Swami's Lacrosse This Week #05-04

2005...the Year of the Midfield?...
The Swami comments on this week's television coverage...and Navy...
With so many single-digit scores prevalent among results of top teams competition this season, the new face-off rule seems to be affecting Division I lacrosse in a far more pervasive way than anyone had anticipated.

Sticks and gloves are now forbidden to be closer than four inches apart when the whistle blows, throwing all the old notions about facing-off out the window.

You would think that, under the circumstances, television broadcasts would see a natural advantage to re-thinking their coverage of the crucial match-ups in the center of the field. After all, it's hard to see what's happening in the face-off circle from the stands, particularly in larger venues. TV can solve this problem.

But has television adjusted?

In some sense yes. Notwithstanding the limitations of the Home Depot Center reported below by Miss Venus Lee, CSTV's coverage of last weekend's "First Four" doubleheader was generally excellent. The nascent network could have used a few more cameras, but new venues sometimes present problems for initial telecasts that do not get worked out overnight.

In the first game, it was Notre Dame's turn to make the Tarheels look bad.

With the graduation of Kevin Frew, North Carolina was rightly expecting early season face-off adjustments.

Down by two goals in the third quarter, UNC was desperately trying to get back into the game. Tarheel attacker Ryan Blair, always a dangerous feeder, had the ball behind the Irish goal, dogged by a Notre Dame defender. As soon as Blair was able to gain a step on his man, teammate Mike McCall made a move to the front of the crease. Blair fed him with a perfect left-handed strike, which McCall one-timed into the goal.

Now, down by one, the Tarheels sought to regain momentum with the face-off.

North Carolina's Dave Werry and Notre Dame's Taylor Clagett had been beating each other up all night at the "x". As the center midfielders assumed their position, the Swami noticed that Werry was facing off with both palms down. The Swami had never seen this technique until noticing that Army's Tony Vozzolo employed it for Army two years ago. Will the new rule make this the lacrosse equivalent of the "Fosbury Flop"? (For younger readers, Olympic high jumper Dick Fosbury revolutionized his sport by employing an entirely new technique in the 1968 summer games).

Werry kept inching his face closer to the ball, eventually stopping when his mask was only about six inches from it. The whistle blew. A mighty struggle was underway. Neither player could immediately snatch possession. Eventually, North Carolina prevailed. The camera caught all of the action. It was terrific. Congratulations to the CSTV crew who had positioned their cameras precisely between the face-off contestants consistently all evening, capturing the sustained drama engineered by two determined midfielders.

Dave Werry is a dogged competitor. The former high school hockey center from Oshawa, Ontario, has had to endure a virtual baptism of fire. In his first two games in the face-off circle he has had to face highly experienced seniors Chris Pieczonka (Navy) and Scott Davidson (Denver) at the "x". They rank #2 and #5 respectively among returning face-off specialists. Notre Dame's Clagett sported a winning percentage of .667 entering Saturday's game. In addition, UNC's wing play has been inconsistent so far this season, making Werry's job that much more difficult.

In the second game, CSTV also put the lie to the notion that all officials are strictly enforcing the full four inches called for in the rule book. There were a few times when it appeared as though Andy Corno's crosse was almost touching Danny Brennan's. CSTV caught it all.

Hours before, and thousands of miles away, it was a different story with the ESPNU production of Maryland at Towson. The week previously, its television audience had missed 14 of 24 face-offs completely due to blown camera coverage--a pathetic performance. The game at Towson was little better.

ESPNU did make some changes, however. A member the ESPNU crew was strategically stationed at the sideline to signal the referee when the cameras were ready to roll, so the network did not miss nearly the number of draws it had during the Ohio State-UMBC broadcast. But much of last Saturday's face-off coverage was shot from angles so poor that immediate possession was open to question.

When fans at home were not trying to see through the participant's backs, they were watching the "action" from atop Mt. Everest--too far away to see anything.

Was the four inch rule enforced? Who was clamping and who was raking? Any new techniques?

Channel 2 and ESPNU watchers will never know. Its production crew is proving to be oblivious to one of the very strengths television can bring to the game of lacrosse. This isn't your father's face-off anymore. If the announcers know this, and they say they do, why don't they communicate it to the camera crew? This coverage is like trying to watch a baseball game without seeing the ball cross the plate. Channel 2 has been broadcasting lacrosse since 1998, but may not be doing so much longer. The advent of two major players in the lacrosse market (CSTV and ESPNU) will eventually force production values higher. Channel 2 lacrosse coverage will shortly be confronted with a classic athlete's choice: stay amateur or turn professional.

§ § §

So far as the choice of the teams invited to the "First Four" is concerned, the Swami thinks the sponsors did a pretty good job, although since Southern California is heavily Hispanic, and therefore Catholic, it would have been nice if, in addition to Notre Dame, a second Catholic college had been represented.

The big surprise in Carson saw Notre Dame freshman Joey Kemp come off the bench to start. He finished with 14 saves and was the game's MVP.

Did North Carolina's loss to Notre Dame indirectly diminish Navy's earlier victory over the Tarheels? The Swami thinks it did. North Carolina has a single win--over Denver. That increases the likelihood, however much, that UNC may not offer a quality win to anyone this season.

UNC was handled by a team that lost to Cornell. Of course, Navy added to its own woes by losing to Bucknell--although, in fairness, one could say that Navy does that each year. Last season, Ohio State rained on the Navy Parade. They year before it was Air Force--an event that was amplified by the fact that it happened on Navy's home field. If Navy did not lose to someone unexpectedly, or stop playing one goal games, Navy would not be Navy. That's why Navy is still the most exciting team to watch in Division I. Anything can happen in a Navy game.

The Bucknell loss, played in snow, had large implications related to where the Patriot League Tournament will take place. The Patriot League sends the winner of its tournament to the NCAA Playoffs. Miss Venus Lee has more on that story.

Miss Venus Lee comments...
I appreciated the telecast of last week's "First Four," which originated from Carson, California. I thought the television production by CSTV was more than adequate. Yes, more cameras would have been better, but usually games this far from the East Coast are contracted out to local production companies, and sometimes they have very little experience with lacrosse productions. Next year this will probably be handled differently.

Although Carson is located over 300 miles from my home in the San Francisco area, and is a relatively new (2003) facility, I had occasion to once attend a women's rugby match there. That 7,400 attended a lacrosse game in SoCal (especially since reserved seats sold for $45) is somewhat surprising to me. Lacrosse in California is largely a women's sport.

Home Depot has created a much more expansive development in Carson than just a stadium. Its field was originally built for soccer, but there is also a quite nice tennis stadium, as well as a velodrome and track and field venue. It is a large campus-like complex that suggests a park with plenty of athletic facilities.

Lighting for television in such places can be a problem. This telecast looked understandably dim.

For professional football games, ESPN requires 250 foot candles of lighting on the field. This exceeds even the NFL's own requirement of 180 foot candles. Usually, lighting of that intensity requires expensive metal halide lamps that can cost up to $2,500,000 per stadium, and that does not include costs for the design by qualified lighting engineers.

Obviously, this is a level above what most college lacrosse venues can be expected to provide. With 250 foot candles, colors appear brighter and more crisp on TV, and the players' shadows are cast in multiple directions. One tip-off that you're looking at a field with less than 150 foot candles is that the players' shadows are more diffused. Lower lighting levels can result in perfectly adequate viewing for fans in the stands, but a less sharp picture on television. (Male translation: TV needs more light than your eyes do to make things look pretty and bright). I'll leave it to the Swami's imagination to speculate how much more technically profound my explanation could have been if only I were not a "chick."

One can only hope that my comments don't cause him to throw up or faint.

§ § §

Navy's loss to a conference opponent (Bucknell), was a momentus one, but, then again, all Navy losses are that.

With the winner of the Patriot League having an automatic invitation to the NCAA Tournament, the Bisons' upset of Navy has widespread implications. The Patriot League does not decide its champion based on regular season record, but rather on the winner if its end-of-season tournament. That Tournament is hosted by the Patriot League team with the best league record.

What happens if several teams are tied for first place? Who will host the tourney?

Here's the tie-breaker for that league:

8. Patriot League Tie-Breaking Procedure/Selection and Seeding

a. In the case of two-way ties in the final standings for regular season League play, the following process will be used until all ties are broken and the seeding process is completed (ties will be broken in rank order beginning with the highest seed):

i. Head-to-head competition--the higher seed will go to the team that has won the most League contests played against the other team(s) involved in the tie.

ii. If a tie still exists, a comparison of records will be made between the tied institutions starting at the highest possible seed and continuing through the lowest seed, if necessary.

iii. Record versus out-of-League common opponents;

iv. Goal differential between tied teams (the goal differential can be no greater than eight).

v. Goal differential of total League competition (goal differential can be no greater that eight in any one contest).

Navy has only one out-of-League common opponent with Bucknell: Maryland. Navy has only one common out-of-League opponent with Army: Ohio State (which Navy already defeated, 11-6), but, as was pointed out to me earlier, the Army-Ohio State game (May 7th) does not count because it takes place after the PL Tourney, which is scheduled for April 29th-May 1st. Bucknell and Army play no out-of-League common opponents.

Here are several scenarios:

Bucknell will host if it can remain undefeated in the league.

If Army beats Bucknell and loses to Navy (and all three are otherwise undefeated in the Patriot League), thereby creating a three-way tie, the second criteria and third criteria would also be tied. If Army beats Bucknell, and Navy beats Maryland, Bucknell would be eliminated under rule iii and Navy would win the PL regular season by virtue of its regular season win over Army and Bucknell's loss to the Terps.

But, all this is mere speculation. The Patriot League will undoubtedly contain other surprises for all teams. It's just that now score differentials and the Maryland-Navy game will all be elevated in importance.

With Bucknell's quality win over Navy, and the team's superior position for hosting the Patriot League Tournament, the Bison have made a major stride toward post-season play. In addition, three games grow in importance (at least as of today): last Tuesday's Maryland at Bucknell (Maryland won), along with April 8th's nationally televised game with Navy hosting Maryland.

And, oh yes, the only game that everyone thought could never get bigger, Army-Navy, has just grown hugely in size.

§ § §

The Yale-Fairfield contest played in Delray Beach last week must have been quite some affair. There were 20 penalties--10 against each team, including a team (conduct) foul on Fairfield. Suspiciously, the Ivyman was in attendance. How many lives does Yale get? Fairfield was unable to convert on a single EMO. Final score: Yale 11, Fairfield 8.

§ § §

Georgetown surprised me with its win over Syracuse. You may remember that, last week, I accused the Hoyas of "powder puff" shooting. True enough.

In its first game at the University of Maryland, the Hoyas took 29 shots on goal, sinking only 6--an effectiveness of only 21%. One week later, Georgetown upped that to 59%--but that was against St. John's, a brand new Division I team. I did not expect them to execute at a rate of 48% against Syracuse.

Watching the replay on the Swami's TIVO, my initial observation was anecdotally confirmed. All of the Georgetown shooters brought their large gauge weapons to this game, and that was the difference. Now, if they can only keep that up...

Last Week...
In Towson...
Miss Venus Lee reports...
Frustration sets in as the Tigers are still unable to defeat Maryland in Towson...
It was another game like so many of those which have gone before it. Towson can keep things close with Maryland, but can't get over the hump.

The first quarter was halfway over before anyone scored. I thought this bode well for Towson. The Tigers' defense looked tenacious early on, and now, with 7:35 remaining in the opening period, Tiger Keith Obloj scored after shaking his defender from five yards out on the right side. Maybe Towson could build enough of a lead so that the team would not follow the script so typical of Towson-Maryland contests: first, fall behind; second, rush shots and hurry passes; third, blow everything up in total desperation.

But Maryland evened the score one minute later when Terp midfielder Bill McGlone pivoted around his man, and fired home a left-hander from 10 yards.

After five scoreless minutes, Xander Ritz, behind Towson's goal, passed the ball to Joe Walters, who was open on the left side, but too far out to shoot. Did I really think that? Without moving a foot, Walters wound up and fired a left-handed rocket to put the Terps up by one, 2-1. It traveled at least 20 yards.

With only seconds remaining before the end of the quarter, a typical Towson moment was about to occur. For readers who do not have a chance to see very much of the Tigers, a typical Towson moment occurs when the Tigers pull off a brilliant play, followed by one or more blunders which often result in the unintended.

In this case, Towson defender Adam Cummins, who played a good game throughout, knocked down a Maryland clearing pass. Cummins centered the ball back to Tiger goalie Reed Sothoron, who found Todd MacMullen open on the run. MacMullen was immediately double-teamed as he neared the Maryland goal, and in perfect position to dish the ball off. But there were no Towson players cutting to the goal. The clock ran out with Maryland still carrying a 2-1 lead.

Towson defensive midfielder Casey Cittadino, on a rare transition, found himself behind the Maryland goal, curling around it counter-clockwise. He shook his defender, then scored fro close up to tie the game with the clock showing 13:23. Only seconds later Tiger Oliver Bacon weaved his way through a crowd, changed hands and scored again for Towson. This gave Towson the last lead it would have for the game.

Maryland's defense appeared to falter on occasion. The Terps did not always drop in the hole quickly, and sometimes seemed unsure of their positioning. The Terps were lucky that Towson was unable to mount a sustained transition effort, and that the Tigers tended to force some shots.

Forty seconds after Bacon's score, Maryland's Travis Holmes took a hard shot on the Towson goal. Tiger netminder Reed Sothoron made a beautiful save. Then Sothoron made possibly his only mistake of the game. On the clear, Sothoron threw up a rainbow pass to midfield, evidently intended for teammate Steve Mull. By the time the ball came down in Mull's crosse, he was sandwiched by Terps Joe Walters and Travis Holmes. The ball fell to the ground where the most dangerous person in this type of situation was able to scoop it: Terp Brendan Healy. Healy passed it off to Walters who had managed to appear out of nowhere on Towson's doorstep. Sothoron could not stop the shot. The game was now tied, 3-3.

Towson's defense clamped down and, for the next four minutes, neither team could mount a serious scoring attempt. But, at 8:09, Xander Ritz cut laterally across the field and scored on the run for Maryland from about six yards out.

Near the end of the half, Maryland padded its lead to 5-3 when Michael Phipps scored on a beautiful quick stick shot from an even more beautiful feed by Dave Matz sitting behind Towson's goal.

With a two goal deficit, it was not at all impossible for Towson to climb back into this game. Maryland, intermittently perplexed defensively, was also not winning at the faceoff circle, where Tiger center Matt Eckerl had just completed a five for six second quarter. But, having sat in almost the same seat this time last year when Towson let its frustration boil over against Virginia and lose in overtime to a team the Tigers had clearly outplayed for four quarters, I knew this was a team that often let its emotion work against it. Towson's challenge would be to remain cool, be patient, and take advantage of Maryland's mistakes. I was encouraged by the fact that Towson was entering its locker room with not a single penalty against it, for Towson's level of internal frustration is often reflected in the team's penalty minutes. Perhaps Towson's offense would be cautioned not to take so many stick-side shots against Maryland goalie Harry Alford in the second half also.

The third period could not have opened better for the home team. Within two minutes Tiger goalkeeper Reed Sothoron had stopped two blasted point-blank shots--the second from a prone position. The Tiger fans were on their feet, and back into the game.

Then, things went numb for both teams--not a good sign if you're down by two goals.

And, when the action reawoke, it was Maryland that struck first after a time out.

Up a man on a slashing penalty called on the Towson defense, Brendan Healy flipped the ball to Michael Phipps, who found Andrew Schwartzman open on the left side 12 yards out. Schwartzman scorched the net with an overhand southpaw shot that Sothoron could not stop. Towson's first penalty of the game had cost the team dearly.

With only 11 seconds left in the third quarter, Towson's Bob Griebe found Jonathan Engelke cutting to the goal. Engelke scored on the run for the Tigers.

It was now 6-4, Maryland. But the clock ticked a little louder on the Towson bench.

The Tigers were down, but not out. There was still time, if the team could maintain its composure.

With not quite three minutes run off the clock in the final period, it was Todd MacMullen who brought the Tigers to within one goal. Steve Mull was cruising back and forth behind the Maryland net, looking for someone open. He spotted MacMullen alone on the right side. MacMullen struck from 10 yards out.

Two minutes later, Towson's defense lapsed momentarily, leaving Xander Ritz wide open on the right side, far out. Ritz was so alone that he had a chance to wind up and let loose a real burner that hit the net high. There was no chance for Sothoron to stop the shot. With 10 minutes left, Maryland had reclaimed a two goal lead.

Matt Eckerl had taken every faceoff in the game thus far, and he was beginning to wear down a little. In the fourth quarter, Eckerl would fail to reach .500 for the first time in the game, going two for five. Now Maryland was able to burn more time off the clock after the draws.

Xander Ritz fed again for Maryland one minute later. This time it was to Bill McGlone, who was sitting completely alone on the doorstep--a back-breaker for Towson.

Sure enough, the Tigers' penalty minutes had been rising with their overall level of frustration. Two penalties in the third quarter, and now, down 8-5, with less than 10 minutes left in the game, the team was about to implode.

At 7:12, the Tigers were flagged for another unnecessary roughness assessment. Seconds later, Bill McGlone scored again for Maryland.

Three Tigers took turns hacking at Maryland's Joe Walters. All of a sudden the penalty box was full of yellow jerseys. Maryland, now up four goals late in the game, had no need to score. But Towson's demon had been unleashed once again, as the emotions of the Tiger spun out of control.

The Tigers were lucky to escape without a player disqualification. From zero penalties in the first half, the Tigers were flagged six times in the final two quarters.

When will these ugly finishes ever end for Towson?

Final score: Maryland 9, Towson 5.

In Carson, California...
STaTs reports in person from the Hollywood of lacrosse...
OK, but who won the games?...
From the Home Depot Center:

What a great Lacrosse weekend! Especially if you live in Southern California!

It's not often we get to see top Division One action live and in person.

The First Four Invitational held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, was a first class affair that was executed flawlessly. Lacrosse is a train that is building momentum quickly in California as was apparent in the four High School games that were played before the collegiate games. These California "surfers" have quickly figured the great sport of lacrosse out and are on their way to placing more kids in Division One programs than ever before.

The scouts from LaxScout were on hand to spot the west coast talent and award MVP's and scholarships for each of the High School games. If you are a kid that wants to get noticed by college coaches, LaxScout is a good place to start.

By game time the sun had disappeared and more than 7,000 fans had piled into the beautiful venue. I overheard a man in line ask his buddy, "Now, where did this sport originate?" Listening to his buddy explain lacrosse's origins brought a smile to my face--lacrosse was expanding one person at a time. Lines wrapped around the tents with boys and girls trying to get Mikey Powell's signature in the Brine tent. Some good vendors were set up, my favorite being the guys from South Swell Sports/ Adrenaline apparel.

These guys have an awesome line of California Lax gear that you East-coasters need to check out. UNC wins the award for best Uni's, although their only competition was the Irish- the Orange and the Hoyas Uni's were hideous.

I made my way to the Warrior Luxury Sky Box. What a spread those guys put out…beef, chicken, deli sandwiches…and, all the frothy beverages you could ask for. Prime seats with some of the games great former players, and, and some of the hottest babes in the stadium, what more could you ask for? Unfortunately all the hot babes precluded me from watching the games as intently as I would have liked to, as I was preoccupied at times. I did happen to catch Jed Prossner's only goal, which was a beauty. Five minutes into the fourth period he took his defender and beat him with a spin move, diving back in front of the crease and zipping a shot into the far side of the goal-ala the OG-Doug Knight.

Between games the Powell Brothers put on a fantastic show set to music on the tennis court inside the center. The things they were doing with their sticks was amazing. Mikey was flipping so much, you would have thought the ground was a trampoline. I did have to laugh at one conversation I overheard. One young girl onlooker said "Mikey Powell is soooo hot!" and her friend responded, "Don't you know that's like a rule…all boys that play lacrosse are hot!" I couldn't agree more, young lady. So smart at such a young age!!

The only thing that stood out in the second game (besides Syracuse's repugnant uniforms) was the play of Brodie Merrill. The kid is a beast and a force, a definite Tewaaraton contender. A great day it was. California lacrosse is on the rise. I see a bright future out here, which includes a Home Depot Center sell-out at the 5th Annual First Four Invitational and an NCAA Championship Lacrosse banner hanging in the San Diego State Gymnasium within the next 10 years. Here's to the expansion of the best sport in the world!

This Week...
Lacrosse broadcast links...
Each week the Swami notices questions on the Laxpower board about which games will be broadcast that weekend. Hey, they're all here!

If you need to connect to lacrosse games on the Internet, remember: the Swami's list is the most complete compilation of lacrosse TV and radio broadcasts on the Internet.To get to that page, or any of the Swami's other exciting pages, just run your mouse over the floating link bar at the left of your screen. That will activate the pull-out tray which contains links to Radio/TV, the Swami's other links and the Swami Fan Club, which is now the most populous fan club in lacrosse. Hey, when you read the Swami, you get it all!

It usually takes a while to get down all the many changes that college stations make to their webcasts between seasons, so be patient.

Swami's Game of the Week:
Johns Hopkins (#1) at Syracuse (#8)

Friday, March 18, 7:00 PM, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY

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 #4!

From Swampy...
Last year's champion returns...
I think the former champ might be out of the race already after last week's abysmal performance. I thought for sure that Stony Brook would upset UMass after Saturday's picks. I mean, they might as well have. I got every other pick to that point wrong. Not a single upset came through. In fact, none were even close. Duke beat Loyola by one, but that game was hardly in doubt. What is in doubt is the Orange(men) repeating as champions, but we've all learned not to write them off this early. Perhaps, Virginia has resurfaced and will take their place. Can Georgetown actually be as good as Swami thinks? Nope! They still cannot beat the big dogs. Also, Notre Dame has not picked up the big win they'll need to make the tournament. Why, you ask? Because UNC will be out of the Top 15 by May. This week, a tribute to multiple and changing nicknames.

Game of the Week

JOHNS HOPKINS at Syracuse(6): The revenge factor has now reversed itself. Up until now, Syracuse has played like a team that knows it is very good, but thinks it's a lot better. That brazen attitude used to work for the Orange…when they actually were better. The Blue Jays to date have played like a machine, and not in the bad sense. They have been very methodical, feeling each other out as much as their opponents. With three games under their belt, all victories, and more importantly, experience for the freshmen, this team is ready to cut loose on a hated rival. Faceoffs should be particularly intense in this one. I'm sure the Jays remember all the press a certain freshman F/O man from Syracuse got in the FF last year after single-handedly taking down the Hopkins faceoff machine.

PRINCETON at Hofstra(10): Hofstra has almost nothing going for it. They know by now that they will not be participating in postseason play this year. Princeton likely will, but they know that they cannot lose this game. Given that, and that they're overwhelmingly better than the Pride (Flying Dutchmen), Princeton wins easily.

Umbc at MARYLAND(11): Maryland's loss to Duke now looks like a bad Terps nightmare that their squad has awakened from. They dispatched a very good Towson club last week and should do the same at home versus an inferior Retreivers team.

DUKE at North Carolina(5): This will prove to any doubters that Duke is a legitimate, and steady threat this year to make a serious run. Not because UNC is good, they're not. They looked inept versus North Carolina last week. So much for their much-heralded offense. No, folks, this is more important to the Devils because they haven't beaten the Heels in years. Every year, Duke's season got into big trouble because they would drop back to back games to the Heels and the Hoyas. Not this year. Duke is an early front-runner to be a Final Four team.

Towson at VIRGINIA(8): Two teams with a reputation for offensive punch. One team that actually still has it. The Cavaliers (Wahoos) win at home.

ARMY at Rutgers(7): Didn't the Scarlet Knights used to be a very promising team? They seem awfully mediocre lately. The Black Knights (Cadets) can put together a serious case for a postseason birth by taking a leg up in the Patriot League. Man, does Army-Navy look promising this year.

BROWN at Umass(4): Hunch. The Minutemen (Gorillas) of old wouldn't have had such a difficult time dispatching the Seawolves (Patriots) of Stony Brook. Brown is tough.

PENN STATE at Stony Brook(9): Penn State is still a dangerous team, as always. Stony Brook, as usual, is not.

HARVARD at Fairfield(3): Harvard is not going to win the Ivy League this year, though they do have some offensive talent. They'll need a good record and a few decent wins to even have a case. They should put one in the win column this weekend.

AIR FORCE at Fairfield(2): The Air Force Falcons (Cadets) traditionally don't fare well out East. They have been getting steadily better under Fred Acee's tutelage, though, and should be able to stymie the Stags offense just enough.

Cornell at NORTH CAROLINA(1): Simply because they are home and reeling, and I still can't get a handle on how good or how average Cornell is going to be this year. If UNC loses, keep your eyes peeled for a disastrous freefall out of that program. Are the Tarheels the real Duke everybody has been talking about for years? You know, loads of talent, coach under fire, high-profile recruits not panning out, underachieving? Smells like it to me..

--Swampy.

From STaTs...
My picks this weekend...commentary above...

11. Johns Hopkins at Syracuse

Syracuse (1)

2. Princeton at Hofstra

Princeton (11)

3. UMBC at Maryland

Maryland (10)

4. Duke at North Carolina

North Carolina (2)

5. Towson at Virginia

Virginia (9)

6. Army at Rutgers

Army (3)

7. Brown at UMass

Brown (4)

8. Penn State at Stony Brook

Penn State (6)

9. Harvard at Fairfield

Harvard (7)

10. Air Force at Fairfield (Weds)

Air Force (8)

11. Cornell at North Carolina (Weds)

North Carolina (5)
--STaTs.

From Miss Venus Lee...
Headed to Syracuse...
Since the Swami is still laid up with a back injury, I have drawn the assignment of covering the Hopkins-Syracuse contest. But, at this point, it is not at all certain that I will be able to make it to Syracuse by game time. Unfortunately, I have obligations which will keep me in New York City until the afternoon of the game. In the meantime, all my comments and picks are posted elsewhere.

From Glory Days...
What Happened Last Week? Prognosticators Nightmare!
First the good news...The Wahoos held the Princeton Tigers to 0 shots in the first quarter and went on to win a rather lopsided 11-7 victory. I'm already looking forward to playing the hated Blue Jays in two weeks at Homewood.

How about #1 versus #2 both undefeated?

Now for the upsets... although I would like to lay the blame on Mr. Lacrosse , we were actually in agreement on most of the games ( he did like Army). So what's up with Navy? Is the Patriot League really that good (ask Monk)?

All the Boyz lost this one and most bet the bank (11 points) No one has yet to give me a viable explanation other than this is not the same team without Dingman? Georgetown did not look like a team that could beat Cuse but they did. Army struggles with Lehigh then beats Cornell? OSU proves they have problems losing to Hobart and Carolina still can't win when they should , even at home.

Let's see if I can get back on track this week...

(6) Hopkins / Syracuse - Although the Jay's have not overwhelmed anyone yet, they still have more juice then the 1-2 Orangemen.

(11) Princeton / Hofstra - Coach T is not happy with an 0-2 start and the Tigers will take it out on the Dutchmen.

(10) UMBC / Maryland - Terps have not been overly impressive but they have more than enough to get past the pesky Retrievers.

(8) Duke / North Carolina - Devils are playing like this may be their year to shine, while Carolina can't seem to keep it together week in and week out.

(9) Towson / Virginia - Another family feud, but my brothers Tigers will have their hands full with a very confident Wahoo team that is playing better than anyone right now.

(4) Army / Rutgers - Cadets had a big win over a good Cornell squad and should win on the Turnpike but look for Knights Havalchak between the pipes to keep it close.

(5) Brown / UMass - Bruins may be third best in the Ivy and Chazz Woodson is the real deal but the Minutemen have more depth and are playing at home.

(2) Penn St. / Stony Brook - Coaching advantage to Lars Tiffany who recruited the entire Lions team but there lies the problem for the Seawolves... better players. PSU wins a close one.

(7) Harvard / Fairfield - Crimson should win this even without Greg Cohen. Stags will struggle this year.

(3) Air Force / Fairfield - I think the Stags will win 3 games this season and this will be one.

(1) Cornell / North Carolina - Pick um? Best game of the weekend but the Heels have yet to show they can win a big game. eek one was pretty predictable...

--Glory Days

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

11. HOPKINS

10. PRINCETON

9. UMD

4. DUKE

5. VIRGINIA

6. ARMY

7. UMASS

8. STONY BROOK

3. FAIRFIELD

2. FAIRFIELD

1. CORNELL

AIH out.

From goygoy 21...
Last Week...
This was another tough week but the Goy hung in there. Bucknell was the bracket buster and ruined Navy's chance to run the conference. The other real surprise of the week was Army. The Goy has never been a fan of Army as a lacrosse team but that win changed my perspective adding yet another tough team that used to be an easy win. Real parity is really starting to emerge.

This Week...

Will Syracuse make the playoffs?...

The Goy knows its early but Hopkins/Syracuse has playoff implications. The way the remaining teams on Cuse's schedule are playing right now, this could be the last chance for Syracuse to get a big win this season. If they fall to Hop this weekend they will be forced to run the table because the reset their schedule leaves something to be desired with their combined record of 15-9. Now a couple of these teams, like Hobart, UMass, and Princeton could turn out to be real good, giving Syracuse a shot to get some good wins, they could fizzle. Put it this way, a win this weekend and Syracuse is in the drivers seat, but a loss puts them on the edge of their seat.

A lot of rivalry games this weekend. Duke/UNC, SU/HOP, UMBC/UM, and a new one in the making SB/PSU. All of these games are going to be extremely hard fought and all the harder to call because of it.

1. Johns Hopkins (5) at Syracuse
Syracuse could be in for a tough year and if they fall to win this weekend, forget about their final four streak as it could mean no playoffs for the Orange.

2. Princeton (11) at Hofstra
Princeton needs a win this weekend because it wont be fun to play Syracuse at 0-3. Hofstra has been stinking up the fields this year managing to score only 14 goals in three games. Princeton is going to get the win it needs most likely, but games that pit two zero win clubs together can often result in mysterious outcomes.

3. UMBC at Maryland (10)
Maryland is tough this year and have beaten up on their little brother for so many years in a row now it isn't even worth counting. UMBC has played a lot better than their 1-3 record shows this year but losing tight contests can get habit forming.

4. Duke (8) at North Carolina
The best rivalry in basketball usually becomes the most over-looked rivalry in lacrosse. D

5. Towson at Virginia (6)
Towson has played very well this year but they haven been putting up the offensive numbers Virginia has, and the Goy isn't convinced that they can. We will see but UVA is a team on a mission this year.

6. Army at Rutgers (7)
Army is a team of the heart but Rutgers is the team in my head. They have more talent but where has it been this year. Rutgers is going to get started one of these weekends, this would be the one to do it.

7. Brown at UMass (1)
Brown is 2-0 and the Goy would go with them if UMass want coming off a loss. UMass is still a more complete team than Brown but this one will be close. Look for a possible OT game.

8. Penn State (4) at Stony Brook
Penn State is going to be well scouted this week since Stony Brook head coach Lars Tiffany recruited every player on their team. Will that be enough? The Goy doesn't think so and expects the Lions to avenge the embarrassment they suffered at the hands of Duke this weekend.

9. Harvard (9) at Fairfield
Harvard is 2-0 and beat the giant killing Bucknell. Fairfield is coming off two straight losses and the Goy expects their losing ways to continue for at least another game.

10. Air Force at Fairfield (2) (Weds)
Its tough to play a midweek game after flying in from the mountains. Too tough to do and win for Air Force. Fairfield wins against the jet setters.

11. Cornell (3) at North Carolina (Weds)
This is going to be a good one and a tough one to call. Midweek games are so tough to call because the Goy has never been able to decide if it is easier to go on the road and treat it like a weekend game, or to be at home and have the distractions that come with that mid-week. With that said Cornell will have a lot more time to prepare because they don't have Duke on Saturday. Cornell in an upset pick.

--goygoy21

From Baldo...
Throw me a rope fellas, its cold down here in the CELLAR...

11. Princeton over Hofstra - Tigers finally ROAR

10. Harvard over Fairfield - Hahvard in a close one

9. Maryland over UMBC - Retrievers can't catch a break in their schedule

8. Virginia over Towson - Hoos look to be back and are at home

7. Army over Rutgers - Cadets march through Jersey.

6. Duke over North Carolina - Dukies are for real. Heels need a FOGO.

5. Fairfield over Air Force - give the edge to the home team.

4. Brown over Massachusetts - Minutemen exposed last week.

3. Stony Brook over Penn State - as BJ Thomas said...I got a "feeling" here

2. North Carolina over Cornell - only because its in Chapel Hill.

1.. Syracuse over Johns Hopkins - word is Coach Desko was interviewing timers this week..

--Baldo

From Ivyman...
No longer welcome in the City of Brotherly Love...
I'm not piling on Penn - really I'm not. But I gotta tell ya, they're a gold mine of material. Now I know this is a serious problem at many other campuses besides Penn, and the problem of alcohol is one that must be taken seriously. And I mean that. I am admittedly no stranger to adult beverages, especially those with high vitamin C content. But there's certainly some things you just don't do while or after drinking. It's just too dangerous. Too many lives have been ruined, and the carnage must be stopped.

Drinking and dialing - a national disgrace.

A recent survey by a Philadelphia area wireless company relates the 95% of a 409 person sample group admitted to making drunken phone calls. All those 30% were to ex-lovers, 19% to current lovers, and 36% to others, including bosses. The emotional and economic losses are staggering. Again, I must emphasize I'm not making this up, it has been very responsibly reported by Jessica Sidman in the January 21, 2005 issue of the Daily Pennsylvanian .

According to this article, one sophomore engineering student "drunk dials" his eighth grade ex-girlfriend nearly every weekend. (Clearly he is heartbroken - and hasn't gotten over it yet. Still, it was probably only last summer.) the same student once called a friend's cell phone and left a message that was "slightly vulgar in nature" after he had been partying all night. Only later did he discover that his friend had just gotten a new cell phone and had given the old one to his mother who received the message instead.

The same wireless company referred to above, (the rather unlikely named Virgin Mobile) now offers a service to prevent drunk-dialing catastrophes like this for a $25 fee, Virgin mobile customers can dial 333 plus a phone number they don't want to call, and Virgin mobile will stop all calls to that number until six the next morning. This of course has to happen before any imbibing begins.

Hey guys: it easier to just leave the cell at home. Friends don't let friends dial drunk.

So the big hoops tournament begins this week, and every saloon, deli,and office has a pool going. Why can't we have such a thing for lacrosse? Main answer: not enough teams. they start with 64 teams and after a month they have a champion. The face-off annual lists 57 Division I teams. Let's take them all and add another seven of the best teams in Division II and III and do the same tournament over four weeks. Hey - it's wildly successful for basketball and generates millions for the NCAA. You can't tell me they wouldn't want the money. And the pools would be fabulous.

I, of course, would be happy to hold the money.

Last week's picking a contest was a bloodbath. I am SO happy that Baldo and Swami are there to keep me from finishing last. Here are this week's picks. For entertainment purposes only of course.

1. Johns Hopkins at Syracuse - 1

2. Princeton at Hofstra - 8

3. UMBC at Maryland - 9

4. Duke at North Carolina - 3

5. Towson at Virginia - 7

6. Army at Rutgers - 10

7. Brown at UMass - 5

8. Penn State at Stony Brook - 6

9. Harvard at Fairfield - 11

10. Air Force at Fairfield (Weds) - 4

11. Cornell at North Carolina (Weds) - 2

Ivyman...

From Radio Mike...
Radio Mike from the shores of the Allegheny River this week...
Radio Mike's Week 4 commentary and picks...
After freezing during the broadcast of a hard fought OSU – Hobart game, and seeing the Statesmen come out on top, as I thawed, who would think of the upsets….Bucknell, Army….Wow! So, after thawing out, I hope my brain gets some of these right…Hope the Swami is recovering nicely! Big Game Saturday in Geneva for the Statesmen!

Johns Hopkins at Syracuse: There is no place like Dome, and Syracuse needs a convincing win after losing to Georgetown. Hopkins seems to do better early, and even with a must win for the Orange, I see the Jays flying away with the win. 1

Princeton at Hofstra: Lions and Tigers, Oh My…Tigers win this battle and leave Hofstra back in the Den. 11

UMBC at Maryland: UMBC lost a tough one to OSU a few weeks ago, but are no match for the Terps. 10

Duke at North Carolina: The ACC likes to beat up on one another and just like the hoops teams, anything is possible. Ask Maryland. I think Duke is on a roll and should win the Neighborhood match-up. 6

Towson at Virginia: Hoos will win this one easily. 9

Army at Rutgers: After upsetting a tough Big Red team, is there enough ammo left? I think so. Black over Scarlet. 4

Brown at UMass: UMass is doing very well, and I think even taking on an improving Brown team will not stumble the Minutemen. 8

Penn State at Stony Brook: Another game designed to fool everyone. I give the advantage to Penn State. However, the wolves can trip up anyone. 5

Harvard at Fairfield: Both teams need to win for respect. I will give the Ivy league team the advantage, especially after a midweek GWLL contest that Fairfield has. 7

Air Force at Fairfield (Weds): I think Air Force will lose this match-up in the last season of GWLL for Fairfield. 3

Cornell at North Carolina (Weds): Cornell is still Stinging from the loss to Army. They want a win badly. I would think a home game for UNC would be an advantage. However, Cornell is Hungry! This one could be a battle. 2

--Radio Mike.

From Wombat...
The Wombats visit the French Embassy in DC...plus only Wombat has the inside info on Hopkins' new uniforms...

WOMBAT'S WEEK 4 COMMENTARY AND PICKS

Yes, you are now entering the Wombat Zone, and if you are hearing that Twilight Zone theme song in your head as you read this, well, good. Because the Wombat Zone is a place where goofy things can happen.

Let's talk about France first. I don't have much of anything good to say about France. However, they did name the sport that we enjoy "lacrosse," so we will give them a gold star for that. On the beer front, I make my weekly recommendation and go with Fischer LaBelle, a pale lager that is very good and readily available around the U.S. So that is it for my weekly bartender recommendations. Remember, drink responsibly and the key is to stay in control. Two is really more than enough.

Well, now for a little story.

The Wombatress and Wombat get invited to the French Embassy. I won't say exactly when this happened, because I don't want anyone tracking my records of when I have visited embassies. But anyway, here the Wombatress and I go, some time in the past two years, to the French Embassy. We have connections. But before going, I got a little lecture from the Wombatress that went something like this:

Wombatress: "Please do not create an international incident."

Wombat: "You mean I can't call the place the Freedom Embassy?"

Wombatress: "If you do that, I will make you leave. Please, do not embarrass me."

Wombat: "But I really want to ask them where the heck the Freedom fries are being served."

Wombatress: "Just go, have fun, and try to behave. If I make you leave, you won't get to enjoy the free food and alcohol."

Well, talk about laying down the gauntlet. So, while at the Embassy, I was on my very best behavior, tried not to look at any French people cross-eyed, and ate a lot of their very good cheese and I lost count of how many times I visited the champagne table. The whole time I was thinking about 1986 when France denied the U.S. the use of their airspace and our fliers had to fly from England all the way around Spain to bomb Libya and the Gulf of Sidra. Plus, I was thinking a lot about all the French attitudes toward the U.S. over the past couple of years. From a military standpoint, I haven't been thrilled with the French since, well, say 1940. Anyway... I managed to keep these thoughts to myself and was polite.

The highlight of the night was when the host, a General in the French Army, made the keynote speech. He spoke about U.S. and French history, dating back to the times of when Lafayette aided George Washington in defeating the British in the Revolutionary War. He spoke of WW1 and WW2. But the quote of the night was this, as he reflected on the state of U.S. - French tensions over current events. He said: "American and French relations are like a wine vintage. Sometimes there are good years, and sometimes there are ..."

And he didn't have to finish the sentence because the crowd started laughing. I thoroughly enjoyed the joke, and promptly raised my champagne glass as a sign of approval to the general. Then I went back to the champagne table for more. Hey, if it is from France, it is the real stuff. Plus it was free. Needless to say I had a great time.

Next week, Wombat tells of his visit to the Canadian Embassy in DC, where he DOES create an international incident. Along the way I will finally point out a REAL Canadian beer, unlike Fosters and Sapporo.

Wombat is still embedding the names of Dave Matthews Band songs into each week of the Wombat Zone. I will provide a list of what they were at the end of the season. Can you find the hidden title track each week?

So let's move on to the second subject, that being, what is up with these new Hopkins uniforms? Well, the official athletic colors of Hopkins are Columbia Blue and Black. (Thus the pseudonym of a fine individual). So, the light blue colors are a move back to JHU's traditional colors. At home, the jerseys are white. Both home and away jerseys have stripes from the armpit down the side. I think they look pretty good for the 21st century. Some don't like the stripe. The jerseys look a little retro while at the same time look a little futuristic.

Wombat is rather disappointed though that he was not asked for his artistic input on the jersey designs. After all the cicada talk last year, I had to come up with a new theme for 2005. And that theme is that Hopkins is the UNDERDOG. Yes, they are ranked #1 again this year, and might be at the end of the regular season for the fourth year in a row. But will Hopkins be #1 on Memorial Day? That is the key question. Until they pull off a run of four wins in the tourney, JHU should consider themselves the underdog in every game they enter. They should start each game as if they are already three or four goals behind, and pour on the gas to catch up and out distance each opponent. Going into games thinking you are favored and that you should win are a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Just look at 2004 as an example. So, in the spirit of thinking that JHU should be the decided UNDERDOG this year, here is how Wombat would have designed the 2005 Johns Hopkins jerseys, if anyone had dared ask. Take a close look at this new uniform design:

Take a good long close look at that picture. That folks, is a great uniform. It even comes with a warmup cape! (Which I would recommend removing during a game so that the cape doesn't get wrapped around your neck thus creating choking spasms.)

J.H. Underdog. That's the motto for 2005. Maybe that will even wind up on the JHU bulletin board as even more motivational material. J.H. Underdogs until you prove it in May.

For those that are too young to remember this fine cartoon character, this is Underdog, and well, you are probably too young to remember the last JHU championship too. I would change one other thing about this J.H. Underdog uniform though - that reddish orange needs to be changed into Columbia Blue and then it would be perfect. I left it reddish orange just to bring back fond cartoon memories from ages ago.

Well, I guess I better get around to picking this week's games. Just remember, JHU is the UNDERDOG this year, regardless of any poll rankings, which, let's face it, polls mean absolutely nothing but to perk interest and debate as the season goes on. Memorial Day is what matters most.

WOMBAT'S CRACKED CRYSTAL BALL.

Wombat usually likes to stick with first guesses, but after seeing this Tuesday's results (Albany beating UMass), among other things, I really had to think twice about this week's slate of games.

Game of the Week:
1. JOHNS HOPKINS at Syracuse [11]

I like betting on the UNDERDOG. Hopkins blew it, 14-15, back in 2003 when they last played in the Dome. Syracuse is off to a rough 1-2 start, and Hopkins has looked far from perfect this year. However, I expect the Underdogs to pull this one out, winning on the road by two or three. A 12-9 score sounds about right. Wombat is going with Hopkins.

2. PRINCETON at Hofstra [9]

Hofstra can't win a faceoff against JHU. I expect more of the same against Princeton. Wombat thinks that the Tigers should win by four or more, without too much of a struggle. Princeton needs the win to get back on track. Hofstra is still looking to even find the track, let alone getting back on it.

3. Univ. Md Balt. County at MARYLAND [8]

Let's see, the battle of the Universities of Maryland. I like the College Park version to win a key game at home. Maryland is still stung by the Duke loss, but they still need some key non-conference wins too, as there is no AQ in the ACC. UMBC has played everyone tough, so the Terps can't be caught watching the NIT. Wombat likes Maryland by three.

4. DUKE at North Carolina [5]

Duke is getting everyone's attention early this season, off to a great 6-0 start. And UNC is struggling, particularly at midfield and facing off. Carolina is simply stinking up the joint. Perhaps they can win at home because all of the losses are on the road, but I have become a severe doubter. Duke by two, over their next door neighbor.

5. Towson at VIRGINIA [10]

I expect a run and gun slug fast. Rubeor is the real deal and still doing well despite the ankle sprain, and I think UVa will break out in this game and put a few extra by Sothoron to make the difference. Wombat likes UVa by three or more, probably more.

6. ARMY at Rutgers [4]

This game is a toss up. I liked Army early in the season, but some injuries put a few dings in them early on. Impressive win against Cornell, and I think they can follow that up with a win on the road against Rutgers. I wouldn't bet the house on it though. Wombat thinks the Army offense will continue to come alive, and Army will walk out of NJ with a two goal win.

7. Brown at UMASS [3]

Well, here is a game that I hate to pick now that UMass is causing a lot of doubts. Losing to Albany, after Delaware crushed Albany. I don't see anything in the tea leaves here, because both schools are not that battle tested yet. But I like UMass on a gut feeling. And when Wombat gets a gut feeling, it usually is something big. So, Wombat is going with UMass in a game that will probably come down to the final minutes and be decided by one for the Minutemen.

8. PENN STATE at Stony Brook [1]

Penn State has played some tough teams early and has two good wins, but when they lose, they lose by big scores. Stony Brook is playing a lot of teams tough, but I think Penn State has what it takes to pull this one out, so Wombat is going with the Nittany Lions by two.

9. HARVARD at Fairfield [7]

Man, this is like picking which mule will find the turnip first. I hate picking games involving the Ivy League teams. Cornell burned me last week. Oh well, here is my thinking. Harvard beat Bucknell, and Bucknell shocked Navy last week, so that makes me think Harvard has the edge. So, Wombat likes Harvard big, by about three or four goals.

10. Air Force at FAIRFIELD (Weds) [2]

Here is another tough match up - tough to call this so early in the season. Air Force has played the tougher schedule with losses to Penn and Towson, but I am not sure if they can beat Fairfield on the road. Wombat is going with the Stags by one. Really a toss up.

11. CORNELL at North Carolina (Weds) [6]

This game will have some emotional implications because it was the game that was canceled last year. Cornell should ride high and win this one, and Wombat likes the Big Red by two. There are some serious questions at Chapel Hill this year. Basically, they seem to be the UVa of 2004. What is going on in the ACC? Last year the Cavaliers melted down, and now in 2005, the Tar Heels are doing it. Unbelievable. Wombat foresees UNC off to a 1-5 start. The loss to Hofstra was a big time hurt.

Well, that is it for the Wombat Zone, Week Four. Wombat's Cracked Crystal Ball did a little better last week. Must be that super glue.

Have a great week,

--Wombat
still..."Alone at the bottom"

What's new...
RPI's:A primer...
It's early, but Maryland is #1, Virginia #3...
Hymie! has just refurbished his RPI and SOS pages. They now contain more information that ever. If you're a fan, and you haven't been to Hymies! pages, you are missing one of the best lacrosse web sites around. Hymie! has incorporated a "what if" scenario on his site. So you can take a look at this week's big games and plug in the team, or teams, you think will win, and see the impact of that (those) win(s) on their RPI's. This is especially important in 2004 since so many opponents' RPI's are being devalued by upsets.

Here is a quick primer on RPI's:

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:

1.) The team's winning percentage;

2.) The average winning percentage of the team's opponents; and,

3.) The average winning percentage of the team's opponents' opponents. These factors are multiplied by25%, 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 fora detailed explanation of that formula.

Link HERE to Hymies! RPI page.

Link HERE to Hymies! Strength of Schedule (SOS) page.

The Swami's Top 16
(March 14, 2005)

1. Johns Hopkins
The undefeated Blue Jays are still the Swami's top team.
2. Virginia
The undefeated Cavaliers win a tight one on the road in the Dome.
3. Duke
Undefeated Duke is now 6-0, with a 10-8 road win over Maryland.
4. Maryland
Upset by Duke, the Terrapins take it out on Towson.
5. Navy
The Mids get snowed in Lewisburg.
6. Georgetown
The Hoyas post a win over Syracuse, but how big is it this season?
7. Princeton
Winless Princeton faces Hofstra next.
8. Syracuse
The Cruisers fall to a good team (Georgetown) for the second time this season.
9. Army
Army defeats Cornell 11-9.
10. Cornell
Cornell edges Notre Dame by a single goal at home.
11. Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish defeat North Carolina by two goals.
12. North Carolina
The Tarheels' best (and only) win is Denver (18-12).
13. Towson
The Tigers best win is over either Denver or Loyola.
14. UMass
A (10-7) victory over Stony Brook is still the Minutemen's best win.
15. Bucknell
An upset of Navy is marred by a defeat by Harvard.
16. Denver
Denver beats Penn, 7-6.

USILA Coaches' Poll

Division I

No. Name
Record

(First place votes) Points

Previous

1 Johns Hopkins
3-0

(9) 199

1

2 Virginia
4-0

(1) 190

3

3 Duke
6-0

181

4

4 Maryland
2-1

170

T6

5 Georgetown
2-1

149

11

6 Navy
3-1

139

2

7 Syracuse
1-2

128

5

8 Army
2-1

115

15

9 Tie Massachusetts
3-0

103

13

9 Tie Notre Dame
2-1

103

14

11 Princeton
0-2

102

8

12 Cornell

2004 Ranking	Player / Team	2004	2005
1	Corno, GT	.681	.562
2	Pieczonka, Navy	.676	.672
3	Peyser, Hopkins	.669	.667
4	Smith, Delaware	.634	.767
5	Davidson, Denver	.617	.484
6	Fillipone, Drexel	.598	.641
7	Rotella, Prov	.596	.526
8	Mineo, Army	.587	.529
9	Weiss, Lehigh	.562	.683
10	Soden, Hobart	.552	.707

Division I
*No.*	*Name*	*Record*	*(First place votes) Points*	*Previous*
1	*Johns Hopkins*	*3-0*	*(9) 199*	1
2	*Virginia*	*4-0*	*(1) 190*	3
3	*Duke*	*6-0*	*181*	4
4	*Maryland*	*2-1*	*170*	T6
5	*Georgetown*	*2-1*	*149*	11
6	*Navy*	*3-1*	*139*	2
7	*Syracuse*	*1-2*	*128*	5
8	*Army*	*2-1*	*115*	15
*9 Tie*	*Massachusetts*	*3-0*	*103*	13
*9 Tie*	*Notre Dame*	*2-1*	*103*	14
11	*Princeton*	*0-2*	*102*	8
12	*Cornell*