Saturday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium:

Miss Bunny Bimbette (the movie star): Oh Swami, Navy's losing 8-3--and it's almost the end of the third quarter, can I take off my seat belt now?

Swami: Not now, babe. Unless you want to become an astronaut.

The first seven minutes of this game consisted of each team running to the other's end and then losing the ball. There were a total of 14 turnovers in the first quarter (8 Navy, 6 Georgetown). Finally, after Navy blew a clear with a missed pass, Georgetown took possession and began its attack. In Navy's goal was junior Tommy Phelan, who was replacing junior Matt Coughlin, out with a hamstring injury. The week before, Phelan was named Patriot League defensive player of the week for his remarkable 13 save performance against Colgate which featured some heart-stopping snuffs from the doorstep. Phelan has gained a reputation as having quick reactions to close range shots. It was now time for Phelan to display those talents. At 8:31, Hoya Andrew Baird's defenseman slid off him for a split second. It was just long enough, however, to enable ball handler Dan D'Agnes to hit Baird with a soft feed. Baird was alone with Phelan and attempted to put the ball past the Navy goalie from two feet outside the crease. Phelan, dipping into a split, saved it rather spectacularly. Then, just as Phelan was releasing the outlet pass from his stick, Baird intercepted it and whiffed it in for the first goal of the game. It was a play you only see once a year or so.

Phelan goes low against Andrew Baird for the save.

One minute later, Baird (on another D'Agnes feed) fired again at Phelan, this time from three feet in front of the crease, only to watch Phelan deflect the ball up and out of bounds. Baird did score on the inbound pass, but this time from farther out.

At 6:44 Midshipman Nick Mirabito scored off a quickly picked up rebound from a teammate's shot.

Then, more turnovers, more up and down, more mistakes--and no sustained possessions for either team.

With two minutes left in the first quarter, D'Agnes scored the Hoyas' third goal from 12 yards out on the run.

All in all, it was a sloppy first period.

Ricky Mirabito and Andrew Brancaccio both scored on outside shots for Georgetown within the first three minutes of quarter two. Navy was now down 5-1 with play continuing to look sloppy. At this point in time, each team had won four face-offs, but Navy was unable to take advantage of a single one in terms of scoring.

Matt Bitter brought Navy to within three with a goal at 9:35. But Georgetown was shaking off its sloppiness and beginning to create sustained possessions. The momentum was with the Hoyas.

Navy squandered a second man-up situation with a bad shot. It was five minutes from halfway through the game and the Mids had not yet settled down. Only Phelan's seven saves were keeping Navy from getting blown out.

At 2:56 Navy finally converted on EMO with a hard 20 yard shot from almost no angle on the right by midfielder Patrick Moran. So far, it was the game's best tally.

But Brancaccio scored again from outside with a beautiful low-to-high shot from outside. It was made with just :29 left in the half.

The Swami reflected on the 6-3 halftime lead of Georgetown. The Hoyas had outshot Navy by a ratio of almost 2-1. Certainly that was no surprise to the fans in the stands. Georgetown had increasingly dominated possession time. Navy had seven saves to Georgetown's three. This indicated that if Navy could stop hyper-ventilating maybe the Mids could catch up. Navy was also doing better in the face-off circle. After losing 3 of 5 in the first period, Navy had won 5 of 6 in the second. But, then again, nothing had come of it.

Georgetown was getting more penetration of Navy's defense than usual. Fortunately, Phelan was snuffing most inside shots, isolating almost all of the visiting team's scoring from outside. But the Mids had better make some adjustments at halftime or be prepared to be buried by the Hoya offense.

Thankfully, though, Brendan Cannon, Georgetown's Big Gun against Navy last year (3 goals and 3 assists in a 10-9 Navy loss) had been totally blanked by Mid defender Jordan DiNola: zero goals and zero assists. Jordan is the third in his family to play for Navy (behind brothers Dustin '03 and Seth '05) and has got to be seriously considered for first team All America if he keeps up his present stats.

Navy has still not stepped up to the plate and decided to serve frankfurters made from real dogs yet, but the greasy, tasteless red hots of years gone by were pitched out by the stadium management which decided to step up its offerings in general. Now, for big games, Navy serves BBQ cooked on premises and a better grade hot dog. This has saved the Swami's companion, Miss Bunny Bimbette, the movie star, from making a previously routine halftime trip to Graul's market across the street for a gourmet sandwich for the Swami to munch before the roller coaster always gets going in the second half of typical Navy games. And, since the Swami is pretty far out on the left wing of the Democrat Party, the Swami is for anything that liberates chicks from this kind of work.

Georgetown won the opening second half face-off and scored within a minute. Navy was still not settled down, and, to prove the point, allowed Georgetown's Ricky Mirabito (brother to Navy's Nick Mirabito) to score when Navy allowed a failure to advance turnover to light up the scoreboard again for Georgetown. At 8-3, this game was all Hoyas.

It was now more than halfway through the third quarter (7:04) and the hometown fans were getting restless.

Navy won the ensuing face-off, and, after much bumbling, finally took possession of the ball. Nick Mirabito took a quick shot, which was deflected out of bounds by Georgetown goalie Miles Kass. The ball eventually found itself in the stick of Mid Patrick Moran. He fired another long shot--this time from the left side at no angle. It found its mark. The Mids had cut the visitors' lead to four. His goal marked the first time in this game Navy had scored off a (continuous) face-off won possession.

Navy lost the next face-off, but quickly obtained possession. In less than 60 seconds, Patrick Moran had scored again--this time on the run with a right hand bouncer. Moreover, for at least the minute Navy had the ball, they actually looked like a deliberate team. The Navy fans came alive. They knew the roller coaster had just left the platform.

Phelan made another sensational save after a Navy penalty. He also directed an excellent clear. Phelan is a terrific clearing goalie and has yet to make a single passing mistake in the clearing game. His main attribute: He gets the big picture of overall team motion quickly and does not pass into traffic.

Later, another of Phelan's quick outlets caught Georgetown with its offensive players on the field--and they were beginning to look a little weary. Navy, on the other hand, had deployed its "Law Firm": the second midfield of Higgins, Beggins & Durkin. Their day in court came soon--when Higgins fed Mirabito for Navy's next tally. Navy was now within two.

By now, Navy's football team had ignited the crowd again. This time they were more vocal than ever. The fans knew that this would be another typical Navy nail-biter--just like the three overtime games Navy had already played this season.

Once again, Navy won the face-off, this time after quite a scramble. The ground ball was picked up by Nick Mirabito, who quickly lobbed it to Gregory Clement. Clement's defender was hopelessly behind him. He raised his stick into his right hand to shoot, but Miles Kass had come out of the goal so quickly a collision was inevitable. Clement then wheeled the stick behind his head and shot from behind his back into the goal. He was decked by Kass almost immediately, but Navy had scored again.

Georgetown won the next face-off and scored: a Jake Samperton goal on a Brendan Cannon feed.

The next face-off took place with only :18 left in the third quarter. Georgetown won it, but Jordan DiNola promptly took it away from Brendan Cannon. Cannon then pursued DiNola, and when he could not wrestle the ball away, he literally tackled DiNola on the sidelines. Flags flew. There was one second left in the quarter. Navy would open the final frame with an extra man--down by a score of 9-7. The football team went wild.

Brendan Cannon takes Navy's Jordan DiNola down with a tackle (upper right).

The penalty expired, but shortly thereafter, Navy's Basil Daratsos scored on a hard right hand bouncer from 16 yards out, to bring Navy to within a single goal.

At 3:28 Brendan Cannon scored his only goal of the game to boost Georgetown's lead to 10-8.

Navy won the ensuing face-off and looked patient on offense. Joe Lennon circled the goal clockwise with the ball just as he looked to have a step on his defender, the Georgetown defense slid to him, leaving Gregory Clement open on the doorstep. Clement scored with a one-timer.

Now down to 2:48 left in the game, the Hoyas won another face-off. Possession changed several times. But, as the clock ticked under two minutes, Georgetown, with the ball, looked to run time off the clock. Navy's defense went to work and stripped the ball away. With less than a minute to go, Navy's Joe Lennon took the ball behind the Georgetown goal. He passed way up top to Moran, who fired a bouncer from more than 15 yards out. Kass saved it, but the rebound bounced high in the air and landed 20 yards out right in front of Midshipman Tim Paul. With 45 seconds showing on the clock, Paul cut to the goal and tried to feed Nick Mirabito. But the ball dropped to the ground. Basil Daratsos picked it up and fired it quickly into the goal.

The game was tied with 39 seconds remaining.

Georgetown won the face-off, but lost the ball to Navy with 25 seconds left when Navy LSM Zack Schroeder pushed Hoya Dan Vinson out of bounds. The home crowd leaped to their feet. Whistles blew and referees waved. Georgetown had called timeout just before Vinson crossed the boundary.

As soon as Georgetown inbounded the ball, a Navy long stick picked it off and threw it to the speedy Geoff Leone. Leone fed a teammate on the wing, who fired at the goal. Miles Kass came up with a great save at :04. Kass, mindful of the clock, threw the ball almost the length of the field right into the stick of teammate Andrew Baird, who was looking at Tommy Phelan running to get in place. Baird wound up and blasted a ball straight to the goal from 10 yards out in the center.

Phelan kick saved it with his right foot, just as time ran out.

Navy won the overtime face-off and kept possession for 17 seconds before losing it. But Georgetown was whistled for a push, and possession reverted to the Midshipmen. Joe Lennon shot and missed. Pat Moran shot and missed. An errant pass turned it over to the Hoyas who found Ricky Mirabito alone in front of the goal and scored the game winner for Georgetown.

Another wild ride in Annapolis had ended in overtime.

It was Tacitus who first said, "Victory has many fathers, defeat is an orphan." For Navy, at least in lacrosse, perhaps that sentiment is backwards. There were many reasons for the Midshipmens'' loss: a typical Navy late start, sloppy play, weak first half offense, a defense that allowed too many inside looks--especially in the first half.

But, in the Swami's mind, the main reason was simple: A noticeable lack of opportunism after face-off wins.

Mikelas Visgauss has good technique, as is supported by his record. The problem was that, after winning a face-off, Navy could not keep possession. The Swami has been watching Navy for a very long time and may never have seen a game where a Navy team coughed up so many already-won draws.

Put simply, in eight of the face-offs that Navy won (in which it did not score), Navy averaged a time of possession of 20.875 seconds of ball control. Only twice did Navy ever control the ball for more than one minute. In the three instances in which Navy scored off a face-off, the average time until the goal was 26 seconds. If Navy had exhibited more ball control after its face-off wins, it would have been a different ball game. The chart below represents the length of time Navy controlled the ball after winning face-offs.

Face-Off	G'Tn	Navy
1	W	.
2	W	.
3	.	:37
4	W	.
5	.	1:49
6	.	:15
7	W	.
8	.	2:17
9	.	:12
10	.	:25
11	.	:22
12	W	.
13	.	:22
14 (score)	.	:36
15	W	.
16	.	:17
17 (score)	.	:06
18	W	.
19	W	.
20	W	.
21 (score)	.	:36
22	W	.
23	W	.
24	.	:17