offense or rely on on-ball picks to get a step. Rely on their defense by playing some offense.
</code></pre>

4.) Hopkins Might Be the Best Shooting Team in the Country
Look at the stats from the first quarter. Johns Hopkins had nine shots; five were goals, three were saved, one hit the post. And this against the defense that came into the game ranked No. 1 in scoring defense.

This does not bode well for Towson tomorrow; the Tigers have had goalie problems all year.

5.) Navy Might Be in Trouble Against Colgate
The Midshipmen seem to lack energy the past two weeks. Really, their recipe this year has been similar to the Baltimore Ravens--go vanilla on offense and let the defense win games. As Long points out above, however, the defense needs some help.

Navy has a real decision to make in terms of the starting goalie. Junior Tommy Phelan held the Red Raiders scoreless for nearly 52 minutes in the regular season game, an 8-3 Navy win. But junior Matt Coughlin appears to be healthy.

Navy needs to take better shots. We counted at least five or six times when Gvozden didn't move his stick to make a save--and that's the definition of a poor shot.

6.) Hopkins Was Well Prepared
By our count, senior MF Paul Rabil was matched up against Navy senior D Jordan DiNola only twice. Once, DiNola forced a turnover. The other was a wash. Hopkins made it difficult for DiNola to find Rabil because they moved the man DiNola was defending to the other side of the field from Rabil--and that made it almost impossible for a switch. Rabil didn't have a monster game, but it seemed like Navy was freaked out a little bit that it couldn't go to what it wanted on defense.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 2:22pm

Nine Midshipmen honored by the Patriot League

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Nine Midshipmen Garner All-Patriot League Lacrosse Honors

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Nine members of the 14th-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team were named to the 2008 All-Patriot League Team announced Wednesday, including seniors Jordan DiNola (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) and Brendan Teague (Annapolis, Md.) who became just the fifth and sixth Midshipmen to earn All-Patriot League recognition three times during their illustrious careers. Navy accounted for nine of the 26 spots among the first and second teams, including four first-team selections.

First-Team All-Patriot League
NIck Mirabito - Sr., A, Binghamton, N.Y. (Chenango Forks); 2007, '08 First-Team All-Patriot League
Pacing Navy with 41 points on 20 goals and 21 assists, Mirabito received First-Team All-Patriot League kudos for a second consecutive year. He is ranked 30th in the nation in points per game, boasting 3.15 and is 72nd in goals (1.62) and 18th in assists (1.62). He has turned in multiple points in 10 of the Mids' 13 contests, including five multi-goal and six multi-assist efforts. Fourteen of Mirabito's 21 assists have come in conference play which featured back-to-back four-assist performances against Lehigh and Holy Cross.

Not only has he played in all 59 games during his four-year career, Mirabito has started each of those contests. He has produced a goal or an assist in 57 of the 59 games, as the only team to hold the Preseason All-American scoreless has been Maryland in each of the last two seasons. Behind his one-goal, two-assist performance at Army two weeks ago, he became only the ninth player in program history to reach 150 points and is one of only four players in the school's 101-year history to record 90 goals and 60 assists. He stands eighth on Navy's career scoring list and ninth on the Patriot League scoring leader board with 153 points. His 93 goals are the eighth most by a Navy player, while he stands 12th in assists with 60.

Patrick Moran - So., M, Annapolis, Md. (Severn School); 2008 First-Team All-Patriot League
Navy's third-leading scorer and top out of the midfield, Moran is a first-time recipient of Patriot League postseason recognition. After seeing action off the bench a year ago in five games, Moran stepped into a starting role in his sophomore campaign where he has flourished. With 17 points, he has found the back of the net on 14 occasions including twice each against Lehigh and Colgate. He followed up his performance against Colgate by turning in his first collegiate hat trick against the mighty Hoyas of Georgetown the following week. He has scored a team-high four extra-man goals, and is one of three players who have scored a pair of game-winners (Lehigh, Colgate) this spring.

Jordan DiNola - Sr., D, Ballston Lake, N.Y. (The Albany Academy); 2006, '07, '08 First-Team All-Patriot League
Geoff Leone - Jr., DM, Massapequa, N.Y. (Massapequa); 2008 First-Team All-Patriot League, '07 Second-Team All-Patriot League
To talk about Navy's defense, you must talk about it as a unit. That's exactly the respect the Mids received as two of the three close defensemen garnered all-league honors, along with its top long stick defensive midfielder and short stick defensive midfielder. Jordan DiNola, Brendan Teague, Geoff Leone and Jaren Woeppel all earned recognition from the conference, however, first-year starter Andy Tormey played his part in helping guide the Mids to a No. 1 ranking as the nation's top scoring defense. As the stingiest defense in the country, Navy has surrendered 75 goals in 13 games and is the only team in Div. I lacrosse to allow fewer than six goals per game this year. The Mids have held nine of their 13 opponents to seven or fewer goals this spring, winning 21 in a row when achieving this feat. They have given double-figure goals just seven times in the last 43 games (2006-present) and nine times in the last 59 games (2005-present).

Earlier this season, the Mids held No. 3 Maryland scoreless for the first 41 minutes of the game, an almost unheard of accomplishment as the Terps entered the game averaging better than 12 goals per contest. It was the first time since 2005 that Maryland had been shut out in a half. Meanwhile, Navy held Lehigh and Holy Cross to a combined 36 shots midway through the season. It held Lehigh without a shot in the first quarter of the game, while the Crusaders managed just two shots in the opening half.

Second Team Selections
Tim Paul - So., A, Parkton, Md. (Loyola Blakefield); 2008 Second-Team All-Patriot League
A first-time All-Patriot League selection, Paul garnered second-team honors after producing 26 points on a team-high 21 goals and five assists. Paul began his career at the Academy as a midfielder, but a season-ending knee injury suffered by Bruce Nechanicky against Georgetown a year ago moved the Loyola Blakefield product from midfield to attack. It was a move head coach Richie Meade would not regret as Paul produced 10 goals and five assists in the final six games of '07 and has continued to flourish in his sophomore campaign. Paul has produced a goal in 11 of the 13 games this spring, and with the exception of the Lafayette contest, has produced at minimum two goals in each of those 11. He has scored a pair of game-winners this season, including the goal with 1:20 remaining in overtime to lead the Mids to a 4-3 win over league rival Bucknell. Additionally, his second of two goals on the night was good enough to lead Navy to a 5-4 win over third-ranked Maryland.

Basil Daratsos - So., M, Niskayuna, N.Y. (Niskayuna); 2007, '08 Second-Team All-Patriot League
A Second-Team All-Patriot League selection a year ago, Daratsos was Navy's first rookie to garner all-conference honors. A year later, it looked unlikely the standout midfielder would attain the same recognition after tearing a ligament in his knee in late July. Hard work on the part of Daratsos and the Navy athletic training staff proved to get him back on the field this spring. He has played in all 13 games, making starts in each of the last 11. Despite his knee injury, he has earned the respect of the opposition and is regularly defended by a pole. He has scored five goals and added a pair of assists this season, including a two-goal effort against nationally-ranked Georgetown.

Mikelis Visgauss - Sr., FO, Setauket, N.Y. (St. Anthony's); 2008 Second-Team All-Patriot League
Over the last five years, Navy has produced some of the premiere faceoff men in the game beginning with Chris Pieczonka in 2004, followed by William Wallace and most recently Mikelis Visgauss. After spending most of his first three seasons sharing his time between the defensive midfield and draw specialist, Visgauss earned his opportunity this spring as the go-to faceoff player for the MIds. Ranked No. 8 in the country, he has won 60.7 percent (102-168) of his draws overall and 63.4 percent (45-71) in conference action. He played particularly strong in Navy's win over No. 3 Maryland, winning 10 of the 13 draws he took. He followed up by taking 11 of the 16 faceoffs against the Black Knights the following week. Visgauss stands sixth on Navy's career faceoff wins list with 157, while his 102 wins this spring are the seventh most by a Navy player. Additionally, Visgauss is pacing the team with 68 ground balls and is ranked ninth nationally, picking up 5.23 grounders per c!
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Brendan Teague - Sr., D, Annapolis, Md. (St. Mary's); 2006, '07, '08 Second-Team All-Patriot League
Jaren Woeppel - So., LSM, Camillus, N.Y. (West Genesee); 2008 Second-Team All-Patriot League

The five major award winners - Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year - will be announced Thursday.

Navy, meanwhile, continues to prepare for its first-round Patriot League Tournament match-up against third-seeded Colgate on Friday. The Midshipmen, who have won four-consecutive Patriot League Tournament titles, will battle the Raiders in the second semifinal beginning at approximately 7:00 pm. Top-seeded Army and No. 4 Bucknell will open tournament play on Friday at 4:00 pm at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y.

The Patriot League Championship Game is set for Sunday, April 27 at 2:00 pm and will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network. Major League Lacrosse Director of Broadcast Content Jason Chandler (play by play) and former Syracuse All-American Paul Carcaterra (analyst) will call the action. The tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Championship.

Tickets for the Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament can be purchased by calling the Army ticket office at 1-877-TIX-ARMY or logging on to GoArmySports.comThe</a> Official Web site of Army Athletics. Tickets can also be bought on game day at Michie Stadium. Tickets for the semifinal games are $6 for adults and $4 for students, while the championship game tickets have been priced at $10 for adults and $5 for students. All students from the four participating schools will receive free admission to all three games by showing a school ID. Additionally, groups of 10 or more will be admitted for $2 per person, however to take advantage of the reduced rate, please purchase the tickets in advance. The group rate will not be honored by walking up to the ticket counter on game day.

2008 All-Patriot League Lacrosse Team

First Team
Player, School Yr. Pos. Hometown Previous Honors
Brandon Corp, Colgate Jr. A Chittenango, N.Y. '06 Second Team, '07 First Team, '07 OPOY
Nick Mirabito, Navy Sr. A Binghamton, N.Y. '07 First Team
Austin Winter, Bucknell So. A Boonton Township, N.J. '07 First Team
Kevin LoRusso, Army Jr. M Rocky Point, N.Y.
Matt Lalli, Colgate Sr. M Princeton Junction, N.J. '06 Second Team, '07 First Team
Patrick Moran, Navy So. M Annapolis, Md.
Chris Eck, Colgate Sr. FO Fairfield, Conn. '06, '07 Second Team
Geoff Leone, Navy Jr. DM Massapequa, N.Y. '07 Second Team
Jay Larson, Army Sr. D Troy, N.Y. '07 Second Team
Dan Honeywell, Lehigh Sr. D Horseheads, N.Y.
Jordan DiNola, Navy Sr. D Ballston Lake, N.Y. '06, '07 First Team
Adam Fullerton, Army Sr. GK Liverpool, N.Y. '07 First Team

Second Team
Player, School Yr. Pos. Hometown Previous Honors
Jason Peyer, Army Jr. A Williston Park, N.Y.
Kevin Collelouri, Colgate Jr. A Bethpage, N.Y.
Tim Paul, Navy So. A Parkton, Md.
Perry Menzies, Bucknell Jr. M Upperco, Md. '07 Second Team
Ian Murphy, Colgate So. M Constantia, N.Y.
Steve Serling, Lafayette So. M Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Basil Daratsos, Navy So. M Niskayuna, N.Y. '06 Second Team
Mikelis Visgauss, Navy Sr. FO Setauket, N.Y.
Jaren Woeppel, Navy So. LSM Camillus, N.Y.
Craig Massie, Army Sr. D Port Jefferson Station, N.Y. '07 Second Team
Billy Haire, Bucknell Jr. D Darien, Conn. '07 First Team
Brendan Teague, Navy Sr. D Annapolis, Md. '06 Second Team
Nick Sciubba, Bucknell Jr. GK Sea Cliff, N.Y. '07 Second Team
Jeff Canfield, Lafayette Jr. GK Kinnelon, N.J.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 2:36pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Patriot League Names DiNola Its Defensive Player of the Year

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Anchoring the nation's No. 1-ranked scoring defense, Navy senior Jordan DiNola (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) has been named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, it was announced by the league office Thursday morning. The two-time All-American was the favorite to receive the honor after the league's coaches and sports information directors selected DiNola as their preseason pick to capture the award.

One of just 22 players nationwide to be named a 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy candidate, DiNola has been a major fixture among the Mids' nationally-ranked defensive unit over the last several years. Having played in 55 of the 59 games since the beginning of 2005, DiNola has started 43 consecutive games at close defense.

This season he has helped Navy secure a No. 1 ranking in fewest goals allowed per game (scoring defense), surrendering 75 goals in 13 games (5.71). Navy, meanwhile, is the only team in Div. I lacrosse to hold its opponents to fewer than six goals per game this year. The Mids have held nine of their 13 opponents to seven or fewer goals this spring, winning 21 in a row when achieving this feat. They have given up double-figure goals just seven times in the last 43 games (2006-present) and nine times in the last 59 games (2005-present).

Earlier this season, the Mids held No. 3 Maryland scoreless for the first 41 minutes of the game, an almost unheard of accomplishment as the Terps entered the game averaging better than 12 goals per contest. It was the first time since 2005 that Maryland had been shut out in a half. Meanwhile, Navy held Lehigh and Holy Cross to a combined 36 shots midway through the season. It held Lehigh without a shot in the first quarter of the game, while the Crusaders managed just two shots in the opening half.

Amazingly DiNola is the first Navy player to capture defensive player of the year kudos in the league despite the fact Navy has been ranked No. 1 in the nation three times (2005, '06, '08) in scoring defense since joining the league in 2004, while finishing second in 2004 and third in 2007. In four of those five seasons, Navy was the top-ranked scoring defense (2007 - Bucknell) in the Patriot League.

While DiNola picked up the league's defensive player of the year award, Colgate's Brandon Corp was selected as the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, Army's Adam Fullerton was named the league's goalkeeper of the year and Lafayette's Tom Perini garnered rookie of the year kudos. In his third season at Army, Joe Alberici was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading the Black Knights to their first No. 1 seed in the league's postseason tournament.

Navy, meanwhile, continues to prepare for its first-round Patriot League Tournament match-up against third-seeded Colgate on Friday. The Midshipmen, who have won four-consecutive Patriot League Tournament titles, will battle the Raiders in the second semifinal beginning at approximately 7:00 pm. Top-seeded Army and No. 4 Bucknell will open tournament play on Friday at 4:00 pm at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y.

The Patriot League Championship Game is set for Sunday, April 27 at 2:00 pm and will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network. Major League Lacrosse Director of Broadcast Content Jason Chandler (play by play) and former Syracuse All-American Paul Carcaterra (analyst) will call the action. The tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Championship.

Tickets for the Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament can be purchased by calling the Army ticket office at 1-877-TIX-ARMY or logging on to GoArmySports.comThe</a> Official Web site of Army Athletics. Tickets can also be bought on game day at Michie Stadium. Tickets for the semifinal games are $6 for adults and $4 for students, while the championship game tickets have been priced at $10 for adults and $5 for students. All students from the four participating schools will receive free admission to all three games by showing a school ID. Additionally, groups of 10 or more will be admitted for $2 per person, however to take advantage of the reduced rate, please purchase the tickets in advance. The group rate will not be honored by walking up to the ticket counter on game day.

2008 Patriot League Major Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year Brandon Corp, Colgate
Defensive Player of the Year Jordan DiNola, Navy
Goalkeeper of the Year Adam Fullerton, Army
Rookie of the Year Tom Perini, Lafayette
Coach of the Year Joe Alberici, Army

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:13pm

For Immediate Release
Friday, April 25, 2008
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Sirius to Air Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament Games

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Sirius Satellite Radio will air all three Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament games this weekend beginning with Friday's semifinal affair between top-seeded Army and No. 4 Bucknell beginning at 4:00 pm. Second-seeded Navy will face No. 3 Colgate in the nightcap with faceoff set for 7:00 pm. Both semifinal contests will be aired on Ch. 119, while the championship contest will be available on Ch. 152.

The Patriot League Championship Game is slated for Sunday at 2:00 pm and will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network. Major League Lacrosse Director of Broadcast Content Jason Chandler (play by play) and former Syracuse All-American Paul Carcaterra (analyst) will call the action. The tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Championship.

Additionally, Navy's hometown station 1430 WNAV will carry the Mids' semifinal contest, and championship contest should the they advance, with the Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst calling the action.

Tickets for the Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament can be purchased by calling the Army ticket office at 1-877-TIX-ARMY or logging on to GoArmySports.comThe</a> Official Web site of Army Athletics. Tickets can also be bought on game day at Michie Stadium. Tickets for the semifinal games are $6 for adults and $4 for students, while the championship game tickets have been priced at $10 for adults and $5 for students. All students from the four participating schools will receive free admission to all three games by showing a school ID. Additionally, groups of 10 or more will be admitted for $2 per person, however to take advantage of the reduced rate, please purchase the tickets in advance. The group rate will not be honored by walking up to the ticket counter on game day.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:15pm

By JAKE SCHALLER
THE GAZETTE

When Paul Johnson took over at Navy prior to the 2002 season, he pushed for a change in scheduling philosophy.

Under Charlie Weatherbie, Johnson's predecessor, the Midshipmen stopped scheduling opponents from the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) after 1997. And from 1998 through 2001, they went 9-35, including 1-20 in 2000 and 2001. During those two seasons, Navy lost games to Georgia Tech by 63 points, Boston College by 41, Notre Dame by 31 and Wake Forest by 23.

"To me, I think there's a point where you face reality," Johnson told The Baltimore Sun in October 2002. "For us to play Notre Dame and Boston College and N.C. State every year, how are you going to have a successful season if you schedule yourself six losses before you start?"

So Navy softened its schedules. According to Navy's 2001 media guide, the Midshipmen were to play Boston College and the Washington in 2003 and North Carolina State and Boston College in 2004. All four games were replaced by contests against far less imposing opponents.

After a 2-10 record in 2002, Navy went 43-19 under Johnson from 2003-07. During that time the Midshipmen went to five straight bowl games and won five straight Commander-in-Chief's Trophies, which are given to the winner of the service academies' round-robin competition.

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun believes Navy's "prudent" scheduling has been a factor in its success and that the Falcons can take a cue from the Midshipmen when setting up nonconference contests.

"I think Navy's done a phenomenal job," Calhoun said. "And really they're an ideal example because during the '80s and the '90s, their schedule is littered with (Southeastern Athletic Conference) schools, with playing Virginia, Georgia Tech, Syracuse....Then all of a sudden 2002, that was kind of it. After that they said, No.' It's just discipline-wise you have to do it if you want a healthy program for the long haul."

Navy perhaps signaled a bit of a shift to pre-Johnson days when it announced Wednesday that it would play Ohio State in 2009 and 2014. Still, the Midshipmen's 2008 schedule is less daunting than those earlier this decade.

Kevin Anderson said when he took over as athletic director at Army in December 2004, the Black Knights had some "very challenging opponents" on future schedules. And considering how much the program was struggling, it needed to give itself a better chance to succeed and dial back its competition. It has done so.

Just before the start of the Black Knights' game against Georgia Tech in 2007, Anderson informed the Yellow Jackets that Army would exercise an option to cancel the following season's return game in West Point.

Anderson - like Calhoun - wants to schedule teams with similar academic standards. Anderson also said he wants to stay away from too many big-time BCS teams because he worries about the effect those games could have on the rest of his team's season.

"I think Air Force and Navy both agree with me that depth is an issue for all of us," Anderson said.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:16pm

For Immediate Release
Friday, April 25, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Competes at the Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA - Navy womens track & field jumper Katie Berkey (Jr./Tempe, Ariz.) placed 12th in the high jump as the Midshipmen took part in the prestigious Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Thursday.

Berkey, Navys highest finisher on the day, soared over the bar set at 53-1/4 (1.61 meters) to tie for 12th with Lehighs Kathryn McLaughlin and District of Columbias Dicoda Waugh.

The Midshipmen also had two throwers compete in the shot put. Janet von Eiff (Fr./San Diego, Calif.) landed 18th with a distance of 4011 (12.49 meters), while Joy Nameth (Fr./Walden, Colo.) finished 25th with her throw of 394 (11.99 meters).

On the track, Navy took part in the 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relays. The 4x400-meter relay of Lauren Burmeister (Sr./Brownsdale, Minn.), Joanna Clark (Sr./Harpers Ferry, W.Va.), Angelique Martin (Jr./Lexington Park, Md.) and Vicki Moore (Sr./Burke, Va.) combined for a time of 4:02.02. The 4x100-meter relay of Martin, Debbi Choi (Jr./Clarksville, Md.), Rebecca Tucker (Oregon City, Ore.) and Mary Bellis (So./San Luis Obispo, Calif.) had troubles with the exchanged and crossed the finish line in 54.11 seconds.

The Midshipmen will begin the championship portion of their outdoor slate when they host the Patriot League Championship on May 2-3 at Ingram Field in Annapolis.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:17pm

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced today the re-establishment of the U.S. Fourth Fleet and assigned Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, currently serving as commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, as its new commander. Fourth Fleet will be responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

U.S. Fourth Fleet will be dual-hatted with the existing commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO), currently located in Mayport, Fla. U.S. Fourth Fleet has been re-established to address the increased role of maritime forces in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of operations, and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to regional partners.

"Re-establishing the Fourth Fleet recognizes the immense importance of maritime security in the southern part of the Western Hemisphere, and signals our support and interest in the civil and military maritime services in Central and South America," said Roughead. "Our maritime strategy raises the importance of working with international partners as the basis for global maritime security. This change increases our emphasis in the region on employing naval forces to build confidence and trust among nations through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests. "

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:19pm

Link to Preview with PDF of Game Notes:
Navy</a> Wraps Up League Play with Holy Cross This Weekend :: The Midshipmen are looking to earn their second-straight trip to the Patriot League Tournament

PREVIEWING THE ACTION AHEAD
The Navy baseball team will close out Patriot League regular season play at home this weekend with a crucial four-game series with first-place Holy Cross. The Midshipmen currently sit two games behind the Crusaders in the league standings, still maintaining the opportunity to earn the top seed and/or host a Patriot League semifinal-round playoff series on May 10-11. The Mids will automatically clinch a spot in the league tournament with three wins and would virtually be a lock with a series split against the Crusaders.
One day later, Navy will travel to Delaware State to complete the suspended game from April 3 and play another contest. If rain causes either Navy or Delaware States weekend series to be pushed back a day, the suspended game will be considered a final, as the Mids held a 2-1 lead after four and a half innings in Annapolis. The second ballgame would then be pushed back to the original scheduled date of Tuesday, April 29.
On the weekend of May 3-4, Navy will close out its regular season with single contests against New York Tech in Annapolis on both days.

HOLY CROSS ... A CLOSER LOOK
Under first-year head coach Greg DiCenzo, the Holy Cross Crusaders have emerged with a 10-6, first-place record in the Patriot League and a 19-22 overall mark. The Crusaders started the year 4-13, but have turned it on since the start of league play, boasting an impressive 15-9 record.
Freshman Eric Oxford leads the Holy Cross offense with a .328 batting average, while senior Brendan Akashian paces the Crusaders in RBIs (27) and on-base percentage. As a whole, Holy Cross is hitting .268.
Despite a 6.47 overall team ERA, Holy Crosss pitching staff has registered a 3.89 mark in league action this spring. Sophomore southpaw Matt Shapiro (0.69) and sophomore right-hander Bobby Holmes (0.98) both own an ERA under 1.00 against Patriot League batters and anchor the starting rotation.
The Holy Cross defense has turned 38 double plays on the year and enters the weekend with a .962 fielding percentage. Opposing base runners have been successful in 67.7% of stolen-base opportunities.
Navy has won each of the last-nine meetings between the two teams, dating back to the 2005 campaign.

DELAWARE STATE ... A CLOSER LOOK
Delaware State heads into the weekend with a 14-23 record, but an impressive 9-2 mark in MEAC ballgames. The Delaware State offense has done its part to help the cause, hitting .301 as a team with 42 home runs and a .402 on-base percentage. Justin Bittner leads the team with 13 doubles, nine home runs and 43 RBIs. Meanwhile, the Hornets pitching staff has been touched for an 8.82 team ERA and a .345 opposition average.

NEW YORK TECH ... A CLOSER LOOK
New York Tech owns a 12-20-1 record on the spring, with an impressive 2-0 victory over Florida Atlantic last weekend in Old Westbury, N.Y. Behind Joe Lucentes team-leading .306 batting average, the Bears are hitting .263 as a whole. The pitching staff has issued 208 walks in 263.2 innings, contributing to its 6.52 team ERA.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK...
The Navy baseball team went on the road and split a four-game set with Patriot League foe Bucknell last weekend. The Midshipmen used clutch hitting and solid pitching to sweep the Bison during Saturdays twinbill, 4-0 and 16-6. Bucknell came back with an 8-2 win on Sunday before Navys rally in the ninth just came short in Mondays 5-4 setback. The Midshipmen hit .347 on the weekend and slugged three home runs, while the bullpen delivered 8.2 innings of shutout work without issuing a walk.
Navy came back to Annapolis and played for the fourth-consecutive day, this time a 5-1 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore. Wes Olson threw five innings of one-hit, shutout baseball to earn his first-career win. Two days later, the Midshipmen defeated Coppin State, 13-3, at Joe Cannon Stadium. Navys offense collected 17 hits -- five of which were for extra bases -- with nine walks and two hit batsmen.

PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Navy would clinch a spot in this years Patriot League Tournament by winning at least three games against Holy Cross this weekend or having Lafayette win no more than one game than the Midshipmen this weekend. The possibility of hosting a semifinal round series and/or earning the top seed for the league tournament still exists for the Midshipmen.
This years Patriot League Tournament is the first to feature a four-team format, as the previous seasons had only the top-three teams advance. This spring, the higher seeds will play host to a best-of-three semifinal series on May 10-11, with those advancing competing in a best-of-three championship series at the higher seed on May 17-18. The winner of the Patriot League Tournament earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, which begins on May 30.

92 WINS AND COUNTING SINCE 2006
The Midshipmen have set a school record for most wins over a three-year stretch in the 113-year history of the baseball program. Since the start of the 2006 season, Navy has won 92 games, matching the topping the previous mark of 84 triumphs produced by the 1981-83 Midshipmen.

NAVY AIMING FOR BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 30-WIN SEASONS
The Navy baseball team is aiming for its third-consecutive 30-win season in 2008. The Midshipmen set a school record with 35 wins last year and recorded 32 victories in 2006. In fact, prior to the 2006 season, Navy had won only 30 games in a year on three occasions.

HISTORY OF SUCCESS IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Navy baseball team has enjoyed significant success since joining the Patriot League in 1993. Over that span, Navy has gone 188-130 (.591) in league play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times. The Midshipmen have won the league postseason title five times, more than any other school in the league.

NAVY PRESEASON PATRIOT LEAGUE FAVORITE IN MANY CIRCLES
The Navy baseball team has been tabbed to win the Patriot League Championship and earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament by a slew of preseason publications.
The Midshipmen were picked to finish first in the Patriot League by the leagues coaches and sports information contacts in the preseason poll. The Mids claimed 43 points and four first-place ballots to lead the way, while Lafayette came in a close second with 42 points and four first-place votes.
Navy has also been picked to win the Patriot League according to Baseball America, CollegeBaseballInsider.com and CSTV.com. In CSTV.coms preseason prediction, the Mids will advance to the NCAA Tournament and compete in the Columbia, S.C., regional against No. 8 national seed South Carolina.

FAST-STARTING MIDS
Since taking over the reigns in 2006, head coach Paul Kostacopoulos has started Patriot League play on the right foot. Over his first-three seasons, Navy is 11-1 (.917) in its league-opening weekend. The Midshipmen swept Holy Cross in a four-game set in 2006 and 07, followed by a 3-1 mark at Lafayette this season.
Navys 6-2 mark in Patriot League play after the second weekend of action ranks as one the best in school history. The 1994, 1997 and 1999 squads each went 7-1 to start league play, while the 1995, 1998 and 2006 teams each jumped out to a 6-2 start. In four of those six years, Navy went on to win the Patriot League Tournament.

KOSTACOPOULOS CLOSING IN ON CAREER WIN NO. 600
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos is closing in on his 600th career victory, which would make him one of the winningest active coaches in Division I baseball. The third-year Navy skipper needs just four more victories to reach the mark, as he owns a career record of 596-393-3 (.602). Kostacopoulos has won 30-plus games in each of his last-seven seasons and 11 times in his career.

KOSTACOPOULOS NEARING WIN NO. 100 WITH NAVY
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos is approaching another milestone mark in 2008, attempting to become the fourth Navy coach to earn 100 career victories with the Mids. Over his first-two-plus seasons in Annapolis, he owns a career mark of 92-61-1 (.601).

HOME SWEET HOME
Navy is scheduled to play 33 games on its home field, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, this spring. The 33 home games would tie the school record for most in a season, as the Midshipmen went 22-11 in their 33 ballgames in Annapolis last season. Through 26 home games this spring, the Midshipmen own a 15-11 record.
Since the installation of FieldTurf at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium before the start of the 2006 season, Navy has gone 53-33-1 (.615) in its 87 home games.

PLAYING FIVE-STRAIGHT DAYS
Due to heavy rains that forced the second game of the April 12 doubleheader against Army to be postponed until April 14, the Navy baseball teams played on five-consecutive days between April 12-16.
It marked the second time this season that the Midshipmen hit the diamond over five-straight days and just the sixth time in school history. In fact, it was the first time that the Midshipmen played on five-consecutive days in the month of April.

MARCH MADNESS
Navy played 17 of its 33 scheduled home games this spring in the month of March, all within a span of 26 days. The Midshipmen compiled a record of 11-6 on their home field during that span.
In the midst of that wild stretch, Navy also played two road games. The Mids played at 16th-ranked Virginia on March12, before driving during the night to take on Maryland-Eastern Shore at Princess Anne, Md. The Midshipmen would not have an opportunity to relax, as they immediately came back to Annapolis to host a round-robin tournament over the following three days.

NAVY BREAKS SCHOOLS HOME RUN RECORD
The 2008 Navy baseball team has belted 32 home runs, breaking the school record of 30 long balls hit by the 1998 Midshipmen. The record-setting blast came off the bat of Kendall Bolt in the third inning of Navys 13-3 win at Coppin State on April 24.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!
One year after hitting just one home run in 33 home games, the 2008 Midshipmen have belted 11 home runs in their first-26 games on its home field. The most prolific shot came against Rhode Island on March 8, when Steven Soares smashed a 420-foot shot over the scoreboard in left-center. Michael Speciale and Mitch Harris have each hit three long balls in Annapolis already this season.

HARRIS GOES DEEP IN THREE-STRAIGHT GAMES ... AGAIN!
Navys Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) hit a home run in three-consecutive games for the second time in his career during an impressive tear on March 13-15.
Harris smashed a 410-feet blast over the centerfield fence at Maryland-Eastern Shore before going deep twice against Monmouth in Annapolis. The multi-home run performance at home was the first by a Navy hitter since Tony Mauro against Lafayette on April 3, 1999. Harris blasted his fourth long ball in three days against Maine, this time over the fence at the deepest part of the ballpark, approximately 410 feet.
The Navy slugger hit a home run in three-consecutive games during a series sweep against Holy Cross at Fitton Field last season.
Only one other Navy hitter has ever hit a round-tripper in three-straight games. Mark Zematis first accomplished the feat on the road at East Carolina on March 4-5, 2000.

GUADAGNINI GOES DEEP...TWICE
Navy freshman Mike Guadagnini belted two towering home runs at UMBC on April 8. Guadagnini became the second Navy freshman and the first in 34 years to belt two long balls in the same game. Terry Cook first achieved the feat against Towson on April 30, 1974.
Guadagnini joins Navy slugger Mitch Harris as Mids that have posted a multi-home run effort this season. Prior to this year, only two other Midshipmen went deep twice in the same game since the 2002 campaign.

BACK-TO-BACK IS TWICE AS NICE
Four Navy hitters have gone deep in back-to-back games this season. Mitch Harris homered in three-consecutive games (March 13-15), while Thomas Hamilton (April 6 at Lehigh), Michael Speciale (April 6 at Lehigh, April 8 at UMBC) and Kendall Bolt (April 22 vs. UMES, April 24 at Coppin State) have all homered in back-to-back games.

MIDS POUND OUT 16 RUNS IN A PATRIOT LEAGUE GAME
The Navy offense cranked out 21 hits in defeated Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pa., 16-6, on April 19. The 16 runs scored by the Mids are the most in a Patriot League regular season games since a 17-2 win at Holy Cross on April 21, 2001. It was also Navys highest run output against a league opponent since a 16-3 triumph at Bucknell in the 2003 Patriot League Tournament.

NAVYS OFFENSE EXPLODES AT UMES
The Navy offense produced offensive figures it had not seen in five years during its 20-6 victory at Maryland-Eastern Shore on March 13.
The 20 runs scored were the most by the Mids since they plated 24 runs against Hartford on March 22, 2003. The 24 base knocks, 10 of which went for extra bases, were the most by a Navy team since they tallied 24 hits against Bucknell in the 2003 Patriot League Tournament.

THREE MIDS OVER THE 60-HIT MARK
Navy hitters Thomas Hamilton (64), Michael Sepciale (62) and Jonathan Wright (61) have each surpassed the 60-hit mark, joining only the 2006 Midshipmen with three-plus players totaling more than 60 hits in the same season. In 2006, Jared Munde (64), Jonathan Johnston (64), Renaldo Hollins (62), Ryan McGinn (62) all accumulated more than 60 base knocks.

MARATHON BASEBALL
In a clash among the Patriot Leagues top-two teams in the leagues preseason poll on March 29-30, Navy and Lafayette played a four-game set that will be remembered for some time.
The Midshipmen and the Leopards battled over 37 innings in the four-game set, the longest Patriot League weekend in Navys program history. The previous longest league weekend for the Mids came last year at Army, when they squared off for 35 innings.
The series finale between Navy and Lafayette lasted 13 innings, the longest game in league play for the Mids. The contest lasted four hours and six minutes, as the Midshipmen came away with a thrilling 6-5 win. The 13-inning ballgame was the longest for Navy since a 7-6 loss to UMBC in Annapolis on March 31, 1993.

THE YOUNG MIDS
Navys 2008 roster is comprised of a combined 31 freshmen and sophomores out of its 40 roster spots. The Midshipmen boast the youngest squad in the Patriot League with 15 freshmen and 16 sophomores, while Lehigh follows in a close second with its 13 freshmen and 12 sophomores.

MIDS GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM, TOO
Being a member of a league that prides itself on maintaining high academic standards while pursuing athletic success, Navy ranks among the Patriot Leagues top-three schools in the NCAAs Academic Progress Rates (APR) for baseball.
The Midshipmen earned a mark of 980, which also places them among the nations top-10th percentile in baseball. Navys athletic program also ranks among the premier institutions in each sport across the board. The Midshipmen boasted a mark higher than the Division I average in 22 of their 23 NCAA sports, including the nations highest score in seven sports (each with a perfect 1,000).
The APR is the fulcrum upon which the entire academic-reform structure rests. Developed as a more real-time assessment of teams academic performance than the six-year graduation-rate calculation provides, the APR awards two points each term to student-athletes who meet academic-eligibility standards and who remain with the institution. A teams APR is the total points earned by the term at a given time divided by the total points possible.

ACCELERATING THEIR LIFE AFTER GRADUATION
Each of Navys seven seniors on this years baseball team are going to serve their country in a variety of roles following commissioning in May. Graduates from the United States Naval Academy will begin their military careers as either an Ensign in the United States Navy or a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

ON THE WATCH LISTS
Navy pitcher/designated hitter Mitch Harris and relief pitcher JD Melton have been named to a variety of national watch lists this spring.
Harris was named a preseason candidate for the Brooks Wallace Award for the second-straight year, which is handed out to the top collegiate player in the country. For the third time in his career, the Navy right-hander has also been selected to the Roger Clemens Award Watch List, which is awarded to the best collegiate pitcher in the nation.
Melton was among a group of just 45 relievers in the country to be named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List. The Navy sophomore was also selected to the list during his rookie year at Navy in 2007.

MITCH HARRIS ... 29TH BEST COLLEGE PROSPECT BY BASEBALL AMERICA
Navy baseball right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris has been tabbed as the nation's 29th-best college prospect for the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft, it was announced by Baseball America. The rankings were compiled by Baseball America through discussions with scouts and represent overall future potential.
Harris ranks as the second-highest collegiate prospect among seniors in this year's draft class. Only Georgia senior right-handed pitcher Joshua Fields placed ahead of Harris, coming in at 27th on the list.
In the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft last June, Harris was selected in the 24th round by the Atlanta Braves organization. This past summer, he played in the prestigious Cape Cod League with the Bourne Braves. Facing some of the nation's best collegiate hitters, he started seven contests and boasted a 3.94 ERA in 29.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. With the help of the Navy right-hander, Bourne won the Western Division regular season title with a 25-17-2 record.
Harris was selected Second-Team All-Patriot League as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter last May, becoming the first player in school history to earn all-league accolades at two different positions within the same year. One month later, he became the first player in school history to earn ABCA all-region accolades multiple times during his career, as he was first-team selection in 2006 and a second-team member in 2007.
Prior to the start of the 2008 season, Harris was selected as a candidate for the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award, which is awarded to the nation's top-collegiate player. Last year's Brooks Wallace award went to Vanderbilt pitcher, David Price. Price was the first overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and is pitching in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. The 2006 winner was standout pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln of Houston. Nebraska's Alex Gordon, currently with the Kansas City Royals, took home the 2005 trophy. The inaugural award was given in 2004 to Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton, who is now catching for the Oakland A's.

NAVYS HOME SELECTED AS LEAGUES FAVORITE ROAD STADIUM
Navys home field, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, was voted as the favorite road stadium in the Patriot League, voted by the leagues coaches on CollegeBaseballInsider.com.
This does not particularly comes as a surprise, as the $2.5-million renovation process at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium commenced in October 2005 and featured a variety of upgrades that make the home of Navy baseball one of the finest facilities in the East to play and watch a game. The multi-million dollar baseball facility is named after the longtime baseball coach Max Bishop (1937-61) and the Terwilliger family for their generous support of the Naval Academy and the Naval Academy Athletic Association.
The facilitys biggest improvement was the installation of a new playing surface, as the natural grass was dug up and 124,000-square feet of FieldTurf was put in January 2006. FieldTurf is the same surface used by Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, as well as Navy's Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Terwilliger Brothers Field became only the third field in college baseball to feature FieldTurf over the entire playing surface, with the exception of the pitcher's mound and home plate.
In spring 2007, a 5,000-square foot, heated indoor hitting and pitching facility was constructed, enabling the Midshipmen to work on their skills, rain or shine. The 50-foot wide, 100-foot long, 16-foot high indoor facility features two pitching mounds and a state-of-the-art hitting screen. The Pro Batter Professional PX2 Video Pitching Machine allows hitters to bat against a simulated pitcher with several different pitches and a wide range of velocities.
The roof of the hitting and pitching facility has been surfaced with railings surrounding its perimeter, serving as a hospitality venue that provides an outstanding view of the entire ballpark and the Naval Academy.
Concurrent with the field transformation, 1,000 chair-back seats have been installed with brick archways surrounding the stadium. Behind the left field fence, one can find a state-of-the-art LED matrix scoreboard with a video screen. Additionally, a concession stand located on the concourse level behind home plate and a patio area help create an intimate surrounding to watch and enjoy a Navy baseball game.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:20pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy water polo team closed out its spring season with a 3-1 record during the final two days of competition. Navy defeated Princeton, Air Force, Northern Virginia Club and lost to the New York Athletic Club.

"The team competed fairly well against both Princeton and Air Force, but we were very unfocused and disorganized against the Senior Men's teams from NYAC and NOVA," said Navy head coach Mike Schofield. "A lot of credit goes to both of those clubs for capitalizing on their strength and smarts and negating our fitness all day long. Hopefully we learned something from that."

In Navy's 11-7 win over Eastern rival Princeton, the Mids outscored the Tigers, 7-3, in the second half to break a 4-4 halftime tie. Micheal Mulvey scored three goals, while Marek Malik and Luke Baldwin scored a pair each. Rising junior Brett Rajchel stopped nine shots in goal.

Then, in Navy's 10-5 win over Air Force, Navy dominated the first three quarters before cruising in the fourth quarter. Mulvey and Dan Zoellick scored three times each, while Rajchel made 10 saves.

On day two, Navy led the New York Athletic Club, 5-4, at halftime, but saw NYAC outscore the Mids, 6-1, in the second half for a 10-6 decision. Johnny Meiners scored two goals, while four others notched one goal each. Rajchel made nine saves in goal.

Lastly, Navy defeated Northern Virginia Club, 7-6, using a 3-1 third-quarter advantage to break open a tight game. Joe Moffit scored two goals, while five others scored one goal each. Rajchel stopped nine shots in goal.

"I was really encouraged by the play of our sophomore goalie, Brett Rajchel. He had his first taste of replacing our graduating three-year starters, George Naughton and Steve Craney, and he responded very well," said Schofield. "Brett has a lot of growth ahead, but he's had a good spring, as has our whole team."

Navy went 30-6 last season and finished third at the NCAA Championships. The Mids will open their season next year, hosting the Navy Labor Day Open.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:24pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 25, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Navy Women's Lacrosse Team Loses Heartbreaker in Patriot League Semifinals

Washington, D.C.-No. 1 seed American (8-9) scored seven-consecutive goals over the final 9:40 to give the Eagles a 17-15 victory over No. 4 seed Navy (13-4) in the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals at American University. American advances to the Patriot League Championship game where they will play the winner of the Lehigh-Colgate game. The winner of the Patriot League will play host to the winner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament in the NCAA Play-In game next Saturday with the winner advancing to the NCAA Championship.

"This was a very tough loss," said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal. "American was very resilient and we couldn't catch a break. During their run they won almost every draw control and the few that we did win we were called for a foul. It was very frustrating."

Navy dominated the Patriot League regular season champions for most of the contest, including a first half that saw the Mids win 11 of 17 draw controls.

Navy led by just a 4-3 count after the first 10 minutes, but got two goals each from freshman midfielder Meg Decker and sophomore attack Mary Ruttum to take an 8-3 lead. After American cut the Navy lead to three at 8-5 with 3:44 left in the half, the Mids got back-to-back goals from Decker, her fifth of the half, and sophomore midfielder Erin Rawlick to go back up by five at 10-5. American's Leslie Fisher scored with 1:49 left to cut the Navy lead to 10-6 at the half.

Navy increased its lead back to five at 12-7 early in the second half on goals by freshman Katrina Nietsch and Rawlick, before American stormed back with three straight goals to cut the lead to 12-10 with 14:34 remaining in the contest.

It appeared that all the momentum was now on American's side, but to Navy's credit the Mids did not wilt under the pressure scoring three straight goals to go back up by five at 15-10 with 12:37 left.

Decker scored her Patriot League Tournament record tying sixth goal of the game with 14:08 left in the contest to give Navy a three-goal advantage, Rawlick scored her nation's best 67th goal of the year to put Navy up 14-10 and then Ruttum scored off a pass from senior Amanda Towey to give Navy the 15-10 advantage and it looked like Navy was going to be the first team in Patriot League Tournament history (eight years) to beat the number one seed. Unfortunately for the Midshipmen, Ruttum's goal was the last they would score.

American's Lauren Aksionoff started the Eagles comeback bid with a free position goal with 9:40 left in the contest to cut Navy's lead to 15-11. Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Jackie Lane scored her third goal of the contest to make it 15-12 and then Lane's sister, Lauren, scored off an assist from Brit Ferguson 14 seconds later to make it 15-13 with 5:57 left.

Aksionoff's third goal of the game came 32 seconds later at the 5:25 mark to cut the lead to one at 15-14 and the Eagles tied it just 26 seconds later when Brittany Ferguson scored on a free-position shot. AU would take their first lead of the game with 4:16 remaining on a goal by Gina Ibello off an assist from Amanda Makoid and then put the game away with another free position goal, this one from Lauren Lane to make the final 17-15. The 17 goals scored by American tied the Patriot League Tournament record.

"We played with a lot of heart today and gave it everything we had," said Decker, Navy's sensational freshman. "We played a good game, they just played better. These are two teams that are virtually even. We came out on top by one goal in the regular season and they beat us by two today. I couldn't have asked for anything more out of anybody on this team. We played hard and we played together and we will continue to get better, because we have a great coaching staff."

Despite the disappointing loss, the Navy women's lacrosse team has a lot to be proud of. Navy's 13 wins is an NCAA record for a first-year program, while the Mids 11-game home winning streak is the fourth longest current streak in the country. Navy accomplished all that with of the youngest teams in the country with 23 freshmen or sophomores on the roster.

"We can't be satisfied with the season," said Timchal. "We have to want more. I think people can see how tough this team can be down the road."

Navy Goals: Meg Decker-6, Erin Rawlick-3, Mary Ruttum-3, Katrina Nietsch-2, Amanda Towey-1

Navy Assists: Caitlin Mandrin Hill-1, Erin Rawlick-1, Amanda Towey-1

American Goals: Lauren Aksionoff-3, Jackie Lane-3, Brittany Finnegan-3, Amanda Makoid-2, Gina Ibello-2, Lauren Lane-2, Kira Sonberg-1, Leslie Fischer-1

American Assists: Amanda Makoid-3, Kira Sonberg-2, Brit Ferguson-1, Gina Ibello-1. Anne Marie Person-1

Shots
Navy-31
American-38

Ground Balls
Navy-23
American-26

Draw Controls
Navy-19
American-15

Clears
Navy-12/17
American-16/18

Free Position Shots
Navy-3/5
American-4/7

Saves
Navy-13
American-9

Turnovers
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GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 3:26pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 25, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Navy Mens Lacrosse Team Falls to Colgate, 12-9, In Patriot League Semifinals

WEST POINT, N.Y.Two-Time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Brandon Corp scored a league tournament record tying five goals, including four in the first half, to lead third-seeded Colgate (9-5) to a 12-9 victory over Navy (9-5) in the Patriot League Mens Lacrosse Semifinals. The Raiders advance to Sundays championship game against fourth seeded Bucknell. The Bison upset No. 1 seed Army, 8-7, in game one.

I want to first congratulate Colgate, said Navy head coach Richie Meade. Offensively they handled the ball very well. Every time they got within 10 yards of the goal they scored. I was really impressed with Brandon Corp, Kevin Colleluori, Ian Murphy and Matt Lalli. Weve competed against Colgate for five years and this is the best theyve played against us offensively.

Navy jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 3:48 of the contest on goals by Tim Paul, Joe Lennon and Sean Standen, but then went the next 26 minutes without a goal. The Raiders took advantage of Navys lackluster offense by tallying seven-consecutive goals to take a 7-3 lead. Nick Mirabito ended Colgates run with a goal of his own with seven seconds left in the half to make it 7-4.

The Mids came out to start the second half and quickly cut Colgates lead to one. Patrick Moran scored an extra-man goal off an assist from Andy Tormey 53 seconds into the third quarter to make it 7-5 and then Shane Durkin scored the first of his four goals off an assist from Sean Standen with 6:23 left in the third to make it 7-6.

Colgate, however, was able to stop the Navy run just 2:09 later when Nick Monastero scored off an assist from Corp to make it 8-6 and the Mids were never able to get to get any closer the rest of the game.

That was a critical part of the game, said Meade. When they came back and scored it sort of took the wind out of our sails. I think it would have changed the momentum had we been able to tie it.

Navy dominated the game everywhere but on the scoreboard as the Mids got off more shots (42-35), won more ground balls (25-22) and won the face-off battle (14 out of 25). Junior Shane Durkin, who had scored just four goals all year entering tonights game, led the Mids with four goals while Nick Mirabito and Sean Standen each scored a goal and handed out an assist.

Navy, which had one the Patriot League Tournament every year since joining the league in 2004, has now lost three-straight contests for the first time since 2003. That year was also the last time that Navy missed the NCAA Tournament. Navy will find out if it will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament a week from Sunday when the NCAA pairings are announced.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 7:44pm

GENEVA, N.Y.-The Hobart and William Smith Colleges Board of Trustees voted today to reclassify Hobart lacrosse from Division I to Division III. Citing the changing landscape of collegiate lacrosse and the challenges inherent in recruiting talented student-athletes at the Division I level without athletic scholarships, the Board voted to move to Division III starting with the 2008-09 academic year.

"The Board recognizes that the college lacrosse landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade," says David Deming '75, the Chair of the Hobart and William Smith Board of Trustees. "Hobart and Johns Hopkins are the only two primarily Division III institutions competing in Division I men's lacrosse. But unlike Johns Hopkins, under NCAA regulations, Hobart is not permitted to offer athletic scholarships. Moving to Division III will level the playing field for our coaches in recruitment and our students in competition."

Reclassifying programs are not eligible for the NCAA tournament for the first two years in their new division. Hobart will request a waiver, but 2011 is expected to be the first season in which the Statesmen are eligible for the NCAA Division III lacrosse playoffs. The requirement allows Division I caliber players to graduate from the program and for the program to make compliance adjustments to Division III regulations and policies.

"The students and alumni who have competed at the Division I level have represented Hobart with pride," says President Mark D. Gearan. "The current team has established an impressive record that brings honor to the Colleges. We are committed to supporting our current players given their excellence on the field and in the classroom. The decision to go to Division III was made in consideration of the long term interests of the Colleges."

"The resources required in Division I lacrosse are moving toward what is required in Division I football and basketball," says Director of Hobart Athletics Mike Hanna '68, who has led the Statesmen for 27 years. "We are prohibited from offering athletic scholarships in an environment that is increasingly demanding in terms of recruitment and competition. This resource inequity requires a solution that honors our players and fans while also maintaining the integrity of our history. Division III, which is far more competitive today than when we moved to Division I in 1995, offers us better opportunities for the future."

Men's lacrosse came under the NCAA banner in 1971 and during the 1970s, '80s and early '90s, Division III Hobart's regular season schedule included several games each year against Division I programs.

Presented with pending changes in NCAA scheduling regulations, the Colleges began studying the multi-division option in 1993 and opted to move to Division I to preserve the quality of its regular season schedule and scheduling relationships with several longtime rivals such as Cornell, Penn State and Syracuse. The new rules required Division I schools to limit their schedules to other Division I programs.

The Statesmen competed as an independent until 2000, when Hobart joined the Patriot League as an associate member. Four years later, the conference changed its membership requirements, which forced Hobart out of the league. In 2005, the Statesmen joined the competitive ECAC Lacrosse League, which includes heavyweights Georgetown, Loyola and UMass.

In 92 seasons under U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association and NCAA Division II and Division III governance, the Statesmen were 624-321-20 (.657) with 63 winning seasons, 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 16 national championships (13 NCAA Division III, 2 NCAA Division II, 1 USILA College Division). Between 1980 and 1991, Hobart put together one of the most impressive eras of dominance in all of collegiate sports, winning 12 consecutive NCAA Division III Championships.

Since 1995, Hobart is 88-98 (.473), posting three winning seasons. The Statesmen earned four NCAA Division I Tournament bids, twice winning the Patriot League Championship and its accompanying automatic bid and twice earning at-large berths.

"As an alumnus, I appreciate all of the opportunities provided to our student body," says Hobart Lacrosse Head Coach Matt Kerwick '90. "The continued growth of the campus and the direction of our academic profile is a source of great pride. I am also extremely proud of the Hobart lacrosse history and every student-athlete I have the privilege to coach. My entire focus is on the well being of the 42 young men currently competing for the Statesmen lacrosse program and to prepare them for our final regular season contest against Cornell University."

Hobart will face Cornell on Fri., May 2 at 7:00 p.m. on McCooey Field at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

"I have followed Hobart lacrosse for more than 30 years and am proud to be a loyal Statesman fan," says Jeremy Foley '74, the Director of Athletics at the University of Florida and a former Hobart lacrosse player. "I'm impressed with the thoughtful study that has gone into this move to Division III. I fully support the decision of the Board of Trustees. This is the right move for Hobart."

As part of their visit to campus, the Board also reviewed plans to move forward with a $9 million expansion of athletic facilities including renovations to Elliott Varsity House and rebuilding the Colleges stadium * Boswell Field. These capital projects are part of the Colleges' Campaign for the Colleges which has so far raised more than $130 million toward a goal of $160 million.

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