The instant classic that the DIII South Semifinal looked to be on paper never materialized. Stevenson (21-2) led wire to wire and dominated all facets of the game against the defending National Champion, Salisbury Sea Gulls (17-6). It was the Mustangs and not Salisbury who looked the part of the team with decades of tournament experience despite never making it to Championship Weekend. The Mustangs started hot and never took their foot off the gas while Salisbury struggled to find offense or an answer for Stevenson’s early hot shooting. It was this recipe that led to a 12-6 Stevenson victory and a trip to the DIII National Championship game.

Stevenson came out of the gates hitting on all cylinders. The Mustangs scored on 5 of their 8 first quarter shot attempts and Salisbury never recovered from those early punches. Mark Pannenton scored his 57th goal of the season just over a minute into the contest off a deflected clearing attempt by Salisbury keeper Alex Taylor (Glenelg), who registered zero saves in the first frame. After scores from Mustang middies Nick Rossi (Towson) and Peter Green (Hereford), Salisbury’s Brady Dashiell (Parkside) got the Sea Gulls on the board. Stevenson would respond with scores from attackman Pat Candon and Rossi again to push the lead to 5-1.

Salisbury looked to have something cooking minutes into the second quarter when Dashiell notched his second and then assisted on a Rhett DePol (St. Mary’s) tally. Mustang attackman Chris Dashiell (Parkside), not to be outdone by little brother, stopped the bleeding with 3 second quarter goals of his own for Stevenson. Senior Tyler Reid chipped in a goal as well for the host Mustangs to send the game to the half with the Mustangs holding a 9-3 advantage.

The second half was a much more evenly played affair. The teams traded 3rd quarter goals as Tyler Smith cashed in for Salisbury and Tyler Reid struck for his second on the night. The fourth quarter saw Stevenson employ a much more deliberate pace and Salisbury pressing to get something going. Tyler Reid and Michael Crowe notched goals for Stevenson to match scores by Brady Dashiell and Tyler Smith for the Sea Gulls. Salisbury had difficulty getting anything going in settled situations and took a number of desperate shots as a result. While not a full strength, Salisbury’s offense looked out of sorts at times and ball movement and off ball cutting was not readily apparent. Credit Stevenson for a solid defensive scheme. Final Score, Stevenson 12 – Salisbury 6.

Sam Wyatt and Brent Hiken were huge for Stevenson at the faceoff X. The pair combined to go 13/20 on the game and 5/6 in the second half to keep Salisbury from getting any momentum going after scores. In the nets, Mustang keeper Dimitri Pecunes (Calvert Hall) played a solid game stopping 7 shots. Stevenson’s defense showed up big time in this game. Salisbury’s stud midfielder Eric Kluge (North East) was effectively shut off and shut out in this contest. The Sea Gulls leader in points managed just a single shot on goal and 3 total on the night after posting 3 goals and an assist in the earlier matchup of these two teams in which he looked dominant.

Stevenson advances to Philadelphia on Sunday to play RIT, winners of an overtime game with Cortland. The two teams met in late February and Stevenson escaped that home contest with 12-11 victory in OT. Look for the final on Sunday to be every bit as competitive as the first meeting.

Follow 24 Seven Lax on Facebook where we’ll have an album of this game posted shortly, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the NCAA, Pro, and MD Public School Playoff action.

The road to the 2013 MIAA A Conference Championship was traveled by 2 very different teams, both headed towards a very dramatic conclusion. So dramatic in fact, had anyone predicted it a few days ago, I would have called them foolish, or worse.

Loyola’s road to the MIAA A finals was a rocky one at best. The Dons finished their A conference regular season with an overall record of 10-8, and went 3-6 in conference play. Had it not been for a St. Mary’s loss to Mount St. Joe on the final day of the regular season, the Dons would not have made the post season at all.

In contrast, the Boys’ Latin Lakers absolutely belonged in the finals. BL finished the 2013 regular season with an unblemished record of 19-0, and were considered by many to be the best high school lacrosse team in the country. The Lakers sported 24 Division 1 commits (14 seniors, 9 juniors and 1 sophomore). They were ranked #1 by Inside Lacrosse all year and had dispatched nationally ranked foes such as The Hill Academy, Culver Prep and Gonzaga. Frankly, the Lakers seemed invincible.

Needless to say, Loyola would have to put together a perfect 4 quarters of lacrosse, the best 4 quarters of their lives, if they were to keep up with the Lakers. Twelve minutes into the game, all was not well for the Dons.

For Loyola head coach Jack Crawford, the opening quarter must have been the longest 12 minutes of the season, or maybe even his life.

Crawford watched as his Loyola defense was shredded by the Lakers attack. Shack Stanwick (JHU), Keegan O’Connor (Loyola) and Colin Heacock (UMD), charged the cage in hyperdrive, weaving through Loyola defensemen as if they were standing still, en route to a 6-0 Lakers advantage.

Stanwick got things started for the Lakers with an inside move from the right side of the cage, beating his defensemen and Loyola net-minder Acie Newton from close range. After O’Connor’s goal, Heacock sliced through 3 long poles from the left side of the cage, sticking another shot past Newton, untouched. Four minutes later, Tal Bruno bagged another goal for the Lakers, off a fast break, followed by 2 more goals from Heacock, who had a hat trick before the Dons had even taken a decent shot.

The Dons got their first goal at the 9:14 mark of the 2nd quarter when Kevin Jackson fed Tim Nordbrook who finally cracked the Lakers defenses. Devin McNamara (Villanova) tallied for the Dons just 2 minutes later, followed by Virginia bound Ryan Conrad, who scored unassisted for the Dons with 4 minutes remaining before the break. The Lakers countered a minute later when Heacock fed Michael Lynch for BL’s 7th goal of the night. Tyler Llewellyn managed to cut the Lakers lead down to 4 with a goal at 1:19, off a feed from McNamara. However, the Lakers still owned a comfortable 3 goal lead at the intermission.

After exchanging multiple possessions for the first half of quarter 3, the Loyola offense came to life, along with Tim Nordbrook.

Nordbrook (Va Tech) got things rolling for the Dons at the 6:11 mark, scoring his second of 4 goals on the night. Soon after, Nordbrook found Alex Roesner (Penn) for Loyola’s 6th goal. A minute after Roesner scored, McNamara fed Nordbook who buried a shot past Laker net-minder Christian Knight (Cornell) while man-up.

Suddenly, it’s 7-7. Suddenly it’s a ball game…..and the Lakers no longer look invincible.

Boys’ Latin would respond in the 4th quarter with goals by Devin Shewell (JHU) and Michael Lynch. Lynch took a feed from Stanwick at 4:56, and unleashed an absolute cannon into the upper portion of the net. Lynch’s goal gave BL a slim 2 goal lead at 9-7, which for the moment, seemed enough to seal the victory.

It wasn’t.

Amazingly, the Dons would score 2 goals to tie the game with 2:44 remaining, as Nordbrook would score unassisted for his 4th of the night, followed by another Ryan Conrad goal off a feed from McNamara (2g, 4a).

Senior Kevin O’Toole (JHU) grabbed the ensuing face-off for Loyola and Devin McNamara shook loose his defender in front of the cage. McNamara buried his second goal of the game to give the Dons a 10-9 lead with under 2:00 to play. Boys’ Latin was able to get one last shot at the cage after converting a full field pass, but the shot went awry.

Ball game ….miraculous postseason and comeback complete: Loyola 10, Boys’ Latin 9.

The Dons 10-9 victory was the culmination of an amazing playoff run that will be talked about for ages. The Dons managed to defeat McDonogh, Gilman and Boys’ Latin, teams they had lost to during the regular season, on their way to their 4th MIAA Championship and 12th overall in school history.

For the Lakers, what could have been one of the greatest seasons in BL history, will now always be remembered as one of the greatest Laker teams to not win the A Conference title.

In the other MIAA finals, St. Peter & Paul won the MIAA-B Conference by defeating John Carroll, 13-10. Gerstell captured the MIAA-C Conference with a 12-6 victory over St’ John’s Catholic Prep.

Follow 24 Seven Lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the NCAA, Pro, MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action. Hit that Tweet button if you liked this post.

When the Stevenson Mustangs last met the Lynchburg Hornets, back on March 30th, a brawl almost broke out during pregame warm ups between the squads. The hostility felt during the opening calisthenics spilled over into regulation and even extra time, as Stevenson weathered a furious 4th quarter Lynchburg comeback, to win 11-10 in OT.

Now they meet again on the same pitch, but this time it’s the playoffs and the winner moves onto the the D3 semifinals. The losers go home. I could only assume the intensity of this rematch would be as thick as pea soup.

Not so.

Callum Robinson got the Mustangs on the board just :20 into the opening quarter, after scooping up the opening draw and storming into Lynchburg territory to grab his 3rd goal of the season. The 6’4″, 230 pound sophomore from Perth, Australia who has a knack for separating attackmen from the ball, parted the Lynchburg defense like Moses parting the Red Sea. I can’t say I blame the Hornets though, my first instinct would be to get out of his way also.

Soon after, Peter Green, Pat Candon and Tyler Reid would bag unassisted goals to put the Mustangs up 4-0, before Todd Galvin stuck a feed from Pat Orhem for Lynchburg, that halted the Stevenson onslaught.

However, the Mustangs would extend their lead to 6-1 before Lynchburg finally got their offense on track.

Senior Max Voumard scored unassisted for the Hornets 4 minutes into the second quarter, followed by Thomas Rodenhouse and Jay Goldsmith. Goldsmith’s goal, which came off an assist from Aaron Murphy, brought Lynchburg within 2 goals at 6-4.

At this point, Lynchburg’s momentum was beginning to build, and for a moment I recalled how Stevenson has a tendency to start fast, only to put on the brakes and let opponents back into the game. I think Stevenson coach Paul Cantabene likes the excitement. I’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating, D3 ball is a joy to watch. It’s college lacrosse in it’s purist form and makes for a great show. As halftime approached, this game was living up to my expectations.

The Lynchburg fans agreed. The minor comeback certainly brought the Hornet faithful to their feet. The Lynchburg fans made a strong showing, driving over 240 miles to make up a considerable portion of the 1300 fans in attendance at Mustang Stadium. They were boisterous to say the very least, at least up until this point.

However, Stevenson’s Mark Pannenton had heard enough of them.

Pannenton, Stevenson’s top goal producer with 56,  bagged the next 2 goals for the Mustangs taking the wind out from under the Hornets comeback wings right before the halftime break and silencing the Lynchburg faithful. Lynchburg found themselves down by 4  at the end of 2 quarters, 8-4.

Despite Max Voumard’s goal early in the 4th quarter, his 4th of the day, Lynchburg’s offense would fall asleep for much of the second half, while Stevenson added 5 more unassisted goals to bury any hopes of the Hornets making it to the D2 semi’s. Peter Green (Hereford) would add a goal to go along with his 2 assists while Nick Rossi (Towson) would find the net twice for the Mustangs, who out-shot Lynchburg 46-36.

The Mustangs dominated the stat sheet as well, winning the ground ball war 45-23 and winning the face-off X as well. Stevenson’s two-headed face-off monster of Sam Wyatt and Brent Hiken (Pikesville) were solid at the X, taking a combined 16 of 22 face-offs.

Freshmen net-minder Dimitri Pecunes continued his solid play making 12 saves, while his counterpart for Lynchburg, Adam Davey (Boys’ Latin) played excellent, gobbling up 15 saves of his own.

Final score: Stevenson 13, Lynchburg 7

Stevenson has now topped the 20 win mark for the season, against only 2 losses. This is first time in school history the Mustangs have finished with 20 wins.

Stevenson will host interstate rival Salisbury, Sunday night in the D2 semifinals. The winner will advance to Championship Weekend in Philly to face the winner of Cortland and RIT.

Follow 24 Seven Lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the NCAA, Pro, MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action. Hit that Tweet button if you liked this post.

Oh, well…lets jump into round two and see who’s going to be in Philly this Memorial Day weekend.

Woody’s take: Notre Dame’s performance against the upset minded Detroit Titans was anything less than spectacular. The Irish did manage to recover from a lousy first half and take the win. However, a bad performance like that has me second guessing an already questionable Irish offense. Meanwhile, Duke was peppering the Loyola net-minder with 60+ shots. This is not the same Blue Devil squad the Irish defeated 13-5 back in February. They say that defense wins championships, but I can’t envision the  Irish keeping Duke under 10 goals….which will be more than enough for the Blue Devil’s to advance to Memorial Day weekend. Duke 12, Notre Dame 8

Tom’s take: I think a lot of folks out there are looking at Notre Dame’s losses to Syracuse and their first round survival of a scrappy Detroit team is an indicator of how good this team is. I’m here to tell you that the reports of Notre Dame’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Duke is a great team, but I buy into the adage that defense wins championships and go with John Kemp over Jordan Wolf and company. Notre Dame will slow the game down and run their methodical offense, taking possession shots to ward off the timer-on and will frustrate Duke into over playing on defense. This leads to a number of man-up opportunities that prove to be the difference. Notre Dame 13, Duke 11

Woody’s take: Cornell rolled Maryland. Rolled them. The Big Red marched into Byrd Stadium and smacked the Terps every way but sideways. Pannell and company got everyone’s attention, including mine, after I had written them off after blowing the Ivy League title. Ohio State did exactly what I thought they would do to Towson; score, score and score some more, on their way to a 10 goal win. I would really like to give the nod to the Buckeyes here, but Cornell made a fool of me once already this post season. Can’t let that happen again. The Buckeyes will get their looks at the cage, but the Big Red have too many guns a blazin’ to be stopped right now. Cornell 15, Ohio State 10.

Tom’s take: Woody is right. Cornell dominated Maryland. I don’t think that game was indicative of how good Maryland is was as much as it was a testament to how good Cornell can play. Cornell is much more than Pannell, despite RP3 being the undisputed leader of the Big Red. AJ Fiore and Cornell’s defense led by Jason Noble played tough against the Terps. Pannell’s running mates, Mock and Donovan are stars in their own right. Buczek at the midfield is first team AA caliber in my opinion. If they can sustain that effort, they’ll be hard to beat. Ohio State, for its part, is riding a 7 game win streak. The Buckeyes were clicking in round one and gave Towson fits. They hung 18 on Loyola in the ECAC’s, so this is a team that can score. It all starts with Logan Schuss and his 69 points. If Cornell’s Noble can limit Schuss the way he did to Peter Baum, it will be Cornell’s game. No one is shutting down Pannell. Cornell 12, Ohio State 9.

Woody’s take: Bryant had far too many turnovers to keep up with Syracuse, despite owning the face-off battle and flying out to an early 4-0 start. Syracuse, to their credit, never panicked and patiently worked the Bulldogs zone to perfection and climbed their way back to advance to round two. Syracuse spread the rock, getting goals from 8 different scorers. To stop the Orange attack, Yale will have to have their heads on swivels. They will have to shadow Jo Jo Marasco and always cover with a second slide. They will have to start quick and set the tempo. They will need their big guns, Mangan and Oberbeck, to attack the Orange poles. They will need goalie Eric Natale to stand on his head. They will need to stay out of the penalty box. They will need all of this to happen to upset the Orange. And it will. Yale 14, Syracuse 12.

Tom’s take: The vaunted Orange have looked vulnerable this year despite carrying the #1 seed into the tourney. At times, they look like world beaters and they seem to have an endless stable of contributors. To be successful, they have to spread the rock around. Cuse plays most effectively when they are moving the ball. To move it, you have to have the ball. The Orange’s face-off play has been problematic and they’ll likely be on the short end in Saturday’s match-up as well. At some point, this will catch up to them. Yale is playing with house money and this Syracuse class is trying desperately to avoid being the first class since ’79 not to make Championship weekend. Despite Cuse traveling well, the crowd at Maryland will be rooting for the underdog and against Syracuse all at once. Yale returns to the Final Four for the first time since John (no socks) Reese and Jason O’Neill. Yale 10, Syracuse 9.

Woody’s take: I can only assume that the Tar Heels are still insulted by their #5 seeding and will roll over everyone on their way to national title. In fact, I’m counting on it. North Carolina 17, Denver 13.

Tom’s take: UNC has something going this year. In recent years, they seem to underachieve when you look at the talent that is perennially on their roster. This isn’t one of those years. The key will be face-offs and last year’s match-up was decidedly in Denver’s favor with Chase Carraro having RG Keenan’s number that day. Carraro has been a bit limited this year and if Keenan can go 50/50 I look for Carolina to win this shootout between two teams that can light up the scoreboard. North Carolina 15, Denver 12.

And there it is, our round 2 selections are complete. It should be another fantastic weekend of lacrosse.

Got an opinion on one of these games? Think we’ve lost our minds? Let us know guys and gals. The comment section is below. Have at it.

Stay tuned to 24 Seven lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the NCAA, Pro, MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action. Hit that Tweet button if you liked this post.

With the NCAA Tournament just hours away, 24 Seven Lax examines who these guys are? We took a look at the rosters of the 16 participating teams and broke them down. We wanted to know where coaches were getting their recruits. Who was truly recruiting on a national level? What areas of the country were producing these student-athletes? Has the game truly grown at the D1 level as much as we’d been told?

We also did a quick analysis of some other useless information that we were curious about. Who is the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest student-athlete? What team is the oldest and who has the youngest squad in this year’s tournament? All this and more hard hitting facts in our endless quest to fill in the gaps between actual analysis.

Be sure to check out this interactive map or simply click the map below if you want to see in detail what areas are producing D1 tournament caliber players. Once on the map, keep the following in mind….

• You can pan and zoom the map
• Hover or click on a Team’s name in the legend to highlight that team
• Click the individual marker symbols to see which player is represented
• For symbols that are stacked, click the symbol multiple times to alternate the data shown

Click the map to open an interactive version. Go on, click it.

There’s No Place Like 127.0.0.1…

• There are 29 states, 3 Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia represented
• 192 of the 731 athletes on tournament rosters call New York home. Maryland is second with 105. Rounding out the top 5 are Pennsylvania with 78, New Jersey with 47 and CT with 45. Positions 6 through 10 are held by Michigan, California, Massachusetts, Ohio and Ontario. For the full list of states represented and number of players from each state, click here to view the PDF.
• Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, Maryland) graduates accounted for more student athletes in the tournament this year with 14 than any other high school. Conestoga (PA) is represented by 13 graduates. The Hill Academy, Calvert Hall (Towson, MD) and Chaminade have 12, 11 and 10 respectively. For the full list of High Schools represented by the athletes in the tourney, click here to view the PDF.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger…

• The average player is 6 feet tall and weighs 187 lbs.
• By position, the average attackman is 5’11″ and 179.5 lbs, the average midfielder is just shy of 6′ and 185 lbs., the average LSM is 6’1/2″ and 188 lbs., the average goalie is 5’11″ and 190 lbs., and the average defenseman stands 6’1″ and tips the scales at 196 lbs.
• The heaviest player is a goalie and the 2nd and 4th heaviest players also man the cage
• At a slight 144 lbs., Chris Mandell of Detroit and Sergio Salcido of Syracuse share the distinction of lightest players
• Standing 5’5″, Cornell’s Jake Thompson has the lowest center of gravity and at 6’7″, Ben Young of Albany is the tallest player
• On average, Lehigh’s kids weigh the most at almost 198 lbs. and Penn State’s team is the Jenny Craig poster boys of the league averaging just 182 lbs.
• Albany has the tallest team on average at 72.7″ and Cornell has the shortest team at 71.2″

Will Youth be Served?

• There are more freshman in the tournament than any other class with 197 student-athletes listed as first year students. There are 167 sophomores, 173 juniors, 152 seniors, 17 redshirt-freshman, 6 redshirt-sophomores, 8 redshirt-juniors, 9 redshirts-seniors and 2 grad students.
• If each student athlete is given a 1 for each year in school (i.e. sophomores and redshirt-freshman = 2, seniors = 4, etc.) Cornell is the most experienced squad in the tournament with an average of 2.85 and Towson is the youngest with an average of 2.12. Can baby Tigers roar? Will the Big Red tire?

We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about the tournament field. Now sit back with the knowledge that you know everything there is to know about this year’s tournament teams except who will actually win and enjoy the show.

Stay tuned to 24 Seven lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the NCAA, Pro, MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action.

Whether you like the current selection system or not, we can probably all agree that this year’s tournament is full of interesting match-ups. A few of these games could prove to be as exciting as the finals. On the other hand, some of these games might be over before the start of the second quarter. Regardless, Tom and I decided we would throw our hats in the ring and pick our winners for the first round. No science was used to garner these results, it’s pure speculation people.

So here goes…

#1 Syracuse vs. Bryant

Woody’s take: Do not let Bryant’s record of 8-10 fool you, the Bulldogs can run. Losses to Colgate, Albany and Bucknell were by a total of 5 goals and having a coach like Mike Pressler doesn’t hurt either. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs have drawn the second hottest team in the tourney, the Syaracuse Orangemen. Plus, they have to travel to the dome. Bryant keeps it interesting for a while, but the Orange are peeking right now and they close this game late. Syracuse 14, Bryant 10.

Tom’s take: Sophomore Kevin Massa may the key to keeping this one close for Bryant. Massa faces off at a 70% plus clip. He did not have a game all year in which the opponents got the better of him. Look for Bryant to slow the game down and value possessions. Coach Pressler will have his guys ready and I expect plenty of timer ons as Bryant can’t just get out and run with Cuse. That being said, Cuse is hot and they won’t need to win the face-off game to dominate this one. I expect a 2 to 3 goal game at the half, but Syracuse runs away with it and empties the bench. Syracuse 20, Bryant 11.

#2 Notre Dame vs. Detroit

Woody’s take: Detroit is the a epitome of everything that can go wrong with automatic qualifiers. The Titans started 0-7, yet somehow managed to win the MAAC title, by winning two 1 goal games. In contrast, Notre Dame’s defense has held 12 of 14 opponents under 10 goals, en route to a 10 win season. This one is over early and makes for awful TV. Notre Dame 12, Detroit 4.

Tom’s take: Notre Dame never gets the respect that they deserve. I hate watching them play because they are so disciplined and deliberate. It’s a recipe for success though. ND has field day in this one. The Irish start slow, but once the adrenaline wears off, their superior talent takes over. Detroit hangs in their for a quarter and a half and then falls apart. Notre Dame 19, Detroit 7

#3 Ohio State vs. Towson

Woody’s take: The Tigers have surprised everyone, including us, in making the tourney after a terrible start to the 2013 season in which they started 0-3. However, the magic ends for the Tigers in Columbus, as Logan Schuss and Jesse King, prove too much for Andrew Wascavage and the Towson defense. Ohio State 16, Towson 9.

Tom’s take: Ohio State is as hot as they come right now. Back to back victories over Loyola and Denver can’t be ignored. Towson is the youngest team in the tournament and will need huge days from middies like Andrew Hodgson and Greg Cuccinello to compliment the always steady Thomas DeNapoli. Can Towson repeat the effort of the ’91 squad? Probably not going to happen, but despite OSU’s overwhelming advantage on paper, I think Towson keeps it close for most of the game. Ohio State 14, Towson 12

#4 Denver vs. Albany

Woody’s take: Scoring an empty net goal between the legs, while up by 7 in the final minutes of a game is bad form. Karma is a you know what, and it catches up to Albany on Saturday. Denver 13, Albany 11.

Tom’s take:I agree with Woody. Albany is a scary team, but I don’t think Coach Tierney scares easily. Despite Denver’s flashy offense, Tierney knows a thing or two about D. I think Denver will be as ready as any team to limit the Thompsons. Scoring will take care of itself for the Pioneers. Not only do I think Denver will take this game, I’m rooting for them (and Steve Marohl). Denver 15, Albany 12.

#5 North Carolina vs. Lehigh

Woody’s take: I can only assume that the Tar Heels will take their #5 seeding as an insult and roll over everyone on their way to national title. In fact, I’m counting on it. UNC 15, Lehigh 11.

Tom’s take: UNC moves the ball better than any team in the tournament. The question has always been can they shut teams down. A team like Lehigh is scary if I’m coach Breschi. They’ve got a blue collar attitude and tournament experience. I think Lehigh gives UNC all it can handle, but in the end, the Tar Heels move on. UNC 14, Lehigh 12.

#6 Maryland vs. Cornell

Woody’s take: Maryland’s offensive woes in the ACC tourney lead to a significant drop in the polls, which lead them to here… a first round date with Cornell. Ouch! Maryland’s attack will have to show up in force if they are to run and gun with Cornell’s arsenal of shooters. I’ll give the Terps the nod based on home field advantage, and that’s about all I’ll give them. Pannell has his usual numbers, but not enough to put fear in the turtle. Maryland 13, Cornell 12.

Tom’s take: Unlike a lot of teams, Maryland is a tough match up for the Big Red. Maryland’s strength has always been its defense, led by Niko Amato. Michael Ehrhardt, Casey Ikeda and Goran Murray should limit Cornell’s potent attack to a manageable number. The question is which Maryland offense will show up. I’ll take it as a good sign that in their last outing, they hung 18 on Colgate. If they can get to 13, I think they win. I like the Terps at home despite playing an awfully scary Cornell squad. . Maryland 14, Cornell 13.

#7 Duke vs. Loyola

Woody’s take: Another unfortunate draw for a Maryland based team. The Greyhounds have stuggled on defense…and in the cage lately, and that doesn’t bode well against Duke. Loyola would have to play a perfect game on both ends of the field to slow down the Blue Devils, who have averaged 16 goals per game in their last 10 outings. It’s too much for Loyola to handle. Duke 14, Loyola 10

Tom’s take: I couldn’t agree more with Woody about the draw for Loyola. Duke is down right scary. On the other hand, Loyola is a disciplined team that plays withing itself and I think that will be the key to beating the Blue Devils. If Loyola can dominate possessions and slow the game down when transition doesn’t present itself, they’ll be successful. They need to extend their time of possession and not force anything. Duke is too good to give them extra opportunities. On defense, I’d almost consider sticking Josh Hawkins on Jordan Wolf and play him physical so he can’t get that head of steam coming from X. If Duke gets to 10, Loyola is in trouble. Loyola 12, Duke 9

#8 Penn State vs. Yale

Woody’s take: All 4 of Yales losses are by a combined 5 goals, including a 1 goal decision against Maryland. Don’t second guess the Ivy League champs because of all the hype over Princeton and Cornell. Yale is for real. With 10 different scorers with double digit goals on the season, the scoring can come from anywhere. Penn State was on a roll before dropping the CAA Championship game to Towson, but a loss like that can shatter confidence. A hot keeper and some money grey uniforms will not be enough to keep Penn State alive. Yale 11, Penn State 9

Tom’s take: Yale is playing well and has been in every game this year. Penn State is looking to rebound from its loss in the conference finals. This one is a tough one and could go either way. I like Tambroni as a coach and don’t know a whole lot about either team, truth be told. For that reason, I’ll take PSU and go against Woody. Penn State 11, Yale 9

So there you have it. Surprisingly, Tom and I agree on most of these games. I think his take on Duke is quite possibly insane, but who knows. It was Tom’s idea to start this blog and so far so good. I had also picked Villanova to beat Penn State until Tom informed me that Villanova wasn’t playing in the tourney at all…..so my analysis may be suspect based on that alone.

Got an opinion on one of these games? Think we’ve lost our minds? Let us know guys and gals. The comment section is below. Have at it.

Stay tuned to 24 Seven lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the NCAA, Pro, MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action.

The 2013 edition of the Chesapeake Bayhawks will give opposing defenses fits for the entire season. Their midfielders are big, but athletic, and can ping corners from 2 point range. They can dodge and play tough defense as well. They transition quickly also, which is aided by a monster defense, led by several brawlers that will get in your face. Their attack is solid and balanced. Drew Westervelt is deadly from outside, yet isn’t shy about takin’ the pill to the rack. Matt Mackrides is tenacious and can run anyone ragged, while Casey Powell and John Grant Jr. add veteran experience unmatched anywhere in the league.

Am I forgetting anyone?

Oh, yeah….Ben Rubeor.

The Long Island Lizards forgot about Rubeor on Saturday night as they traveled to Annapolis, Maryland to take on the defending MLL Champion Bayhawks. …and it cost them.

Rubeor (UVA, Loyola-Blakefield) bagged a career high 7 goals and single-handedly outscored the Lizards, en route to a 9-3 Bayhawks win before 11,000 plus at Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium.

Rubeor dominated anyone that guarded him, getting his hands free in tight spaces and back-dooring ball watching defensemen. He shot the lights out of the place, bagging 7 goals on only 9 shots. Rubeor’s final two scores were off isolation dodges from the left side of the cage, a familair spot for the ex-Cavalier.

Rubeor wasn’t the only Bayhawk that impressed.

Kip Turner turned in an amazing 17 save performance, while Mike Evans, Nicky Polanco and Brian Spallina held the Lizards attack to the lowest scoring output in MLL history. The reputation the Bayhawks defense carries as an overaggressive gang of thugs is not only well deserved, it’s also effective. Their style of  ”in your face” play keeps dodgers second guessing that extra step to greatness. The Lizards indecisiveness to attack the Bayhawks cage, led to several shot clock violations early on.

The Bayhawks aggressive style led to 9 penalties in all but the Lizards extra-man unit put up a goose-egg on the night, failing to convert a single EMO opportunity, going 0 for 9.

Bayhawk middie, Matt Abbot played his typical stellar game between the restraining lines,  while dishing out 2 assists. Abbott, who finished with 5 ground balls, was pivotal in killing a 3 minute un-releasable penalty, after the Bayhawks were flagged for an illegal stick.

After scoring 14 goals against the Boston Cannons a week ago, the Lizards offense was ice cold.   Besides Berger and Palasek, New York short sticks struggled to shake loose maniacal Bayhawk defenders. With no dodgers able to create separation, finishers like Grant Catalino were relegated to launching 15 yard bombs that Turner ate up all evening.

The Lizards Greg Gurenlian, who is considered by many to be the league’s best FOGO, won 9 of 17 draws against Adam Rand of the Bayhawks.

The Lizards offensive woes should improve upon the return of Mark Matthews and Matt Gibson, who are currently completing their NLL seasons. Midfielders Stephen Peyser and Max Seibald will be a welcome addition to the New York line up as well. They too, are competing in the pro indoor league.

As always, the Bayhawks put on an impressive show with plenty of activities prior to face off. The stadium parking lot was packed with tailgaters for hours prior to start time, and the post-game fireworks did not disappoint. Check out an MLL game this season, they’ve made a fan outta me!

Never been to an MLL game? Check out our complete review of the Chesapeake Bayhawks experience right here.

The Bayhawks will host the Ohio Machine on Saturday, May 11th, in Annapolis while the New York Lizards will travel to Hamilton to battle the Nationals. Get all your Major League Lacrosse info on their home page.

See more photos of this game and dozens more on our Facebook page.

Stay tuned to 24 Seven lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the NCAA, Pro, MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action.

Friday’s MIAA matchup in Brooklandville, MD featured two of the MIAA’s and nation’s heavyweights in high school lacrosse. IL #13 St. Paul’s hosted IL #5 Gilman in a highly anticipated matchup of top tier Maryland private schools. This late season tilt had major MIAA playoff implications with both teams needing the “W” to solidify seedings in the upcoming MIAA Championships. For its part, Gilman needed the win to keep pace with McDonogh to capture the #2 seed heading into next week’s playoffs. St. Paul’s needed the win to stay alive for the fourth spot in the playoffs.

The intensity and caliber of play did not disappoint. The teams came to play and the stakes of the game were evident in how almost every loose ball was contested. It was these loose ball situations that proved to be the difference in this otherwise even contest. After an evenly played first half that ended in a 6-6 tie, despite St. Paul’s 10-4 advantage in face-offs, Gilman was able to turn the tables on Crusader fogo Mike D’Amelio (Denison). The Gilman face-off tandem of Davy Prevas and Ned Emala combined to go 10/11 in the decisive third quarter that allowed Gilman to gain a 2 goal lead.

St. Paul’s built 3 goal leads twice in the first half led by senior middie Greg Louzan’s (St. Mary’s) 3 unassisted goals and Carter Flaig’s (Princeton) first half pair of tallies. Gilman responded with three consecutive scores to close the half and even the score on the backs of Will McBride (UNC) and Max Greene’s (Harvard) 2 goals, apiece. Sophomore Crusader keeper, AJ Barretto (Army), and Gilman’s Thomas McBride (Gettysburg) were both on their game’s early and made shooters work to get anything going.

After the half, Prevas and Emala took over at the face-off X. Gilman capitalized on the extra opportunities afforded by their fogos. Midfield workhorse, Peter Brown, notched his second of the contest on a deflected pass after he corralled a loose ball off a failed St. Paul’s EMO and screeched down field. Max Greene would score his third of the game off another St. Paul’s failed extra man in which Michael Knutsen started a Greyhound fast break that ended in Greene’s stick. Gilman’s Chris Walsch found the net twice in the critical 3rd frame that saw Gilman score 5 of the last 6 goals to carry a two goal lead into the fourth.

Mikey Wynne (Cornell) and Henry Riehl opened the scoring in the fourth and brought St. Paul’s even with Gilman yet again. Off a timeout, Gilman’s Peter Brown set up a clever play that allowed Chris Walsch (Air Force) to pop out and get his hands free and finish a shot up high to beat McBride. Henry Riehl would pull St. Paul’s even again on an EMO score, but Gilman’s Max Greene followed up by capitalizing on his on extra man opportunity. Greene later iced it with a late goal (his fifth) with St. Paul’s extending as time ran down. Final Score: Gilman 15 – St. Paul’s 13

With Boys’ Latin having wrapped up the top spot in the MIAA playoffs, the second and third seeds will be decided by the winner and loser of tomorrow’s game when Gilman visits McDonogh. Both teams hold a 7-1 league record. St. Paul’s needs a victory over visiting Boys’ Latin and a loss by Calvert Hall tomorrow at Loyola in order to claim the #4 seed in the MIAA Championships.

Follow 24 Seven lax on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more game photos and analysis as we track all the MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action.

The Arundel Wildcats 2013 campaign was sizing up to be one of the greatest in its school’s history. After completing its first 11 games, in which the Wildcats outscored opponents by a combined score of 116- 34, Arundel had no blemishes in the “L” column. With convincing wins against Mount St. Joe, and cross-county rivals Annapolis and Broadneck, it appeared that only two teams stood in the way of a Wildcat perfect season. One of which was last Friday night’s opponent,  South River (9-2).

South River’s credentials were no less impressive, having dropped only 2 games to date.  One of those losses came at the hands of the top high school team in the country, MIAA juggernaut, Boys’ Latin. The Seahawks had defeated a solid Chesapeake (11-1) squad earlier by a score of 10-3, but outside of that victory, couldn’t boast of any big wins.

The Seahawks were also burdened with being a preseason pick of yours truly, having been blessed with a spot on my top 5 preseason public school teams to watch. An annual kiss of death for most clubs in the state.

With all the talent on both sides of the field, the first half of this game transpired according to plan.

Arundel scrapped and clawed their way through an aggressive Seahawk defense led by Senior Steve Hincks (Navy), while South River’s talented short sticks found Arundel’s long poles to be every bit as talented as advertised.

Senior attackmen Cameron Cetrone did most of the damage early for Arundel, scoring 2 first half goals. UMBC-bound midfielder Brett Malamphy scored a pair of goals for the Wildcats as well. Malamphy also had a strong night at the face-off X, winning 12 of 18 draws.

South River was paced by Gunnar Schimolar (2 goals) and senior Ben Chisolm (Maryland). Chisolm, who many believe to be the best attackman in the county, was met by Arundel defensemen at every turn. The Wildcats did an effective job of keeping Chisolm’s hands tied up for most of the evening despite his second quarter goal.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their offense would stall in the second half  as South River managed to slow the pace of the game down and relegate much of the action to 6 on 6. Cetrone would add one more tally on the evening before the Wildcat short sticks fell silent.

South River answered Cetrone’s goals with 4 goals in the second half to seal the deal. Sophomore midfielder Andrew Thomas and junior middie Mike Ward bagged insurance goals for the Seahawks, while senior net-minder Jake Gavin (Furman) stood tall making 7 saves. Senior Matt Gaskins also added 2 goals for South River, as the Seahawks out-shot the Wildcats 30-27 on the night.

Final score: South River 10, Arundel 6.

Neither team will have much time to rest as both squads will face formidable opponents on Tuesday, April 30th. Arundel will play host to Chesapeake (11-1), while South River will travel to Severna Park (9-3).

See more photos of this game and dozens more on our Facebook page.

Stay tuned to 24 Seven lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action.

It’s no secret that you have to bring your A game when battling late season foes in the MIAA. It’s also no secret that you need to bring it for 4 quarters. In Severna Park, MD on Friday night, the Severn Admirals brought their A game….for just 3 quarters, and it cost them an A conference win.

McDonogh (11-3) rolled onto the palatial grounds of the Severn School riding a 4-game winning streak. Wins against Loyola Blakefield, Calvert Hall and an OT win against St. Mary’s, proves that McDonogh is peaking at the right time….playoff time.

In contrast, the Severn Admirals (9-8) have had a roller-coaster season, which saw them win 9 of their first 11 games. Recently, the Admirals have bottomed out, losing 4 straight, all against MIAA-A Conference opponents.

On paper, this should have been a romp, with the Eagles from McDonogh winning by double digits. Severn would need to play perfect for the entire game just to keep things close. McDonogh would have to overlook Severn in anticipation of next week’s contest with St Paul’s (15-1). For most of this game, all of that was happening.

After leading by just 1 goal at halftime and at the end of 3, the Eagles erupted for 6 goals in the final quarter to blow the game wide open. McDonogh was lead by Austin Frederick’s (Villanova) 3 goals and 2 assists. Junior Trey McGee (Denver) and BrintonValis (Hopkins) both added 2 goals for McDonogh.

Meanwhile, Severn’s offense, actually out-shot McDonogh 30-21 on the day, but failed to put most of those shots on cage. Senior Brett Bedard (UNC) lead the Admirals with 4 points (2g, 2a). Severn’s top attackman Ryan Lamon (Mt. St. Mary’s) was held to 1 goal and 1 assist by a stingy Eagles defense.

Hill Blaze (Furman), was impressive at the face-off X for McDonogh, taking 13 of 19 draws. Blaze also scored a crucial 4th quarter goal off a pinch and pop, after Severn scored its final goal of the game. That goal was a back-breaker for Severn, who had been matching McDonogh goal for goal for most of the contest.

McDonogh would reel off 4 more goals in the final 8 minutes to put the Admirals away, most of which came off of isolation dodges and extra man opportunities. Several of these goals appeared a tad too easy for the Eagles. The Admirals defense appeared to simply run out of gas, as their slides were often late and much too slow. Final score: McDonogh 10, Severn 5.

McDonogh senior net-minder Nick Doyle (Ohio State) finished with 7 saves. His counterpart, Ryan Frey, finished with 5 saves.

McDonogh will host St Paul’s on Tuesday, April 30th, while Severn hosts the Cardinals of Calvert Hall (7-5) that same afternoon.

See more photos of this game and dozens more on our Facebook page.

Stay tuned to 24 Seven lax on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as we track all the MIAA and MD Public School Playoff action.