I’ve been in Texas for a week and have noticed how much bigger Texas football is than Maryland lacrosse.

It’s really that Texas treats all of their high school sports with far more respect and reverence than we do in Maryland.

In Texas, where most of the high school football teams are better than our football teams, there’s good and then there’s "Water Tower" good, which means this -- when you win a county or state title, they plaster your logo and a championship statement of some kind on the huge water tower hovering on tiny legs off of the highway.

These type of containers litter the highways all over the state. And it’s not just football. Boys and girls basketball also enjoy the water tower treatment when deserved, all over the state. In fact, the basketball team in the town I was visiting lost in the first round of the state playoffs, but was escorted to the county line en route to the game by a police escort and even a couple fire trucks.

That’s a proper Texas send-off.

And victorious or not, you might get a parade when you return. Now that’s a bus ride to remember! And one to be jealous of if you’re from a place like Baltimore where only the top professional teams and one swimmer get any real respect from the masses.

Do we have to be Michael Phelps to get a parade around here?

Posted by John Weaver at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Next year will be the first year of the Big East lacrosse conference. It will immediately be a lacrosse power conference to rival the ACC, but with seven members, the conference will most likely be awarded an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament. The teams in the new Big East will be Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova, Boston College, Notre Dame, Providence and Rutgers.

Anchored by the heavyweight Syracuse and Georgetown programs, the others should benefit from the competition and recruiting immediately. However, one of the typical benefits of conference membership will not be afforded these teams by the new formation. Usually, the top team during the regular season in a conference with an automatic bid is good enough to merit an at-large berth, but if they lose during their conference tournament -- the postseason predecessor to the NCAA tournament -- the upset team gets the auto-bid. Therefore, two or more teams from that conference get to participate in the postseason. It’s not always the fairest procedure but it’s the way automatic bids work.

The Big East is opting not to hold a postseason Big East tournament to award the NCAA inclusion. Instead, the winner of the regular season will take the automatic bid. This is primarily because both Georgetown coach Dave Urick and Syracuse coach John Desko don’t want a postseason tournament. Their reasons are sufficient, but not so obvious as to be self-evident or universally agreed with certainly. Each of them plays a traditional schedule of opponents that they don’t want to give up. Syracuse might have to drop a team like Johns Hopkins, which is one of the top games in college lacrosse every season or even their longtime rival Hobart, a game which is cherished by the players and fans and awards the historic Kraus-Simmons trophy to the winner. It’s named after two legendary coaches at the respective schools and represents bragging rights for upstate New York. The game was started when Hobart was a Division III school, but is such a great rivalry that the school won its fair share back then, even with no scholarships. Georgetown would have to drop the Navy game, perhaps, which now honors my good friend Scott Boyle, the referee that passed away after a heart attack while working the April 2, 2005 game between these two top programs. Georgetown also, coincidentally, has a nice rivalry going with Hobart, where the Hoyas coach won 10 straight NCAA Division III championships before taking over the Georgetown program 18 years ago.

Would the other members of the Big East like to play a conference championship? Of course they would. Joining a conference like the Big East will essentially ensure that they do not get in the NCAA tournament if Georgetown and Syracuse keep up their strong traditions, as it is unlikely that with only 16 teams invited that a conference will get more than two bids. The small four-team ACC conference often does, but they are all anchor teams -- Maryland, Virginia, Duke and North Carolina. That said, there are certainly years where all four or at least three of those ACC teams deserve to be in but only three or two get invites because the impression of favoring a conference might be perceived. That sentiment will play against all of those lesser Big East squads for years to come.

Now, if Rutgers or Villanova started beating Georgetown and Syracuse on a regular basis, that might change, but that is not likely soon. So, as the third or fourth team in the conference, with Syracuse usually getting into the NCAA tournament as a high seed and Georgetown getting in most years as an on-the-bubble entry or better, getting a bid without accessing the automatic berth through a conference tournament will be difficult.

So why do Syracuse and Georgetown get their way, when a majority of teams in the conference would be better off with a conference tournament figuring out the berth into lacrosse’s postseason? Because, in this power conference, there are certainly haves and have-nots and the haves call the shots. It has been rumored that the two power schools would not opt to join the conference if a postseason conference tournament was part of the deal. And without Georgetown and Syracuse there would be no conference, because of the appeal and respect they garner and the simple fact that a conference needs a certain number of teams to even qualify for the automatic bid to the NCAAs.

Perhaps after the conference has been established and a few decades have passed, the games between Georgetown and Rutgers or Syracuse and Providence might have a similar or greater sentimental value than the traditional matchups they now value. At such time they may change their mind about using the postseason conference tournament to pry an extra team into the NCAA every so often.

The quicker way for the lesser Big East teams to affect change and get the two big dogs to subscribe to the postseason play plan would be to beat them enough that the Orange and the Hoyas sat out more tournaments than they participate in. My guess is that if this occurs, the two celebrity coaches, if they still have their jobs, will sing an entirely different tune. But until then, they call the shots and there will be no conference showdown for the Big East.

Posted by John Weaver at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

York, Pa., just a short drive up I-83, will be hosting the World's Longest Running Lacrosse Game this Saturday, including more than 400 lacrosse players as a fundraiser for great causes and as a remembrance of one of their own, Travis Sipe, a young man who died in 2004 after a long struggle with injuries sustained in a 2001 car accident.

This is the fourth annual iteration of this event. The first was actually held to raise money for Travis’ needs. The “Take it to the Goal…#14” fundraiser in 2003 raised more than $7,000, which enabled Travis to receive a customized wheel chair and transportation to a number of lacrosse games that spring.

Travis never spoke again, but would attend games holding a stick and watching. After Travis’ death, the event was continued to honor his memory and to raise money for charities in his name. The recipient now is the Make-a-Wish foundation and this year it is to grant the wish of a 15 year-old from Redline, Pa., with bone cancer.

I spoke to Bob Rhein, who runs the Eastern York Knights lacrosse club, only one of the 14 programs which now exist in York County, serving more than 1,300 boys in the county fielding 52 boys youth teams. He was Travis’ coach back when only one club team operated in York. Travis was one of the founding members of the club and played with kids much older than him when the program started in 1996. By 2001, Travis was a star sophomore, scoring five goals and adding an assist in a game on the very day of his accident.

Rhein played his college lacrosse at Bucknell (class of 1985) for Syd Jamieson, the legendary coach who still stays involved in the game in many ways. One of those ways is in support of America Supporting Americans, an organization that matches up sports teams with adopted military units. Bucknell was one of the first lacrosse teams that participated in the program, sending care packages and letters of support to the troops overseas. There are now more than 50 lacrosse teams with adopted military units. One of those is Rhein’s Eastern York club. His under-13 team will be volunteering at the event tomorrow to raise money and items (listed below) for support of the 10th Mountain Sustainment unit.

The original tournament was started at 7:14 in the morning and every “period” of the 17-hour game started on the 14th minute of the hour in honor of Travis’ jersey number 14. This year the tournament will be held in Lancaster, Pa., on a multiple-field venue. Each of the “games” will be played on the hour, but stopped at the 14th minute for a timeout and moment of silence for Travis.

Some of the coaches that have teams in this year’s event actually played with Travis back in 1996 and were also the original kids who supported the first event to raise money for Travis as college players.

Spectators can donate to the cause and also bring items for the 10th Mountain Sustainment unit in support of the Eastern York team’s mission. Those items include Gold Bond powder (or Z-Absorb Powder), chapstick (with SPF), sunscreen, shaving items, lotion, eye drops, toothpaste, breath mints, (Altoids), cotton swabs, soap or body wash, shampoo, sewing kits, baby wipes, handy wipes, Kleenex (pocket size), writing tablets and journals, pens, pencils, crossword puzzles, playing cards, dice, travel-sized board games, magazines, comic books, paperback books, disposable cameras, international phone cards, sports sections of newspaper, CDs and CD cases, current movies on DVD, sunglasses, cotton socks, swim goggles, small footballs, candy bars, gum, prepackaged snacks, powdered drink mixes, Lifesavers and hard candy, instant coffee, sunflower seeds, dried fruits and nuts, trail mix, tabasco sauce, hot pepper sauce and beef jerky. These are the things that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot easily acquire. Those products are vital to their quality of life under the hardest of circumstances.

You can also contribute in your own way to the support mission or the Make-a-Wish goal by contacting Bob at brhein@pennair.com.

Bob sent out the information below to all of the participants. Feel free to make the short drive up to watch or help out.

There are several objectives that I hope to accomplish with the event on Saturday. They are:

Fun: This event is to be fun for all those involved starting from the one organizing it (that would be me), to the players, coaches, officials, parents and all the guests who may be attending throughout the day. Please make sure that you enjoy the day.

Safe: This event continues to be an annual event and we look to host it each year in early- to mid-March. With the spring season games about to start, I would like all 400+ participants to walk off the field healthy and ready for outdoor games in April.

Awareness: The sport of lacrosse is growing faster than any other sport in the area. Thanks to this event, lacrosse will receive a very positive response from the York County community. With the success of this event, a strong message will be sent back to all the schools letting them know that we have a lot of boys and families playing and doing great things in our community to help make a difference. The PIAA and the YAIAA will also see that we are doing a very positive thing in our community.

Financial: There are many ways to make a difference during your time at Lanco Fieldhouse. In addition to each player paying their registration fee of $20, we will have:

MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION: The Make-A-Wish Foundation is an international non-profit organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Through the Penn-Air & Hydraulics Foundation, a check will be presented to Ann Waltman, Regional Manager of M-A-W to support the wish of a local boy. Thanks to the anticipated participation (400+ players), we will be able to support the wish of a local family. We are proud to be able to help this wonderful organization. We will present the check to M-A-W at the conclusion of the Eastern U-13 game. Please understand that the hard economic times impacts everyone, including M-A-W. With corporate donations being cut back, our support is more critical than ever.

America Supporting Americans: The Eastern York Knights are involved in a number of community related events this spring. ASA is a program that the Bucknell men’s lacrosse team joined a few years ago as the first lacrosse team with now more than 50 teams participating. We are proud and honored to be a part of it. The Knights have adopted the 10th Sustainment Brigade out of Fort Drum, N.Y. The Brigade’s logo is proudly attached to each of our player’s helmets.

Laxweights/HeavyHeads: A business acquaintance of mine started a new business in Maryland a few years ago to sell weights that go on the head of your lacrosse stick. He has donated six of them to the event and all the proceeds will go to our foundation. The heads will sell for $20 and they are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

LAXBODY: Who wants a Fathead when you can have the entire LAXBODY? Our friends at JR Passions have introduced one of the coolest products I have seen in my 12 years of coaching lacrosse. Looking for a birthday gift, holiday gift or a special occasion gift for your son, take a look at this one. A full size action replica of your son playing that is cropped, trimmed and easily mounted (and reusable) on your son’s bedroom wall. Why put the head of a pro athlete on your wall when you can put the entire body of your son on the wall instead? Jim, Rachael and Jenn will be with us all day available to shoot for anyone who may want to order one. A portion of the proceeds will go to M-A-W Foundation.

My Pinhead: A local coach has created a new product for quickly changing your lacrosse heads on your shaft. He has kindly donated some for sale. Please take a look at this innovative new product.

Autographed Lacrosse Balls: We will auction off signed autographed lacrosse balls from Kyle Harrison and Tom Marechek, two of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

Summer Camp Lacrosse Scholarships: During the Christmas season, we wrote to a dozen local colleges and universities and asked if they would support our event with a donation of a summer-camp scholarship. I am pleased to report that we will have a number of these for sale again throughout the day in a silent-auction format. I realize it's pretty early in the season to be thinking about a summer camp; however, they will be up for sale all day. The starting price will be a fraction of what they typically cost so please consider placing a bid while you are in attendance at Lanco. All the proceeds will help us to meet our financial goal.

2 The Tee Outfitters: Game day, personalized t-shirts will be available for sale by Casey, Chris and their wives. The shirts have a signature logo symbolizing this year’s event. On the back of each shirt, the player’s name will be added as a personalized thank you for purchasing one of the t-shirts. The shirts will be made while you play so that you can leave with this keepsake. A financial portion of each t-shirt sold will go to M-A-W Foundation.

SPLOA: A special thanks goes out to the South Penn Lacrosse Officials Association for donating their services throughout the event. In addition to officiating for free, the SPLOA will have a table with paper cutouts for sale that show the M-A-W logo. These will be for sale all day and cost $1 apiece. They will be hung throughout the day. Let's see if we can cover Lanco with them before we leave the facility.

Magnets and water bottles: We have a few magnets and water bottles left from last year so we will be selling them for $5 each and they will be available all day.

LOCATION: 1901 Miller Rd, East Petersburg, PA 17520-1330

RULES:

In honoring the game and to achieve our objectives above regarding safety, here are the modified rules for the day. I will review this list with every team that plays before they step onto the turf field.

• Eight field players total. This includes one goalie per team. It will be 2D, 3M and 2A plus 1G.

• Offsides will be called (must keep two players behind midfield both on the offense and defense).

• Long poles may play on the field. Maximum of two on the field at all times.

• Stick checks only for all the games.

• There are no body checks, take-out checks and no hammering anyone.

• On ground balls, you can only box out for position. You cannot take the man as you do in the outdoor game.

• In the event a team does not have a goalie, a wooden insert will be placed inside the goal.

• The corners are cut out 1 foot by 1 foot and all four corners are open for scoring.

• There will be one corner pocket (orange color) placed in each goal.

• All goals scored count as one point. Any ball thrown into a corner pocket counts as two points.

• Penalties will be called by the officials and times will be served similar to the outdoor game (except U-9 games).

• All games will be running time starting exactly on the top of the hour.

• We will pause for one minute at the 14th minute of each game to honor the memory of Travis Sipe.

• There will be no halftime, no quarters and no timeouts other than the one-minute stoppage.

• Substitutions on the fly as well as any dead ball situation. Clock runs all the time.

• Each game will be 59 minutes total.

• All players will exit and enter the field of play quickly to restart the next game.

• The primary scoreboard will show the current games time and score.

• There will be a second scoreboard showing the cumulative score and time played.

• All games will start promptly at the top of the hour. There will be no delays or backups in fairness to the last games of the day

• Everybody wins by playing in this event

Click here and here for more information.

Posted by John Weaver at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I grew up loving two games.

Lacrosse was the sport I played with devotion. I also attended every college lacrosse game anywhere near Baltimore throughout my youth. I lived at Homewood Field. There was always a family member playing Division I lacrosse somewhere, so on weekends I could be found on fields anywhere from Long Island to Charlottesville. Lacrosse was geographically limited to the stretch of turf back then.

The other sport I was truly addicted to was college basketball. I did not play basketball, other than local neighborhood pickup, and I was never very good. But I knew the names of every player in the ACC for years and worshiped the Maryland Terrapins, the local team, and the Syracuse Orangemen for some reason. Keith Smart broke my heart when he hit that shot to defeat the Orangemen in the NCAA final. I hated Indiana ever since. But my basketball addiction was limited to watching college ball. The NBA, to me, is still the most boring and boorish game around and high school basketball just never drew my attention.

When I was in college at the University of Maryland, Lenny Bias was my hero and I was among the thousand or so people camped outside of the Riverdale hospital just praying that the news we heard was wrong when he died of cocaine-related heart failure. I still think he was better than Michael Jordan at that level. When he was drafted by the Boston Celtics, I was resigned to finally follow the pro game, at least one team.

Once out of college, I was known around the workplace for taking the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA hoops tournament off, well in advance, so I could sit at home and watch every moment I could. The only games of the NCAA tournament that I missed for years were the ones that coincided with a lacrosse obligation. I coached for a while so that would interrupt my March Madness with Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon games.

When I started E-Lacrosse, I never even considered this conflict. I guess it just slipped my mind, as March was months away. But the day the seeds were announced I realized that I was really in trouble. I had lacrosse games to cover both Thursday and Friday of the tournament’s first week and every Saturday and Sunday of the tournament after that. It was a crushing blow when I realized that my entrepreneurial endeavor had destroyed something I considered sacred.

I had the VCR working overtime, using extended play settings to record a six-hour block of basketball madness while I trudged around from one early-season lacrosse game to another. This was back when March was the early lacrosse season. There were no February games back then. I would avoid all talk of basketball at the lacrosse games so no one would reveal the winners of that day. I needed to watch my late-night games without knowing the results. I once yelled at a booth announcer for giving the basketball scores to an entire college lacrosse audience over the loud speaker at a Friday-night game. I wasn’t the only one upset. When the he reeled off the scores quickly on during a timeout, boos filled the small stadium. He thought they were booing the outcome of one or more of the basketball games he was reporting, but they were not. He had ruined the rest of their night like he had ruined mine. My life was, in fact, Madness for a few weeks every spring. I would film lacrosse all day and watch basketball all night. I slept in April.

TiVo saved my life. I can now watch every game, albeit after the fact, every year. And I do. But paying all of that attention to basketball’s March Madness often makes me envious of the game for my beloved lacrosse. The lacrosse Final Four enjoys great success and fanfare. That’s for sure. It’s a great event and I would never miss one. I have been to every lacrosse Championship since I was five or six years old. But in all that time, the game at that level has not grown and it is disappointing. The incestuous perennial pipelines of great schoolboy lacrosse players to only the top four to six college teams in this Title IX-tortured sport leaves us with a game that, while great, pales in comparison to the vast possibilities of the basketball tournament. And since the tournament and our season coincide, the stark comparisons are impossible to ignore.

I was filling out my March Madness tournament pool, just like you were, this week and what an adventure. I could fill out twenty different outcomes on twenty different bracket sheets and still likely lose the pool. The outcome is wide open. Hope abounds and is only narrowed after each exciting game for three weeks. I could hit the lacrosse outcome on the money with about three bracket sheets on any given year, quite easily. Only there would be many ties for the top spot, because every lacrosse fan could do the same. In fact, I could make those picks on the same day that I make the basketball picks, some six weeks before the seeds are announced. Especially with the new conference based seeds filling most of the spots. Just add Johns Hopkins and Syracuse and you’ve got a pretty complete bracket.

The exact outcomes of the first-round games would be hard to predict because we don’t know precisely who’s playing who, but we know who will get through to the next round. And we know who will play in the Final Four, within a one-team margin of error. When I picked Syracuse last year as an “upset pick”, it was one thousand times easier than picking Carmelo Anthony’s Syracuse hoops team to win in 2003, the school’s first and only title. Syracuse will be in the Final Four of lacrosse this year. They might be in the basketball Final Four, but I would never bet real money on it. I would get some good odds if I did. But if I were to bet a lacrosse fan that the Orange would be in the lacrosse Final Four, I would have to give them 5-1 odds or better for them to make the bet against Syracuse making it. And in all but seven years over the last three decades I would have won. Over the last ten years I would have lost the bet only twice. That’s where I get the 5-1 odds this year.

The odds are similar for Johns Hopkins and Virginia. If I were to bet you that Hopkins, Virginia or Syracuse would win the tournament, meaning you would take every other team in the nation, I’d have to give at least 10-1 odds and maybe far more. And you’d be a fool to take the bet. It’s a known entity in lacrosse. That’s why the best kids keep going to the same schools. A top kid who chooses to attend a Maryland, Duke, Georgetown or any other top-ten-but-never-brought-home-the-medal team has my respect but not my headline the day after the Memorial Day holiday. Every so often, like 15 years, a new team breaks in like Princeton or North Carolina, so the field of possible champions spreads to four for a few years. But that’s not real growth. There are, after all, four spots in the Final Four. And that fourth team is sometimes a Cinderella like Delaware with the player of the decade, John Grant, or Duke and Cornell, over the last few years, carrying top rankings into the tournament. But on Monday they never hoist the trophy.

Some say that the hardest thing in sports to do is to hit a major league baseball pitch, which even the pros do far less than 50 percent of the time. But I suggest to you that it is far harder to take lacrosse’s top prize from those who hoard it. It has been done only twice in the modern era.

Just for fun, here’s my lacrosse bracket for 2009:

Posted by John Weaver at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Now I’ve seen it all.

Lacrosse stays the same more than it changes. The roster names change, but we love a sport that has only afforded championship titles to five teams in 30 years. There are no big surprises, or so I thought until recently.

No, I’m not talking about how the Northwestern women's team actually looks better than it has in the past, which seems impossible but true. I’m not talking about the massive upsets of this young season, even though Robert Morris beating Penn State, St. John’s and Hobart beating Georgetown, Bentley beating Adelphi, and Stevenson crushing Gettysburg are quite substantial as far as upsets go. I’m not referring to the unlikely streaks, like UMBC beating Maryland three times in a row and North Carolina continuing to drop ACC games even under the new leadership of Joe Breschi.

No, as odd as all those things may seem, this weekend I saw the truly amazing. I saw the most unlikely thing. It wasn’t a selfless act of sportsmanship from a college coach. I said truly amazing and not utter fantasy. It wasn’t a game with absolutely no rude fan/parent behavior. I’m still waiting for that one. If there’s anyone more entitled than a NCAA lacrosse player, it’s their parents. I am talking about the physically impossible.

I was at the Jesuit Lacrosse Classic at Georgetown Prep in Montgomery County, where if a thigh bruise looked like the Virgin Mary, someone would surely recognize her, but that’s not it. This was somewhat mystical, but not quite as unlikely as one of those Jesuit teams from Missouri, Arizona or Texas beating Georgetown Prep on the stadium field. It drew the curious gaze and surprised laugh from the spectators but it wasn’t a great play, although there were plenty of great plays at the tournament. It could have happened in any sport, but I’ve never seen it happen in any sport. It would make the SportsCenter highlights if it ever happened to NBA or NFL players, but it just never has. It was truly odd.

OK. I’ve made you wait so long that it may be anticlimactic, but I just wanted to clarify that it was not one of those things that, while different and unusual, sometimes happens in lacrosse. I have seen a couple acts of modesty from college coaches in my 30 years of experience. I have seen a couple parents of NCAA kids not completely self absorbed. I have, in fact, seen a game or two where the fans did not harass the referees. I’ve even seen a couple of upsets bigger than a Regis (Colo.) or Rockhurst (Mo.) win over Georgetown Prep. But I’ve never seen anything like this.

So here it is. An offensive player was driving with the ball and was hit by a defensive player. Both went to the ground as they collided. The whistle was blown. All of a sudden referees and players were surrounding the two on the ground as neither had gotten up yet. A hush rolled over the crowd as injury was assumed. But when the on-looking players spread out a bit, and the downed athletes were visible to the crowd, they were laughing. The referee was kneeling over his feet also laughing as he attempted to untie their shoes. I said that correctly. He was trying to untie both of the players' shoes -- from each other. Somehow as these two players collided, their shoe laces had become so entangled that they literally could not get up off the ground. Once the shoes were removed, the laces were more manageable, but by then the laughs had spread to the small crowd and even I, who has seen so much in this most predictable sport and haven’t been surprised by anything in it for years, was smiling at the oddity we had just witnessed.

So, like I said, that might have been an anticlimactic tale, but in lacrosse, that’s what passes as shocking. Only if some other team, outside of Virginia, Princeton, Syracuse and Hopkins wins the title this year will I have a story to top that one. And I am not holding my breath. We will all witness time travel or alien visitation before that happens.

Posted by John Weaver at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Courtney Connor coached at Mount St. Mary’s right out of college, as one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA history. During her four years with the Mount, Connor became the winningest coach in Mountaineer women’s lacrosse history with 43 wins and 31 losses. In her fourth year at the helm of the UMBC program, she’s already won a regular-season America East title and coached 15 all-conference selections.

Connor, a Loch Raven High School graduate, is the daughter of former Orioles pitcher Tippy Martinez. She spent five years at the University of Maryland, earning All-American honors and helping the Terps to five NCAA championships. Connor was named team MVP once as a defender. She has been married to former Terps All-American lacrosse player Casey Connor for eight years. They have two daughters, Acacia (5) and Jacinda (2 1/2), with another child on the way. The kids can’t help but be lacrosse players. There are a hundred or so lacrosse sticks around the house.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted before the season. The Retrievers are 3-3 with wins over Delaware, Holy Cross and Howard and losses to Towson, Loyola and Vanderbilt.

How is the preseason progressing?

Courtney Connor: We are definitely looking forward to getting the season underway. Preseason is long and intense and the team is getting antsy for games. However, as a coach, you always want more time, obviously.

What are your specific goals for preseason?

Courtney Connor: We’re trying to fine-tune our offensive and defensive sets, gain confidence and be in top shape.

Give us a rundown of your probable starting personnel for 2009:

Courtney Connor: On attack we’ll have Amanda Pappas and Abbey Swift. On midfield, Kara Dorr, Meagan Linkous and Bria Phillips will start. Our defense will feature C.J. Durham, Tasha Klares and Sarah Willis. In goal will be Kate Quick.

Are there any battles going on for key positions?

Courtney Connor: We always have a battle in the cage because we have great goalkeepers. That is a very nice problem to have considering we will have a great backup keeper no matter who gets to start the game. We are filling some season injury holes right now as well.

How will the personality of this 2009 team differ from the 2008 squad?

Courtney Connor: It’s a smaller group that is more of a balanced team.

Who are your captains and what are their strengths?

Courtney Connor: Susie Sweeney is our emotional leader. Kara Dorr leads by example. Kate Quick and Amanda Gable are such hard workers.

What is the biggest weakness of your 2009 team or the thing you will look to
improve over the season before the playoffs?

Courtney Connor: Consistency and consistency.

Are there any freshmen that will break into the lineup and impress us?

Courtney Connor: Bria Phillips and potentially Emily Coady, Jess Harkey or Kristen Snyder.

Who's your hardest shooter?

Courtney Connor: Rachel Pincus and Carrie Paris.

Toughest D?

Courtney Connor: Meagan Linkous.

Unsung hero?

Courtney Connor: Kate Quick.

Surprise player?

Courtney Connor: Emily Coady.

Are you missing anyone with injuries?

Courtney Connor: Junior Megan Cook has a torn ACL. Sophomore Kristen Milligan is recovering from an ACL injury and freshman Kristen Snyder has hip stress fractures.

How do the coaching roles work in your program? What are the key
responsibilities of your assistants?

Courtney Connor: Kelly Berger does it all -- recruiting, offensive coach, film breakdowns, scouting responsibilities. Erin LaMotte Koenig handles team travel and meal planning. She’s the defensive coach and she does a ton of administrative stuff and paperwork. I’m lucky to have such a dedicated and loyal staff.

How strong are your seniors?

Courtney Connor: We have a very vocal group with strong personalities and a big desire to win and bring this team back to where they were during their freshman campaign.

How mature is the 2009 team?

Courtney Connor: This is the oldest that our team has been in a long time, despite the fact that we have 15 underclassmen and only four seniors. I am excited that we have more experience. Ten sophomores already have a year under their belt.

How strong is your conference in 2009?

Courtney Connor: We have a very strong conference that is always moving up the ranks. We are no longer participating in the NCAA play-in game because our conference has beaten out other conferences to get a straight bid to the tournament, which is exciting. We currently have a top 10 and a top 15 team in the rankings, which is great. As a conference, we’re always looking to add more to that.

How strong is the Maryland/Baltimore area for recruiting these days?

Courtney Connor: Most tournaments are still held in this area, which makes it easy for us to go and see players and then have them visit the school after the tournament.

Where's the farthest you've gone to get a recruit?

Courtney Connor: California.

Do you do a summer camp?

Courtney Connor: We do run summer camps under the name C2 Lacrosse. We run an overnight/commuter elite camp from June 26-28, as well as a day camp July 27-30. You can get additional information by going to our website at c2lacrosse.com, calling us at 410-455-2206, or e-mailing us at c2lax@hotmail.com.

How many camps should a kid play in the summer if she wants to play in
college?

Courtney Connor: You should attend the camps of the universities that you are interested in. It gives you a two-to-four day opportunity to see the school, meet the team and be coached by the coaches you will potentially have for four years.

Who were your influences in coaching?

Courtney Connor: Gary Gait, the assistant at Maryland when I played there, and Sarah Forbes. She was a senior when I arrived at Maryland and was also an assistant for a year. I loved their positive style of wanting you to take risks but teaching you the right decision-making as well. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s what you learn from them [that counts].

Would you rather be the underdog or favorite in a big game?

Courtney Connor: I think it’s always exciting to be the underdog without any expectations and to come out with a big win. But it is also exciting to be the favorite and to prove to everyone why you should be there and not them.

Do your players see you as a friend, mother figure, teacher or boss?

Courtney Connor: I’m probably more of a player-coach -- the kind of coach that you can talk to when you need advice on or off the field, someone who you can joke around with but you must also take criticism from. I tell it like it is, which isn’t always easy to hear. But I will then help you attain whatever needs to be accomplished. That’s not just my job, but my personality, too.

What's the most important trait of a great player?

Courtney Connor: Confidence and that go-getter attitude.

• Mount St. Mary's women's coach Denise Wescott

• Washington College women's coach Julika Blankenship

• Stevenson women's coach Kathy Railey

• Salisbury coach men's Jim Berkman

• Goucher women's coach Katie Trainor

• Hood College women's coach Molly Hesterberg

• Towson women's coach Missy Doherty

• Mount St. Mary's men's coach Tom Gravante

• St. Mary's men's coach Chris Hasbrouck

• McDaniel men's coach Matt Hatton

• Loyola women's coach Jen Adams

• Loyola men's coach Charley Toomey

• Stevenson men's coach Paul Cantabene

• Towson men's coach Tony Seaman

• Washington College men's coach J.B. Clarke

Posted by John Weaver at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Q&As
        

While watching the Loyola-Bryant game, I noticed that Bulldogs attackman Zack Greer was likely the best player on the field. That's no surprise. He's an extra-eligibility senior who was a first team All-American at Duke last year.

His transfer to Bryant, a first-year Division I program, and his continued brilliant play, however, will highlight a shortcoming of our small game when he fails to make the All-American first team again. This will inevitably happen simply because he plays for a small school not in contention for the national title.

This scenario has happened many, many times. More talented players have been overlooked on small-conference teams while the stars from Virginia, Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and occasionally Princeton, Cornell or Duke battle it out for the big honors. Even John Grant had to take his Delaware team pretty far into the playoffs (eventually losing to Virginia) to earn Player of the Year honors.

There are only so many spots on the list and in the decision makers' brains, and they are not watching any Bryant games this year. I hope it doesn't happen to the worthy Greer, but it will. He'll still be the No. 1 draft pick in the NLL and the MLL, if he bothers with the outdoor league. He is probably the best player in the nation this year, but I will be shocked if he is mentioned for that type of honor.

Click on the video player for highlights from the Loyola-Bryant game.

Posted by John Weaver at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Two Jesuit high school coaches and brothers, Georgetown Prep's Kevin Giblin and Gonzaga's Don Giblin, arranged the first Jesuit Lacrosse Classic in 1997. It brought together Jesuit lacrosse programs from all over the country.

For a while, the two Washington D.C.-area schools crushed the out-of-state opponents. But, after so many years, the tournament is the beneficiary of its own investment into the Jesuit programs in previous non-lacrosse hotbeds. These teams have -- through playing competition like Georgetown Prep and Gonzaga -- gotten better. Now, the tournament features some of the best teams in their respective regions, although Georgetown Prep is still hard to beat.

The tournament is also like a spiritual retreat for these kids. I remember offering to donate about 100 tickets for a Bayhawks game to the players in the tournament, and they had a church service to attend that evening. So, it's not all about lacrosse.

During the games, however, it's some fun lacrosse to watch at the beautiful Georgetown Prep campus in Bethesda. A couple games are also played at Gonzaga, which is also a great venue.

Over the last nine years, sixteen Jesuit schools have participated. The participants in this year's tournament include: Brophy (Phoenix, Ariz.), Canisius (Buffalo, N.Y.), Dallas (Texas) Jesuit, De Smet Jesuit (Creve Coeur, Mo.), Georgetown Prep, Gonzaga, Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.), Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.), Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.) and Strake Jesuit (Houston, Texas).

This year's tournament benefits the Washington Jesuit Academy and Winners Lacrosse. For more information, check out the tournament Web site.

Here is the schedule for this year's event:

Thursday, March 12

Location: Georgetown Prep Bowl Field
4:00 p.m. -- College lacrosse: Notre Dame vs. Bucknell

Friday, March 13

Location: Georgetown Prep Turf Field
2:30 p.m. -- Rockhurst vs. Strake Jesuit
4:30 p.m. -- Brophy vs. Georgetown Prep

Location: Georgetown Prep Bowl Field
4:00 p.m. -- Canisius vs. De Smet Jesuit

Location: Georgetown Prep Pike Field
4:00 p.m. -- Dallas Jesuit vs. Loyola Academy

Location: Gonzaga Turf Field
4:00 p.m. -- Regis Jesuit vs. Gonzaga

Saturday, March 14

Location: Georgetown Prep Turf Field
9:00 a.m. -- Regis Jesuit vs. Georgetown Prep
11:30 a.m. -- Rockhurst vs. Georgetown Prep
1:30 p.m. -- Regis Jesuit vs. Rockhurst

Location: Georgetown Prep Bowl Field
9:00 a.m. -- Strake Jesuit vs. Brophy
12:30 p.m. -- Strake Jesuit vs. Canisius

Location: Georgetown Prep Pike Field
9:00 a.m. -- Loyola Academy vs. De Smet Jesuit
11:00 a.m. -- Dallas Jesuit vs. De Smet Jesuit
1:30 p.m. -- Brophy vs. Dallas Jesuit

Location: Gonzaga Turf Field
9:00 a.m. -- Canisius vs. Gonzaga
12:30 p.m. -- Loyola Academy vs. Gonzaga

Sunday, March 15

Location: Georgetown Prep Turf Field
10:00 a.m. -- Loyola Academy vs. Georgetown Prep

Location: Georgetown Prep Bowl Field
9:30 a.m. -- Rockhurst vs. Dallas Jesuit
11:15 a.m. -- De Smet Jesuit vs. Strake Jesuit

Location: Georgetown Prep Pike Field
9:30 a.m. -- Canisius vs. Brophy

Posted by John Weaver at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Denise Wescott enters her fourth season as the head coach of the Mount St. Mary's women's lacrosse program. She has coached at Delaware, Rutgers and Drew, and was an assistant at Penn State and Maryland before that. She has been the German national team coach and has won the Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in women's lacrosse. She is in the New Jersey Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.

Wescott played high school lacrosse at Moorestown (N.J.) High School, which she thinks is one of three best schools for girls lacrosse in the country. The biggest national game between high school girls teams for the past few years has been Mount Hebron against Moorestown. Wescott was a star goalkeeper at the University of Maryland and is still fourth on the program's all-time saves list with 519 stops. She loves living in Emmitsburg, home of Mount St. Mary’s. “I love the 'burg, and I love the rural area”.

Editor's note: This Q&A was conducted before the season. The Mountaineers are 0-5 with losses to Longwood, Penn State, Towson, Denver and Lehigh.

How was the preseason this year? What have you learned about this team?

Denise Wescott: This team is hungry and playing well together.

What are your specific goals this season?

Denise Wescott: We want to win a game against a top-25 opponent along with winning the NEC tournament to go to NCAA tournament.

Give us a rundown of your probable starting personnel for 2009.

Denise Wescott: On attack, Katelyn Catanese, Ashley Johnson and Breana Waraksa will start. Our midfield will be Kathleen Rossettti, Lucy Pompa, Caitlin Preas and Jackie Kearney. On defense, we’ll be led by Caitlin Fraccalvieri, Sydney Sykes and Katie Bollinger. In goal, Brigid McTavish and Erin Kelly are vying [for playing time].

Are there any battles going on for key positions?

Denise Wescott: We have a lot of strong freshmen and a lot of talent on the team. The only real tough decision will be playing time.

How will the personality of this 2009 team differ from the 2008 squad?

Denise Wescott: This team is hungry to win a conference title since we have been close a few times to the title. They understand that they need to perform as a team to win.

Who are your captains and what are their strengths?

Denise Wescott: Katelyn Catanese is versatile, listens, is sometimes demanding, loves to play and wants to win. Kathleen Rossetti is very organized and plays the bad cop. She is sometimes hard on the girls, but one of the best leaders on setting the bar and standard of play. Breana Waraksa is free spirited and friendly with everyone on the team. She is the social director and she is the quarterback of our offense.

What is the biggest weakness of your 2009 team or the thing you will look to improve over the season before the playoffs?

Denise Wescott: We haven’t won our conference in a while so we want to win big games. We have to replace Jane Karger in goal. We need to improve on consistency and playing hard.

Are there any freshmen that will break into the lineup and impress us?

Denise Wescott: Stephanie Hilton, Meaghan Conlon, Esther Rufulo, Jen Semler and Kelli Berkman.

Who’s your hardest shooter?

Denise Wescott: Kelli Berkman.

Best stick handler?

Denise Wescott: Katelyn Catanese.

Fastest middie?

Denise Wescott: Jen Semler.

Toughest D?

Denise Wescott: Ali Jost.

Unsung hero?

Denise Wescott: Kathleen Rossetti.

Surprise player?

Denise Wescott: Sydney Sykes.

What is the strength of your 2009 squad?

Denise Wescott: The team is hungry. They want to step it up.

Are you missing anyone with injuries?

Denise Wescott: Nothing serious. We’re a little dinged up. Natalie Pickett has been ill and had surgery in the fall and Erin Kelly had knee surgery.

How do the coaching roles work in your program? What are the key responsibilities of your assistants?

Denise Wescott: To be the best they can be. Jen Davison came in and will help out in the midfield and defense. Jane Karger will help with defense and keepers. I’ll be working with attackers. Because they’re younger, they do a great job connecting to players, too.

How strong are your seniors?

Denise Wescott: They are very strong and have a lot of experience. They all played a lot their freshmen year, and had both great and horrible role modeling from upperclassmen over the years, but they’ve learned to be great leaders because of it.

Which teams are you most looking forward to playing this season? Which teams provide the biggest challenge?

Denise Wescott: Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac and Monmouth have always been big games for us because along with the Mount, these have been the top four teams in the NEC tournament since I’ve been here. Every game in our conference is special in a sense. Players are looking forward to playing Towson. I’m looking forward to playing Penn State because I worked there many years ago. Playing top 25 teams is fun because of the challenge. It’s going to be tough playing Denver because the head coach is a former player of mine, and I’ve never lost to a former player before.

Who’s the coach you fear opposing the most?

Denise Wescott: I don’t really fear opposing any coaches. We can impact the game, but to me you either have the horses or you don’t.

How strong is your conference in 2009?

Denise Wescott: Our conference is definitely one of the weaker ones in the country that has an automatic bid or qualifying bid. I think we’ve gotten a lot stronger though. For us to be playing the MAAC champion, I think we’re moving up in the world. I’m hoping some of the top teams in our conference can start going over and playing the teams in the America East and the conferences that are in mid-range and that have automatic bids.

What’s your funniest recruiting story?

Denise Wescott: We have a girl from Texas that just looked us up and started coming to camps and everything. Her father is really racking up the frequent flier miles.

Give us your feedback on any rules changes you think are good or bad for 2009.

Denise Wescott: The biggest impact from some of the rule changes lately have been how we get yellow and red cards and how we come off the field and how we play short.

Are there changes you’d like to see?

Denise Wescott: I’d like to see a shooting space, three seconds and dangerous shot on the goalie go away. We pad the goalies well enough that those rules should not come into play anymore.

How strong is the Maryland/Baltimore area for recruiting these days?

Denise Wescott: It’s a hotbed. I think it has the most numbers and most quality players and is the most important part of the country.

Where’s the farthest you gone to get a recruit?

Denise Wescott: I’ve gone overseas since I do a lot of work on the international level. I’ll go anywhere to find that diamond in the rough or the hidden gem that nobody knows about because that’s what we need to bring in here. Finding quality players that nobody has really seen that much will help us.

Do you do a summer camp?

Denise Wescott: We have the Rapid Fire Summer Camp here at the Mount. We have a camp for players ages 9-14 and one for ages 15-17. They run at the same time on July 8-11 this year.

How many camps should a kid play in the summer if she wants to play in college?

Denise Wescott: I think this whole recruiting thing just totally needs to be revamped. I don’t think it’s about the individual finding the right space anymore. I think it’s more about us attacking them at an early age, getting to them before they can really make an educated decision about where they really want to be. I think if they plan to go to a couple of tournaments at colleges over the summer to be seen, then that’s enough. The rest should be swimming, having fun and maybe even playing some other sports.

Are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?

Denise Wescott: Absolutely. I think basketball players are great players to bring in because of their foot skills. I’m a fan of multi-sport athletes and I also think that helps so you don’t have as much burnout. I see a lot of dropout or transfers from lacrosse. I think the reason why they’re doing that is because they’re burnt out. They got recruited so early and they made decisions so early because they were afraid to lose a scholarship. They thought by seventh grade they had to pick one sport to be seen by colleges. And then they get burnt out. It’s a shame because at the end of the day it should be fun.

Who were your influences in coaching?

Denise Wescott: I look to just about everybody, but my father coached and he was probably my first and biggest influence in coaching. I just had some great high school coaches. Sue Tyler, who I played for at Maryland and worked for, was just a great mentor. I take a lot of ideas from all the coaches here at the Mount. I love working with the men’s basketball team. I think [men's basketball coach] Milan (Brown) brings in lots of great energy and fun. They are a very up-tempo defensive team that gets a lot of points on the board from their defense and I’ve watched how they coach.

Would you rather be the underdog or favorite in a big game?

Denise Wescott: I don’t care, but I would rather be the one with possession of the ball. I never worried about that stuff. I don’t care if you’re the underdog or favorite. That kind of stuff doesn’t matter to me.

Do your players see you as a friend, mother figure, teacher or boss?

Denise Wescott: I would say mentor, teacher and boss. I’m tough on them. My expectations are high. I think a little bit more boss along with the teacher. I mean I use comedy once in a while, but I’m definitely not their friend. Sometimes I’m their worst enemy.

What’s the most important trait of a great player?

Denise Wescott: Well, I love coaching heart. One of my most favorite sayings is “hard work beats talent and talent doesn’t work hard”. A kid that has a lot of heart and a great work ethic will be a champion, and will be a great player.

• Washington College women's coach Julika Blankenship

• Stevenson women's coach Kathy Railey

• Salisbury coach men's Jim Berkman

• Goucher women's coach Katie Trainor

• Hood College women's coach Molly Hesterberg

• Towson women's coach Missy Doherty

• Mount St. Mary's men's coach Tom Gravante

• St. Mary's men's coach Chris Hasbrouck

• McDaniel men's coach Matt Hatton

• Loyola women's coach Jen Adams

• Loyola men's coach Charley Toomey

• Stevenson men's coach Paul Cantabene

• Towson men's coach Tony Seaman

• Washington College men's coach J.B. Clarke

Posted by John Weaver at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Q&As
        

Stevenson scored first, but Gettysburg scored the next two.

It could have been a close match from that point, but it wasn't.

Paul Cantabene’s Mustangs rocketed to a 13-3 lead Wednesday en route to a 16-6 victory over the No. 2 team in Division III. It was Stevenson’s biggest win ever.

Have fun watching the highlights of the game, which are below.

Stevenson 16, Gettysburg 6

Posted by John Weaver at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

UMBC lost to Johns Hopkins Tuesday, 14-11, but one of the Blue Jays' goals was at the end with the Retrievers' goalie doubling to get the ball in desperation.

The Retrievers rallied from a 13-6 deficit to close the score to 13-11. But they just didn't have enough time to pull out the win.

The Blue Jays dominated UMBC in faceoffs. They might have only lost a couple faceoffs during the entire game, as well as a couple more to referee calls. There wasn't one dominant Hopkins player on faceoffs -- it was a team effort -- everyone the Blue Jays threw at UMBC seemed to succeed, which played a large role in possession time.

If UMBC can win 50 percent of the faceoffs against Princeton, it may win Friday night in a big home game.

I dissed Princeton last week, saying that it would be a huge upset if the Tigers beat Johns Hopkins, but after watching that game and the UMBC-Johns Hopkins game, I overrated Hopkins in my initial evaluation. Princeton is simply better than the Blue Jays, and UMBC might have also been better if the Retrievers could have won some faceoffs.

So, I think the UMBC vs. Princeton game will be a good one.

Johns Hopkins 14, UMBC 11

Posted by John Weaver at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Julika Blankenship is Washington College's interim women's lacrosse coach after serving as an assistant for the past three seasons while earning a master's degree in psychology.

A native of nearby Crumpton, Blankenship played her high school lacrosse at Queen Anne's County High School and then Kent County High School. She went on to star at Gettysburg College, where she finished her career as the all-time leader in both points (309) and assists (160). As a senior captain in 2004, the first team All-American and ECAC Southern Player of the Year led the Bullets to their third consecutive Centennial Conference Championship and an NCAA Division III quarterfinal appearance.

Editor's note: This Q&A was conducted before the season. The Shorewomen are 1-0 with a win over Frostburg.

How is your preseason progressing?

Julika Blankenship: Preseason is great so far. The team has come in the best shape they have been in my four years working with them and this is my first year as the head coach.

What are your specific goals for preseason?

Julika Blankenship: To make the Centennial Conference tournament.

Give us a rundown of your probable starting personnel for 2009.

Julika Blankenship: On attack we have senior Suzie Jakub, who is our most talented attacker and was our leading goalscorer last season. She is great at getting open in the eight and has an incredibly quick finish.

Sarah Cannon will be our feeder and will be a huge threat behind the cage. Sam Ohrem is stepping into a starting position and we will look to her for strong 1-v-1 play from the top.

Brittany Lambert will lead our midfield after a breakout season last year. Brittany is our vocal leader on the field and very reliable in the defensive end as well as in transition. Liz Cumberpatch is our strongest offensive midfielder. She possesses an incredible face dodge and her stick is very sharp. Brooke Paulshock and Rachel Bartee, two freshmen, will see immediate time and will be relied on heavily defensively but also will be used in the offensive unit as go-to players.

Carly Gardner has earned a starting spot and will be the head of the defense. Freshmen Ally Yawman is our best 1-v-1 defender and will most likely be asked to mark the opponents’ top low attacker. In goal, it’s a battle. Returner Amber Madore and junior Tara Hart, who took some time away from the goal, will battle for the start.

Are there any other battles going on for key positions?

Julika Blankenship: Offensively, junior Allie Hanzsche will battle with two freshmen, Kallie Parrish and Liza Twilley, for the spot. Defensively, senior Sarah Pearce is giving the defenders a run as she is improving her 1-v-1 defense every day.

How will the personality of this 2009 team differ from the 2008 squad?

Julika Blankenship: The 2009 squad is the fastest team I have seen at WAC in four years and they are very confident ball handlers.

Who are your captains and what are their strengths?

Julika Blankenship: Brittany Lambert is a very vocal, athletic and strong player. Suzie Jakub is a goalscorer who leads by example and keeps the offensive unit organized. Allie Hanzsche keeps the whole team together. She is the one we turn to for basically EVERYTHING and she motives and encourages the team with her positive attitude.

What is the biggest weakness of your 2009 team or the thing you will look to improve over the season before the playoffs?

Julika Blankenship: We are working the most on our team defense and stopping the break on transition.

Are there any freshmen that will break into the lineup and impress us?

Julika Blankenship: Yes, we could potentially start four or five freshmen. Brooke Paulshock, Rachel Bartee and Ally Yawman will make an immediate impact for us. Brooke and Rachel will start in the midfield. Both of these players are small and very quick with great 1-v-1 skills both offensively and defensively. Yawman is our smartest, calmest defender.

Who's your hardest shooter?

Julika Blankenship: Rachel Bartee or Sarah Cannon

Best stickhandler?

Julika Blankenship: Liz Cumberpatch

Fastest middie?

Julika Blankenship: Rachel Bartee or Brittany Lambert

Toughest D?

Julika Blankenship: Brooke Paulshock

Unsung hero?

Julika Blankenship: Ally Yawman

Surprise player?

Julika Blankenship: Jamie Jones, a midfielder that probably will be first off the bench.

What is the strength of your 2009 squad?

Julika Blankenship: Speed, desire and passion.

Are you missing anyone with injuries?

Julika Blankenship: Suzie Jakub, our leading attacker, is struggling with a back injury and isn’t capable of playing a full game.

How do the coaching roles work in your program? What are the key responsibilities of your assistants?

Julika Blankenship: I am very fortunate to have a diverse staff. Lisa Valentine joins us this year from Maryland and she has brought a wealth of knowledge and her experience with such a successful program has helped to bring diversity to our attack. She works closely with the team on stickwork and shooting. Phil Schuman is our goalie coach and he does a lot of work with our defense. He does a lot of individual work with the players and it’s obvious that their 1-v-1 defensive play has improved.

How strong are your seniors?

Julika Blankenship: My two leading scorers are very good and both have made all-conference recognition. My third senior is fighting for a starting spot on defense and she is very talented.

How mature is the 2009 team?

Julika Blankenship: We are VERY young team and I will be starting 19 underclassmen. But they are a very experienced group.

Which teams are you most looking forward to playing this season? Which teams provide the biggest challenge?

Julika Blankenship: Ursinus, McDaniel, Rowan, Dickinson -- all teams that in past years have beat us. We have closed the gap recently and are ready to take the next step. Gettysburg is my alma mater, so naturally I look forward to that game and showing them how far we have come as a program in four years.

Who's the coach you fear opposing the most?

Julika Blankenship: Carol Cantele. I wouldn’t say I fear her. I just want to be able to produce a great strategy, like she does, and be able to counterattack anything she throws at us. She is known for having a very disciplined squad and having many different tools.

How strong is the Maryland/Baltimore area for recruiting these days?

Julika Blankenship: There are sooooooo many good programs!

Do you do a summer camp?

Julika Blankenship: My assistant and I have just started Shore Shot Lacrosse Inc. and we are hosting a camp at WAC July 23-26.

How many camps should a kid play in the summers if she wants to play in college?

Julika Blankenship: The more lacrosse experience, the better. They will get seen regardless. There are so many opportunities these days.

Are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?

Julika Blankenship: Kids that have played basketball in high school always prove to be smart defensively for me. I like kids that are used to being active.

Who were your influences in coaching?

Julika Blankenship: My dad. He’s a student of the game. My college coach, Carol Cantele, is someone that aspire to be like.

Would you rather be the underdog or favorite in a big game?

Julika Blankenship: Favorite.

Do your players see you as a friend, mother figure, teacher or boss?

Julika Blankenship: A teacher or boss.

What's the most important trait of a great player?

Julika Blankenship: Dedication and passion.

• Stevenson women's coach Kathy Railey

• Salisbury coach men's Jim Berkman

• Goucher women's coach Katie Trainor

• Hood College women's coach Molly Hesterberg

• Towson women's coach Missy Doherty

• Mount St. Mary's men's coach Tom Gravante

• St. Mary's men's coach Chris Hasbrouck

• McDaniel men's coach Matt Hatton

• Loyola women's coach Jen Adams

• Loyola men's coach Charley Toomey

• Stevenson men's coach Paul Cantabene

• Towson men's coach Tony Seaman

• Washington College men's coach J.B. Clarke

Posted by John Weaver at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Q&As
        

Kathy Railey is not only the head coach of the Stevenson University women’s lacrosse team.

She also coaches the field hockey team and is an associate athletic director and the senior women's administrator at Stevenson. She came to Stevenson four years ago (it was Villa Julie then) after a very successful five-year coaching stint at Eastern Connecticut State University. She got her start in coaching as an assistant at McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) and Goucher College. She is from Baltimore originally, playing at Loch Raven High School. She then attended Gettysburg College, where she was a four-year letterwinner and a team captain in both field hockey and lacrosse.

In 2008, Railey led the Mustangs to a record of 12-5 and 3-4 in the Capital Athletic Conference. Twelve wins is a record for the most wins in a season by the Stevenson women’s team.

Editor's note: This Q&A was conducted before the season. The Mustangs are 2-1 with wins over York (Pa.) and Marymount (Va.) and a loss to Salisbury.

How has the preseason gone?

Kathy Railey: Very well. The girls are in shape, so our injuries are few and our level of practice is very competitive.

What are your specific goals for preseason?

Kathy Railey: Offensively, I have a very young attacking unit this year -- two sophomores and two freshmen. I am hoping to get them seasoned quickly. Defensively, I am trying to implement a new style of defense. In the cage, we have two new goal keepers and one that was our reserve last year. Bringing them along quickly has been our goal.

Give us a preview of your probable starting personnel for 2009:

Kathy Railey: On attack we’ll have Lisa Baker, Megan Weiss, Kirstin Gancarz and Kelli Battista. At the midfield are Lauren Zegowitz, Mandi Carr and Kristyna Hnizda. On defense we have Tricia Kauffman, Jessica Dixon, Brittany Hilton and Sarah Pincus. In goal are Jenny Schroeder and Devan Malone.

Are there any battles going on for key positions?

Kathy Railey: The goalkeeper position is a battle. They play very differently, one aggressive, one conservative. Both are athletic, both have about the same amount of experience.

How will the personality of this 2009 team differ from the 2008 squad?

Kathy Railey: It doesn't differ much. We have had the same leadership for years on this team. I think we are more goal-oriented and the small taste of success last year has made us very, very hungry.

Who are your captains and what are their strengths?

Kathy Railey: Mandi Carr is the best practice player. She is intense, very fit and has been starting since she was a freshman. Lauren Zegowitz is our most well-rounded player. She is fast and aggressive and leads by example. Jessica Dixon is our vocal leader. She is intense and has so much fun on the field it is contagious.

What is the biggest weakness of your 2009 team or the thing you will look to improve over the season before the playoffs?

Kathy Railey: Our young offense is the biggest question mark. How will they perform and will they control the tempo of the game well? We have better athletes than we have ever had on the field this year. We are amazingly fast. However, this is an offense that is unproven.

Are there any freshmen that will break into the lineup and impress us?

Kathy Railey: Kirstin Gancarz is an amazing presence on the field. She is fast, aggressive and has a wonderfully powerful shot. Sarah Pincus is a smart defender and comes to us with great fundamentals. Kelli Battista has an amazing shot as well, her speed is unmatched at this level of play and she is a natural athlete. Jenny Schroeder has been very solid in the cage in the preseason.

Who's your hardest shooter?

Kathy Railey: Kristyna Hnizda

Best stickhandler?

Kathy Railey: Lauren Zegowitz

Fastest middie?

Kathy Railey: Lauren Zegowitz

Toughest defender?

Kathy Railey: Tricia Kauffman

Unsung hero?

Kathy Railey: Mandi Carr

Surprise player?

Kathy Railey: Kirstin Gancarz and Kelli Battista

What is the strength of your 2009 squad?

Kathy Railey: Quickness and aggressiveness.

Are you missing anyone with injuries?

Kathy Railey: We are missing an amazing freshman who tore her ACL duirng field hockey practice in the fall, Lauren Wynne. We are unsure if she will be back this season.

How do the coaching roles work in your program? What are the key responsibilities of your assistants?

Kathy Railey: We are so fortunate this year. I have Erika Blozie, a fantastic goalie from Eastern Connecticut. She has made a huge difference in taking what could have been a problem of three young keepers into a strength of three competitive goalies vying for a starting role.

How strong are your seniors?

Kathy Railey: Very strong. Mandi Carr, Jess Dixon and Tricia Kauffman make for three very experienced players defensively in the 7 v 7.

How mature is the 20090 team?

Kathy Railey: It’s a mixed bag for us in 2009. I feel confident in the maturity of our defense and midfield, yet excited and tense about our young attacking unit. I have spent the last several years coaching a disciplined attack, where speed was not necessarily an asset we had. Now, I have this incredibly athletic attack who are young, but there is amazing potential here.

Which teams are you most looking forward to playing this season?

Kathy Railey: Salisbury, Mary Washington, Catholic and St. Mary's. We intend to take down a few top twenty teams this year :)

Which teams provide the biggest challenge?

Kathy Railey: Salisbury. They are good at making adjustments during the game. The good news is, I think they will struggle against the kind of defense we will be playing this year and I think they lost some key leadership to graduation.

Who's the opposing coach you fear most?

Kathy Railey: I do not fear any coach, but I really would like to beat Mary Washington this year. I always feel we match well with them ability-wise. I just can't seem to get the win. That is a hurdle I look to get over in 2009.

How strong is your conference in 2009?

Kathy Railey: Very strong.

What's your funniest recruiting story?

Kathy Railey: I once told a field hockey recruit in the fall of her senior year in high school (who happened to also play softball) that playing softball was too boring for her personality and I thought she should play lacrosse in her senior year in high school so that she could play both sports for me. "Softball is a lifetime sport," I told her. "You have the rest of your life to play that. Play lacrosse!" She was unbelievably strong and fast on the field hockey field, a "bull in a china shop" kind of kid. She had never picked up a lacrosse stick in her life. She came to play for me and ended up breaking nearly all the scoring records at ECSU in lacrosse and having numerous honors (I know she was at least a Regional All-American in both sports). I still tease her about softball all the time.

Give us your feedback on any rules changes you think are good or bad for 2009?

Kathy Railey: I am on the NCAA Rules Committee, so I think all the changes are well thought out and will work to improve the safety of the game. It is important that we hold true to the tradition of women's lacrosse and improving the safety of our game.

How strong is the Maryland/Baltimore area for recruiting these days?

Kathy Railey: Still very, very strong. It is the strongest area in the country.

Where's the farthest you gone to get a recruit?

Kathy Railey: Hawaii, Colorado and California.

How many camps should a kid play in the summer if she wants to play in college?

Kathy Railey: I have two recruits this year who are remarkable athletes. The only reason I have them is that they did not go to camp. They played multiple sports in high school. No family should ever financially strap themselves due to camp/club pressures.

Are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?

Kathy Railey: Yes! The best lacrosse players I have ever coached have been multi-sport athletes. If a lacrosse recruit also plays basketball, I want her!

Who were your influences in coaching?

Kathy Railey: My father, Guy Railey, longtime coach in Baltimore County in football and baseball. Diane George, my high school basketball coach, also a well-known Baltimore County coach :)

Would you rather be the underdog or favorite in a big game?

Kathy Railey: Underdog

Do your players see you as a friend, mother figure, teacher or boss?

Kathy Railey: Teacher

What's the most important trait of a great player?

Kathy Railey: Commitment

• Salisbury coach men's Jim Berkman

• Goucher women's coach Katie Trainor

• Hood College women's coach Molly Hesterberg

• Towson women's coach Missy Doherty

• Mount St. Mary's men's coach Tom Gravante

• St. Mary's men's coach Chris Hasbrouck

• McDaniel men's coach Matt Hatton

• Loyola women's coach Jen Adams

• Loyola men's coach Charley Toomey

• Stevenson men's coach Paul Cantabene

• Towson men's coach Tony Seaman

• Washington College men's coach J.B. Clarke

Posted by John Weaver at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Q&As
        

The tryout list for the U.S. men's team was released today by US Lacrosse. In the small world of the Title IX-restricted-but-bursting-at-the-seams sport of lacrosse, where the biggest stage is the college championships and the pros struggle to succeed financially, the team that represents the United States at the world championships is the team every star American player wants to make the most. It is the pinnacle of a post-collegiate career, and very rarely, a collegiate lacrosse career.

It is a grueling process from here on for these 84 players. The next step is the actual tryouts, which I have often said is the very best display of individual lacrosse skill and heart in the world. I know the U.S. lost the world championships to Canada and is not the current champion. Canada’s 23 players were better than our final choice of 23 players, but there is a big dropoff in the Canadian pool right around 23. It used to be around 18, and I remember when it was like 10. Until recently, Canadians did not play outdoor field lacrosse that much. But for decades, the U.S. top 100 has been pretty darn close and very, very good.

Now, that number is bigger than 100. There are guys that did not make this cut that are amazing players. And every guy cut from now on will be a star, a "record-breaking" player at his college, the one-day sure-thing Hall of Famer at his lacrosse hotbed high school.

The tryouts are the perfect storm of the best assemblage of talent with everything on the line for each player. The result is wonderful. Everyone can make it. Most will not. What they do over a period of days in front of 20 or more judges will make all the difference.

The last time we had tryouts, all three Powell brothers told me they thought they did not make the team just after the last scrimmage, but before the results were posted, which included all of their names. Only one, Ryan, is on the tryout list this time.

The judges are excellent coaches from all over the lacrosse world, hovering over clipboards, always making notes. They will move the players around in different matchups, playing multiple games each day over multiple days. Their curiosity to find the best complimenting players is the spectators' delight as the variation of teammates and opponents is always entertaining.

Each player knows that there is limited time to show their wares and yet lacrosse is a team sport where unselfish play is recognized and rewarded, especially at this level.

And luck certainly plays into it. I have seen excellent players have a few bad days while far lesser players have peaked and made the squad. Sometimes those guys have even gone on to do very well in the world games. All of the guys trying out have that type of potential.

I’ll have more about the tryouts, which are almost as great as the actual world championships, as we get closer to it. But for now, just pick any three guys randomly at any position and the possibilities start jumping out at you. You start to see how much fun it will be to pick and coach this team. The coaching spot is also the most coveted one in the world of U.S. lacrosse. The honor this time around went to Mike Pressler, the coach at Bryant University. Pressler was an assistant on the 2002 team in Perth, Australia.

US LACROSSE NAMES 84 PLAYERS FOR 2010 U.S. MEN’S TEAM TRYOUTS

BALTIMORE – US Lacrosse has announced that 84 players have been selected to try out for the 2010 U.S. men’s lacrosse team that will compete in the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championship in Manchester, England from July 10-24, 2010. The tryouts will be held from June 7-10, 2009 at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I.

Nearly 200 players submitted applications to be considered for the tryouts and the pool was narrowed to 84 by the U.S. Men’s Team Player Selection Committee.

“These are players who have shown that they can compete at the highest level and win championships, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Larry Quinn, chair of the player selection committee.

Following the tryout weekend, the group will be trimmed to approximately 40 players that will compete in three training weekends during the fall of 2009. After those three weekends, the roster will be cut to the FIL-mandated size of 23 players.

Included among the tryout selections are 12 players that participated on the 2006 U.S. team that finished as the runner-up to Canada at the world championship. Those players are Ryan Boyle, Kevin Cassese, Christian Cook, John Gagliardi, Chris Garrity, Kyle Harrison, Nicky Polanco, Ryan Powell, Matt Striebel, Kyle Sweeney and Scott Urick.

Boyle, Cassese and Striebel, along with tryout invitee Ryan McClay, were all members of the 2002 U.S. team that won the world title in Australia.

A total of 13 current collegiate players have been invited to the tryouts. Overall, Johns Hopkins is the best-represented university among the selections with 10 current or former players chosen. Virginia had eight players selected and Duke, Maryland and Syracuse had seven each.

From Major League Lacrosse, the Long Island Lizards lead the way with 17 players from their 2009 preseason roster selected. Boston had 14 players selected and Chicago, Denver and Washington each had 11 players selected.

The 2010 world championship will be the first men’s championship conducted by the newly-formed FIL, which is a result of the merger of the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations and the International Lacrosse Federation.

The U.S. has won seven of the nine world titles held since 1974, failing to win gold only in 1978 and 2006. The 2010 U.S. team will be coached by Mike Pressler, the head coach at Bryant University.

The complete list of selections follows:

Attack
Name Pos. Current Team College
Matt Alrich A Boston Cannons Delaware ‘04
Ryan Boyle A Boston Cannons Princeton ‘04
Kevin Buchanan A Chicago Machine Ohio State ‘08
Brandon Corp A Colgate Colgate ‘09
Matt Danowski A Long Island Lizards Duke ‘08
Dan Glading A Virginia Virginia ‘09
Tim Goettelmann A Long Island Lizards Loyola ‘01
Seth Goldberg A Long Island Lizards Yale ‘05
Kevin Leveille A Chicago Machine Massachusetts ‘03
Mike Leveille A Chicago Machine Syracuse ‘08
Sean Morris A Boston Cannons Massachusetts ‘06
Brendan Mundorf A Denver Outlaws UMBC ‘06
Ryan Powell A Denver Outlaws Syracuse ‘00
Jed Prossner A Washington Bayhawks North Carolina ‘05
Scott Urick A Washington Bayhawks Georgetown ‘00
Joe Walters A Toronto Nationals Maryland ‘06
Matt Ward A Long Island Lizards Virginia ‘06
Drew Westervelt A Denver Outlaws UMBC ‘07
Chazz Woodson A Chicago Machine Brown ‘05
Will Yeatman A Maryland Maryland ‘10

Midfield
Name Pos. Current Team College
Matthew Abbott M Syracuse Syracuse ‘09
Stephen Berger M Long Island Lizards Washington ‘04
Steven Brooks M Chicago Machine Syracuse ‘08
Kevin Cassese M Washington Bayhawks Duke ‘03
Jonathan Christmas M Boston Cannons Virginia ‘05
Dan Cocchi M Long Island Lizards Towson ‘03
Andy Corno M Boston Cannons Georgetown ‘05
Ned Crotty M Duke Duke ‘09
Kyle Dixon M Washington Bayhawks Virginia ‘06
Greg Downing M Denver Outlaws Fairfield ‘07
Benson Erwin M Denver Outlaws Johns Hopkins ‘05
Chris Fiore M Long Island Lizards Massachusetts ‘03
John Glynn M Cornell Cornell ‘09
Dan Hardy M Syracuse Syracuse ‘09
Kyle Harrison M Denver Outlaws Johns Hopkins ‘05
Pat Heim M Washington Bayhawks Penn State ‘07
Anthony Kelly M Chicago Machine Ohio State ‘03
Terry Kimener M Chicago Machine UMBC ‘08
Brendan Loftus M Toronto Nationals Syracuse ‘08
Bill McGlone M Chicago Machine Maryland ‘06
Jarett Park M Washington Bayhawks Syracuse ‘05
Greg Peyser M Long Island Lizards Johns Hopkins ‘06
Stephen Peyser M Long Island Lizards Johns Hopkins ‘08
Matt Poskay M Boston Cannons Virginia ‘06
Paul Rabil M Boston Cannons Johns Hopkins ‘08
Chris Schiller M Penn State ‘99
Max Seibald M Cornell Cornell ‘09
Alex Smith M Washington Bayhawks Delaware ‘07
Matt Striebel M Chicago Machine Princeton ‘01
Peter Vlahakis M Long Island Lizards Fairfield ‘04
Matt Zash M Long Island Lizards Duke ‘06
Thomas Zummo M Boston Cannons NY Tech ‘05

Defense
Name Pos. Current Team College
Mitch Belisle D Boston Cannons Cornell ‘07
Matthew Bocklet D Denver Outlaws Johns Hopkins ‘08
Joe Cinosky D Toronto Nationals Maryland ‘09
Ken Clausen D Virginia Virginia ‘10
Christian Cook D Washington Bayhawks Princeton ‘98
DJ Driscoll D Chicago Machine Notre Dame ‘06
Barney Ehrmann D Georgetown Georgetown ‘10
Michael Evans D Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins ‘09
John Gagliardi D Long Island Lizards Johns Hopkins ‘97
Brett Hughes D Denver Outlaws Virginia ‘04
Zach Jungers D Denver Outlaws Princeton ‘07
Eric Martin D Denver Outlaws Salisbury ‘04
Ryan McClay D Boston Cannons Cornell ‘03
Tony McDevitt D Long Island Lizards Duke ‘07
Stephen McElduff D Boston Cannons North Carolina ‘06
Parker Mckee D Duke Duke ‘10
Shawn Nadelen D Washington Bayhawks Johns Hopkins ‘01
Nick O’Hara D Toronto Nationals Duke ‘07
Chris Passavia D Boston Cannons Maryland ‘04
Nicky Polanco D Long Island Lizards Hofstra ‘02
Jack Reid D Boston Cannons Massachusetts ‘06
Brian Spallina D Long Island Lizards Hofstra ‘00
Kyle Sweeney D Washington Bayhawks Georgetown ‘03
Lee Zink D Denver Outlaws Maryland ‘04

Goalie
Name Pos. Current Team College
Brian Dougherty G Long Island Lizards Maryland ‘96
Adam Fullerton G Army ‘08
Chris Garrity G Washington Bayhawks Penn State ‘04
Mickey Jarboe G Navy ‘00
Joey Kemp G Chicago Machine Notre Dame ‘08
Matt McMonagle G Long Island Lizards Cornell ‘07
Rob Scherr G Toronto Nationals Johns Hopkins ‘04
Kip Turner G Boston Cannons Virginia ‘07

Posted by John Weaver at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)