<p>Published in the BS:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy had lost two games in a row, by a goal each to Georgetown and Maryland. If there was a time for a "must" win, it was yesterday with archrival Army coming to town.</p>
<p>Despite being on the verge of blowing the Black Knights out several times yesterday, No. 8 Navy had to score three unanswered goals in the final 8:31 to pull out a 12-9 victory at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>
<p>
[quote]
A literal who's who of Navy lacrosse players turned out Friday night for the ribbon cutting that officially opened the Bilderback-Moore Navy Lacrosse Hall of Fame. It was far more than a simple ceremony,</p>
<p>A huge crowd filed into the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium banquet facility for the event many couldn't believe was actually happening. The long-overdue idea of a Navy Lacrosse Hall of Fame was actually coming to fruition....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Published in Lacrosse Magazine:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Allen Dingman knows combat. </p>
<p>So it was with a mix of joy and consternation that he ushered his son, Navy senior attackman Ian Dingman, onto the field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium before the Army-Navy game Saturday, just days after the announced tour extensions of the war in Iraq....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>While the lacrosse boom at the Division III level parallels that of the sport, Division I isn't keeping up</p>
<p>Published in the BS:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Paul Cantabene swivels a chair in his Owings Mills office, converted space that used to be the Ravens' and Colts' headquarters.</p>
<p>Stan Ross text-messages his former players and plots a career change from his mother's home in Lutherville....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Patriot League Tournament Set</p>
<p>For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>
<p>Top-Seeded Navy to Play Host to 2007 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After sweeping all six of its Patriot League opponents this spring, ninth-ranked Navy will play host to the 2007 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament on April 27 and 29 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The top-seeded Midshipmen are slated to face archrival Army, the fourth seed, in the first semifinal on Friday, April 27 beginning at 4:00 pm with Bucknell and Colgate facing off at approximately 7:00 pm.</p>
<p>The Patriot League Championship Game is set for Sunday, April 29 at 12:00 pm and will be televised live on CSTV. Boston Cannons General Manager 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. </p>
<p>Navy has won at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title all four years it has been a member of the conference, while winning the Patriot League Tournament crown in 2004, '05 and '06. Navy received the No. 1 seed and played host to the conference tournament in three of the four years (2004, '05, '07).</p>
<p>Navy earned its 12th-consecutive win over service academy rival Army last weekend when the Mids defeated the Black Knights, 12-9, and earned their 10-straight N-Star. Ironically, Bucknell and Colgate will face one another this Saturday in Hamilton, N.Y. Though the outcome will have no bearing on the tournament pairings, the winner of the contest will receive the No. 2 seed in the tournament as both teams enter the weekend with a 4-1 record.</p>
<p>Tickets for the Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament can be purchased by calling the Navy ticket office at 1-800-US4-NAVY, logging on to <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a> or stopping by the Ricketts Hall Ticket Office. Tickets can also be bought on game day at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Tickets prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students. In addition, there is a $5 charge to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.</p>
<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773
For more information on Navy Men's Lacrosse, log on to <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a></p>
<p>Billy Looney Named to Tewaaraton's Final 17</p>
<p>BALTIMORE, Md. - Two-time All-American midfielder Billy Looney (Silver Spring, Md.) is among the 17 players to make the initial cut for the 2007 Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's top lacrosse player. The 60-plus player list was narrowed to 17 on Wednesday afternoon and will be cut to to five finalists in the coming weeks.</p>
<p>Looney, who made last year's initial cut to 23 players for the Tewaaraton Trophy, has played in every game since arriving at the Academy (60 games) and has produced a goal or an assist in 47 of those contests. Heading into Saturday's game against seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins, Looney is just six points shy of becoming the 26th player in the program's 100-year history to reach the century mark, as he has scored 66 goals and added 28 assists. Navy's top scorer out of the midfield a year ago with 22 points on 18 goals and four assists, Looney is the team's third-leading scorer this spring, turning in 25 points on 13 goals and 12 assists.</p>
<p>Over the course of the season, players were added and cut based on their performances, but ultimately the committee will name its five finalists with the award handed out following the National Championship. The 2007 committee is comprised of the following: Chair-Dick Edell (retired, Maryland), Scott Anderson (Harvard), Greg Cannella (Massachusetts), Jack Emmer (retired, Army), Hank Janczyk (Gettysburg), Scott Marr (Albany), Mike Pressler (Bryant), Tony Seaman (Towson), Dom Starsia (Virginia), Dave Urick (Georgetown) and Don Zimmerman (UMBC).</p>
<p>2007 Tewaaraton Trophy - The Final 17
Player, Institution, Yr, Pos, Stats (G-A-Pts)
Casey Carroll, Duke, Sr., D, 7.25 Scoring Def.
Matt Danowski, Duke, Sr., A, 26-27-53
Zack Greer, Duke, Jr., A, 35-16-51
Alex Hewit, Princeton, Jr., GK, .627 Sv%, 5.60 GAA
Zach Jungers, Princeton, Sr., D, 5.50 Scoring Def.
Jerry Lambe, Georgetown, Sr., D, 8.22 Scoring Def.
Jordan Levine, Albany, Jr., M, 15-9-24
Billy Looney, Navy, Sr., M, 13-12-25
Matt McMonagle, Cornell, Sr., GK, .601 Sv%, 6.58 GAA
Ray Megill, Maryland, Sr., D, 7.58 Scoring Def.
David Mitchell, Cornell, Sr., A, 31-7-38
Brett Queener, Albany, Sr., GK, .528 Sv%, 8.69 GAA
Paul Rabil, Johns Hopkins, Jr., M, 12-10-22
Frank Resetarits, Albany, Sr., A, 30-17-47
Ben Rubeor, Virginia, Jr., A, 39-16-55
Max Seibald, Cornell, So. , M, 10-12-22
Merrick Thomson, Albany, Sr., A, 30-7-37</p>
<p>Inside Lacrosse Staff</p>
<p>NCAA Tournament positioning will be affected this Saturday when eighth-ranked Navy (9-2) travels to Baltimore to take on No. 7 Johns Hopkins in a rivalry game that boasts one of the richest histories in all of college lacrosse (dating back to 1908). Expect Homewood to be rockin' (and the Pep Band to be rockin' out) when the Midshipmen invade for the Jays' homecoming, where fans will be looking for Coach Petro and company to take home a second straight win over a Top 10 opponent after fighting off a steady downpour and then seventh-ranked Maryland in OT last weekend.</p>
<p>Despite the win - a critical one for Hopkins, especially in light of the three-game skid leading up to the showdown in College Park - the Jays aren't quite out of the woods yet. Sitting at just 5-4, they need to secure wins in two of their remaining four games to likely make the tournament.</p>
<p>Assuming Hopkins takes care of business against Mt. St. Mary's on April 30, that means the pre-season No. 1 must grab a win against either Navy this weekend, Towson, or Loyola in the final weeks on the regular season. Should we expect that to happen? Probably. But by getting it done on Saturday against a Midshipmen team that rattled off eight straight wins to start the season, Hopkins and its fans can certainly breathe a little easier.</p>
<p>A win for Navy would provide a serious boost to a lacking tourney resume which includes just one Top 10 win so far (North Carolina). With only the Patriot League tourament remaining after this - which doesn't includes any opponents ranked higher than No. 12 (Bucknell) - the visitors are going to have to rain on the Hop homecoming parade on Saturday if they want to maintain their outside shot at grabbing a top eight seed in the NCAAs.</p>
<p>Expect a show, and a long line at the ticket counter, as the action kicks off at 3:00 p.m.</p>
<p>Keys to the game: Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>Steady Schwartzman - Whether it was the muddy, rainy conditions or just an off night, goalie Jesse Schwartzman didn't bring his best to the table against Maryland last weekend. In fact, his play inspired Pietramala to begin warming up backup freshman Michael Gvozden. Was he really going to put him in, or was it a motivational tactic? Either way, the Jays will need their senior netminder to inspire more confidence than questions this weekend.</p>
<p>Stepping up - Last week, it was second line middie Austin Walker who made the difference with key back-to-back goals in the second quarter against the Terps. Whether it's Walker or someone else this week, Hopkins becomes that much more dangerous when players outside of the big names step up and put points on the board.</p>
<p>Navy</p>
<p>Closing the deal - From what they've shown recently, if the Midshipmen were selling Volvos instead of playing lacrosse, they'd be staring at a small commission check right now. Why? In both its loss to Maryland and last week's win over Army, Navy let leads slip away in the third and fourth quarters. If they get up on the Jays in the second half this week, the Midshipmen must be able to close the deal and grab the big W.</p>
<p>EMO - Navy's extra man numbers in its two losses to Georgetown and Maryland this year? 0-7. And the Midshipmen dropped one-goal decisions in both. Navy is going to have to find a way to get production out of that unit, which could make all the difference in what should be another nailbiter.</p>
<p>More keys to the game:</p>
<p>Home field advantage - As previously stated, it's Homecoming at Homewood this Saturday, which should add a little bounce to the Jays' step. And while the specators won't be donning jerseys and grabbing sticks to run on the second attack any time soon, expect the electric atmosphere to work in the favor of a Hopkins team looking to go on a nice run to close out the regular season.</p>
<pre><code>Who has the edge?
Attack Navy
</code></pre>
<p>The tandem of senior Ian Dingman and junior Nick Mirabito brings a wealth of experience and a combined 44 goals to the table entering Saturday. Kevin Huntley and Jake Byrne have shown increased production lately, but the Jays' most consistent attackman remains freshman Steven Boyle.</p>
<pre><code>Midfield Navy
</code></pre>
<p>Hopkins' Paul Rabil and Navy's Billy Looney are two of the best in the game. They are complimented by solid No. 2's in Stephen Peyser and Tommy Wallin, respectively. But give the Midshipmen the slight edge thanks to freshman Basil Daratsos, who provides a solid scoring punch from the third slot (13 goals on the season).</p>
<pre><code>Defense Draw
</code></pre>
<p>Hopkins has surrendered double digits against just one of four Top 5 opponents (11 against Duke), while Navy boasts the better numbers (6.05 AA) against a significantly weaker schedule.</p>
<pre><code>Goalies JHU
</code></pre>
<p>Despite his struggles last week, Schwartzman still possesses the ability to heat up and take over a game. He also gets the nod in terms of experience. After a scorching start to the season, Finnegan is just 50% in the past three games, which includes two losses.</p>
<pre><code>Face-Off Navy
</code></pre>
<p>This is an area in which Hopkins has stuggled all season, to the tune of a .476 win percentage. Navy's William Wallace is winning at a 70.4% clip. Yikes.</p>
<pre><code>EMO Draw
</code></pre>
<p>Neither team's strong point. Navy is slightly better on the season at 15-for-42 (35.7%) against the Jays' 9-for-28 (32.1%), but dock them a couple points for their serious struggles lately (1-for-11 in the past three games).</p>
<p>Gm 12: #9 Navy (9-2, 6-0) vs. #7 Johns Hopkins (5-4)
Saturday, April 21 3:00 pm Baltimore, Md. Homewood Field (8,500)</p>
<p>Media Information
Television: ESPNU/WMAR Ch. 2 (Baltimore) Scott Garceau (play by play), Quint Kessinich (analyst)
Radio/Internet: 1430 WNAV, (Pete Medhurst), wnav.com, NavySports.com
Live Stats: Gametracker on NavySports.com</p>
<p>Game Preview
Ninth-ranked Navy (9-2 overall, 6-0 Patriot League) will look to snap its 32-game losing streak to seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins on Saturday when the two battle at Homewood Field in Baltimore beginning at 3:00 pm.
After dropping back-to-back one-goal decisions to Georgetown and Maryland, Navy earned a 12-9 decision over arch rival Army in the annual Star Game ... the two will meet again in the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament on April 27 at 4:00 pm.
Like Navy, Johns Hopkins was also desperate for a win last weekend and got it ... the Blue Jays nipped Maryland in overtime, 8-7, to snap their three-game losing skid.
Saturday's contest will be televised live on ESPNU and locally on WMAR Channel 2 with Scott Garceau and former Johns Hopkins All-American goalkeeper and two-time Kelly Award winner Quint Kessenich calling the action ... Kessenich's older brother, Pace, is a 1982 graduate of the Naval Academy, who lettered as a member of the lacrosse team in '82 .
The Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst will also provide non-stop action on 1430 WNAV.</p>
<p>Countdown to Face-Off
10 Navy is one win shy of reaching 10 wins for the fourth-consecutive year ... it would be the first time the Mids have strung together four-straight 10-plus wins seasons since 1975-76-77-78.
9 Navy has scored nine or more goals in nine of its 11 games (def. Bucknell, 6-3, lost to Maryland, 8-7).
8 Senior midfielder William Wallace needs eight ground balls to tie the Navy career grounders record of 214 set by John Duthie (1988-91).
7 Senior attack Ian Dingman has produced a team-best seven hat tricks this season ... he also owns a seven-game goal-scoring streak.
6 Navy swept the Patriot League by producing a 6-0 record thanks to a 12-9 win over Army last Saturday.
5 Five of the last seven games between Navy and Johns Hopkins have been decided by one goal, including three in overtime.
4 In its fourth season as a member of the Patriot League, Navy has won at least a share of the regular-season title all four years.
3 Junior attack Nick Mirabito needs three points to become the 26th player in program history to reach 100-career points.
2 Navy has given up just two extra-man goals on the road this spring (16 of 18).
1 Navy has scored 10-plus goals against Hopkins just once in the last eight meetings (2001, L 13-11)</p>
<p>Navy-Johns Hopkins - The Series
On Saturday, Navy and Johns Hopkins will meet for the 80th time ... meanwhile, it's the 58th-consecutive year the two programs have battle ... it's the third-longest continuous series between Navy and another team on the lax field.
The Blue Jays own a commanding 53-25-1 advantage in the series, including an amazing 32-game winning streak that dates back to May 10, 1975, when Hopkins defeated Navy, 16-11, in Baltimore.
The last time Navy beat Johns Hopkins was May 4, 1974, in a one-goal, 13-12 decision in Annapolis ... Navy All-American Ray Finnegan was in goal that afternoon ... his son, Colin, will be in goal for the Mids on Saturday.
Navy has won only seven of the 31 games played in Baltimore ... the last time the Mids beat Hopkins in Baltimore was on May 10, 1969, when Navy captured a 9-6 victory.
Five of the last seven games between Navy and Johns Hopkins have been decided by one goal, including each of the last three ... three of the five one-goal games have gone into extra minutes, including two of the last three.
Only three games in series history have gone into overtime ... '00 (7-6), '04 (10-9) and '05 (9-8).</p>
<p>Recapping Last Year's Meeting
Sophomore Kevin Huntley's game-winner dribbled through All-American keeper Matt Russell's legs with 5:07 remaining in the contest,as No. 12 Johns Hopkins claimed a 9-8 thriller over fourth-ranked Navy on a soggy afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.<br>
It marked the third-straight one-goal game between the two teams and the fifth-consecutive one-goal decision by the Blue Jays in games played in Annapolis (15-14 in 1998, 7-6 OT in 2000, 9-8 in 2002 and 10-9 OT in 2004).
Midfielder Billy Looney fired a shot at Jesse Schwartzman's right ankle, giving Navy a 1-0 advantage just 43 seconds into the game.
Hopkins answered when Jack Byrne bullied his way inside and faked left to right and found space just to the left of Russell's knee, knotting the score with just under 11 minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
Seniors Taylor Harris and Jon Birsner teamed up on back-to-back goals, including an extra-man tally at the 13:21 mark in the second, to give Navy a 3-1 lead with 10 minutes left in the half.
Hopkins stormed back with a pair of goals of its own to tie the game at three apiece.
Nick Mirabito wrapped around the left side of the goal and found a wide-open Birsner standing on the crease for an easy score ... the Mids tacked on a goal with just over a minute to play when Matt Bitter took a Terence Higgins pass and bounced it past Schwartzman to give Navy a 5-3 lead.
The Blue Jays, however, got the final say of the half when middie Stephen Peyser drove to the left side of the box and fired in his second goal of the season with 16.2 seconds remaining on the clock, narrowing the gap to one at the half.
Just 1:30 in the second half, Hopkins freshman Brian Christopher wrapped around the left side of the goal, tucking the ball over Russell's shoulder to tie the game at 5-5.
Birsner answered 1:24 later with his second goal of the game, running around the left side of the cage where he got off a quick shot ... Navy pushed its lead to 7-5 when Birsner fed Mirabito who fired in a 10-yarder at the 5:20 mark ... the Mids nearly made it a three-goal game, as Looney's shot at the horn hit the left post.
Hopkins opened up the fourth quarter with back-to-back goals nine seconds apart to tie the game up once again (7-7) ... just as Geoff Leone made contact with Byrne, Byrne was able to turn to right and flick the ball over his right shoulder, surprising Russell ... on the ensuing face-off, Tommy Wallin looked to scoop up the loose ball as it made its way towards the Navy goal ... Tom Duerr picked up the loose ball in an unsettled situation and quickly fired off the shot.
Johns Hopkins took its first lead of the day when Paul Rabil took a shot from eight yards out on the fly with 9:40 to go.
The Mids knotted up the game at eight apiece when the Birsner-Mirabito connection hooked up for the third time and Mirabito notched his second goal of the afternoon, launching from the right side of the field.
Huntley answered the call a minute later as he was able to thread the ball past Russell for the game-winner from the right side as he was falling down ... the ball actually hit Russell and slowly rolled into the goal as Russell dove after it.
Navy had its chances down the stretch, but the small errors added up ... Leone overthrew teammate Ian Dingman on a clear attempt with 3:40 to play and with roughly 3:30 remaining, senior pole Chris Barnard was flagged for being offsides ... though the flag was thrown, Hopkins did a good job of maintaining possession and it wasn't until Russell came out of the goal and literally tackled Huntley on the end line that the play was whistled dead at the 1:07 mark and Navy would be a man down for 30 seconds.
It was Russell who once again came out of the goal and with 34.4 seconds to go, Russell pushed Byrne out of bounds and Navy got the ball back ... Russell threw the ball in play and Looney came racing down the field ... a couple of passes later, Looney fired off a 15-yarder that flew wide right ... Navy retained possession with 9.9 seconds remaining and Birsner tried to squeeze the pass in to Dingman who was double teamed ... Unable to make the catch, the ball was loose on the field when time expired.</p>
<p>Patriot League Tournament Set
Navy will play host to the 2007 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Championship Friday, April 27 and Sunday, April 29.
The No. 1-seeded Midshipmen will face fourth-seeded Army in the first quarterfinal beginning at 4:00 pm ... Colgate and Bucknell will play in the nightcap set for 7:00 pm.
The championship game is slated for a 12:00 pm face-off on Sunday and will be televised live by CSTV.
The tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Tournament ... Navy has won the last three Patriot League Tournaments.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Navy ticket office at 1-800-US4-NAVY, logging on to <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a> or stopping by the Ricketts Hall Ticket Office ... tickets will also be available on game day at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium ... tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students per day.</p>
<p>Fast Facts
Junior attack Nick Mirabito has scored a goal or dealt out an assist in 41 of the 42 games in which he has played ... his 40-game streak was snapped against Maryland ... at the time, it was the second-longest active streak in Div. I lax.
A Navy player has produced a hat trick in 10 of the 11 contests this season - Ian Dingman 7x, Nick Mirabito 3x, Billy Looney 2x, Basil Daratsos 1x, Bruce Nechanicky 1x, William Wallace 1x ... the streak was broken in the Mids' overtime loss to Maryland ... rookie Basil Daratsos and Tim Paul paced the Mids with two goals each against the Terps.
Navy's defense is ranked No. 3 in the country, giving up 6.05 goals per game ... the Mids have given up double-figure goals just three times (Army in '06, Colgate and Georgetown in '07) in its last 26 games and five times in the last 41.
The Mids have held six of their 11 opponents to five or fewer goals this season, including a three-goal output by nationally-ranked Bucknell ... dating back to 2003, Navy has won 27-straight games when holding its foes to five or fewer goals.
Navy has held the lead at halftime in every game this season ... the Mids have lost 12 in a row when trailing at the break and 57 straight when trailing after three quarters of play.
Ian Dingman's 177 points are the most by a Navy player since four-time All-American Mike Herger produced 197 points between 1987-90.
Navy owns a 9-7 record when ranked No. 9 in the country, including a pair of wins to open the season against Saint Joseph's and Lafayette.
Navy has scored a goal in 997-consecutive games dating back to 1910. </p>
<p>Balanced Scoring
17 players have scored goals for the Midshipmen this spring, while another six have posted assists, bringing the total to 23 different players having a role in Navy's scoring.
Of the 17 players who have scored for Navy, 13 of them have found the back of the goal at least twice this spring.
Eight Navy players have reached double-digit points ... only Denver (10) and Albany (9) have more players with double-digit point production ... Cornell and North Carolina also have eight players who have recorded 10-plus points this year.
Last year, only seven Navy players reached double figures in the points column ... while Navy currently has eight players with double digits, two more are on the cusp as Tim Paul has nine points and Matt Guido owns seven.
Seven different players have accounted for the Mids' nine game-winners ... seniors Ian Dingman and Tommy Wallin have each produced a pair of game-winning goals.</p>
<p>Third Quarter Woes
In recent weeks, Navy has struggled to keep its opponents under control in the third quarter.
The Mids have given up 27 goals in the third quarter this spring (2.45 per gm).
Navy's last three opponents - Georgetown, Maryland and Army - have accounted for 14 of the 27 goals, 51.9 percent ... in the last three games, Navy has given up nearly double (4.67) the # of goals it has allowed in the third quarter this season.
Georgetown scored 5 of its 10 goals to open the second half, while Maryland scored 4 of its 7 and Army picked up 5 of its 9 in the third stanza.</p>
<p>National Noise
Navy is ranked among the top 10 in five statistical categories and the top 5 in three.
The Mids are tied for third in the country with their smothering defense, giving up 6.09 goals per game.
Navy is ranked fourth with its +4.91 margin of victory, while Cornell is atop the list with a +8.40 margin, followed by Albany (5.55) and Virginia (5.08).
Navy is also ranked among the top 10 in face-off win percentage (4th), win percentage (6th) and scoring offense (10th).
Senior goalkeeper Colin Finnegan is ranked No. 3 in goals-against average (5.86) and sixth in save percentage (.626).
Senior midfielder William Wallace is second in the country in face-off win percentage, claiming wins in 70.4 percent of his draws.</p>
<p>Former Mids recall last win over Hopkins</p>
<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Last Friday night's dedication of the Bilderback-Moore Lacrosse Hall of Fame at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium brought together two of the game's greatest coaches.</p>
<p>Former Johns Hopkins head coach Bob Scott and former Navy head coach Dick Szlasa spent considerable time together during the event, reminiscing about great players and great games of a bygone era....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Published in the Washington Compost:</p>
<p>
[quote]
If the 32-game winning streak that Johns Hopkins has against Navy in lacrosse could be encapsulated in one moment, it might be this: Brendan Schneck scored five goals against Johns Hopkins when he was a sophomore at Navy in 1978, which ties him for the most goals a Navy player has scored in the series in 51 years.</p>
<p>A few months later, however, Schneck left the academy -- and transferred to Johns Hopkins....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Published in the Washington Times:</p>
<p>
[quote]
A few years ago, Navy assistant John Tillman was discussing prospects he watched that summer at the Top 205 camp, the largest collection of rising senior high school lacrosse players in the country. </p>
<p>Suddenly, one name grabbed the attention of coach Richie Meade. </p>
<p>"William Wallace, we have to recruit him. I don't care how good he is. We have to have a guy named William Wallace in there," Tillman recalled Meade saying. "You ever see 'Braveheart'? No? Oh, it's the best movie ever. But he better be tough, though."...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Navy coach sees Jays as still dangerous</p>
<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy coach Richie Meade is tired of hearing how the Johns Hopkins lacrosse program is down this season. </p>
<p>Angry alums can't understand why Hopkins has suffered four regular season losses for the first time since 1996. Earlier this month, the Blue Jays endured their first three-game losing streak since 1990....
[/quote]
</p>
<h1>7 Johns Hopkins def. #9 Navy, 10-9</h1>
<p>For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>
<p>Mids Drop Third One-Goal Game of the 2007 Campaign</p>
<p>BALTIMORE, Md. - Johns Hopkins junior middie Paul Rabil scored two of his game-high three goals in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner, to lead the seventh-ranked Blue Jays to a 10-9 victory over the No. 9 Navy Midshipmen on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field. With the win, Johns Hopkins has now defeated Navy in 33-consecutive meetings, meanwhile it marks the fourth-straight one-goal decision by the Blue Jays in the series.</p>
<p>Navy has lost three of its last four games by one-goal margins and all three have been to teams currently ranked in the top 10 (Georgetown, 10-9; Maryland, 8-7 OT). The Midshipmen, who have held the halftime lead in all three games, have been outscored 10-3 in the third quarter of those match-ups (Georgetown, 5-2; Maryland, 2-0; Johns Hopkins, 3-1).</p>
<p>Another common factor in two of the three games has been Navy's inability to clear the ball. Navy cleared just 18 of its 32 (.563) against Georgetown, 16 of 19 (.842) against Maryland and in today's defeat, the Mids were just 10 of 19 (.526). It proved costly for the Midshipmen in Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays as Navy had very few offensive possessions, keeping the defense on the field for much of the second half. In fact, Navy failed to clear the ball on seven of its 11 attempts in the second half of action.</p>
<p>In addition to the clearing game, Navy won just eight of the 23 face-offs, again, limiting the number of offensive possessions. Coming into the game, senior William Wallace (Bloomfield Village, Mich.) was ranked No. 2 in the country, winning 70 percent of his draws. However, Hopkins' Stephen Peyser was fantastic at the "x" where he won 14 of the 17 draws and Wallace was a staggering 2 for 11.</p>
<p>"Just about everything we though would be a strength for us coming into the game, wasn't," said Navy head coach Richie Meade, who has suffered seven one-goal losses against the Blue Jays since taking over the program in 1995. "They did a great job on the face-off. There was no magic. Peyser did a great job. He just beat us.</p>
<p>"The clearing game is my fault," said an emotional Meade. "The most important commodity in the game is having possession of the ball. If you clear it, you have the ball. If you win the face-off, you have the ball. I feel badly that I let our team down."</p>
<p>When the Mids had possession of the ball, they were fairly precise, scoring nine goals on 21 shots. After Hopkins rookie midfielder Michael Kimmel scored the game's first goal at 13:39, Navy went on a three-goal run, spearheaded by a Wallace goal at the 11-minute mark. Freshman Basil Daratsos (Niskayuna, N.Y.) hit a sick shot as he rolled to his left and threaded it past Hopkins keeper Jesse Schwartzman. Senior Billy Looney (Silver Spring, Md.) made it a 3-1 game when he fired off an unassisted shot from 15 yards out.</p>
<p>Hopkins, though, closed out the first quarter with a goal by Kevin Huntley, who faked defender Andrew Dow (Hauppauge, N.Y.) and poked the shot in at the crease.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays scored the first-two goals of the second quarter to regain the lead. The tying goal was set up by an errant pass by Navy keeper Colin Finnegan (Arnold, Md.), who ran down a loose ball and was then caught in the corner. Trying to get the ball to teammate Geoff Leone (Massapequa, N.Y.), Finnegan overthrew Leone behind the Navy cage and Hopkins' Jake Byrne quickly picked up the ball and tossed it into the open net.</p>
<p>Navy knotted the score at four apiece when senior Tommy Wallin (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) found Ian Dingman (Deferiet, N.Y.) on the crease, and Dingman rocked to his left and scored on an extra-man goal. Navy rookie Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.) scored the first of his game-high three goals with just 18 ticks remaining in the first half, finding a seam in what appeared to be an extremely tight angle.</p>
<p>Hopkins struck first in the second half with Kimmel posting his second goal of the day off an assist from Steven Boyle. Just over a minute later, Navy took the lead once again on what perhaps most would call a fluke play. A loose ball floated to mid-field where it was batted around towards Navy's offensive side of the field. After multiple attempts to scoop up the ball, a final attempt by Navy's Paul sent the ball rolling past Schwartzman who came out of the goal.</p>
<p>Sophomore Brian Christopher's goal with 4:04 left in the third quarter provided a spark that sent Hopkins on a three-goal run and an 8-6 advantage just over a minute into the fourth quarter. Navy answered with back-to-back goals by Looney and Wallin to knot things up with nearly eight minutes remaining in the game. Rabil, though, scored just 50 seconds after Wallin to give the Blue Jays a 9-8 advantage. He tacked on a second goal with four minutes to go, firing in a 10-yarder from the right side. </p>
<p>Navy narrowed the lead to one when Paul took a pass from junior attack Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) and sent it past Schwartzman. </p>
<p>Hopkins won the ensuing face-off, but turned the ball over in an attempt to get it to the offensive side of the field. However, time ran out on the Midshipmen.</p>
<p>Paul paced the Mids with his first-collegiate hat trick, while Mirabito added a team-best three assists. Six different players accounted for Navy's nine goals in the contest.</p>
<p>Kimmel and Rabil each scored three goals to lead the Blue Jays, while Byrne added a pair.</p>
<p>Finnegan turned in seven saves, including five in the opening half, while Schwartzman ended the game with five saves, four in the second stanza. </p>
<p>Navy will be back in action on Friday when it plays host to the Patriot League Championship. The top-seeded Midshipmen will battle archrival Army in the first semifinal beginning at 4:00 pm, followed by a rematch of today's Colgate-Bucknell contest. The Raiders earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament after picking up a 9-7 victory over the Bison in New York. The second semifinal is slate to begin at 7:00 pm.</p>
<p>The Patriot League Championship game is set for 12:00 pm next Sunday and will be televised live by CSTV.</p>
<p>"Coaches coach emotionally," said Meade. "When you go into battle, you get scarred and you bleed. But we're still standing and we'll be back on that field next Friday to play Army in the Patriot League Tournament."</p>
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<p>A winning streak that I believe extends back 3 decades (Hopkins has won 33 in a row against Navy).</p>
<p>The last time Navy defeated Hopkins in Baltimore, Nixon was just beginning his 1st term, and Woodstock was still a future event.</p>
<p>Yep, the defending national champions had the audacity to schedule Navy for their homecoming in 1969. USNA's Commandant about a dozen years ago, then Firstie All-American defenseman, John Padgett, totally throttled JH's offense.</p>
<p>I think Navy had 5 or so National Championships in the '60s.</p>
<p>Published in the Washington Compost:</p>
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[quote]
Navy men's lacrosse coach Richie Meade ended the day dabbing his tears with a towel. It was moments after Johns Hopkins had beaten Navy, 10-9, before nearly 7,000 fans on homecoming at Homewood Field on Saturday. The Midshipmen (9-3) lost their 33rd straight game to the Blue Jays dating from 1974.</p>
<p>The third quarter was most problematic. The Midshipmen had the ball for 2 minutes 58 seconds; they failed on 3 of 5 clears, lost 4 of 5 faceoffs and were outshot 12-4. They entered the quarter leading 5-4 following a goal on a no-angle shot by freshman Tim Paul with 18 seconds left in the first half....
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<p>Hopkins' win is 33rd consecutive vs. rival; Navy loses 3rd game of year, all by 1 goal</p>
<p>Published in the BS:</p>
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[quote]
The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team has figured out endless ways to beat Navy during a winning streak that spans more than three decades.</p>
<p>Yesterday, on a day when Hopkins senior goalie Jesse Schwartzman stumbled early and the Midshipmen shot the ball with great economy, the eighth-ranked Blue Jays used an unlikely game of keep-away to dispatch No. 7 Navy for the 33rd consecutive time, in yet another tight game between the rivals....
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<p>Published in the Washington Times:</p>
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The conclusions of several tight games in recent years against Johns Hopkins have left Navy coach Richie Meade shaking his head. </p>
<p>None rendered him as frazzled as yesterday's 10-9 loss. </p>
<p>The Mids (9-3) botched nine clears and dominated on faceoffs as they stumbled to their 33rd straight loss to the Blue Jays (6-4) before 6,856 at Homewood Field. </p>
<p>"We don't have to analyze this game very much," Meade said. "This is a coaching thing. I didn't do what I need to do to get our team to be able to handle that part of the game the way they need to handle it. You can point the finger right at me."...
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<p>Mids' frustrating streak against Johns Hopkins reaches 33 straight</p>
<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>
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[quote]
Head coach Richie Meade doesn't face off or clear the ball. Those are the two areas of the game that cost Navy in another close loss to Johns Hopkins.</p>
<p>However, Meade was insistent on taking the entire blame for yesterday's defeat - pointing a finger at himself repeatedly in the postgame press conference....
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<p>Who took a hit this week, and who improved their stock? Our staff takes a look around the college lacrosse world at the teams that are rising and falling.</p>
<p>Teams on the rise</p>
<p>Ohio State</p>
<p>Last season, the Buckeyes stumbled out of the gates, dropped two competitive conference games to Denver and Notre Dame later in the season and finished out of the running for the GWLL's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. But it's a new year for the boys from Columbus. Ohio State avenged that loss to the Pioneers on Sunday with a crucial 10-9 overtime win, its fourth straight conference victory, setting up a huge showdown of GWLL unbeatens when the Buckeyes welcome the Irish on Saturday with an auto bid to the tournament on the line. -- Craig Johnson</p>
<p>Towson</p>
<p>I don't know if rise is exactly the word for the Tigers. It's more like they're gaining a leg up in the CAA's battle of attrition. The Tigers were able to hoof out a close 9-8 win against the upsurge Drexel Dragons, adding to their 10-9 win over Delaware from a few weeks ago. Now they have a slight edge in conference with the CAA tournament around the corner. That No. 1 spot is crucial in the conference tourney, since the highest seed holds onto home field advantage through the semis and final. -- Geoff Shannon</p>
<p>Colgate</p>
<p>Don't think Syracuse is automatically in the playoffs now that it got past Albany. After UMass, the Orange have to face a Colgate team that many thought in the preseason could make some major noise this year. The Red Raiders started the year 4-4, but they've since won five in a row. A huge win over Bucknell on Saturday clinched second place in the Patriot League for Colgate, which plays the Bison again in the Patriot League tournament next weekend. Winner of that game gets the winner of Navy-Army for the Patriot's automatic qualifier. Led by Matt Lalli and Brandon Corp, Colgate has five players with at least 20 points and, coming into the weekend, sat fifth nationally in face-off percentage (60 percent), first in man-up offense (60 percent) and 11th in overall scoring (10.83 gpg). -- John Jiloty</p>
<p>Siena</p>
<p>The NCAA championship trophy won't be making a trip back to Siena anytime soon, but the Saints are positioning themselves well for a Tournament berth. With two games to go, they are undefeated in the MAAC and have won seven of their last eight. If they keep it up through the end of the regular season, they'll have the inside track on the MAAC's automatic qualifier and a likely first round matchup with Cornell. -- Mike Keegan</p>
<p>Teams on the decline</p>
<p>**Navy</p>
<p>Coach Richie Meade, in an emotional speech, blamed himself Saturday after his team's one-goal loss to Hopkins -- Navy's third one-goal loss in four games. He specifically mentioned the group's failure to clear the ball (10-of-19 on the day). "We're going to take the lessons from these games and we're going to put them to good use. They're going to be better next week, they're going to play harder next week, and when they graduate they'll defend you, because that's who we are. This whole thing isn't about them. It's about me not taking care of business, and that's what I'm most upset about, OK. It's about me not holding up my end of this bargain, and that's it as far as I'm concerned." -- Goeff Shannon**</p>
<p>Army</p>
<p>The season started with such promise for the Black Knights with four straight victories, including a win over the Orange at the Carrier Dome, but those days seem like ancient history following Army's loss at Duke -- the team's fifth consecutive setback. While the defense has been solid, allowing just 6.67 goals per game, the offense has been the biggest chink in Army's armor (6.50 goals per game). While 2007 can still be salvaged this weekend with a run in the Patriot League tournament, the offense will have to find a way to catch up with that back line, and quickly. -- Craig Johnson</p>
<p>Hobart</p>
<p>Sure, I may have picked Hobart as a "team on the rise" a few weeks back after the Statesmen beat Fairfield. They responded by promptly losing three straight. Thanks, fellas. Saturday, Hobart lost 13-10 to St. John's, a team that wasn't even a varsity program five years ago. (The Red Storm are 5-7 on the season and beat Rutgers two weeks ago.) With remaining games against Loyola, Canisius and Cornell, Hobart could finish 5-9, which would be its worst record since moving from Division III to D-I in 1995. -- John Jiloty</p>
<p>Fairfield</p>
<p>As much as I hate to admit it, Fairfield has hit a major skid. It started the season 5-0, but has since dropped five straight after the loss to Loyola on Saturday. If they can rebound against UMass and St. John's, however, they will still have put together a solid season. -Mike Keegan </p>
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