Swami's Lacrosse This Week #05-02

Last Week...
On the Road with Army...
The incognito Swami visits Syracuse...
Hey, what happened to the Red Barn? The Swamiettes demand "Barn Busters", but the city can't deliver...

The Swami appeared resplendent against the dramatic backdrop of the Carrier Dome's interior lighting. Perhaps it was the Swami's alpaca-lined elk skin coat, or maybe the Swami's sparkling snake skin cowboy boots. Whatever. When the Swami emerged from the concourse escorted by the Swamiettes, and flanked by his stunning companion, Miss Bunny Bimbette, the movie star, the house lights seemed to dim as if to salute the Swami. Then, the brilliant first notes of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana exploded over the loudspeakers, rumbling across the gathering throng like thunder. Applause. The house rose to its feet.

"Oh, Swami," enthralled Miss Bimbette, "what a fitting tribute to you."

Someone in the Syracuse Athletic Department had obviously been tipped to the presence of the Swami.

Several hours before, 30,000 feet above the frozen New York tundra, the Swami was having to put up with several hours on a plane full of chicks. It was surely nerve wracking for all the other passengers. The Swamiettes kept chanting "Barn Burner," "Barn Burner," until the Swami corrected them. Hey babes, it's "Barn Buster," not "Barn Burner."

Wow! Team Swami was snowed out of BWI Airport and had to settle for a flight to Syracuse instead. By the time we arrived it was snowing pretty heavily by Maryland standards, and was a veritable North Pole by Miami standards. But here we were, with another great year of lacrosse in front of us.

The Swami's companion, Miss Bunny Bimbette, the movie star, was ready to rock and roll in fur coat and white patent leather 1960's go-go boots. Team Swami (minus Miss Venus Lee) was primed by the Swami's tales of stopping at the famous Syracuse Red Barn burger joint after the game for "Barn Busters."

The double whammy of having ranked Syracuse a lowly pre-season #8 coupled with the certain presence of Army Lax Moms (who, in the past, have shown an exuberant affinity for the many intellectual and physical charms of the Swami) dictated that the Swami attend this contest in cognito. Sunglasses, Stetson hat, and a false goatee did the trick.

Life in Syracuse can be a gloomy affair with the cold and the frequent snow. It began last weekend with Team Swami huddled together outside the gates under the shelter of one of the overhangs while awaiting admittance to the Carrier Dome. The Swami is used to being met at his Lincoln Navigator by at emissary of the Athletic Department and being escorted to his seat (or, in this case, his skybox) with enough spare time before the beginning of the game to at least sign a modicum of autographs. That usually takes about an hour. Then there is another hour or so of studying the program, glad handing, etc.--hey, it's tough being the Swami. But Syracuse did not open the gates until shortly before 6:30--barely time enough for the Swamiettes to freshen their makeup.

The Swami listened to the chatter of the locals while standing in line. There was clearly apprehension expressed in light of the (14-7) thrashing the Orange took from the University of Maryland the previous week. But Army fans were not exactly sanguine either. Their team, expected by some to win this game, had suffered too many bad experiences in the Dome.

The Carrier Dome can be spooky. It was as though the ghosts of the 33,000 in attendance earlier in the day to pay tribute to 'Cuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim's 700th victory hovered menacingly over the field to absorb the noise of the 5,600 lacrosse spectators, and the din of the crowd was no match for the volume of the Dome's blaring PA system.

In contrast to last year, both teams started out tentatively (the Swami counted five unforced errors for each side in the first quarter), and both squads seemed to be having problems generating accurate shots. On the few occasions when they did, the goalies snuffed them. Poor shot selection caused turnovers. Only 2:42 into the game, Syracuse goalie Steve Pfeifer scarfed a shot by Army's Chris Couch and launched a long outlet pass to Scott Ditzell for a goal. Army answered just over four minutes later with a nifty dodge-and-dump from Chris Couch to a stealthy John Walker, who furtively appeared momentarily open near the crease.

Neither squad was able to immediately shake off its opening night tension, and sloppy play of the sort that often plagues teams early on was rife.

Army seemed somewhat surprised by how difficult it was to send its cutters through the sometimes zoned Syracuse defense, which often frustrated the accuracy the Cadets' feeds. The Orange were having similar problems, though they did manage to squeeze out enough offense to move to a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period.

Greg Rommel scored on EMO with the help of an assist from Brett Bucktooth late in the first quarter. Then, Syracuse caught Army by surprise. A quick restart before the Army D was set in the first minute of the second quarter saw Brian Crockett feed frosh attack Mike Leveille, who was unmarked on the doorstep. After that play, Syracuse was blanked for the rest of the half.

Army was having its own problems on offense. While patient, the Black Knights continued to experience difficulty generating good shots in its perhaps too-settled offense. Army seemed overmatched in the midfield. Later, the Swami was to learn that a combination of injuries and mononucleosis has hampered three cadet middies. All three of Army's midfield starters were hobbled to some degree or another. Army's second unit was not able to establish enough midfield pressure to free up Wagner and Walker. This was compounded by a Syracuse team that was determined to rob Jim Wagner of his favorite perch a few yards above goal line extended on the left side. And Walker was often doubled when carrying the ball. Army was not adept at finding the man that strategy left open. The result: Army resorted to perimeter passing. In the end, Army was outshot 39-26. And that was, perhaps, the key to the Cadets' eventual loss.

Neither Walker nor Wagner seemed to finish well. This gave Syracuse netminder Jay Pfeifer ample opportunity to begin the Orange offense with his outlet passing, which is his great strength. Half way through the second quarter, Army was able to convert a broken clear into a Wagner goal off an assist from Walker, but the half ended 3-2 Syracuse.

Still, at this point, the outcome of this game was anyone's guess. At the break, Army boosters wondered where their vaunted offense was, while Syracuse fans pondered when was the last time the Orange had only totaled three goals in the first two quarters under the Dome?

New life seemed to creep into the Army offense in the first half of the third quarter, but the spark didn't come from either Wagner or Walker or the Army middies. Rather, plebe starting attack Matt Scheel drove to the crease from behind and scored unassisted. Then, as if to snuff a nascent rally, the Cruisers' Brian Crockett answered forty seconds later, also on a dodge from behind. Five minutes after that score, Army tied it again (4-4) on an EMO feed from Scheel to Wagner.

To be truthful, the Swami did not attend the game in total anonymity. Several high ranking Pentagon officials were aware of the Swami's presence and sought an audience. (The Swami feels that senior officers in the armed forces are somewhat more trustworthy than, say, a Hopkins fraternity brother or a Cornell lawyer). They expressed a degree of cautious optimism as it appeared the Army offense was coming to life. But, with about five minutes left in the third quarter, and the score still tied at 4-4, Army had finished its scoring for the night. The Syracuse defense stepped up and, while Army head coach Jack Emmer patched together several combinations of healthy and walking wounded at midfield, it was just not good enough Saturday evening.

Pfeifer was eating up everything that came near his net. That included successive doorstep snuffs on Wagner and then on Walker (off a rebound) in the fourth quarter. Army didn't win a face-off in the second half until the issue was essentially settled.

In the meantime, Syracuse began to play with more confidence. This led to one of its patented runs, although at a decidedly measured pace from the past. Three goals in just over five minutes at the end of the third quarter changed the nature of the game. First, Crockett scored what turned out to be the winning goal unassisted after Chris Couch and Matt Scheel failed to connect on a feed from behind that carried all the way to the center line. Then Leveille and Crockett converted feeds from Bucktooth. Half way through the fourth quarter Steven Brooks scored unassisted in a semi-transition situation. Crockett delivered the coup de grace off a fast break feed by Steve Panarelli with just over three minutes left.

The Black Knights had their chances. Even though they were not winning face-offs, their defense was still creating turnovers, although their clearing was at times erratic. Inexplicably, when it did have the ball, the Army offense stayed with its patient patterns--shades of Navy several years ago. The Swami did not expect that Army would not adjust its game plan and watched with a certain degree of bewilderment as the Cadets swung the ball around the perimeter, only to watch a succession of its players challenge the defense, then pull out and swing the ball some more. Plenty of ball movement--but precious little motion from the players. It was a study in frustration.

It's hard to know what this game means for either team. The Swami is sticking with the thesis that Army is a better team than most people suspect and that Syracuse will show signs that graduating 80% of its offense has its downside. That said, the Syracuse defense appears to be the core of the team, as expected. And, if Syracuse's young offense continues to develop, the Orange may deserve a higher ranking at the season's end.

Despite the score, a bright spot for Army has to be the performance of its defense, which appeared to be much stronger than in 2004. It created turnovers and was generally effective in settled situations. If the defense stays strong and the offense can get untracked, Army will be fine. Face-offs obviously are a major concern, although adjustment to the new rule will be rattling a lot of teams. Healthy or not, Army needs to work on its midfield play. Army, like UMass, is dependent on winning a few key games due to the paucity of top teams on its schedule.

The difference in this game? Aside from Army's lack of midfield pressure, Syracuse was 14 for 17 in the face-off circle, and bested Army by more than dozen shots.

Final score: Syracuse 9, Army 4.

And the Red Barn with its scrumptious Barn Busters? Gone. The Swamiettes are heart-broken.

At College Park...
Maryland clobbers Georgetown, but not before clobbering the fans...
Miss Venus Lee was in the stands...well, maybe not exactly in the stands...
"Only the University of Maryland's Athletic Department performed worse on this field than the Hoyas..."

This game was moved on relatively short notice from Byrd Stadium to the new Field Hockey and Lacrosse facility at the University of Maryland.

I was only able to ask a few questions of an official before he walked away from me. Why was a game between two local rivals moved to a (partially unfinished) facility that only accommodates approximately 1,250 fans? Because Bryd Stadium was wet. But the recent snowstorm was well advertised, and doesn't the University of Maryland have its own weather facility? Why wasn't the field at Byrd covered? And, how come the limitations of this facility were not advertised on the web site, so that hundreds of fans would not make the trip just to be turned away? A dumb look. What about the fans? Isn't attendance at this game normally about twice the capacity of the restricted seating of this place? At this point, the official walked away without answering.

This was bad acting by a college that is usually a good host. These guys need a little charm school. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a surfeit of uniformed University of Maryland personnel hanging around and providing a certain amount of safety. After all, didn't Maryland students just riot last month after their basketball team's victory over Duke? Weren't there more fires set in the streets and weren't county police summoned to quell the nasty episode? This crowd was well behaved, but a good part of the fans were turned away, and those who weren't (including some parents of players) were made to stand in the mud of the west goal behind a fence. It doesn't take much of a brain to estimate that this crowd would easily exceed capacity, but this is the University of Maryland.

That being said, I looked forward to what promised to be a more competitive game than last year's debacle at Georgetown. How wrong I was.

Georgetown's Andy Corno won the opening faceoff--but on a procedural call. It took five minutes for the first score in the game (Hoya Trevor Casey with a doorstep quick stick)--an ominous sign for the Hoyas. Nearly eight minutes later Maryland evened the score on a hard shovel shot from the right side by Bill McGlone. The feed was from Joe Walters, who would end up the day with three critical assists. The first quarter ended there. With no time-outs, it seemed like five minutes.

I wondered how the new faceoff rule would affect Georgetown's Andy Corno, who lead everyone in Division I last season with a .681 winning percentage. By now there had been three faceoffs and Maryland's Thomas Alford (brother to Terp goaltender Harry Alford) had won two.

It took five minutes for Maryland to score (on Joe Walters' only goal of the game) and another three minutes to add to that total (Will Dalton from Walters' second assist). It was now 3-1, Maryland.

At 4:34 Hoya midfielder Pete Cannon scored unassisted with a left handed jumper high in the net. Georgetown had obtained possession on a great hit by Hoya freshman attack Matt McBride who cleanly clocked Maryland's Brendan Healy out of bounds. But Healy got redemption when he scored Maryland's fourth goal from the right side just over a minute later. Maryland now led, 4-2.

The Terps pulled Thomas Alford and replaced him in the faceoff circle with David Tamberrino (Alford would come back later). He won the next draw, but the Terps lost possession two minutes later without scoring.

Georgetown now had the ball with only 1:25 left in the half. The Hoyas called timeout , ostensibly to set a play. One can only guess what that might have been, because it resulted in something quite ill advised: a mindless feed into a crowd in front of Maryland's goal that resulted in a turnover with only 27 seconds left on the clock. Under the new clearing rule it took Maryland four seconds to get the ball to a place where the team could take a timeout. This game was slow paced and still belonged to neither team.

But, with only 3.1 seconds left in the half, Terp Bill McGlone scored with a left handed shot from the right side. The Georgetown defense huddled briefly as several of them gesticulated. The Hoyas closed out the second quarter allowing four Maryland goals on zero saves. Not a good sign.

The Terps broke the game open early in the third period with a romp of six straight goals. Coupled with having scored the last two tallies of the first half, it added to an eight goal Maryland run. Georgetown netminder Rich D'Andrea was pulled in favor of freshman Miles Kass five minutes into the third period after the fifth consecutive goal against him.

For Georgetown, frustration set in, and, predictably, things went downhill from there.

With 7:44 left in the game, Georgetown's Andy Corno was clearly fouled from behind. But Corno retaliated. One minute in the box for Maryland's Travis Holmes (unnecessary roughness) and a three minute unreleasable for Corno, who was then ejected from the game. At that point he was 5 for 13 in the faceoff circle.

What can I say? The stats tell the story of the lopsided result. Georgetown out shot Maryland 48-30. The Hoyas also put more shots on goal, 31-18. Georgetown picked up seven more ground balls than its opponent, turned the ball over less (17-24), and was more successful clearing. What happened? Maryland had the intangibles of the home field in its favor. There was no room on the sideline for Miles Kass to warm up properly before his substitution in the Hoya goal. Many Georgetown fans were turned away or made to stand way behind the goal area. Then there was the score keeping. At 6:57 of the third quarter, Hoya Bryce Queener was called for slashing. The official scorer recorded the penalty at 6:53. That's because Maryland let four seconds run off the clock after play had been stopped. It was the third such incident of the game.

If this sounds like whining, it's not. The clock did not kill Georgetown. Georgetown killed Georgetown. Two things lost this game for the Hoyas: their powder puff shooting (give Maryland's Harry Alford credit for 25 saves, but few of them were spectacular), and five Hoya saves for the entire game.

Final score: Maryland 13, Georgetown 6.

At Baltimore...
Towson beats the Rap...
Loyola's Athletic Department trumps the University of Maryland in bad taste...
Vulgar? Yes...but, at least there were enough seats in the house...Miss Venus Lee reports...

It must be fun to work in Loyola's Athletic Department. Here's a sample of some of the rap lyrics this Catholic school cued up on its PA system last weekend when Towson's lacrosse team came to visit:

I don't give a f**k about your faults or mishappens,nigga,
We from the Bronx, New York, s**t happens.

Does Joe Boylan, Loyola's Athletic Director, expect people to bring their children to such lamentable advertisements for his school? I shouldn't ask that question, because perhaps Mr. Boylan is from the Bronx and this song is among his personal favorites. But for many fans it was a little over the top. As the Swami noted last season, it's sad, but understandable, why this school has had problems with residents of the upscale community it borders. Maybe this is a reason that this storied regional rivalry (these schools are a few miles apart) only drew 2,167 fans.

It was 42° at game time, not quite as cold as predicted. Towson scored first with a goal by Oliver Bacon, then Loyola went up by one after two consecutive goals by Andrew Spack. With the exception of a single run at the end of the quarter, Towson was unable to maintain a sustained possession for the first frame. The period ended 2-1, Loyola, but an ominous sign emerged with Tiger Matt Eckerl dominance at the faceoff "x".

All first games feature their share of sloppy play, and this contest was no exception.

Less than a minute into the second quarter, Eckerl showed that he can score too. He found the net with a right handed shovel shot from eight yards in front.

It was almost five minutes before any team would score again. With 9:15 remaining in the second quarter, a freshman, Kyle Batton, penetrated the Greyhound defense and quick sticked a jump shot into the net from close in front on a feed from Keith Obloj.

45 seconds later Loyola was penalized for slashing. In one minute, Towson got off three shots, but all looked forced, and none were on cage. This was a problem last year, when the team shot abysmally in penalty situations. Last Saturday, the team looked even worse that in 2004, going 1 for 8 on EMO.

There was no other significant action before the half, with the exception of a remarkable play from Loyola's Jordan Rabidou. An errant shot, clearly headed out of bounds, was snared by the sophomore with one hand when he dove for the ball. Loyola nearly converted it.

During the halftime break, fans were entertained by more vulgar music on the PA system. After Towson's defense had blanked Loyola for the quarter, the score stood in the Tigers' favor, 3-2.

Loyola gained possession at the beginning of the second half by virtue of a Towson penalty before the break, but was unable to convert. The Greyhounds were slightly more accurate with their EMO, going 2 for 7 in that department.

Towson scored again at 9:23 when Steve Mull wrapped around the goal from behind on the left side.

After a scoring drought of almost 20 minutes, and long Towson possessions, Loyola's defense became frustrated. Long stick Steven Hess snared a ground ball and ran it all the way down the field. When none of the Greyhound attack made themselves conspicuously available, Hess threw it in the goal. A minute later, Greyhound Cory Coffman scored with a hard bouncer from 10 yards. That capped the scoring for the quarter, with the game tied at 4-4.

A key to this contest had emerged: long periods when Loyola's offense seemed to hibernate. Eventually, Towson would out-shoot the Greyhounds 41-26. Loyola was saved by stellar play from goaltender Mike Fretwell, who looked to be in mid-season form. Fretwell was cool in the cage and accurate with his outlets. The Loyola defense, for the most part, looked practiced. But the Greyhounds attack looked anemic at times.

With 10:19 left in the game, Loyola went up by a goal on an extra man score. Pat Shek caught a shot from Greg Leonard on a rebound and put it in from close up. But the lead was short-lived. Bobby Griebe scored on a man-down goal by Towson. It was a rare Loyola defensive lapse. The Tigers went ahead by one and added the final tally into an empty net when Fretwell was pulled with 38 seconds remaining.

Loyola's tentative shooting was the difference. That the Greyhounds were able to keep the game so close despite the huge differential in shooting and faceoff statistics is a credit to goalie Mike Fretwell and his beleaguered but valiant defense.

Final score: Towson 7, Loyola 5.

Swami's Game of the Week:
North Carolina (#7) at Navy (#2)

Saturday March 5, 12 Noon, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD

This game will be broadcast by WNAV over the Internet. Check out Pete Medhurst's call, beginning with the pregame show 15 minutes before the start of the game. Click on the WNAV logo for the broadcast.

(Game times are approximate and subject to adjustment, so check schedules for changes. College radio is hit and miss, the Swami's media links may not always work.)

1. Swami's Game of the Week: North Carolina (#7) at Navy (#2)--(Saturday March 5, 12 Noon, Annapolis, MD)--Will this be the first time in a half dozen years that this game does not go into overtime? The last six of these classic contests featured a total of 14 overtime periods (including the longest game ever played) and identical 11-10 scores for four years in a row. Last year's thriller, won by Navy on a dramatic Clipper Lennon fast break goal, will be hard to top. Last week the Swami noted that Georgetown's Andy Corno, the only face-off specialist to top Navy's Chris "Iceman" Pieczonka in 2004 (.681 to .676), fared rather unsuccessfully (5 for 13) under the new rules, while the Iceman went 12 for 20 against Ohio State. North Carolina's two specialists were a combined 13 for 33 against Denver. Navy will need a face-off edge to win this game, and Navy's defense will need to do a better job than Denver did against the Tar Heel's attack duo of Jed Prossner and Mike McCall, who combined for a total of 14 points against the Pioneers. Navy may have the best defense in Division I . The Swami likes Navy and will cover this most decided "Game of the Week."

2. Hopkins (#1) at Princeton (#6)--(Saturday March 5, 3:00 PM, Princeton, NJ)--TV Game--Princeton should be much improved this season. But Princeton had some breaks in getting as far as it did in 2004. The Tigers best 2004 regular season win was over hapless Virginia. Nevertheless, Princeton coach Bill Tierney knows how to beat Hopkins, and the Tigers are especially tough at home. Princeton players should know that they were lucky to even be in the playoffs last season, and a victory over Hopkins would almost assure a post-season invitation for the Tigers. Hopkins very nearly dropped its (home) opener last year to Penn. The Blue Jays have developed a reputation for not always playing a full 60 minute game. Swami thinks that, this far into the season, Hopkins is ready to quit again in the fourth quarter and that Princeton will win.

3. Duke (unranked) at Maryland (#3)--(Saturday March 5, 1:00 PM, College Park, MD)--Where is all Duke's highly touted recruited talent going? Despite being out-faced-off, out-cleared, out-shot, out-ground balled, and out-saved, it took four goals in the final frame of last week's game for the Blue Devils to put UMBC away, 14-12. Yes, UMBC has an underrated squad this season, but Duke was also playing at home. The Swami likes Maryland.

4. Ohio State (unranked) at UMBC (unranked)--TV Game--(Saturday March 5, 1:00 PM, Homewood Field, Baltimore, MD)--The Swami likes UMBC to put fans on notice this weekend that it is for real in 2005.

5. Loyola (#14) at Penn State (unranked)--(Saturday March 5, 1:00 PM, University Park, PA)--The Swami likes Penn State to win at home, despite the fact that this may be a close game. Loyola made some critical mistakes in its loss to Towson last weekend, but head coach Bill Dirrigl should have most of them ironed out before the Greyhounds hit the road this week.

6. Notre Dame (#15) at Cornell (#12)--(Saturday March 5, 1:00 PM, Ithaca, NY)--The Swami likes Cornell.

7. Virginia (#5) at Syracuse (#4)--(Saturday March 5, 3:00 PM, Syracuse, NY)--It's hard to tell from last week's tryst against Army just how much of its enormous loss of talent Syracuse has overcome. This is therefore a doubly difficult game to predict because Virginia has a tendency to lose some of its contests in the locker room before the game starts. Some of the previous games in this contest have been classics. The Swami likes Virginia though.

8. Rutgers (unranked) at Delaware (unranked)--(Saturday March 5, 1:00 PM, Newark, DE)--The Swami likes Rutgers.

The (Denver) Pioneer Face-Off Classic:

9. Towson (#13) vs. Air Force (unranked)--(Saturday March 5, 1:00 PM [EST], Denver, CO)--The Swami likes Towson in this game. Air Force may be one of few teams with a younger squad. The altitude presents a notorious challenge to visiting teams in the Mile High City, but, with only five starters returning, Air Force will not be able to depend on the height of the field alone.

10. Towson (#13) at Denver (#10)--(Sunday March 6, 3:30 PM [EST], Denver, CO)--Denver's very competent goalie Brian Sanders could not do much about North Carolina scoring four times on five extra man situations. Nor could he box out the Tar Heel's offense and prevent doorstep goals. This is a job the Pioneer defense has to step up to. Towson is no slouch and Matt Eckerl looked good in the face-off circle for the Tigers. Denver may not be able to dominate control at center midfield as easily as it did in Chapel Hill. Time of possession is critical against a speedy team like Towson, and Denver needs to get its defensive act together soon. The Swami thinks that will happen this weekend with Denver taking its own tournament. Towson is able, but very young--and Denver's veteran offense can exploit that.

11. UMass (#11) at Harvard (unranked)--(Wednesday March 9, 3:00 PM, Cambridge, MA)--Poor Harvard. It lost most of its defense, along with its stellar goalie, Jake McKenna to graduation. Moreover, this year's Crimson D looks like it will contain all players who played offense in high school. But talented junior goalie Craig Thomas (from the same Calvert Hall that produced Mickey Jarboe and Tony Russo) may have something to say about that. Harvard has a prolific offense and, if the defense gels early, will be the surprise team of the Ivy League. The Swami can't go against UMass in this game, but beware of a Crimson upset.

The "Big Boyz" go at it again...

What is the "Big Boyz" system?...
Anyone can pick the winners of lacrosse games. The lacrosse boards are full of people who pick Duke over St. Andrew's every year. There are several contests going on right now where the participants will actually pick more winners than the Big Boyz. But the Big Boyz do not just pick the winners of games. The Big Boyz use a system of weighted picks, and confine their picking to the most difficult Division I games. That enables you to analyze the degree of certainty imparted with each pick--a significant difference with other competing slates of games.

Each week the Big Boyz pick the winners of an average of a dozen games. In a typical 11 game week, winners are chosen by placing between 1-11 points on a team (with no number being used twice). If that team wins, the winner receives the number of points placed on it. So, for example, in using this system, the prognosticator would place 11 points on the team he (or she) was most confidant of winning, 10 points on the second most confidant pick, down to a single point on the game that the picker thought was most in doubt. This eliminates most ties and places a premium on upset picks. It also values a picker's win/loss record relatively, thus giving little recognition to luck.

Despite this unique and difficult system, the Big Boyz are so accomplished at picking that each of the past two seasons have come down to the final game before a winner has been decided.

Get ready for Week #2!

From Swampy...
Last year's champion returns...

Game of the Week:

UNC at NAVY (9): Navy should be able to outrun the Heels and they still have a solid defense as well as the best goalie in the game. UNC will get better results as the year goes on.

HOPKINS at Princeton (8): I was thinking upset here, because I remember how Hopkins struggled last year at home against Villanova. However, this is a much easier game to get up for, if that was the Jays problem last year, and the Blue Jay defense is really looking solid. The seniors on Hopkins’ offense need to be dominant and aggressive.

Duke at MARYLAND (10): Duke has gotten better, but Maryland more so over the past two seasons. The ACC is loaded, and Maryland is the class of the conference. We know Walters will score, but will anyone from Duke be able to perform against elite competition? They had trouble doing so last year. Having Greer might take the pressure off of Danowski.

Ohio State at UMBC (3): The “other” Maryland kids even up their record at home. They’re always tough team.

LOYOLA at Penn State (7): This one could be an upset too. I'll stay with Loyola on talent, and because I'm not going to jump ship after one loss. This the kind of game that they would lose last year, despite having superior talent. Loyola offensive stars need to figure something out or they'll be mired in mediocrity again this year.

Notre Dame at CORNELL (4): Cornell is a very smart, well-coached, and underrated team that was oh-so-close to being in the Final Four last year. It's going to be a cold weekend in Ithaca. It's cold in South Bend too. But they have an indoor practice facility there. It will take a while for the Irish to warm up this year.

Virginia at SYRACUSE (2): Syracuse really impressed me by beating Army soundly. They will be amped up for the ‘Hoos. Pfeiffer must be as on in the regular season as he usually is during the playoffs.

RUTGERS at UDel (5): Rutgers is a bit down from the past two years, but they still have some talent and a great goalie. The Blue Hens have gotten better over the last two years, but they're not there yet.

TOWSON vs. Air Force (11): Towson still packs a punch. It may take them a while to figure out the Falcons’ zone and the air, but traditionally (Virginia aside) the favored team has managed to avoid upset here.

TOWSON at Denver (6): Close, but I'll take the Tigers.

UMass at HARVARD (1): Just a hunch, despite some more experience on the Crimson side.

--Swampy.

From STaTs...
My picks this weekend...more commentary later...

1. North Carolina at Navy (GOW) ---- Navy (4)

2. Hopkins at Princeton ----- Hopkins (7)

3. Duke at Maryland ------- Maryland (10)

4. Ohio State at UMBC ------- Ohio St (2)

5. Loyola at Penn State ------- Penn St (1)

6. Notre Dame at Cornell ------- Notre Dame (8)

7. Virginia at Syracuse ------- Virginia (3)

8. Rutgers at Delaware -------- Rutgers (9)

THE PIONEER FACE-OFF CLASSIC:

9. Towson vs. Air Force (at Denver) -------- Towson (11)

10. Towson vs. Denver (at Denver) (Sunday) ------- Towson (6)

11. UMass at Harvard (Wednesday) -------- UMass (5))

STaTs.

From Miss Venus Lee...
Headed to Catonsville...

I will be headed to the UMBC fame this weekend (being played at Homewood Field) to cover Ohio State. I like UMBC to win that game because Ohio State is only returning four starters and UMBC began to gel very late last year.

I also like Navy to win at Slippery City, despite the long history in the UNC-Navy series of one goal games. I heard that Navy will wear special shoes for home games this year.

I think Towson will sweep the Pioneer Faceoff Classic this weekend at Denver's new field, which from all reports, is quite a facility. The Swami winced when I asked him for airfare to cover that series.

Despite being a native Californian, I have never met a movie star and would have also liked to travel to Princeton to set next to Princeton's movie star announcer, Jerry Price. However, since Mr. Price did not invite me to that game, I am picking Hopkins (just kidding).

What's wrong with Duke's normally tight defense? The Blue Devils just barely edged UMBC last week, allowing 10 goals to the Retreivers and five to VMI. With that evidence at hand, I have to like Maryland's chances this weekend.

After having covered Loyola last week, I am not so sure they can handle Penn State this early in the season and am going very low on the Greyhounds in that match.

Like the Swami, I think Notre Dame had its chance last year, and will need more rebuilding to be able to beat Cornell despite the fact that Ivy League schools are always bellyaching about their supposedly abbreviated pre-season practice schedule.

I like Rutgers over Delaware and UMass over Harvard. If Harvard can get on track this season, it won't be in early March.

From Glory Days...
Week one was pretty predictable...

With the help of Mr. Lacrosse only missed the UMass-Hofstra game. Being from Long Island, I still don't understand why Hofstra is not better? I thought the Georgetown - Maryland game would be closer but the difference was between the pipes.

Alfred had 25 saves while D'Andrea and Kass had 5 total for the Hoyas. UMBC played Duke tougher than expected and Army held their own against Cuse. As predicted the Virginia game was a joke and thus not helping Dom with his decision on who will start the Syracuse game in goal. Congrats to St. John's, the Freshman won their first game but from here on it could be a long season.

Week 2...Here We Go

(2) North Carolina / Navy - First big game without Dingman, Heels put up 18 against Denver but this week they face Russell. Mids eek it out at home.

(8) Hopkins / Princeton - Both these teams are shaky in goal but the Jays have much more offensive punch.

(9) Duke / Maryland - Look for Alfred to shut the door again for the Terps.

(6) Ohio St. / UMBC - This game could go either way but the Bucks have lost their first two and the Retrievers played well against Duke.

(4) Loyola / Penn St. - This game will be played indoors at PSU which may throw the Hounds off but I still think they will pull out a close one.

(3) Notre Dame / Cornell - This game is in Ithaca and the Big Red played really well last week at Hopkins so I like them in a nail biter.

(1) Virginia / Syracuse - I'm going against the advice of Mr. Lacrosse and picking with my heart. I think the Hoos will be better off with the Denver game being postponed but still the big question is who starts in goal? I like Kip Turner!

(11) Rutgers / Delaware - I saw the Hens play Stony Brook last week. Collins is outstanding in goal but he needs more help to beat a team like Rutgers.

(10) Towson / Air Force - The altitude won't help the Falcons. Tigers win this one easy.

(5) Towson / Denver - This tilt could be very close. Pioneers like playing in the mountains but if the Tigers can handle the thin air, they have enough talent to win.

(7) UMass / Harvard - Minutemen had a good win against Hofstra and are poised to get revenge for last years loss to the Crimson.

--Glory Days

From American Iron Horse...
The Horse is back...

AIH would like to apologize to all the Swami’s readership for the lack of commentary this week. It’s been a tough battle on the Frontier of Freedom that has left the Horse with less time than he would like to prognosticate lacrosse.

When you think life is tough and things aren’t going your way here in the States, there’s someone around the world who has things far worse than we do.

Remember the words of JFK:

“It’s not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!”

Next week’s quote is by George Orwell. Make a mental note and see if you can guess what it is.

The Picks:

North Carolina 7 @ Navy 10 (1)

Johns Hopkins 12 @ Princeton 11 (2)

Duke 8 @ Maryland 12 (3)

Ohio State @ UMBC (9)

Loyola 11 @ Penn State 8 (8)

ND 8 @ Cornell 7 (7)

Virginia 9 @ Syracuse 11 (4)

Rutgers 12 @ Delaware 7 (6)

Towson @ Air Force (10)

Towson @ Denver (11)

Harvard 6 @ UMass 9 (5)

AIH out.

From goygoy 21...
Week 2...Clash of the Titans...

Pretty good picking last week by the Goy has gotten me right back into the swing of things. Last week I found out that Maryland is a better team than Georgetown, at least for now, and showed how important goal tending is. When a goalie gets 25 saves it tells you three things, that he is good, that the defense is good, and the shot selection was horrible. All of these three bode well for Maryland and Georgetown is in the middle of a long week. The second week always has some of the best of the year and this year is no different. With all of the Top teams in action against other top teams this week, we will find out who wants to be the lead horses.

Breaking the wind for the rest of the pack by being out in front for the whole season is never easy, but the number 1 ranking could conceivably be with any of about 5 teams after the weekend is done.

1. North Carolina at Navy (3) (GOW)

Going with Navy at home here, as the Annapolis support will push the Mids to victory. Enough has been written about the games when these two meet and I don't think you can anticipate anything less then a great game once again. With two great offenses meeting two great goalies, this game is going to be exciting.

2. Hopkins (5) at Princeton

Why are all the good games at the beginning of the year? They are impossible to predict and are often cancelled by the weather. This game was won easily by Hopkins last year, but this year it is in Princeton. The Goy is still going with Hopkins because they usually seem to always come out of the gates well and have dominated Princeton in the opener the past few years.

3. Duke at Maryland (8)

Maryland showed that they are for real last week against Georgetown, but funny things tend to happen the first week of the season.

4. Ohio State at UMBC (4)

I was perhaps a bit harsh on UMBC last week so I am going to go with them here. Its tough to pick a team to go 0-3 but UMBC hung with Duke down there last weekend and OSU is having some issues so far this year.

5. Loyola (6) at Penn State

This game is a big one already for both of these teams. Loyola can not afford to go 0-2 and Penn State has to defend Happy Valley this year to do anything. The Goy thinks Loyola is a more complete team but you never know how Penn State is going to play as they are one of the most inconsistent teams in all of lacrosse.

6. Notre Dame (7) at Cornell

Notre Dame is coming off an impressive win and the Goy likes them to get a second straight win on the road.

7. Virginia (1) at Syracuse

These two talented teams going at it in the dome will surely draw a crowd and produce a game that wont disappoint. Virginia has come out this year well so far but this week their competition takes a big step up

8. Rutgers (11) at Delaware

Delaware is coming off a good season but Rutgers might still be too much team. Rutgers might be at the disadvantage because they haven't played but they have had plenty of opportunity to scout Delaware as they have suited up three times. Havalchak will be tough for Delaware to score on this week.

9. Towson (9) vs. Air Force

I like Towson to out play the falcons while they are still fresh.

10. Towson vs. Denver (2)

I am going with Denver here for no other reason then the altitude. The second game is tougher to play out there and Denver has a lot of fan support. Denver is a cool place to play and while it is an artificial surface like Unitas Stadium, the Goy looks for them to be tough on their home track this year.

11. UMass (10) at Harvard

If UMass wants to be for real this year they have to beat the teams in their area. No one knows why UMass seemingly every year refuses to play the traditional lacrosse schools, i.e. Hopkins, Maryland, other ACC teams etc., so if they are going to play isolationist, they have to at least win their area.

--goygoy21

From Baldo...
Boy, this is a tough week for the Boyz--lots of great match ups...

11. UMass over Harvard - Brawn beats brain

10. Rutgers over Delaware - Knights open up in style

9. Towson over Air Force - Tigers no prob with heights

8. Maryland over Duke - Terps look VERY GOOD.

7. Notre Dame over Cornell - like the Irish on the road.

6. Loyola over Penn State - going with the Hounds again

5. Johns Hopkins over Princeton - The Tigers always start slow

4. UMBC over Ohio State - pick em

3. Denver over Towson - think the home field will matter

2. Syracuse over Virginia - The dome gets the edge.

1. North Carolina over Navy - I have a feeling here.

--Baldo

From Ivyman...
From somewhere in snowy New York...

WI spent a week in Philadelphia last Monday just to see if I could check out Pennsylvania's workouts. I have to admit I was wrong last year about most of what I said about Pennsylvania and you have to take your hat off to them for making the playoffs. They clearly did not follow the usual pattern of setting up very high hopes early in the season only to return to disappointing mediocrity after the first few weeks. Now in their third season under Brian Voelcker they are hoping to make the playoffs for the second time in 16 years.

Now I have been pretty brutal on Penn in the past, so I certainly have had to add Penn as one of the many places I just can't go without stirring up a lot of hostility. So, while waiting for practice to take place on Monday afternoon, I decided to spend some time on campus in a spot where I knew no Penn lacrosse player would find me - Van Pelt Library. After spending several hours there, I have to give it the award for being the Ivy League's most entertaining library. Not only for its renowned and complete collection of every Classic Comic ever written, nor for its extensive Dr. Seuss collection, nor even for its exhaustive three floors of coloring books.

University of Pennsylvania's Van Pelt Library has no fewer than three sponsored and named urinals in the men's lavatory. I am not making this up either. (Go Here) The sponsor even included circular plaques above the urinals that say "The relief you are now experiencing is made possible by a gift from..." Not only did the sponsor make a five figure gift for named urinals, but he also donated prize money to poets across the country to encourage submission of poems in honor of urinals for collection in an anthology.

The same donor also gave his entire accumulation of the largest and most comprehensive collection of traveling salesman sample books in the world. Amazing. Now you know what the "P" on the Quaker uniforms stands for.

Elsewhere in Van Pelt Library another plaque commemorates the spot where President Gerald Ford got stuck in an elevator.

I could find no evidence anywhere that any Democratic president ever spent any time in the library.

This week's contest picks:

1. North Carolina at Navy -2 - Navy advantage at goal, face-off, defense

2. Hopkins at Princeton -3- Hopkins probably more ready to play at this point in the season

3. Duke at Maryland -5 - fool me once shame on you...

4. Ohio State at UMBC -8 - time for the Buckeyes to step up

5. Loyola at Penn State -7 - Lions have how many injuries?

6. Notre Dame at Cornell -4- Psych pic. I'll gain points if I'm right but I'll be happy if I'm wrong - but this attack looks too strong for green Red defense

7. Virginia at Syracuse -6 - Pfeiffer in goal versus who?

8. Rutgers at Delaware -11 - Can't pick only college I know with a female mascot

9. Towson versus Air Force -9 - Air Force's best guys play for someone else this year

10. Towson versus Denver - 1-Hairy pick

11. UMass at Harvard -10 - because President Summers told me so

.Ivyman...

From Radio Mike...
The King of last week posts up...

Radio Mike's Week 2 commentary and picks...

And beating Swami to the punch, I likely will not be king too long, as my gut will get in the way or reason…..

North Carolina at Navy: Midshipmen dominate this past week and should also do so against the Tar Heels. It should be a better game than the OSU game, which cost me my 1 point of being perfect! This game can be a classic, but Navy should set sail with a victory. 4

Hopkins at Princeton: Hopkins is hungry after sitting out all season and will be a bit too much for Princeton. Expect Princeton to play tough in a regrouping year, but Blue will be the color of victory. 8

Duke at Maryland: In this case, Blue will be on the losing end. ACC contests are always tough to pick, but I do not see Duke pulling the upset. Maryland bedevils at home and show the turtles rule! 11

Ohio State at UMBC: Ohio State bounces back after getting two consecutive losses….I’m not a Buckeye fan, but they have to win one before Hobart plays them, and they are trying to take out all that frustration on my Statesmen. Retrievers won't roll over and play dead, but Ohio State should win. 7

Loyola at Penn State: Can Penn State beat the two game jinx? I think this week is their week. Loyola just lost to Towson. Expect them to fight hard in their opening ECAC conference match up. Lions over the dogs. 5

Notre Dame at Cornell: Cornell has some great talent returning this year, and are anxious to have a “real game” after the off season. Well, they get one in their first game, with an Irish team coming off a big win on the road. Can Notre Dame do it two weeks in a row? I am guessing no, and Red beats Green this week, as St. Patrick’s day is not quite close enough to favor the Irish. 6

Virginia at Syracuse An improving Virginia team that has yet to be tested, and a Syracuse team with some questions that need answered. The Orange handled a talented Army team, but Virginia early can trip up the Orange and has in the past. Can they do it this year? This is one I am VERY unsure of and gets my 1 point vote with Syracuse taking it. 1

Rutgers at Delaware Rutgers is strong this year and will down the Hens. Omelets anyone? 9

THE PIONEER FACE-OFF CLASSIC:

Towson vs. Air Force (at Denver) 3

Towson vs. Denver (at Denver) (Sunday) 2

Man, I hate this tourney for picking. It’s early, It contains a diverse group of teams, and it's very, very, high in altitude. The first game I am going with the tigers, coming off a big victory over Loyola, and Air Force will give them a test, but not do them in. Denver and Towson is another story. I think Denver, in their home environment, will beat Towson. However, this has always been a wild one, with a lot of upsets, or close scores.

UMass at Harvard (Wednesday) Sticking with the ECAC in this MASS Pike contest. Have not heard much out of Harvard as of late, and UMass brings a lot of Guns. 10..

From Wombat...

And you thought you had heard the last bit about the Cicadas....
Wombat's Week 2 commentary and picks...

Wrong. The cicadas are alive and well, underground and waiting for a total of 17 more years to come out of the ground. 1 down, 16 years to go. So the Wombat Prophecy came true--it would be at least 17 years before JHU won the national championship again. By my count, that meant the Jays were eligible to win and break the curse last year, but perhaps the whole cicada season had to end first. So maybe 2005 is THE year after all for the Blue Jays. Time will tell.

Maybe I mentioned the cicadas a bit too much last year. This whole cicada issue created an interesting discussion among some friends of mine after the semifinal debacle (and yes, Wombat does have a few friends...). Anyway, I work with liquid nitrogen a lot, so there were thoughts of putting some of these cicadas in a deep freeze and thaw them out after JHU wins again. I almost did this, but I am convinced that the cicada science (and recipes) that the University of Maryland folks were doing is exactly what jinxed the Terps in the quarterfinals. So, I decided to not treat the cicadas like Ted Williams. I am more humane than that (although we in the Wombat family do like to hunt, if you happened upon a recent thread in the Water Cooler section of the new Laxpower Forums).

Anyway. So another question was asked of me, regarding cicadas. Did the Wombat prophecy specify how many times JHU fans would see cicadas before JHU would win another national championship? This really horrified me, because, well, it might mean that JHU fans might have to wait 34 years instead of 17 for another championship. This question has haunted me all summer long. The fact of the matter is that the Wombat Prophecy did not specify more than one cicada reappearance before the Jays win again. All it said was AT LEAST one cycle of cicadas, thus 17 years, and thus everyone who thinks that things like Nostradamus and Wombat Prophecies have any merit at all can at least rest assured that the cicada prophecy has held up. And now it is simply up to the Jays to win it all and throw the proverbial monkey off their backs.

One last thought on cicadas. I tried to mention them in every one of my prognostication stories last year, but I did fail to mention it in one of my write ups last year. This episode here, Week 2 of the Wombat Zone, will be my last mention of cicadas unless of course the Jays win it all in May. Also, there is a place where a cicada can still be seen, in the heart of Maryland, at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Columbia, MD. The beast is a piece of art, with a wingspan over six feet long. I intend to catch a few concerts and take a few peeks at the larger than life cicada as the year goes on. 2004 might be over, but 2005 is just beginning.

For 2005, I am secretly encoding the names of DMB songs somewhere in each write up. There should be one a week. Last year I thought about encoding the word cicada into each message and turning my colleagues at the National Security Agency on to doing a little Wombat code breaking, but they have enough to do without me adding any nonsense to their work.

This week's tailgate beer recommendation is Steinlager, from New Zealand. A fine, crisp beer.

A very fine beer to enjoy a sunset with the Wombatress, observing the sunsets green flash out in the Pacific from a catamaran. Want to know more about what a sunset green flash

is? Visit this site, which has several great links to explanations and photos.