The No. 5 seed Big Red (13-3) won three national crowns in their first three attempts (1971, 1976 and 1977), but have gone 0-3 since (1978, 1987 and 1988). Meanwhile, the Orange (15-2) is 10-5 in title games, including 4-2 since John Desko succeeded Roy Simmons Jr. as head coach after the 1998 season. Here are three developments that could determine the outcome of Monday’s NCAA tournament final at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Continue reading "Cornell vs. Syracuse: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Three things to watch
        

The No. 1 seed Cavaliers (15-2) are just 9-11 in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, but they are 2-2 in their last four trips to the Final Four. The No. 5 seed Big Red (12-3) is 6-4 in the semifinals, but their last victory over Virginia occurred in 1988. Here are three developments that could determine the outcome of Saturday’s semifinal at 2:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Continue reading "Cornell vs. Virginia: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Three things to watch
        

The No. 2 seed and reigning national champion Orange (14-2) are seeking their 16^th trip to the national title game in 26 attempts -- including their third NCAA tournament final since 2004. Meanwhile, the No. 3 seed Blue Devils (15-3) are trying to reach their second championship final in three years. Here are three developments that could determine the outcome of Saturday’s semifinal at noon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Continue reading "Duke vs. Syracuse: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Three things to watch
        

The Mustangs are in unfamiliar territory, having reached the NCAA tournament semifinals for the first time in program history. For a shot at either Cortland State or Middlebury in the championship final next Sunday, here are three factors Stevenson (17-1) must take advantage of in its semifinal game against Gettysburg (15-3) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Caves Athletic Complex in Owings Mills.

Continue reading "Gettysburg at Stevenson: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Stevenson, Three things to watch
        

Since Dave Pietramala took the head coaching reins from John Haus prior to the 2001 season, the Blue Jays are 19-6 in the NCAA tournament and have made six final four appearances. Here are three game developments that could be critical for Johns Hopkins (10-4), which tangles with Virginia (14-2) on Sunday at noon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.

Continue reading "Johns Hopkins vs. Virginia: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Three things to watch
        

Since Dave Cottle succeeded Dick Edell as head coach prior to the 2002 season, the Terps have been to three NCAA tournament semifinals. The No. 2 seed and reigning national champion Orange stand in the way of a fourth final four appearance. Here are three keys for Maryland (10-6), which faces Syracuse (13-2) on Saturday at noon at Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y.

Continue reading "Maryland vs. Syracuse: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch
        

Much will be at stake when the eight-time reigning national champion Sea Gulls (16-3) visit the top-ranked Mustangs (16-1) Wednesday at 4 p.m. in a NCAA Division III tournament quarterfinal. These three developments could have an impact on the outcome.

Continue reading "Salisbury at Stevenson: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Salisbury, Stevenson, Three things to watch
        

The Terps are 19-6 in the first round and have won eight of their last nine tournament openers. Here are three keys if Maryland wants to advance to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year by getting past Notre Dame at noon Sunday.

Continue reading "Maryland at Notre Dame: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch
        

The Midshipmen return to Tobacco Road after upending North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year. Here are three things that could help Navy make a triumphant trip against the Blue Devils on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Continue reading "Navy at Duke: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Navy, Three things to watch
        

The Retrievers are just 1-4 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, while the Tar Heels have lost five of their last seven tournament openers. Here are three things that could help UMBC get past North Carolina on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and collect its second first-round win in three years.

Continue reading "UMBC at North Carolina: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Three things to watch, UMBC
        

Normally, I would use this space to highlight three game developments that could determine the outcome for either team. I’m going to tweak it slightly and just go with what I think are three keys to victory for Johns Hopkins when Brown visits Saturday at noon.

Continue reading "Brown at Johns Hopkins: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Three things to watch
        

The Tigers have a golden opportunity to not only capture their fourth Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship, but also assure themselves of a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Here are a few things that must turn in Towson’s favor Saturday night so that the team can avoid the anxiety of Selection Sunday:

Continue reading "Villanova at Towson: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Three things to watch, Towson
        

The Charles Street rivalry is renewed with significant ramifications at stake depending on the outcome.

Here are a few game developments that could help determine the result:

Continue reading "Loyola at Johns Hopkins: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Loyola, Three things to watch
        

The No. 11 Retrievers have won or shared the America East regular-season title in each of the past five years. If UMBC (10-3) hopes to reach its fourth consecutive tournament final, here are a few objectives the team should aim for.

Continue reading "Binghamton at UMBC: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Three things to watch, UMBC
        

It’s another installment in the annual "War on the Shore" series. The Sea Gulls have won 10 of the past 11 meetings, including the last eight. But Salisbury doesn’t look nearly as invulnerable as in previous seasons, and the Shoremen are eager to get their first victory in the series since May 4, 2002. Here are a few developments that could intrigue me as I watch from Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium in Chestertown.

Continue reading "Salisbury at Washington: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Salisbury, Three things to watch, Washington
        

The Blue Jays have enjoyed a lopsided relationship with the Tigers, winning 33 of 36 meetings, and Towson hasn’t earned a victory in the series since 1996. Here are a few things I will be looking for from the press box at Johnny Unitas Stadium Wednesday night.

Continue reading "Johns Hopkins at Towson: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Three things to watch, Towson
        

The No. 19 Greyhounds are just a half-game behind No. 13 Massachusetts in the race for the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship and automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. Here are a few things Loyola must do against the Stags to stay in contention.

Continue reading "Fairfield at Loyola: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Loyola, Three things to watch
        

A victory Saturday for either the No. 11 Midshipmen or the No. 10 Blue Jays could go a long way in polishing their resumes for a NCAA tournament bid. Here are a few developments that could determine the outcome.

Continue reading "Navy at Johns Hopkins: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Navy, Three things to watch
        

No need for a lengthy introduction for these two teams, who are meeting for the 105th time in this series.

Here are a few developments that could determine the outcome of the contest.

Continue reading "Johns Hopkins vs. Maryland: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Three things to watch
        

All the talking is almost over, and these two rivals can let their play speak for them Saturday in the first game of the doubleheader at the Smartlink Day of Rivals at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Here are a few things I’ll be interested in observing.

Continue reading "Army vs. Navy: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Navy, Three things to watch
        

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. The Blue Jays are mired in another three-game losing streak, but as they have done in the past, they have usually rebounded with a strong finish. Here are a few areas Johns Hopkins needs to win to get, well, the win.

1) The Blue Jays’ biggest problem has been a tendency to surrender extended runs that put them in big holes. In a 14-11 loss to No. 2 Syracuse, Johns Hopkins allowed bursts of 6-0 and 5-1. In a 16-15 setback to No. 1 Virginia, the Blue Jays allowed a 5-5 tie to turn into a 12-6 deficit. And in a 10-9 loss in overtime to No. 11 North Carolina, a 5-0 run put Johns Hopkins in a 6-2 hole. Whether it’s the offense failing to find its rhythm or the defense being out of sync, the Blue Jays would do themselves a huge service by preventing Albany from getting on a run.

2) Possessions translate into shots, which means pressure on a defense, which can lead to goals. In each of the three losses, Johns Hopkins has been on the wrong end of shots and groundballs. The difference is markedly noticeable in the first half. In that period, the Blue Jays were out-shot by Syracuse, 29-9; Virginia, 22-14; and North Carolina, 25-9. In the category of groundballs, Johns Hopkins trailed the Orange, 17-7; the Cavaliers, 17-6; and the Tar Heels, 20-14. In those three setbacks, the Blue Jays are averaging just 10.7 shots and 9.0 groundballs in the first half compared to 25.3 and 18, respectively, for their opponents. Winning the possession battle could go a long way in determining Saturday’s outcome.

3) The Great Danes have beaten No. 13 Massachusetts and only lost to No. 5 Princeton and Denver, but they have missed the presence of senior attackman Corey Small. Small, who led Albany in goals last season with 34 and was second in points with 45, has missed the last three contests after undergoing surgery last month, and the Great Danes struggled to beat a winless Hartford squad, 9-8, on Wednesday. Albany’s troubles on attack would seem to be a perfect recipe for Johns Hopkins to stop the bleeding.

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Three things to watch
        

Both teams are playing on a short week on Friday, but the adrenaline will be flowing with an expected crowd approaching five figures. Here are some details I will be interested in observing from the press box at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

1) The Midshipmen's defense isn’t strikingly huge or fast, but the unit is one of the stingiest in the nation, surrendering an average of seven goals per game – which is tied for fourth-best in Division I. Senior Andy Tormey shut out Georgetown’s Ryan Shuler, freshman Matt Vernam limited Ricky Mirabito to just one goal, and short-stick defensive midfielders Geoff Leone and Bobby Lennon are considered two of the best at their position. "They have a tremendous system that they coach and the players understand," Terps coach Dave Cottle said. "We’ve got to do the things that make us successful. It just so happens that our opponent is Navy." But Navy coach Richie Meade said the objective is to keep the scoring to a minimum. "For us to win, it’s going to be 8-7, 9-7, 6-5," he said. "If it gets up to the 10s, 12s and 13s, they’ve got an awful lot of firepower, two very good goalies and a very good defense. I’m not sure that’s a game we’re going to win. But we’re going to look to run on them and they’re going to look to run on us, and a lot of it comes down to them handling the ball and us being able to slide at the right time and cover up the inside and get some turnovers, which we’ve been able to do."

2) Many people knew Tim Paul and Patrick Moran would power the Midshipmen's offense, but Brendan Connors has been a pleasant surprise. The junior attackman has already achieved career highs in goals (14), assists (six) and points (20) and turned in his first career hat trick against Georgetown last Saturday. But the Navy offense will meet a Maryland defense that likes to switch from zone defense to man-to-man and could start either Jason Carter or Brian Phipps in the net. "We need our attack to play well in order to compete against a team like Maryland," Meade said. "Our key is good shot selection and good shot placement."

3) Inside Lacrosse’s Christian Swezey pointed out teams that have been extended to multiple overtimes and lost don’t fare well the next week. In 2002, Navy lost to North Carolina in six overtimes and dropped the next game to Massachusetts. In 1988, Cornell lost to Massachusetts in five overtimes and was nipped by Yale in overtime the next week. But Cottle said he isn’t worried about a possible letdown. "Practice started at 2:30 on Monday, and the team was out 15 minutes early ready to start," he said. "They understand we’ve got a challenge in front of us. We’re playing a good team, a well-coached team. It’s going to be a battle, and they have done everything we’ve asked to focus in on Navy. They haven’t spent one minute on looking back at our last game."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland, Navy, Three things to watch
        

Saturday’s game between these Atlantic Coast Conference rivals will be aired on ESPN2, and the last time that happened, the Terps stunned the Cavaliers in College Park. Here are a few things to consider if Maryland wants to repeat that result.

1) With faceoff specialist Bryn Holmes unlikely to play because of a groin/hip injury, the four remaining Terps players who have taken faceoffs have won just 39 of 92 attempts (.424). That doesn’t bode well against Virginia’s Chad Gaudet, who is tied for 12th in the country with a .581 (108 of 186) percentage. Maryland’s players have been practicing against undergraduate assistant Will Dalton, and coach Dave Cottle will likely alert the officials to what he thinks is Gaudet’s recipe for success. "Chad Gaudet is a fingers guy," Cottle said. "He grabs the stick. He does a good job of doing it and no one seems to have called it. It’s a different move. You’ll see the ball’s at his feet, and he’s very good at his feet. He waits for the guy to react and then he reacts. It’s a different style and we have to get used to it."

2) A lot of attention is paid to Virginia’s attack and rightly so. But don’t overlook a first midfield unit that is one of the most dangerous in the country. Junior Brian Carroll, sophomore Shamel Bratton and senior Steve Giannone have combined for 46 goals and 19 assists – a level of production that is matched only by UMBC’s trio of Kyle Wimer, Peet Poillon and Alex Hopmann (44 goals and 23 assists). Throw in the starting attack of Garrett Billings, Danny Glading and Steele Stanwick, and the question is, which player draws a short-stick defensive midfielder? Good question, said Cottle. "I think we’re going to have to have multiple plans on that," he said. "You used to be able to short [No.] 19 [Billings], but he is an outstanding player and passer. So that option is out. Then you look at Stanwick, and it looks like that option is out. You’re going to have to play good team defense when you play Virginia."

3) The Cavaliers are beating their opponents by an average of 7.3 goals a contest, and only four of those teams have reached double figures in goals. But both Syracuse and Johns Hopkins pressed Virginia into one-goal losses. Still, Cavaliers coach Dom Starsia isn’t concerned about giving up goals. "If you want to play quickly on offense and you want to be a team that attacks the goal, you’re going to give up more goals than might be popular," he said. "Whether it’s related to the quality of our opponents in the early part of the season or whatever else, I would say that we are playing better defensively. We’re getting better play in the goal, but I’ve also got experienced, athletic long sticks. And they’re stepping up and taking responsibility for what’s going on. We’re a team that might still give up 10 goals to Hopkins or Syracuse, but if we’re scoring 12 or 13, then we’re winning the game, and that’s most important."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch
        

Two teams that have not fully met preseason expectations, the No. 17 Midshipmen and unranked Hoyas, tangle Saturday. A few things to keep an eye on:

1) No one in Annapolis is using the P-word (aka "panic"), but there is a sense of urgency about winning Saturday’s contest. Navy is 6-3 with all three losses coming by just one goal. But the Midshipmen have two losses in the Patriot League and own a victory over just one top-20 opponent (No. 18 Ohio State). Still, coach Richie Meade and his players aren’t stressing. "One of the things I’ve told our guys is block out the noise," he said. "The only thing that’s important is what we’re saying to each other and what we do internally because that’s reality. Everything else is just a guess."

2) The strength of Georgetown’s team is an aggressive, stout defense that likes to hound opponents into causing turnovers. The Hoyas forced No. 11 Harvard into 18 turnovers and permitted just 28 shots in Georgetown’s 9-8 overtime upset on Wednesday. "That’s the game we have to expect," Meade said. "We may not be able to run our offense. They may pressure us to the point where we throw a pass away or we get a 20-second count on a clear. We’ve got to be able to deal with those situations and play well. The other side of it is anytime you pressure somebody, you’re going to take the risk that they can handle the pressure and create offensive opportunities. So groundballs become extremely important in a game like this."

3) Even after knocking off the Crimson, Georgetown is just 3-4. Of even more concern is that the Hoyas are 0-2 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference, which awards the league champion an automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. But Meade isn’t buying into a woe-is-me scenario. "It’s still Georgetown, OK?" he said. "They’ve had some struggles, they’ve lost some games they certainly expected to win, but they held Syracuse to eight goals and they beat Maryland. So they’re still the team that people projected earlier in the year to go to the Final Four. We can’t rely on them playing poorly. We have to rely on us being able to play a very good game against a team that has the ability to physically overwhelm you."

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Navy, Three things to watch
        

While the No. 19 Greyhounds’ goalie dilemma involving Jake Hagelin and Alex Peaty will be a significant story line Saturday, here are a few more factors that could help determine the final outcome.

1) Although Loyola has allowed a modest 8.4 goals per game, the unit has not faced an offensive juggernaut like the one the No. 2 Orange brings to town. Syracuse is averaging 14.1 goals per contest, which ranks second in the nation behind No. 1 Virginia’s unit (14.2). While mindful of the Orange’s offense, Greyhounds coach Charley Toomey pointed out that a good portion of Syracuse’s success is rooted in the team’s ability to score goals and maintain momentum by going on runs. The Orange has recorded a 3-0 run in each of its seven games this season and bursts of 6-0 in five contests. "One thing that Syracuse thrives on is three- and four-goal runs," Toomey said. "You don’t want to get into an up-and-down when you’re playing from behind."

Continue reading "Syracuse at Loyola: Three things to watch" »

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Loyola, Three things to watch
        

The Cavaliers’ three-game winning streak against the Blue Jays is the current longest against Johns Hopkins. But here’s a nugget from Blue Jays sports information director Ernie Larossa: Under coach Dave Pietramala, Johns Hopkins is 3-0 at home against top-ranked opponents.

1) After tangling with the country’s best offense in Syracuse (14.6 goals average) last Saturday, the Blue Jays face the nation’s second-most prolific offense in Virginia (14.0). All six of the Cavaliers’ starting attackmen and midfielders have scored at least 10 goals each. Senior attackman Garrett Billings leads Virginia in goals (22) and points (32) and classmate Danny Glading is the team’s top playmaker with 15 assists. ESPN analyst Jack Emmer said how Johns Hopkins shadows Billings and Glading could determine the rest of the team’s defensive presence. "It would really help him [coach Dave Pietramala] if he didn’t have to slide the team defensively to Glading and Billings," said Emmer, the former Army coach who ranks second in NCAA history with 326 career wins. "If he can defend those guys even-up, that’s going to be a big factor. If he has to slide and cover them, then those middies are going to be able to take advantage."

2) One way the Blue Jays could alleviate some of the pressure on their defense is winning the battle of possession and, more specifically, faceoffs. Cavaliers senior Chad Gaudet ranks 15th in the country with a .565 faceoff percentage, and he could jump-start the team’s attack. Johns Hopkins sophomore Matt Dolente won a career-high 15 faceoffs Saturday, but he is still dealing with a hand injury and key backup Michael Powers has been hampered by a right arm injury. "There’s no guarantees that either of them will or won’t play," Pietramala said. "It’s a day-by-day type of thing, and we’ll evaluate it on Friday and Saturday again."

3) Another tactic the Blue Jays might employ is being patient on offense and working the clock and the field for quality shots. It’s a method they used successfully in last year’s NCAA tournament semifinal when Johns Hopkins upset then-No. 1 Duke, 10-9. That puts the onus on Virginia to be focused on defense and efficient on offense, according to Cavaliers coach Dom Starsia. "Will Hopkins want to go up and down the field with us or will they want to slow the tempo down a little bit, maybe play out of an invert offense?" he asked rhetorically. "We expect that’s a decision they might make. So being able – for us – to be patient both offensively and defensively is certainly going to be a factor in the game."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Three things to watch
        

The No. 9 Terps have won 13 of the last 14 meetings, and the No. 14 Tar Heels haven’t secured an ACC victory since April 10, 2004 – a span of 19 contests. But here are a few things to keep an eye on when the teams meet Saturday at Ludwig Field at 2 p.m.

1) If Maryland wants to limit a North Carolina offense ranked fourth in the country with 13.1 goals per game, the Terps must hold their own on faceoffs. Tar Heels fifth-year senior Shane Walterhoefer (Boys’ Latin) ranks second in the nation with a .646 faceoff percentage. Maryland could counter with junior Bryn Holmes, but the McDonogh graduate – who ranks sixth with a .605 percentage – is a game-time decision with a groin injury. "We’ll know more on Friday," Terps coach Dave Cottle said. "Walterhoefer is winning close to 65 percent. So we’ve got to find a way to either clear it or win face-offs or both in order to make things happen. That’s going to be critical. I think they’re going in feeling pretty good about the face-off game."

2) Maryland could use more productivity from a midfield that has not scored a goal in the team’s last two contests against Towson and UMBC. Seniors Dan Groot, Jeremy Sieverts and Jeff Reynolds can initiate at the top of the zone or go behind the net. Reynolds, in particular, has caught the attention of North Carolina coach Joe Breschi. "Reynolds is the emotional leader of that team," Breschi said. "I think he had two goals against Duke off the faceoff [actually one goal and one assist] that ignited them in transition. He’s extremely athletic, and I think we’ve got our hands full with them offensively."

3) The Tar Heels have stumbled recently, losing two of their last three after opening the season with six consecutive victories. In losses to Notre Dame and Duke, North Carolina clung to a 4-3 lead at halftime, but were outscored by a combined 6-0 in the third quarter and 15-7 in the second half. "I think from the offensive end, we’ve got to be more poised and have more composure than we had last weekend [against Duke]," Breschi said. "In a tight game, I don’t think we did a good enough job of being patient in the second half. We’ve got to learn to play better in the second half and third quarter specifically."

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch
        

The Terps have won 24 of 30 meetings in this series, but bragging rights belong to the Retrievers, who have won the past two games. Here are three factors that could play a role in tomorrow’s outcome.

1) UMBC coach Don Zimmerman won’t reveal his hand, but figure on a rotation of juniors J.D. Harkey, Lance Diamond and Jordan Pierce and freshman Justin Radebaugh taking reps on faceoffs. Junior Kyle Wimer is another option, but he’s so valuable on offense and defense, Zimmerman might not want to exhaust him by taking faceoffs. With much of the attention centered on the Retrievers winning just 32.8 percent of their faceoffs, Wimer argued that the faceoff guys don’t deserve all of the blame. "A lot of these are 50-50 balls, and we’re just not coming up with them right now," he said. "If we’re getting in there and it’s a 50-50 ball, we feel like we should be coming up with it. It just hasn’t been going our way." Maryland has its own issues with junior Bryn Holmes (42 of 64, 65.6 percent) not expected to play due to a groin injury. Senior Jeff Reynolds (17 of 28, 60.7 percent) and freshman Jake Bernhardt (five of eight, 62.5 percent) could see some time at the "X."

2) Which offense has its way? The Terps are tied with Colgate for seventh in the country, scoring 12.6 goals a game, and UMBC isn’t far behind at 12.0 goals per contest. The Retrievers’ first midfield line of Peet Poillon (eight goals and 13 assists), Wimer (12, five) and Alex Hopmann (13, one) is widely considered one of the best in the nation. But Maryland’s unit of Dan Groot (five, six), Jeremy Sieverts (seven, two) or Reynolds (five, three) is just as dangerous and can alleviate some of the defensive pressure on attackmen Grant Catalino (11, 10) and Will Yeatman (six, eight). One footnote: The Terps would be wise to avoid penalties as UMBC leads the country with a 66.7 conversion rate in extra-man situations.

3) The Retrievers have declined to cite tomorrow’s game as a make-or-break contest for the season. But they were clearly perturbed after the loss to Princeton, and Zimmerman said he could sense a different vibe among the players during practice earlier in the week. "The team was affected by those two losses, and I think they are in agreement that there are no moral victories," Zimmerman said. "And I’m glad they were affected by the losses. We had a chance to go out and win and we didn’t. We didn’t get it done. But you can’t dwell on the past, you can’t lick your wounds. You’ve just got to get in there and keep trying to improve. That’s the attitude of this team."

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch, UMBC
        

The Blue Jays have owned this series, winning all six meetings, but the Retrievers are eager to break the trend. To do so, here are some things that I will keep an eye on tonight:

1) If the No. 4 Retrievers look awfully familiar to the Blue Jays, take a closer look at the midfield. UMBC (3-0) is powered by a first midfield line of seniors Peet Poillon and Alex Hopmann (Annapolis) and junior Kyle Wimer -- all three of whom rank 1-2-3 on the team in points. It's a formula that Johns Hopkins employed in the past: Adam Doneger, Kyle Harrison and Kevin Boland in 2003, Harrison, Boland and Matt Rewkowski in 2004, Harrison and Paul Rabil in 2005, and Paul Rabil and Stephen Peyser in 2007 and 2008. If the Blue Jays plan to shadow those three midfielders with long-pole defensemen, that leaves either senior attackman Ryan Smith (Fallston) or junior attackman Matt Latham (Liberty) facing off against a short-stick defensive midfielder.

2) Johns Hopkins has been a program that has long been celebrated for its tough defenses. The question for the No. 8 Blue Jays (1-1) is: Which defense shows up tonight? The one that shut out Siena over the final 45 minutes, 50 seconds in a season-opening win? Or the unit that surrendered nine of the game's first 10 goals in Saturday's loss to Princeton? Senior Michael Evans struggled with Tigers sophomore attackman Jack McBride, and juniors Matt Drenan and Sam DeVore and senior long-stick midfielder Charlie Wiggins drew unnecessary penalties. That unit has to play better to give junior goalkeeper Michael Gvozden a chance against a Retrievers offense that averages 14.7 goals per game.

3) UMBC's defense seems to have filled the void left when top close defenseman Bobby Atwell (Southern) was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in January. Senior Steve Settembrino and juniors Matt Kresse and Brian Schneider have bent, but not broken against opponents like Delaware's Curtis Dickson and Colgate's Brandon Corp. They'll have to do much of the same against a Johns Hopkins offense that has gotten goals from seven different players.

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Three things to watch, UMBC
        

The No. 14 Blue Devils and No. 8 Terps open the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule with Saturday’s contest at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium. Here are some game developments that interest me:

1) Both teams want to hang onto the ball and keep it away from the opposing offense, and one way of accomplishing that is winning face-offs. Blue Devils senior Sam Payton has not picked up where he left off last season when he ranked seventh in the country with a .593 percentage. He is 20 of 39, but he won 14 of 19 in Duke’s 15-7 win March 1. On the flip side, Maryland junior Bryn Holmes has been great, claiming 35 of 43 face-offs. But he went just 9 of 19 last year. "He’s dynamite," Blue Devils coach John Danowski said of Holmes. "Those numbers are startling. Sam is gaining experience. He missed a couple weeks of preseason, so he’s getting himself in shape. He’s the guy now who’s taking a lot of draws for us."

2) I’ll have more in tomorrow’s paper on the match-up problems the Terps’ Will Yeatman and Grant Catalino pose on opposing defenses. But as imposing as the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Yeatman and 6-5, 220-pound Catalino are, Duke is no slouch defensively. Senior Ryan McFadyen is 6-6 and 245 pounds, sophomore Tommy Montelli is 6-4 and 215 pounds, junior Parker McKee is 6-2 and 215 pounds, and sophomore Mike Manley is 6-1 and 200 pounds. So Manley barely paused when asked about tackling Yeatman and Catalino. "It doesn’t change anything," he said. "We know our personnel, we know what we’re doing on the defensive end, and we know what we need to do. It doesn’t change anything for us just because they have a 6-foot-5 guy or a 6-foot-6 guy. That doesn’t intimidate us one bit."

3) Both teams are coming off disappointing setbacks: Maryland to Georgetown and Duke to Harvard. And both teams could use a victory before embarking through the meat of their schedules. But if you’re looking for depressed attitudes, you’re looking in the wrong place. "Sometimes it’s good for a team to have some adversity thrown at them early in the season, get a taste of what real life is like," Yeatman said. "So I think although it’s unfortunate that we didn’t come out with the ‘W’, it could help us out in the long run." Said Manley: "Is this a sign of the end of Duke? Not at all. It’s an upset, but we’ll go back to the drawing board and figure things out."

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch
        

When the No. 4 Blue Jays and No. 19 Tigers meet Saturday at noon in the first game of the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium, Johns Hopkins will try to win for the seventh time in the last eight meetings between these programs. Here are a few factors to look for:

1) Princeton walloped Canisius, 14-6, in the season opener for both teams Saturday, but the Tigers launched 60 shots. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but senior midfielder Mark Kovler shot just 1 of 13, and junior midfielder Scott MacKenzie went 1 of 8. Coach Bill Tierney pointed out that Princeton must be much more efficient against the Blue Jays’ stingy defense. "I learned that we can’t hit the broad side of a barn without a snow shovel with our shots," Tierney joked before turning serious. "I think the kids executed pretty well, but we didn’t shoot very well. The Canisius goalie played very well, but in a game, to miss 46 times, that’s usually our average number of shots. So we learned that we’ve got guys willing to let it fly. Now the idea is to try to get a few more on goal."

2) Blessed with two talented goalkeepers in junior Nikhil Ashra and freshman Tyler Fiorito, the Tigers are going with a two-man rotation for the first time in Tierney’s career. Fiorito, a Phoenix native and McDonogh graduate, started against Canisius, and Ashra replaced Fiorito to begin the second half. Tierney won’t tip his hand as to who will get the start Saturday or if one goalie will play the entire game, but Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala said the challenge is preparing for two players who don’t show up in a lot of game film. "Obviously, it worked well for Princeton this past Saturday. I thought both of their goalies played well," Pietramala said. "I think they’re both very different, and that’s probably the greatest challenge presented, that maybe just when you start to get a bead on a goalie, the next thing you know there’s a new guy in there."

3) Go ahead and count Tierney among the coaches who are breathing a sigh of relief that they don’t have to game-plan for Paul Rabil, Kevin Huntley and Stephen Peyser. But Tierney was cognizant that the Blue Jays got goals from six different players in the team’s 11-3 season-opening victory over Siena. "You’re absolutely right in thinking that they’ve got guys who are very talented and have done a lot of good things already," Tierney said. "So it is going to be spread out, which means you can’t just say, ‘If we stop Rabil or if we stop Peyser, we’re going to get a shot at winning.’ Now you’ve got eight or nine guys that can all score. It becomes a little more difficult in that you really don’t know who’s going to have the big day or who they’re going to go to in crunch time."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Johns Hopkins, Three things to watch
        

Georgetown at Maryland: Three things to watch

When No. 17 Georgetown visits No. 3 Maryland tomorrow at 1 p.m., the biggest storyline will entail how the Hoyas intend to defend the behemoth duo of 6-foot-6, 260-pound junior Will Yeatman and 6-5, 240-pound sophomore Grant Catalino. Some other game factors to keep an eye on:

1) Georgetown graduated its first- and third-leading scorers from last season’s squad, but the team does return junior attackman Craig Dowd (14 goals and 23 assists to rank No. 2 last year), junior midfielder Andrew Brancaccio (18, 2, No. 4) and junior attackman Ricky Mirabito (15, 5, No. 5). Will the Terps blunt the Hoyas’ offense by assigning close defensemen Max Schmidt and Brian Farrell to Dowd and Brancaccio? "That’s a good question," Georgetown coach Dave Urick said. "Our attack is an entirely different look with Brendan Cannon and Andy Baird no longer there. It’ll be interesting to see how teams match up. I’m not sure who they feel is going to be more of a threat to them. Certainly, Brancaccio is someone that everyone is well aware of. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that they bump two poles up and try to defend one of our attackman with a short stick. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that throughout the season."

2) The Hoyas also lost goalkeeper Miles Kass, paving the way for redshirt sophomore Jack Davis to begin his first year as a starter. Urick has praised Davis for his ability to limit rebounds and get the ball upfield to start fastbreaks. The dilemma for Maryland is that there’s very little film of Davis for its offensive players to study. "We don’t know enough about him," Terps coach Dave Cottle said. "The good news is we won’t yell at them for not shooting at the right spot because we have no idea where the right spot is. So the kids are just going to play, shoot hard, and try to score. Maybe in the long run, that’s a good thing for us."

3) Maryland has played two games thus far, while Georgetown wrapped up its preseason scrimmage schedule just last week. While Urick said he’s not concerned about rust, he acknowledged that tomorrow’s contest will be much different than the scrimmages his younger players have experienced. "The atmosphere is going to be an adjustment," Urick said. "We’ve had two preseason scrimmages, and there isn’t a lot of hype around those. There are no TV cameras there. There isn’t a lot of the intangibles that are going to be around this game. So how we react to that is going to be awfully important."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch
        

Arguably the most significant local game of the weekend, a pair of 1-0 teams in No. 15 Ohio State and No. 10 Navy clash at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis tomorrow. I talked with both Midshipmen coach Richie Meade and Buckeyes coach Nick Myers and discerned three factors from my conversation with both men.

1) Faceoffs will be key. Navy won just nine of 21 faceoffs in last Saturday's 13-5 win against VMI. Ohio State was just slightly better with a 12-of-25 success rate in Saturday's 21-1 victory over Detroit Mercy. Meade wasn't quite ready to panic about the play of faceoff specialists Frankie Coppola and Logan West, who combined to go 2-of-11 because Mikelis Visgauss struggled in last season's opener against the Keydets before finishing 13th in the country with a .575 win percentage. But Meade is well aware that success at the "X" could go a long way to getting the Midshipmen the "W." "If you have the ball more than the other team, you’re probably going to win," Meade said. "That comes down to getting groundballs, winning faceoffs, and clearing the ball. That’s kind of the key for us."

2) Navy is eager to test Buckeyes junior goalie Brandon Freeman, who is beginning his first year as a full-time starter in the net. Freeman beat out Syracuse transfer Peter Coluccini, who started for the Orange in 2007. Myers said he has been impressed with Freeman's quick hands and outlet passes. Meade said Freeman might have an advantage. "He’s a little bit of an unknown, but he’s the starting goalie at Ohio State," Meade said. "I’d like nothing better than to score nine goals on him in the first two minutes, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. It doesn’t really matter who the goalie is. We’re not going to change what we do. ... Playing against a good goalie, you’ve got to take good shots. That’s our focus."

3) Ohio State wants to prove its mettle. Many preseason prognosticators jumped ship when the Buckeyes graduated a talented senior class that included midfielder Kevin Buchanan and goalie Stefan Schroder, bid farewell to head coach Joe Breschi, who left for North Carolina, and watched midfielder Peet Poillon transfer to UMBC. But if Ohio State is taking heed of those slights, Myers isn't letting on. "I think we’re just concerned with playing Buckeyes lacrosse," he said. " ... We try to preach the things that we feel are important to this team and us getting better every day. I think the rankings and stuff on the Internet, you’ve got to be careful when you listen to that too much. I think you’ve really got to focus on each other and working hard every day to improve."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Navy, Three things to watch