Swami's Lacrosse This Week #05-03

Whither the Swami?...
The Swami comments...
The Swami had originally planned to make Princeton at Virginia this week's featured game. A minor functionary on the Swami's staff, however, managed to convince the Swami that the real game of the week will play itself out at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday. Miss Venus Lee has seen both Towson and Maryland play already this season, and feels that there may be some surprises in store for fans in Baltimore County.

The Swami is kind of hung up this week, so his thanks go to the rest of his staff for making the current publication of "This Week" possible. Unfortunately, there will be no coverage from Team Swami of the Princeton-Virginia match.

This week, all Baltimore mourns the loss of Chuck Thompson, who died last Sunday after a long illness. He was 83.

Thompson, a Baltimore Colts broadcaster, was also the voice of the Orioles for over 50 years, and was honored with the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. It is the highest award for a baseball broadcaster.

Chuck Thompson was an institution in Baltimore in a way that most non-natives may never understand. There are people in their sixties in Maryland who remember Thompson announcing baseball games when they were little leaguers. There will undoubtedly be other great broadcasters, but never another like Chuck Thompson. He was the voice of Baltimore.

Miss Venus Lee comments...
The big news this week is that the Swami is in traction.

All that is known is that when the Swami returned from Annapolis last Saturday his back was out of sorts. The Swami claims that it was an old injury that flared up, but others report that the Swami, upset with the Brigade of Midshipmen for not exhorting their team forward with sufficient vigor last week, threw his back out while gesticulating to Navy's football players in the stands at Annapolis to "fire it up"!

Fortunately, the Swami had already penned his comments on the North Carolina-Navy game--two teams he knows well, and completed his review of the ESPNU telecast of Ohio State-UMBC. A suggestion for this issue: skip the Swami's sexist rant that masquerades as a summary of Hopkins at Princeton. The Swami's medication was just kicking in when he scrawled it longhand. The final few words were very difficult to decipher. He went on for another sentence. It consisted of a horizontal line drawn across the page. I am loathe to guess its content.

The remaining comments on next week's games and the review of Ohio State-UMBC are mine. They are generally free of prejudicial remarks and puerile commentary.

I did advocate for Maryland at Towson to receive "Game of the Week" status, but the reason for Princeton-Virginia not being covered this week is the inability of the Swami to travel to Charlottesville for that contest. Unfortunately, for Miss Bimbette, that means no "Pig 'n' Steak" this weekend. Too bad.

The Swami noted last week, "Duke visits Maryland. The Terps looked like world beaters when Georgetown visited last Saturday, while Duke just barely managed to hold off a pesky UMBC squad for a 12-10 victory at home. Often, a mismatch on paper like that in the ACC results in a good game."

Give the Swami credit, for Duke upset Maryland in College Park, 10-8.

Which brings me to this week's featured match.

Georgetown has a particular way of losing certain contests. It was seen in both of the Hoya's last two matches against Maryland, and also in Georgetown's loss to Syracuse during the regular season in 2004. It's called powder puff shooting. It happens when the offense does not put sufficient velocity on its shots, particularly outside shots. It's what enabled Harry Alford, Maryland's goalie, to make 25 saves against the Hoyas two weeks ago. As I stated in my coverage of that game, "few of Alford's saves were spectacular."

Duke, on the other hand, brought some shooting steam to Terp World and Maryland's save numbers declined by two-thirds. In fairness, while Alford's numbers against Georgetown may have been inflated by feeble Hoya shooting, his numbers against Duke were also reduced by the Blue Devil's successful spreading of the Terps defense with some outside blazers, thus enabling better penetration inside by its attack.

Towson brings a live offense, plenty of team speed, and a credible defense to the field. True, it's a young team, but not one which will fold its tent for the Terps. Maryland lost last week to a team that had great difficulties with UMBC at home.

Matt Eckerl should be able to control initial possessions for the Tigers at the faceoff circle. And I expect to see a defense that is much improved over the one that handled Loyola two weeks ago. That defense may be the Tiger's best chance for an upset. Towson brings back many of the same defenders that stymied Maryland last year in College Park, before narrowly losing, 8-6. That team held Maryland's Joe Walters to a single goal. If Towson can dominate faceoffs and bottle up Walters, the Tigers will punch their playoff ticket as early in the season as they ever have. But, if Towson's attack mimics the weak shooting of the Hoyas, it will be over early for the Tigers.

Last week, in a game that was statistically even, Reed Sothoron was the difference in a 10-8 Tiger victory over Denver at the Pioneer Faceoff Classic. Once again, the Tigers were 1-4 in EMO situations. This is a real problem for the team. In sixteen opportunities, no single Towson player has more than one extra man tally. In contrast, Maryland is shooting .556 on EMO this year. I think this will be a good game.

What happened at Cornell? Notre Dame, up 6-3 with five minutes remaining in the first half, gave up a seven goal run to Cornell to sink themselves.

Big Boy Radio Mike is on a roll, winning Week #1 and Week #2.

A request from the Swami:

The Swami would like to thank those that emailed the Swami names and addresses of the various sports bars with DirecTV. We are still looking for others, particularly in the Syracuse and Annapolis areas.

Please email the Swami at swami@laxswami.com if you know of any. Please also give the exact address and name of the bar. Phone numbers would be helpful. At this moment, the Swami's list consists of only four:

Baltimore area
Rocky Run Taproom & Grill
(Johns Hopkins University area)
3105 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 235-2501

Dead End Saloon
(Fell's Point)
935 Fell Street
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 732-3602:

Della Rose's Avenue Tavern
8153-A Honeygo Blvd.
White Marsh, MD 21236
(410) 933-8861

New York City
Ship of Fools
(Upper East Side)
1590 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10028
Mon-Wed 3:00pm- 4:00am
Fri-Sun 12:00pm- 4:00am
Tel: (212) 570-2651
Fax: (212) 570-2637
Email: splurt@aol.com
Website HERE

Note: this bar can be busy, but a group reservation will almost always assure you a lax game.

Last Week...
In Annapolis...
The "Killer Dees" attack an Achilles Heel...can the Mids really be this good?...
Mirabito, Visgauss, Boyle, Guido, and Jordan DiNola...hey, who are these guys?...
The Swami calmly surveyed the situation: 4,500 fans were lined up for tickets to greet the Midshipmen in their first game in Annapolis (42° and very cloudy) since last year's valiant championship effort. The queue wrapped around the corner of the fencing and spilled out into the parking lot, snarling traffic. This, despite the fact that all ticket windows were open.

Little did the Swami suspect that when he told the world that Navy was the most exciting team in lacrosse three years ago, he would cause this kind of havoc.

The Swami, ever humble, always hates to by-pass a military line, but the Swami is never one to hold up a Marine honor guard when they want to escort him to his seat. After the Swami flashed his gold get-into-any-Navy-game-for-free pass to the gatekeeper, things began to fall into place.

The Swami consulted his notes. In this series, the completely unbiased Swami has rooted for North Carolina nine times, and Navy eight. That meant it was Navy's turn.

The Swami began by waking up the Navy footballers--traditional leaders of the Brigade cheering section, and moving them from the back of the stadium to front seats behind the North Carolina bench. With Hopkins out of town visiting Princeton, all the defeatist Blue Jay fans too cheap to shell out $6 for a bus ride to New Jersey would likely be present. Whenever the whining Homewood crowd comes to Annapolis, they always complain if the local fans cheer, often using assumed secondary names to post snide comments on the various lacrosse boards, only to patriotically chastise themselves with their primary posting names (as if no has that doped out). If only the Swami could induce some level of animation into the normally placid demeanor of the well-mannered midshipmen, he would have a story to write.

Having placed the Brigade directly in front of the Hopkins crew, the Swami asked them if they would mind standing for the entire game, thus blocking the view of the bellyachers from Baltimore. Hey, the fur was already flying, and the game hadn't even started yet.

"Fire it up!" "Fire it up!"

The emotion was palpable. Everyone rose to their feet when the team hit the field.

The Swami had been plugged in to WNAV's pre-game interview with head coach Richie Meade. As usual, he was calm and cool. Meade believes that if you put a good product on the field, winning will take care of itself. But would Navy have a good product without Joe Bossi, Ian Dingman, Ben Bailey, and Bucky Morris? Surely this game would answer that question, for North Carolina was coming off a most impressive win. Just last week in Chapel Hill the Tarheels scored 14 goals and had five assists--and that was only from their attack. Jed Prossner, maybe the best offensive player in Division I, had five goals and one assist against Denver, only to be topped by teammate Mike McCall, with six goals and two assists. The third attacker, Ryan Blair, added six points in that contest.

Navy's defense, among the stingiest in Division I last season, had lost Jared Bosanko. Bosanko was replaced by 2004 occasional starter, Pat Reilly, who the Swami thinks is woefully underrated.

But the biggest question coming into the 2005 season would be just how good Navy's defensive midfield would be. With its speed, shooting, and prolific scoring ability, North Carolina looked to the perfect test.

Whenever the Mids take the field, chaos reigns. North Carolina scored first, when Mike McCall twisted loose from his defender and, off balance, flicked a high feed into he goal.

How potent is Navy's attack? The crowd got its answer only five seconds later.

Chris "Iceman" Pieczonka won the second of his face-offs, dashed to the right side of goal, and found Ben Horn open on the left. Horn spotted Nick Mirabito open just outside the crease on the right and fed him for the quick stick. Tic tac toe.

Whoever heard of Nick Mirabito? Not the Swami. It turns out that Mirabito was his high school's all-time leading scorer, a National Honor Society member, and the son of a former Rutgers lacrosse player. And, he's only a plebe.

Five minutes later, Jon Birsner got the call from a Steve Looney feed. Birsner had wormed his way open on the left doorstep and gave Navy a one goal lead.

Navy was dominating possession time, and, on the few occasions that North Carolina was able to come up with the ball, Navy took it away, only to bring it up the field in a flash. Substitutions were rife. Navy was shuffling players on and off the field faster than the Swami could write--and it was only the first quarter.

Toward the end of the period, Navy turned up the velocity.

The Tarheel's competent and swift midfielder Bryant Will was trying to get the ball over the center line with 2:48 left in the first period, but Navy's defensive midfield was all over him, and he was getting no help from his teammates. Navy's "Killer Dees" had struck again, and the whistle blew--a 20 second violation. The ball reverted to Navy. Who did that? Too late. They're back on Navy's bench, already replaced on the field. Another failed clear for North Carolina. Navy's defensive midfield--much stronger than last year's--was at it again. Eventually, the Swami's score card would indicate that the Tarheels failed on over half their attempted clears.

The first quarter ended. Navy led 2-1. But Navy's D-Middies were already in Show Time Mode. They had limited UNC to only two completed clears in the period, and had out-hustled the Tarheels on ground balls 9-5.

But Navy's Matt Russell didn't have any saves. Why was that? Because Navy's defense had effectively boxed out UNC's offense, limiting them to only two shots--one of which was wild.

North Carolina was only able to score once more before the half, and that only after a penalty put the Mids down a man. Jed Prossner found the net with a low bouncer from about 12 yards out in front.

In the meantime, however, Navy had scored five goals.

How many of the 4,500 present had ever heard the name Mikelis Visgauss? Probably few. But the first time he touched the ball, on a feed from Seth DiNola, a Navy plebe had scored for the second time. Visgauss hit from 10 yards out on the right side with one of the best shots in the game.

In the middle of all this, the Iceman was winning face-offs against all comers--and North Carolina tried three different players at the "x". None were successful. Pieczonka cleaned all clocks last Saturday, going 13 for 18. If anything, the new face-off rule is allowing Pieczonka to snatch more face-offs cleanly. As Pieczonka rushes straight to the goal, he pulls defenders and creates openings.

The next Navy goal, at 7:00 in the second quarter, resulted from Pieczonka kicking the ball out to Steve Looney, who fired it past Tarheel goaltender Paul Spellman with a high hard shot from far out on the right side. Looney is Division I's best wing, ending the day with nine ground balls, four goals, and one assist.

Just seven seconds later Pieczonka won another face-off, fed Steve Looney again, scoring, this time, from close in.

Less than two minutes later, Ben Horn tallied on a beautiful high-to-high shot from quite a distance out on the right side. Navy was rolling while UNC was reeling.

The game's best offensive play was next to come, with what might be a record of sorts. With 3:48 left in the first half, Steve Looney threaded his was through three defenders, dove toward the end line, and put the ball in a corner of the goal while falling down--a hat trick in three minutes and 43 seconds!

With a 7-2 lead at the half, Navy was content to pass the ball around for the third quarter. This may have been a strategic decision, for the stadium was crawling with scouts. Navy's next five games are against Bucknell, Lafayette, Colgate, Lehigh, and Holy Cross. Then things get tough with Georgetown, Maryland, Army, and Hopkins all in a row. Why give away anything?

Not all was gloom for UNC, however. Prossner and McCall still scored almost all the Taheel's goals. And one of the Swami's favorite players, Stephen McElduff, had another excellent game for the Heels. When was the last time McElduff didn't leave his guts on the field? After going down with an injury and being assisted off the field late in the first half, he was right back in after the break.

North Carolina's frustration showed at the end of the game. With only 1:34 left, Prossner was penalized for unnecessary roughness, but Navy refused to shoot the ball. This game was over in the second quarter.

Navy allowed the Tarheels only 19 shots the entire game. Navy took 43 shots, and, absent the decision to slow things in the second half, were on a pace for 54.

Navy's clearing, a sometime problem last season, was excellent: 12 for 13. But Navy's harassing midfielders held Carolina to 13 of 24. Russell had eight saves on 14 shots on goal, including point-blank snuffs on Ryan Tolson and Jed Prossner.

Navy's long stick midfield got another workout. The midshipmen rotated four players in this position, and all were effective: Seth and Jordan DiNola, Matt Meehan, and James Sullivan. Navy also played five plebes, one of whom started.

The close defense did a credible job of containing Division I's best attack. Hendler and Felber looked to be in mid-season form. And Reilly? His primary opponent was held scoreless.

Are the Mids really this good? That's tough to answer after only one competitive game. If North Carolina has a weakness, it's a youthful midfield.

One thing that surely emerged from a game in which the score did not nearly tell the complete story, however, is that Navy's defensive midfield is truly awesome. That's also great for the game. It's time the Killer Dees got some press. This has been a position that, like the offensive line in football, is frequently overlooked. But not this year.

These guys are headliners.

Final score: Navy 9, North Carolina 6.

In Baltimore...
Ohio State visits UMBC at Homewood Field...
Miss Venus Lee reports on a two overtime nail-biter...
ESPNU's first telecast has Channel 2's fingerprints all over it...the Swami reviews the broadcast...
Prior to this contest, in only four lifetime meetings, these two teams had already recorded five overtimes and two one goal games. And this one looked to be more evenly matched than any of those before it.

OSU grabbed a two goal lead coming out of the box on two identical shots by Kyle Olson from the right side about 10 yards out. Both unassisted scores were left-handed burners low in the goal. The first one came with 13:01 left in the first period, the second at 11:06.

UMBC was denied any meaningful offensive possession for the first third of the quarter. Then, at 9:16, Joe Cahill fed Brendan Mundorf who, somehow, had been left alone on the left side of the crease. A defender, sliding to Mundorf, was dodged and a left-handed bouncer found the bottom of the net.

Barely 45 seconds later, Retriever Drew Westervelt leaped high to intercept a clearing pass from Ohio State goalie Mike Rimmer. Brendan Mundorf reversed field and galloped toward the goal, where he caught Westervelt's pass on the run. Mundorf is a bull and easily dodged his defender to sink the shot.

The game was now tied 2-2, with only one player on each squad having scored.

As the clock wound down toward the end of the first quarter, Ohio State found itself in a rare two man up opportunity after when Andy Gallagher and Brandon Mathias were banished to the penalty box only 19 seconds apart. But the UMBC defense held, allowing only one shot before the Retrievers were able to obtain possession and kill the rest of the penalties. Later, it would be revealed that Gallagher's penalty (tripping) was a bad call.

At 1:42, Brian Johnson came around the right side from behind the goal, Mundorf, with the ball, noticed he had a step on his man. Johnson scored on a right-handed leaper over goalie Rimmer's left shoulder. The placement was perfect.

After the faceoff to begin the second quarter, Kyle Olson took barely two minutes to complete his hat trick by splitting two defenders then shooting low into the goal. Watching from the north side of the field, I noted that this would likely stand out as a remarkable statistic in a season that has already had more than its share of low scoring games. Little did I suspect that elsewhere, at about the same time, another player would accomplish this feat in less than four minutes.

No thief on the East Coast could possibly have a more established modus operandi than the Bull of the Retrievers. Brendan Mundorf's cut to the left side from behind the goal followed by a left-handed shot should be patented. And, no matter how impeded the journey, Mundorf is still able to get off well-placed shots on this play. With 9:27 showing left on the clock, Mundorf curled around the crease once again and bounced the ball, left-handed, right through the legs of Mike Rimmer.

Rimmer looked very competent in goal to me. His first start was halfway through Ohio State's meeting with Navy. Rimmer's problem last weekend was that when he was not faced with trying to stop impossible shots from a close-in Brendan Mundorf, he was frequently fighting a screen by his own defenders.

Such was the case at 7:06. Retriever Andy Gallagher may have the fastest release among either of these two teams. He showed that when he quick-sticked a pass from behind the goal from 12 yards front and center. The shot was a low bouncer that spent all of a half a second in his crosse.

The final tally of the half came at 1:08 when OSU's Gary Bining scored on what looked like an ill-advised shot. Bining was pretty far out on the left side when he wound up a lefty overhand bullet into the goal.

The lead belonged to UMBC (5-4) at halftime. But this evenly matched contest was anyone's game and certainly looked like it would remain that way down to the wire.

One of the best things in this series lately has been the similarity of the style of both teams, which was very much in evidence Saturday.

The second half opened with a beautiful teamwork goal from UMBC's Drew Westervelt. The ball was passed through no less than five Retrievers, one of whom was Westervelt. He then ran towards the goal and scored on a feed from Brendan Mundorf.

Seconds later, Andrew Bender fed Ben Wolff for a six yard perfectly placed goal.

Eight minutes elapsed without a score. Then, OSU tied the game at 6-6 on an unassisted shot from Justin Doran.

The Retrievers surged to a one goal lead just 42 seconds later on a running right hander by Joe Cahill.

With time running out in the quarter, Ohio State's Ben Drake took a hard shot at UMBC's goal. Goalkeeper Kevin Cepelak, mindful that only a few seconds remained in the period, saved it and promptly flung the ball to midfield, where it was intercepted by OSU, shuffled off to Kyle Olson, who threw the ball high in the direction of UMBC's net. Both Cepelak and Buckeye Craig Nolan jumped high for the ball. This pulled Cepelak out of position, and Nolan came down with the ball in his stick. But his back was to the open goal. Time was running out. Nolan flung the ball over his right shoulder toward the goal. Cepelak was a step short of getting back in time. But the ball missed the net by inches as time ran out. UMBC dodged a bullet.

In the fourth quarter, Ohio State tied the game in less than a minute when Kevin Buchanan converted a Justin Doran feed.

Now play became a little sloppy as urgency set in for both teams. It would be half the quarter before the next score.

At 7:23 Andrew Bender fired a high sidewinder past Cepelak to put Ohio State up by one.

OSU would pad this margin with another strike two minutes later on what was possibly the best goal of the game. Veteran Tom Randisi cruised down the left hash mark at full speed, dogged by UMBC's tenacious defense and cradling the ball in his right hand. Then, on the spot, Randisi stopped, pivoted, then changed hands and fired southpaw into the goal with a real burner from 17 yards out.

The hole was deepening quickly for the Retrievers. Would they panic?

Almost three minutes ran off the clock. Dawg fans were getting nervous, with many standing at their seats. Then, the Retrievers bit.

Joe Cahill fed Andy Gallagher who skipped one past Mike Rimmer.

Could UMBC make it all the way back? Things were tense.

At 2:13, Joe Cahill gave the answer for the Retrievers when he bulled his way through a stiff defense, fired home from 15 yards out in front. It was a left-handed shot that found a high corner.

But precious seconds had melted. UMBC needed a miracle from the clock.

Shut off for most of the second half after scoring three goals early in the game, it was time for the dramatic return of Brendan Mundorf.

As the clock wound down to under 10 seconds, UMBC coach Zimmerman chose Mundorf to inbound the ball on a re-start behind the OSU goal. He cut to his right following the line of the crease. Then, he reversed. It was the Mundorf Move: from behind the crease on the left. He got a step on his man. The clock was down to two seconds. Mundorf surged to the front of the goal. He pushed the shot with his left hand. It got past Rimmer and rolled into the net. But no! Time had expired. \

In the second overtime OSU's Kevin Buchanan ended it with a hard finish. He would up from 12 yards out front and sent an unstoppable screamer past Cepelak.

What a game. The kind of game you hate to see any team lose.

Final score: Ohio State 10, UMBC9 (2OT)

The Swami reviews the ESPNU telecast...
The Swami wondered how a brand new channel, ESPNU, was able to arrange Division I lacrosse coverage when the Swami had not read anything about the establishment of the station over the winter. Then, the light bulb went on. Baltimore's Channel 2 is an ABC affiliate, and ESPN is owned by ABC. Voila!

Sure enough, when the broadcast began, there were Channel 2 sportscasters Scott Garceau and Keith Mills on the field. Along with them was the estimable Quint Kessenich, missing from the Channel 2 lineup for two years now. Kessenich is a welcome presence, for Channel 2 did not fare well with any of his replacements. Later in this game, fans were to get a glimpse of why.

ESPNU had tattooed its trademark all over the skin of this broadcast. Most of the microphones and superimposed logos were those of the new ESPN station. Also, all three announcers--not just Quint Kessenich--were actually wearing jackets and ties. Gone was the old Channel 2 Salvation Army attire. Even more notably, screen clutter was cut way back. Channel 2, before its ESPNU affiliation, had a tendency to cram many of Baltimore's corporate logos onto its screen.

Channel 2's greatest problem over the years has been the tendency for some of the announcers to kibitz with each other while the game happens in the background. Thankfully, this tendency has abated to some degree more recently, although at least once a season, the crew let's you know that it's never gone altogether. Another problem has been the tendency to play up blood relationships. Sure, fans are interested to know that certain players have brothers who play on another team, or whose fathers played. But when those relationships become peripheral, like being the next door neighbor of the second cousin to so-and-so, it's simply superfluous information or, worse, announcer name-droppping. Two years ago in the Army-Navy game at Annapolis, fans had to hear that Army's John Walker was the son of former New York Jet star Wesley Walker repeatedly before Channel 2 finally let it die. Other than a quick examination of a nephew branch of the Radebaugh Family, viewers last Saturday were spared the genealogical meanderings of the announcers.

But underneath the skin, Channel 2's handiwork was still evident.

The new face-off rule has given TV a gift. As Quint Kessenich noted during the broadcast, it is beginning to look more and more as though technique and stick skills will now take precedence over brute force in the face-off circle. The four inch separation of sticks and gloves enables viewers to have a clearer view of face-offs. Did the Channel 2, excuse me--the ESPNU camera team--capture any of this? Answers later, but first, ask yourself this question: what should be shown while midfielders are facing off? Do crowd shots matter at that time? How about the congratulatory bench walk of the previous goal scorer? Can these things tell us anything?

Certainly not.

No one on the field is moving prior to the face-off. We can, at that time, be only certain of one thing: the action is with the ball at the "x", and nowhere else.

Here is the Swami's re-cap of televised face-off coverage in this game:

FIRST QUARTER
15:00--The game's first face-off was one of the best shots of the day.

13:01--The action began with OSU's Eric O'Brien running down the field, while the face-off was blown completely.

11:06--The camera focuses on an OSU player on the sideline, while the face-off takes place, missing it completely.

09:16--The camera looks like it's actually going to show an up-close shot of the face-off, but then the director superimposes the "Toyota Scoreboard" over the ball so no one can see it. Ironically, while the face-off was being obscured by the scoreboard, Scott Garceau is explaining the new face-off rule to viewers while his own cameras were blowing its coverage.

08:27--The viewers watch a replay of the previous goal while the face-off is missed completely.

01:42--While the center midfielders are battling for the ball at the "x" , a family is shown in the stands. All face-off coverage was missed.

SECOND QUARTER
15:00--The full face-off was shown, but from a camera that was so far away the players numbers could not be read.

12:57--Now, pretty much everyone knows that players face off right-handed. This means that the referee can only approach the players from the upper right or lower left, assuming you are watching the play from the south side of the field, as it is at Homewood. This shot was going to be a great one from a standpoint of perspective and distance, but the camera operator was positioned at the southwest corner of the field. Since this is the angle that the referee chose to position himself all day, his feet blocked the entire shot.

09:27--A great shot of fans in the stands, no face-off shots at all.

07:06--A rare, and very good, close up shot of stick and ball action at the "x".

01:08--This was the best face-off shot of the game by far. First of all, the angle was right between the players. The Retriever's Corey Warner clamped down on the ball with his stick and had it entrapped. Then, Ohio State's Eric O'Brien kicked out Warner's stick with his foot and scooped the ball on the run. It was text book camera work.

THIRD QUARTER
15:00--A good shot of the face-off.

12:24--The camera showed Drew Westervelt, who had just scored, on the sideline, blowing face-off coverage completely once again.

12:00--A close shot, but from directly behind the back of one of the players. This is always the worst angle from which to show a face-off because the players backs block all the action. That was true in this case as well.

03:46--Another bad angle shot.

03:02--While the face-off was in contention, the camera was focused on the back of Joe Cahill's jersey. He was out of the action. The face-off was missed completely.

FOURTH QUARTER
15:00--A good shot, but way too far from the action.

14:08--Another shot of a player on the sidelines, this time Kevin Buchanan. No face-off action at all.

07:23--Another sideline congratulation shot, this time of Andrew Bender. The game was picked up after the face-off.

05:46--No face-off shot at all.

02:52--Now things were getting critical. The importance of face-offs are magnified in a tight game. At this point, OSU was leading 9-8 with under three minutes left. UMBC needed this face-off. What did the camera do? Ironically, it showed players on the UMBC bench yelling out to the midfield and watching the face-off intently. The camera operator blew this crucial coverage totally.

02:10--Here's what the ESPNU announcers had to say seconds after this face-off:
Quint Kessenich: "That was the definition of a big face-off."
Keith Mills: "Yes, indeed."

They were both exactly right. At 9-9, with two minutes left, wouldn't you expect to be seeing the most important face-off in the game? Unfortunately, their cameras showed none of it. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

FIRST OVERTIME
04:00--A good shot, but, once again, too far away.

SECOND OVERTIME
04:00--The game's final, and most crucial, face-off was missed completely by the cameras. The shot went from fans in the crowd to a close up of lacrosse players feet running before another camera pulled back to reveal possession. How much more inexcusable can things get? A tied game, in double-overtime, and we see the crowd and feet while two unseen players battle for what could have proven the final possession of a closely fought game.

The camera work was talented enough, just not in the right place at the right time. Usually, its the director who calls which camera covers what. And, yes, this game suffered from extremely poor camera direction. That was not the announcers fault, but one could suppose that Garceau and Mills have been with their station long enough to have some degree of influence over things like this.

And, just as one would suspect, the camera coverage of the teams' huddles was, mostly, equally poor.

Everyone knows that, when covering a huddle during a time out, it's the team that calls the time out that has the ball and is setting the play. Why, then, televise the other team's huddle? For a "if they do that, we do this" reaction? What information does that impart?

All stations can be expected to jam in a commercial or two during a timeout. That's normal. But there are times when the cameras stay on the field during a break in the action.

Last Saturday, the first three timeouts when the cameras stayed on the field were all called by OSU. What happened? We listened to UMBC's coaches in their huddle on each occasion. Viewers learned nothing about the play that was to unfold.

At 2:52 in the fourth quarter, OSU called another timeout. The cameras again went to the Retriever's huddle. Even though UMBC coach Zimmerman could only guess what his opponent would do, it was still interesting. At this point Scott Garceau asked Quint Kessenich a question about something. Kessenich, the pro that he is, waited until Zimmerman had finished speaking to answer. Kessenich does something very simple--he views the game from a fan's perspective. What information would they want? And how?

To the credit of the production, in overtime all the correct teams were monitored during timeouts. This enabled the viewers to know at least a little about what to expect when the ball was put in play.

In Princeton...
Hopkins escapes...
CSTV preempts the first quarter of the game, missing five goals--for chick's basketball!!!...
The Swami chokes on his pills...
Hey, the Swami did not see enough of this game to review it due to extraordinary circumstances. But, from what the Swami did see, Princeton won, 6-4.

It was hairy.

As soon as the Swami got back to Baltimore from the (noon start) "Game of the Week" in Annapolis, the Swami headed straight for the TV to tune in the Hopkins-Princeton tilt. But, noooooooooo! CSTV had preempted the first part of the game (missing, evidently, five consecutive Hopkins goals) for--get this--chick's basketball!!!

Now, don't get the Swami wrong. The Swami, who employs an all-female staff, is a dedicated feminist, and a true ultraliberal. But anyone who has recently listened to Harvard's president, ex-Clintonite Larry Summers, knows that chicks aren't good at math and science.

Likewise, everyone knows that chicks are not punctual due to the same faulty genetic programming. It only makes sense. If you're constantly tardy for math and science class, how can you ever expect to become a physicist? The proof is in the pudding. Just ask your buddy this question, "how would you like to ride to the moon in a rocket designed by females?" Not many takers there, right?

Every time the Swami wants to go anywhere, Miss Bimbette and the Swamiettes have to primp for hours with makeup, clothes, and all that other chick stuff. Then, they critique each other's appearance and the first thing you know, we're into several wardrobe changes and the Swami is late.

Hey, it makes the Swami want to throw up or faint!

It reminds the Swami of a conversation the Swami had with Miss Bimbette, shortly after she went blonde following Delaware's loss in the 1999 NCAA Playoffs...

Bunny: Oh Swami, do you like my new hair color?

Swami (reading something intellectual): Sure, babe.

Bunny: Oh Swami, you're not even looking.

Swami (looking up): It looks blonde.

Bunny: It is, Swami.

Swami: Hey babe, the Swami knows a few jokes...

Bunny: Dumb blonde jokes don't offend me, Swami.

Swami: Why is that, babe?

Bunny: Because I know I'm not dumb. I also know I'm not blonde.

So, guess what?

The chicks were late with this basketball game too.

Who expected anything else?

The Swami blames himself for not noticing that a chick's game had been scheduled immediately before the JHU-Tiger lax match. Otherwise, the Swami would have taped the WHWH radio broadcast , featuring Princeton's movie star announcer Jerry Price. But, hey, even that didn't come off.

The Swami received this email shortly after the start of the game:

FROM: tigerfans@jhu.edu
TO: Swami@Laxswami.com

Deer Swammi, Dont let the adress fool you. Wee are Princeton edjucated teachers who have been assined to Hopkins to teech the underpriviledged. You said Jerry Price wuld be braodcasting todays game, but hes not. Whats the deel?

Well, the Swami checked, and, as one might suspect of a superstar, apparently Mr. Price is only doing the away games. It's not unusual for those in the motion picture industry to have terms in their contracts that specify that they only work only in exotic locations. This would explain why the school uses another announcer for home games.

If Price's agent negotiated an away game schedule only, then this weekend should present a test. Princeton plays in Charlottesville this Saturday in a 7:00 PM start, when the night time low temperature is forecast to be in the upper 20's, with winds of 14 MPH. LISTEN HERE.

Cushy, huh?

Swami's Game of the Week:
Maryland (#7) at Towson (#2)

Saturday March 12, 1:00 PM, Johnny Unitas Stadium, Towson, MD

This game will be broadcast by WTMD over the Internet. Check out Spiro Morekas and Glenn Smith's call of the game, beginning with the pregame show 15 minutes before the start of the game. Click on the WTMD 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: Maryland (#6) at Towson (#13)--(Saturday March 12, 1:00 PM, Towson, MD)--TV Game--I like Towson to win this game, even though the Swami is picking Maryland. I believe that Towson's defense and goal tending can hold the Terrapins at bay while the Tiger offense maintains long possessions. I also like Towson's speed. I hate to say the keys will be in goal and at faceoff because that's always the trite prescription, but, in this case, I think it will be true. The only downside for Towson: EMO.

The "First Four" Doubleheader:

2. North Carolina (#7) vs. Notre Dame (unranked)--(Saturday March 12, 8:00 PM [EST], Home Depot Center, Carson, CA)--TV Game--North Carolina must prove that it is not as bad as advertised in Annapolis last weekend. But the 'Heels vulnerability is clearly in the midfield, where Navy took them apart. Can Notre Dame exploit this? I think not and will take UNC to win, as does the Swami.

3. Syracuse (#4) vs. Georgetown (#8)--(Saturday March 12, 11:00 PM [EST], Home Depot Center, Carson, CA)--TV Game--Georgetown is a team that is in need of serious advice from its coaches about fundamentals. My top tip for watching this game: check the velocity of the Hoyas' shots in the first quarter. If your grandmother could stop them with her teeth, the Hoyas are toast. I have never seen a regular season game between these two teams in which powder puff shooting and lollipop passing did not doom the Hoyas. With strength in goal, both the Swami and I think Syracuse wins the game.

4. Navy (#2) at Bucknell (unranked)--(Saturday, March 12, 1:00 PM, Lewisburg, PA)--Bucknell will be playing Navy with a brand new Bison midfield. For whatever reason, the team is missing senior middie Patrick O'Hearn from its lineup. Navy's devastator defensive midfield may just be the best in the academy's plastic stick history. Both the Swami and I like Navy, but the Mids do not like running up scores, unless it's against a certain other Patriot League team. My prediction: Colin Finnegan gets playing time in goal for Navy and the Blue and Gold bench gets aired out.

5. Stony Brook (#16) at UMass (#9)--(Saturday March 12, 12:00 PM, Amherst, MA)--After correctly forecasting that UMass would not be in his Top 16 last year, the Swami is picking Stony Brook to upset the Minutemen. I think that will be hard for the Seawolves to accomplish in Amherst, and take UMass. Stony Brook is averaging 14 goals per game, but that won't happen against the tough UMass defense.

6. Hobart (unranked) at Ohio State (unranked)--(Saturday March 12, 12:00 PM, Columbus, OH)--Real One TV Game--The Swami and I both like Ohio State to win this one.

7. Penn (unranked) at Denver (#14)--(Saturday March 12, 12:30 PM [EST], Denver, CO)--The Swami likes Denver, as usual. I have to agree with him this week.

8. Cornell (#11) at Army (#10)--(Saturday March 12, 1:00 PM, West Point, NY)--I like Cornell's chances to win this game and pick the Big Red, although now that the Stony Brook-Army game has been postponed, a vital yardstick is missing from the equation. The Swami still thinks the Black Knights are tremendously underrated and picks Army to win. I think one thing is for sure: an Army loss puts the Cadets behind the eight ball.

9. Loyola (#16) at Duke (unranked)--(Saturday March 12, 3:00 PM, Durham, NC)--Both the Swami and I like Duke to win this game convincingly at home. But this series is rife with upsets. I think Duke's experience will be the deciding factor. The Swami likes Duke in the goal and on defense.

10. Princeton (#5) at Virginia (#4)--(Saturday March 12, 7:00 PM, Charlottesville, VA)--The Swami likes UVA, but underestimates how much the Tigers have improved. The Swami's answer: "they've improved, but from what? Princeton shouldn't even have made the playoffs last season." Unfortunately, the Swami will be unable to cover this game. The contest is scheduled for a 7:00 PM start in extremely cold weather for Virginia at this time of the year. LISTEN HERE

11. Rutgers (unranked) at Towson (#13)--(Tuesday March 15, 7:00 PM, Towson, MD)--We all agree, Towson will roll Tuesday evening against a Scarlet Knight squad that has a great goalie, but lost five starters and almost 40% of its scoring.

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 #3!

From Swampy...
Last year's champion returns...
Wow, two weeks go by and the reigning champ is way behind the pack. No matter, Swampy has some upsets in store this week that will get him right back in it.

Game of the Week

Maryland at TOWSON (2): An upset in the GOW, and Swampy calls it. No, this is not a knee-jerk reaction to Maryland's loss last week to the Blue Devils. In fact, I hardly believe that was an upset at all. Maryland simply doesn't have it this year. See, it used to be that they had an above-average offense with a super-star defense, and that was only good enough for a Final Four appearance every now and then. Now, they have huge wholes on offense and their defense is nowhere near where they used to be. One end is putting pressure on the other and vise versa. Towson, however, is as steady as they have been for a few years now. One team finds itself in turmoil at the home of another. That spells upset.

First Four from the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA

UNC vs Notre Dame (6): The Irish will drop another. Amazing, isn't it? A team goes to a Final Four, elevates its program to fully-funded, brings in some big-name recruits, and doesn't even make the tourney again. UNC is still pretty darned good. So what if they lost 9-6 to Navy? Is their any shame in that right now?

SYRACUSE vs Georgetown (7): Goodnight, Hoyas. The Swami's top pick will struggle to make the after-party, especially if they lose to Duke later in the season. Syracuse officially re-establishes itself as a Top 5 team.

NAVY at Bucknell (11): Laugher.

Stony Brook at UMASS (10): The Minutemen could be a real sleeper again.

Hobart at OHIO STATE ( 3): The Buckeyes picked up a nice win last week. Hobart is tough, and this should be a great game, back and forth. The home team has the advantage.

Penn at DENVER (8): Home field advantage. The Quakers were better last year. Denver is even better this year.

CORNELL at Army (4): Another sleeper. Tough defense and efficient offense of the Big Red silence the Black Knights. Army is slowly going down in flames. They need a big win down the line. Perhaps against the Mids?

LOYOLA at Duke (5): A hunch. One team is playing great, inspired lacrosse, and one certainly isn't. This is becoming somewhat of a rivalry, and when two common opponents meet each other on opposite paths like this, weird things happen. This is also about where Duke's season was dismantled last year.

PRINCETON at Virginia (1): The Wahoos aren't out of the woods yet even after beating Syracuse. This will turn Princeton's season around, as if it was really as bad as people made it out o be after a loss to Hopkins.

Rutgers at TOWSON (9): Are the Tigers a Top 5 party crasher? Maybe!

--Swampy.

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

Interesting first couple of weeks...I would say my 5 surprise teams so far, in no particular order are: Loyola, Penn State, Duke, Navy and Georgetown.

Loyola and Coach Dirrigl are in trouble if they don't right this sinking ship quickly. What happened to Loyola--the perennial power? Chris Colbeck, Paul Cantebene, Zach Thorton, Gavin Prout...names like these must be wondering what's going on down there on Charles St. The team hasn't strung together more than a few wins since the 2002 season. If they can't turn this team around and get a tournament spot this year, the Hounds could be changing strategies and coaches.

Penn State is shaping up to be one of those hot and cold teams, but their wins over traditional contenders Loyola and Ohio State show me that this team has promise. With Duke on the horizon and a schedule that isn't too challenging, the Lions could slip into the field with a quality win or two.

Duke is gunnin' this year. This is their best start in the 21st century. Their schedule is extremely challenging, but you have to play the best to be the best. They are one win away from matching last seasons total.

Although I question the staying power of a Pressler coached team (they often fall hard when it comes to crunch time), this team could go very far come May.

Navy is a surprise team to many, which is why they are included, but they are not really a surprise to me. I said in the beginning of the season that Dingman's loss was not a show stopper. They are quicker and more fluid without Dingman and their isn't an offense in the country that is excited about playing Navy--the Defense is the BEST. Navy will be 8-0 heading into a vicious stretch of Georgetown, Maryland, Army and Hopkins-- that's when we will see what this team is really made of.

Georgetown is on this list because their performance against Maryland was embarrassing. They should beat Syracuse this weekend. They are the better team on paper, but if they don't produce...it could be a long season for the Hoyas.

This is a dicey week, I'm going out on a limb with a few of these picks. We'll see how I do...

1.) Maryland at Towson---Maryland (6)
Face-off specialist David Tamberrino dominates yet another game and this time the Terps get the win.

The "First Four" Doubleheader from the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA (on CSTV):

2.) North Carolina vs. Notre Dame--- UNC (8)
The Tarheels recover from the shock in Annapolis and deal the Domers a tough loss in Cali.

3.) Syracuse vs. Georgetown---Georgetown (4)
The Hoyas take a round turn on their season, playing on the best coast!

4.) Navy at Bucknell--- Navy (11)
Navy breezes past Bucknell.

5.) Stony Brook at UMass--- UMASS (9)
UMASS continues to slip under the radar, with another quiet win.

6.) Hobart at Ohio State--- Hobart (5)
Hobart pulls off the upset in OHIO.

7.) Penn at Denver--- Penn (3)
It's a long trip, but I think the Penn coaches can get this team ready for this test.

8.) Cornell at Army--- Army (1)
Army in a hard fought contest.

9.) Loyola at Duke--- Duke (10)
Duke continues its dominating 2005 season.

10.) Princeton at Virginia--- Virginia (7)
Street smarts always beats Book smarts...don't you watch the Apprentice?!?

11.) Rutgers at Towson--- Towson (2)
This one could go either way. I'm going with the Tigers' home field advantage.

STaTs.

From Miss Venus Lee...
In Towson this weekend...

Since I am posting the weekly game summaries in the absence of the Swami, all my comments are reflected elsewhere this week. We all hope the Swami will return next week .

From Glory Days...
The 'Hoos are for real...

Week 3 has promise for some more upsets. Even though it's tough to call anything an upset this early in the season.

Here goes...

(2) Maryland / Towson - First off, I have brothers who played for both these teams. In this family feud, who will Mr. Lacrosse root for? I've liked the Tigers from the start and UMBC and Denver are good wins but look for the Terp's to rebound from the Duke loss and win a close one.

(4) North Carolina / Notre Dame - Two teams coming off losses last week. The Heels have more talent and experience and should win if they can keep it together for a full 60 minutes.

(8) Syracuse / Georgetown - Cuse loss to UVa will only make them better. Hoya's seem to be struggling in goal and that will cost any team against the Orange O.

(11) Navy / Bucknell - Mids start their march through the Patriot League. Bison have no chance.

(6) Stony Brook / UMass - I was hoping to see the results of the Army and Harvard games to help me with this pick but the weather in the NE did not cooperate. The Seawolves are getting better but I like the more established Minutemen at home.

(5) Hobart / Ohio State - First real test for the Statesmen. Look for the Bucks to keep the momentum from the UMBC win and win another close one at home.

(9) Penn / Denver - Quakers lost to Nova (not a good sign) and now have to play in thin air. The Pioneers are always tough at home and need a win after falling to UNC and Towson.

(1) Cornell / Army - Cadets had their hands full with Lehigh, that tells me the Big Red should win but the game is at West Point and may be to close to call.

(10) Loyola / Duke - I saw the Hounds lose to PSU while the Devils beat a good Terp team then crushed the Nittany Lions on Tuesday. The game is in NC and this Duke squad has some quality young players who will just keep getting better.

(3) Princeton / Virginia - Looks like the Hoos found a goalie and Christmas finally looked like his 2003 self. Loss of Rubeor on attack will hurt but the middies are now scoring. I still think the Tigers have problems in goal which may be their achilles heel this year.

(7) Rutgers / Towson - Knights should have lost to Delaware and the Tigers are playing with confidence. Much depends on how the Maryland game goes but I still like Towson at Johnny U Stadium.

--Glory Days

From American Iron Horse...
The Horse is back, with some quick picks...

1. UMD

2. UNC

3. SU

4. Navy

5. Stony Brook

6. Hobart

7. Denver

8. Army

9. Duke

10. UVa

11. Towson.

AIH out.

From goygoy 21...
Last week...

...the Goy got hammered going with some of his preseason favorites. Towson proved to be up the challenge and defeated both teams from mile high and Ohio State finally notched one in the win column in a hard fought game against UMBC. The Goy called the Virginia upset of Syracuse but failed to predict how fast of a start Duke would get off to.

This week...

...there are some big time games again as teams continue their out of conference record. Maryland /Towson and Virginia/Princeton highlight a week filled with equally talented teams squaring off. The Goy likes the ACC to come out of this weekend 4-0 while their fellow in conference student athletes do battle on the hardwood down in DC.

1.) Maryland (6) at Towson
What a game this will be. Towson is 3-0 but the Goy thinks they might be a little tired after their road trip to Colorado. After their loss to Duke, Maryland needs to get back on track and a TV game is just what they need to show they are back on the map and should be mentioned with Hopkins, Virginia, Princeton, and Syracuse again. This could be quite a goalie battle which will be very fun to watch. Look for Maryland to out muscle the Tigers here because there is always a swagger that a bigger state school comes into a game like this with.

2.) North Carolina (4) vs. Notre Dame
The Goy went with Notre Dame last week on the road and they lost to a good Cornell team, but they might be a little over-traveled when they show up at Chapel Hill. ND has a came at Villanova on Wednesday and it will be hard to prepare properly for UNC during this grueling traveling schedule. Goys going with the team without the midweek distractions.

3.) Syracuse (2) vs. Georgetown
Cuse lost a tough one last week and has to go on the road to play a tough Gtown team. This is a huge game for both 1-1 squads as their might not be a bigger importance in a teams season than going 2-1 vs. 1-2. This one is basically a pick-em.

4.) Navy (8) at Bucknell
Navy looks to continue their winning ways. This team is 18-3 over the last two seasons and they got to where they are by beating teams they should. Navy should beat Bucknell, but as they must know, Bucknell is a tough place to play.

5.) Stony Brook at UMass (5)
Stony Brook wants to emerge this year under new leadership but UMass might still be out of their league for now. This could be another great goalie game and both stoppers can get going. UMass depending on the weather usually gets a pretty good crowd that makes it tough on opposing teams in one of the best arenas in college lacrosse.

6.) Hobart at Ohio State (1)
Ohio State picked up a good win in OT against UMBC. They really moved the ball well in that TV game but they need better play out of their defense and goalie.

7. Penn at Denver (11)
Neither team has gotten off to a very fast start. The Goy is going with Denver at home because they already have three games under their belt, to Penn's one, this season. UD needs this win as 1-3 will be disasterous.

8.) Cornell (7) at Army
Everyone is talking about Army this year. Laxpower poll still lists them at 15 even though their only win is against Lehigh. The Goy doesn't think Army is a bad team but isn't really sure what the fuss is all about.

9.) Loyola at Duke (9)
Loyola lost to a team Duke just blanked in the first half. This game has gotta go to Duke at home.

10.) Princeton at Virginia (10)
The Goy thinks UVA is on a tear. Princeton is going to have to rely on the Ivy automatic bid to get in this year.

11.) Rutgers at Towson (3)
Towson is playing well right now and the Goy cant go with them to lose twice this week at home. They have a lot on their plate right now with a game against Maryland and this .

--goygoy21

From Baldo...
Week 3...

After last week - another TOUGH week for the Boyz.

11. Navy over Bucknell - Anchors Aweigh!

10. Towson over Rutgers - Tigers win on the road but it will be close

9. Massachusetts over Stony Brook - Minutemen are coming together.

8. Cornell over Army - Big Red too much for the Black Knights even on the Hudson.

7. Duke over Loyola - Take the Dukies at home.

6. Syracuse over Georgetown - Orange bounce back.

5. Denver over Pennsylvania - Have to give the home team an edge.

4. Hobart over Ohio State - Bart is back.

3. North Carolina over Notre Dame - end of a LONG road trip for the Irish.

2. Princeton over Virginia - just a hunch, mind you .

1. Maryland over Towson - Think the Terps will wake up.

Maybe my luck will change this week.

--Baldo

From Ivyman...
From somewhere in snowy New York...
No discussion this week. Found out the Tiki Hut on Atlantic Avenue in Delray forged a deal with the Domino's next door. I woke up at 4 this afternoon surrounded by Pizza boxes, 12 little paper umbrellas and a whole grove's worth of orange rinds. But it won't affect my picks....

1.) Maryland at Towson-6- interesting matchup of Terp's experienced offense and rebuilt defense against Towson's experienced defense and rebuilt offense. I'm partial to teams in red.

2.) North Carolina vs. Notre Dame-8-Cornell exposed previously vaunted Irish D. Carolina's offense will too.

3.) Syracuse vs. Georgetown -10- SU has always had the Hoya's number. And they won't lose 2 in a row.

4.) Navy at Bucknell -11- lotsa stuff on the boards pimping Navy's soft run through the Patriot League dwarfs. I'm buying.

5.) Stony Brook at UMass -9-Cold might keep the crowd down at Garber Field. Only thing I can see in 'Wolves favor.

6.) Hobart at Ohio State- 2-'Bart looks strong so far this year, Buck's might be better when they hit their stride.

7.) Penn at Denver -5 -Schedule gets easier for the Quake's - after this game. Too much Denver experience.

8.) Cornell at Army -4-Army not impressive so far, hope they don't get well against my team...

9.) Loyola at Duke -7- Did you see what the Devils did to Penn State?

10.) Princeton at Virginia -3-Looking for a little letdown for Cavs coming off SU win and I figure Princeton tasted Tierney's lash this week.

11.) Rutgers at Towson-1-This is a random pick. I just have no feel for either of these teams, and Tigers stung me last week.o

.Ivyman...

From Radio Mike...
Maryland gets a 10...
Well, another week, and boy, did I get burned on some of my picks! At least I was not alone, as all the Boyz received a good slap this week ! As I type this, I am tied with the great one this week. Not so sure that does not spell trouble, as the rest are sure to be either jealous or feel sorry for me! Here we go again…

Game of the Week: Maryland at Towson: What can I say about the Terps last week? Seemed like they pulled their heads into the shell a bit early! However, even though a regional rivalry, Maryland will bounce back to their previous form. 10

The "First Four" Doubleheader from the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA (on CSTV):

This is an exciting move to cultivate the game and I hope it succeeds. They picked some great match ups. Hope the Jet lag won’t be too bad for the Eastern Teams.

North Carolina vs. Notre Dame: I think the Tar Heels are looking to bounce back. However, this game is really close to the national day of GREEN. I would expect that it will be a close game, with UNC squeaking out a victory. 3

Syracuse vs. Georgetown: This game is the toughest or next toughest game to pick, IMHO. Syracuse comes in after that stinging loss in the Dome. Georgetown is still out to prove the lax world that they are better than that opening game with Maryland. I will go with our neighbors down the Thruway, but with the confidence of giving them my 1 point pick for a second week in a row. 1

Navy at Bucknell I think Navy has everything going for them at the moment. My big regret is Hobart won’t be playing them this year. Cara is a factor, but not enough. Navy sails away with the win. 8

Stony Brook at UMass Stonybrook continues to surprise the lax world each year with some upset victories and an improving program. However, not this week against a strong UMass team at home. 11

Hobart at Ohio State: The Buckeyes are having some trouble this year, and the Statesmen still remember last year’s tough loss at the Boz. Time for payback in former Statesmen Sean Trell’s backyard. 4

Penn at Denver Is it me, or does the Ivy League seem really tough to pick this year? Penn seemed like a much improved program, but a lot of question marks. I give the edge to altitude and the Pioneers. 5

Cornell at Army : What a great game last week! The Big Red are tired and they will dispatch the Knights . 7

Loyola at Duke : Duke just upset a very good Maryland Team. Loyola will be no match for a Duke team at home. 9

Princeton at Virginia : Virginia beat Syracuse and are pumped up. Princeton comes off a tough loss to the Jays and is looking to bounce back. My gut says Princeton, but I am prepared for indigestion. 2

Rutgers at Towson : Rutgers is for real this season, and so are the Tigers. I have to go with the ECAC . 6

--Radio Mike.

From Wombat...
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth" (Ecclesiastes 11: 9)...
Wombat's Week 3 commentary and picks...

I have been meaning to use this quote for a few years now. As you enter Week Three of the Wombat Zone, you are now really scared. Wombat quoting the scriptures? What will he do next, insert the whole Ten Commandments in here? Create a Supreme Court battle? Well, no...

Wombat recently and definitely entered middle age. In light of what has been going on over the past few years, in the world, and in the lacrosse community, I wanted to use the quote above for a few reasons.

Do you know where I first saw this quote? Well, it was shown at the very beginning of Oliver Stone's Best Picture from 1986, PLATOON. Given the wars that the US are in, and will be in, for years to come, I quote this as a reminder to all of us of the freedoms that we have, and how lucky we are to live in the US and to have a volunteer military that is mostly made up of the nation's youth. Everyday, we should keep our freedoms fresh in our minds, and be thankful.

From the lacrosse perspective, I quote the above scripture from the view that a player's college lacrosse days go by in the blink of an eye. Four years can go by very quickly. Very quickly. You only get four chances to grab the national championship's brass ring. Today's seniors are just now starting to feel the effects of stepping onto the field for their last season - their last chance to win it all. With that goes senior leadership and responsibility. Rejoice, for life is young, and savor your entire lacrosse careers.

However, more importantly really, is that the message in Ecclesiastes goes on to say that a lot is meaningless. You'd have to read the rest of this book to get the full message. Is there meaning in lacrosse? The answer is yes. For fans, it brings enjoyment, and a diversion from our everyday lives. For parents, it is a grand opportunity to follow your sons or daughters as they pass from the family nest into young adulthood, and for the players, it is more than just a game. Playing lacrosse is a process whereby you learn lessons both on and off the field in preparation for your life after college, after lacrosse. And for coaches, those with a LOT of responsibility, it is a four year chance to not only teach lacrosse, but to help mold and shape the future of their team members' lives for years to come. Yes, that is where the importance lies - life after lacrosse.

So, it is not all about wins and losses after all. The things I mention above, not wins and losses, are really what matter in the big scheme of things.

Well, I am working my way around the Pacific Rim with beer recommendations. Two weeks ago it was Australia's Coopers Sparkling Ale, last week it was New Zealand's Steinlager. This week my beer recommendation is Sapporo, from Japan, wait WRONG, here is another beer, like Fosters, which is brewed in Canada and imported into the US. Why Canada participates in this fakery, I don't know. Jobs I guess. Canada makes enough fine beer without brewing other countries beer. I offer no website for Sapporo since I don't like this kind of fakery. But, I do want to say one other thing about Sapporo, and that is their beer can. This very sturdy, sleek can has a tapered design that makes it nearly impossible to crush on your forehead. In fact, it would probably be rather deadly to try to do that (without cheating by squeezing the sides of the can as you compress your skull.) Anyway, I like their beer can more than I like their fake Canadian imported beer. Canada will get their turn in the near future.... just wait for future editions of the Wombat Zone. Canada will be in the crosshairs soon.

This week is going to be very brief on predictions, so let's move on quickly. I sense another visit to the Wombatress doghouse:

WOMBAT'S CRACKED CRYSTAL BALL.

Hey, no Hopkins games to pick this week. No fair. I wanted to continue talking about how I rate them as the UNDERDOG this year. Well, more on that next week I suppose....

Game of the Week:

1.) MARYLAND at Towson [6]
I like the start Towson has gotten, but Maryland will be looking to rebound and Towson will let them play their game. Wombat likes Maryland by three.

2.) North Carolina vs. NOTRE DAME [4]
I like what I saw of ND so far this year and last fall. This one will come down to who has the better day at goal - Spellman or Crosland. Wombat likes ND by two.

3.) Syracuse vs. GEORGETOWN [5]
Wombat likes G'Town to regroup and stun the Cruisers by one out West. Syracuse doesn't often lose twice though. G'Town wants payback from the quarterfinals.

4.) NAVY at Bucknell [11]
OK, I am on the Navy bandwagon again after last week. Navy in a blowout, by seven or more.

5.) Stony Brook at UMASS [7]
This could go either way, but UMass knows that they can't slip up given their schedule. UMass by three.

6.) HOBART at Ohio State [3]
Wombat looks into his crystal ball, and sees nothing. He flips a coin, it comes out Heads, which starts with the letter H, so he goes with Hobart. This game is a toss up, OSU needs the win badly, but I think Hobart will prevail by two on the road. Hobart had a lot of close losses to close out last year. I think they will pick up where they left off.

7.) Penn at DENVER [1]
Another toss up. Penn blew one against Villanova, and Denver has already played some tough teams but come up empty. I like Denver by one.

8.) CORNELL at Army [9]
Cornell won't sneak up on anyone, and they are already looking tough, while Army has looked suspicious. Cornell by three.

9.) Loyola at DUKE [10]
Maybe the basketball fans will come out and fill the stands for a change. Duke by four.

10.) Princeton at VIRGINIA [8]
The Hoos are back, and Princeton looked to be in preseason form last week. So, I am going with the Hoos by three.

11.) RUTGERS at Towson [2]
This should be a fun one. Rutgers can be very physical, and the game should go up and down, the score back and forth, and wind up with Rutgers winning by two.

Well, that is it for the Wombat Zone, Week Three. Wombat's Cracked Crystal Ball wasn't working too well last week.

Have a great weekend,

--Wombat

The Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) is a tool used by the NCAA to compute a mathematical ranking of teams based on valuing wins and losses in accordance with the strength of their schedules. Out-of-division records, as well as records including the team being considered, are not included in the computations. RPI considerations incorporate:

3.) The average winning percentage of the team's opponents' opponents. These factors are multiplied by 25%, 50%, and 25% respectively.

Hymie!, a computer programmer, computes RPI's for Division I lacrosse on a regular basis. In addition Hymie! has taken the RPI calculation a step further than others. At his website, fans can plug in hypothetical game outcomes and see how a given team's RPI would change for specific game results.

RPI is only one factor used in picking teams for the annual NCAA Division I tournament in May, but it appears to be the largest consideration.

You can connect with Hymies! web page through the Swami's pull out links try on the left side of the screen, or follow the links below. Note: the "LXP" column refers to the proprietary rankings developed by Laxpower.com. See that site for a detailed explanation of that formula.

TEAM	ATTENDANCE
HOPKINS	36,612
SYRACUSE	36,573
NAVY	30,196
MARYLAND	24,843
PRINCETON	23,333
CORNELL	19,332
VIRGINIA	13,910
TOWSON	13,709
ARMY	13,610
GEORGETOWN	12,270

Division I--March 7, 2005
No.		Record	Points	Previous
1	Johns Hopkins	3-0	(9) 199	-
2	Navy	3-0	(1) 187	-
3	Virginia	3-0	184	-
4	Duke	4-0	155	-
5	Syracuse	1-1	148	-
6 Tie	Cornell	1-0	140	-
6 Tie	Maryland	1-1	140	-
8	Princeton	0-1	134	-
9	Towson	3-0	113	-
10	North Carolina	1-1	112	-
11	Georgetown	1-1	97	-
12	Rutgers	1-0	92	-
13	Massachusetts	2-0	84	-
14	Notre Dame	1-1	83	-
15	Army	1-1	59	-
16	Brown	1-0	47	-
17 Tie	Hobart	2-0	34	-
17 Tie	Penn State	2-1	34	-
19	Ohio State	1-2	17	-
20	Villanova	2-1	12	-
Others receiving votes (in order): Dartmouth, Harvard, Stony Brook, Albany, Delaware, Denver, Loyola

Division I--March 7, 2005