Cavs prove academics, football mix
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
May 19, 2005

Think academics don’t matter in big-time college football these days? Then, think again.

The expectation is that by the time 11 of the 12 University of Virginia football players, who were drafted or signed as free agents report to camp this summer, they will hold a contract in one hand and a degree in the other.

“That’s pretty remarkable,” said UVa coach Al Groh on Wednesday. “It says a great deal about what they put into their overall careers here.”

Virginia has traditionally been ranked among the top football programs in America in graduation rates and certainly this class won’t hurt those statistics. Another nine Cavaliers who have completed their athletic eligibility will also earn their degrees this weekend as well as five more players who still have eligibility remaining.

Individual prowess

“There’s lots of reasons why they’ve accomplished this and lots of people who have helped along the way,” Groh said. “But the principle reason is the players themselves, their work habits, perseverance and the ambition.

“It’s very significant because all these fellows weren’t scholars,” Groh said. “It’s a great combination of brainpower and willpower.”

With the NCAA stiffening guidelines for academic responsibility by its institutions and with penalties for lack of conforming getting tougher, the future bodes well for schools that emphasize high graduation rates.

In fact, last December the NCAA released a study by the Department of Education that ranked Virginia football fourth among all the bowl teams in percentage of graduates.

“That particular circumstance combined with the 11 of 12 graduating is testimony that it is possible to have successful teams on a big-time basis,” Groh said.

Recruiting power

Certainly these statistics can only work in Virginia’s favor when Groh and his coaching staff enter the homes of top high school prospects this summer. What parents wouldn’t be impressed by these numbers? What athletes, who take academics seriously (and they all should), can’t notice what’s going on in Charlottesville?

“This should be very powerful,” Groh said. “It’s not a case of this being coach talk. These are the facts.

“The facts say you’re going to graduate, you’re going to win and you’re going to be well prepared for the NFL,” he said.

How about that for an introduction when Groh hits the recruiting trail?

Of the seven UVa players drafted, which happens to be a school record for one class (and the third-highest number of players drafted from a school this time around), six have already or will graduate this weekend.

The only player among those seven who will not enter camp with a degree is linebacker Darryl Blackstock, who left the program after his junior season. Five more players signed free agent contracts and all either have or will graduate this weekend.

Here’s a list of the 11 in alphabetical order, noting their degrees and the NFL teams they were drafted by or signed as free agents:

l Elton Brown, anthropology, fourth-round draft choice, Arizona Cardinals.

l Chris Canty, African American studies, fourth round, Dallas Cowboys.

l Isaiah Ekejiuba, electrical engineering, free agent, Arizona Cardinals.

l Patrick Estes, archaeology, seventh round, San Francisco 49ers.

l Dennis Haley, anthropology, free agent, New York Jets.

l Jermaine Hardy, psychology, free agent, Arizona Cardinals.

l Andrew Hoffman, environmental sciences, sixth round, Cleveland Browns.

l Michael McGrew, urban planning, free agent, New England Patriots.

l Heath Miller, sociology, first round, Pittsburgh Steelers.

l Alvin Pearman, sports medicine, fourth round, Jacksonville Jaguars.

l Marquis Weeks, sociology, free agent, Seattle Seahawks.

Consider that in the last four years, the Cavaliers above won 30 of 51 games and played in three bowl games.

To all, a job well done.

Headd-ing in the right direction
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
May 19, 2005

Scott Headd’s daily routine during his freshman year included filling up bottles with shower water in University Hall and carting them up to baseball practice.

The UVa Baseball Stadium as we know it now had not been built.

Instead Virginia practiced and played on what Headd called a patch of grass with a mound and a home plate. No stadium. No benches.

Virginia’s baseball program has grown since then. And so has Headd.

As the everyday catcher for the squad for the last two-and-half years, Headd has emerged as one of the best leaders in college baseball - on and off the field.

On the field, Headd keeps Virginia’s pitching staff in check. Off the field Headd keeps the clubhouse in check.

This weekend, however, Headd will have a new challenge. He will have to find a way to fight off butterflies in his stomach, as he and the other members of the Cavaliers’ senior class not only graduate from school but play in the last home series of their respective careers. UVa (35-17) opens a three-game set tonight as they host Duke at Davenport Field at 7 p.m.

Despite being an All-State performer in high school, Headd was overlooked by many of the programs on the East Coast.

Headd, a native of Phoenix, Md., was recruited late by nearby Maryland but the Terps’ interest confused the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder. Instead he elected to come to Virginia and get an education and if baseball worked out it would be a bonus.

“Maryland kind of overlooked me in the offseason and when it came to decision making time, I felt like they weren’t a 100 percent with me so I was looking elsewhere … and fortunately Virginia worked out for me,” Headd said. “Baseball gave me the opportunity to come to Virginia and get a good education.”

And he has already parlayed that education into a job in Washington D.C. that he will start once Virginia’s season is over.

Headd is excited about his future career but it is not a day he wants to have come anytime soon.

By winning 11 of their last 15 games, the Cavaliers have kept their postseason hopes alive, which could delay Headd’s first day on the job well into June.

“Just looking back, my expectations when I came to Virginia were first to make the team and to now have the opportunity to play in front of our crowd and hopefully to lead us into the postseason again … is unbelievable,” Headd said. “It has been a gift from God really.”

Virginia coach Brian O’Connor probably feels like Headd is a gift from God.

When O’Connor took over the program in July of 2003 he emphasized that great pitching would be the trademark of the program.

In order to do that, O’Connor needed a field general behind the plate.

What he got from Headd was more than he could have ever imagined.

“He is a very good catcher,” O’Connor said. “He is as good of a catcher as I have ever had, fundamentally and handling a pitching staff. He is a real leader and he knows what it takes to get pitchers to win at a high level. He demands the best out of them.”

Headd’s demands from the pitching staff have paid off.

Virginia’s pitching staff enters tonight’s game with a 2.80 earned run average, which ranks in the top eight in the country, and is nearly a run better than the 3.63 ERA that the Cavaliers produced during a 44-win season in 2004.

“He has been the key to our ballclub the last two years because we put some much emphasis on pitching. He is the leader of that,” O’Connor said. “He understands the game and he knows what it takes to get hitters out.”

Headd also knows how to get base runners out.

After throwing out 14 of 42 baserunners last year, Headd has gunned out 21 of the 37 would-be base stealers this year. He leads the ACC with a .432 stolen base against percentage and O’Connor thinks his captain might lead the entire country if the NCAA tabulated the leaders of the stat.

“His stolen-base ratio has got to be the best in college baseball,” O’Connor added. “I would be surprised if it is not.”

At the plate, Headd has had a knack for getting the timely hit. While his batting average stands at just .265, a 1-for-21 start to the season contributed heavily to the overall number.

The slow start could have also been attributed to hip surgery in the offseason, which kept Headd out of the Orange-Blue World Series in the fall.

He also missed six games after a baseball bounced off one of his fingers on his throwing hand in warm-ups and ripped off the fingernail.

Due to the injury when Virginia hit the road for a pivotal three-game series at Clemson, Headd was not with his team. It crushed him.

“That was difficult. That was the first trip that did not go on and obviously, I would have made it if I was not in so much pain,” Headd said. “It was difficult to watch it on stat tracker [on the computer] and not have a part in it.”

To everyone’s surprise, including Headd’s, he returned to action against Georgia Tech on April 22, playing with “adrenaline” and some magical work by the team’s athletic trainer - Brian McGuire.

“Scott has endured a lot,” O’Connor said. “When you catch every ballgame in an entire year, practically, you endure a lot of nicks and bruises. That time for him to be able to come back and join our team when he injures his finger was a critical time.

“Having a fulltime trainer and one that is as good as Brian McGuire shows the importance of the commitment that our athletic administration has made to our program.”

Even though Headd still plays in pain, he will not make excuses. And he will not take credit either.

When one of Virginia’s starting pitchers raves about Headd’s uncanny ability behind the plate, Headd shrugs his shoulders and shifts the credit back to the hurler.

“I really appreciate that,” Headd said of the compliments. “We are a team and I have always given them all the credit. I think a big part of how successful our pitching staff is the unselfishness we all have and how we all know it is for the team. No one person is going to take the glory.”

Pitching probables. O’Connor said RHP Jeff Kamrath will start tonight on the mound and be followed in the series by Matt Avery and Mike Ballard.

Should any of the starters get in trouble, O’Connor said every pitcher on the team would be available.

“We are not going to hold back anybody,” O’Connor said. “We are going to do everything that we can to win [today]. Your typical weekend series you hold back a little bit for a chance to win game two and game three, maybe with decisions you make with your bullpen.

With an 11-14 record in the ACC and slim lead over Wake Forest (11-16) for seventh place, O’Connor knows the importance of this weekend’s homestand.

“We are in a position where we have to win that one ballgame and then move on to the next game,” O’Connor said.

Men's golf starts play in regionals
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
May 19, 2005

The Virginia men’s golf team will find itself today in a place it hasn’t been for a while: the NCAA Regionals.

The Cavaliers will tee off this morning at approximately 7 a.m. this morning in the NCAA’s East Regional at the Golf Club of Tennessee near Nashville. It will be the Cavaliers first NCAA Regional appearance since 2002.

Virginia is the No. 17 seed at the East Regional, which boasts 11 of the top 28 ranked programs in the nation according to Golfweek.

There are 27 teams in each of the NCAA’s three regionals. The top 10 teams at each site then advance to the NCAA Championships at the Caves Valley Club outside of Baltimore next week.

“We’ve been busy to the minute so far but it’s been a good week. Hopefully, it will get better as we go,” said first-year UVa coach Bowen Sargent.

Sargent claimed that his players have shown a certain enthusiasm this week in preparing for the regionals since all but one player - senior captain Kevin O’Connell - has never participated in NCAA play before. But, true to their nature, it’s a little hard to tell.

“It’s been a little hard to read this team because they are kind of casual and they don’t get too excited, even in times when we’ve played well,” Sargent said. “They never get too high or too low. They are pretty much taking it like another tournament and that’s how I’d prefer them to think about it.”

The obvious goal of the regionals is to merely advance. Finishing in the top 10 this week is essentially winning. That’s the focus according to Sargent. He also wants his team to focus on their games and not get caught up in the talented and tradition-laden field that’s in Nashville this week.

UVa women in 20th place
From Staff Reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
May 19, 2005

SUNRIVER, Ore. - Virginia stands 20th after the second round of the 2005 NCAA Women’s Golf National Championship on Wednesday.

Pepperdine carded a round best 295 to bolt to a first-place tie with Auburn with a 586 (+18) each. Defending National Champion UCLA is third with a 590 (+22), while California is fourth with a 594 (+26). The Cavaliers, making their first-ever appearance in the tournament, totaled a 612 (+44).

Individually, UCLA’s Charlotte Mayorkas, Auburn’s Diana Ramage, Southern Cal’s Dewi Schreefel and Pepperdine’s Eileen Vargas are tied for first place with a 144 (+2) each. Four other players, including UVa sophomore Leah Wigger, follow by one stroke to tie for fifth with a 145 (+3) apiece. Wigger fired a 72 (+1) on the day.

“Leah played very well under the conditions,” UVa head coach Jan Mann said. “In the morning, it was raining. When we teed off (at 1:40 p.m.), the wind was 20 miles per hour sustained, so it was very windy and cold.”

Freshman Lauren Mielbrecht shot a 150 to tie for 31st, while sophomore Rachel Smith carded a 158 (+16). Sophomore Sally Shonk fired a 161 (+19), and sophomore Lindsay Robinson rounded out the UVa scoring with a 162 (+20).

The third round tees off at 9 a.m. today.



 

Virginia visiting MTSU in 2007
Blue Raider to play Cavalier at Floyd Stadium
By ADAM SPARKS
sparks@dnj.com

It appears new athletic director Chris Massaro has kept his promise to MTSU fans, and then some.

MTSU will play host to Virginia at Floyd Stadium in a 2007 home football game, according to sources close to the situation.

Those sources say no contract has officially been signed but that the two teams have reached a verbal agreement to play the game in either September or October of 2007.

Massaro could not be reached for comment.

However, his remarks to The Daily News Journal last week, perhaps, hinted at his intentions.

"It is important we bring quality opponents to Murfreesboro," Massaro said Saturday. "It lends value to our corporate sponsors, season-ticket holders, suite holders, students and the residents of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County."

With the addition of Virginia in 2007, the Blue Raiders will entertain their three highest-profile home opponents in program history in consecutive years.

MTSU will play Louisville at The Coliseum in Nashville for a home game in 2006, and Maryland will visit Floyd Stadium in 2008.

The home meeting with Virginia is apparently part of the obvious upside after the Blue Raiders were scratched from Temple's 2005 football schedule, and North Carolina State, likewise, was dropped by the Owls.

MTSU will visit N.C. State Nov. 19 of the upcoming season, receiving only $150,000 for the trip. However, a visit to Murfreesboro from ACC power Virginia would certainly serve as compensation.

Virginia went 8-4 last season, finishing in the top 20.

Massaro has also considered waiving the $100,000 buyout owed MTSU by Temple in exchange for a home-and-home basketball series with the Owls as part of the scheduling pact between the Blue Raiders, ACC and MAC, the league Temple is joining.

Meanwhile, MTSU football will kick off its 2005 season at Alabama Sept. 3, followed by home dates against four-time Sun Belt champion North Texas (Sept. 10) and MAC member Akron (Sept. 17). The Blue Raiders will also renew their rivalry with SEC neighbor Vanderbilt on Oct. 1.

Illinois In-State Recruiting Focus Now Shifts To Sherron Collins and Derrick Rose
Brian Stinnette
May 18, 2005
Email Questions/Comments To brian@chicagohoops.com

The in-state recruiting focus of the University of Illinois will now shift to Sherron Collins (Chicago Crane), and Derrick Rose (Chicago Simeon) now that Jon Scheyer (Glenbrook North) is off the board. Collins is the #1 2006 point guard in the United States, while Rose rates as the #2 2007 point guard in the USA behind O.J. Mayo.

Illinois will be in the mix with both Collins and Rose, but the competition will be very stiff.

Collins, a 5-10 point guard, led Crane downstate this past season For the most part, Collins recruitment is on hold until after the summer, Illinois will have lots of company when his recruiting does heat up.

Steve Alford and Iowa have been on Collins as long as any other school. Collins went to an Iowa Elite Camp a while back, and was unguardable. Iowa has been on him ever since. Dave Leitao and Virginia are looming in the background. Mike Davis and Indiana are also patiently waiting for an opportunity to get involved. Others are also waiting for their opportunity to get into the mix.

Rose, a 6-3 point guard, is the #1 Class of 2007 prospect in Illinois. Rose also rates as one of the Top 5 Class of 2007 prospects in the country. A number of national powers have made it be known that Rose will be high on their priority list.

It is still real early here. North Carolina, who last year signed Bobby Frasor (Chicago Brother Rice), could be a factor. Lute Olson has put out the word that Arizona wants to be a player for Rose. Bill Self and Kansas also have a high level of interest. A number of other national powers including Indiana and Virginia are looking to get involved.

Other than Collins, in the in-state Class of 2006, 6-10 Brian Carlwell (Proviso East), is the player that Illinois covets the most. He's long, and runs the floor extremely well. He excels as a rebounder and shot-blocker. His skills continue to improve. Things could get real interesting once Carlwell gets a chance to spend some extensive time in the weight room.

In 2007, Rose is obviously the crown jewel. However, the Class if very deep, and a number of other prospects could emerge. 6-2 Demetri McCamey (St. Joseph's) is a strong combination guard, and a fearless competitor. McCamey was MVP en route to leading the Illinois Wolves to the 16-U title at the Spiece Run 'N Slam. 6-10 Bill Cole (Peoria Richwoods) is playing very well for the 17-U Illinois Warriors. Once Cole adds 20 pounds of weight and muscle he will be a major force inside. 6-5 Evan Turner (St. Joseph's) has tremendous upside potential. He is a long, athletic and versatile wing who could top out at 6-7. Turner plays on the AAU circuit with the Illinois Wolves.

Tech suggests NCAA probation
First-time sanction likely for using ineligible athletes
By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/18/05

Georgia Tech has suggested the NCAA put the school on probation for the first time in history as punishment for Tech's use of academically ineligible athletes in 2000-2004.

Seventeen athletes in four sports who should have been ruled ineligible were cleared to play.

The school's investigation determined those errors were inadvertent, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association's enforcement staff agreed, Tech athletics director Dave Braine said Tuesday.

But the widespread nature of the infractions led Tech to suggest a one-year probation, in keeping with NCAA precedent and advice from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Braine said.

The sting of probation is largely symbolic, though it brings added oversight from the NCAA and added work for athletics department employees. The proposed penalties include previously reported scholarship cuts in football and men's and women's track, but would not bring a ban on postseason play or television appearances, Braine said.

The NCAA infractions committee is scheduled to review the Tech case this weekend in Indianapolis and rule six weeks later. But because Tech worked with the enforcement staff through a process called "summary disposition," much like a plea bargain in a court case, few surprises are likely.

The NCAA panel "still can alter the penalties," said former infractions committee Chairman Roy Kramer, retired commissioner of the Southeastern Conference. "They could accept or they could add to them. There's no set pattern."

Tech and the NCAA enforcement staff have agreed that the widespread nature of the infractions implies a "lack of institutional control," the NCAA's way of saying a school failed to have enough checks and balances in place to make sure it followed the rules. The NCAA's infractions database lists 154 cases where college sports' governing body found a school lacked institutional control; the NCAA imposed probation in all but four of those cases.

"We know institutional control or lack thereof will be part of the [finding]," Braine said.

The Journal-Constitution reported last September that Georgia Tech had proposed cutting four football scholarships each of the next two academic years, 3.9 men's track scholarships each of the next two academic years and 2.5 women's track scholarships each of the next two academic years. Track scholarships, unlike football and basketball scholarships, can be split among multiple athletes.

Infractions committee members and NCAA officials won't discuss pending cases, even when the university and the enforcement staff agree on the facts.

In rare cases, the infractions committee can decide the summary disposition process failed and hold a hearing to review the facts before making its ruling. Typically, when a case reaches this stage the committee accepts the findings of the enforcement staff and the college.

"We're throwing ourselves on the mercy of the court," Braine said.

Tech has not released the names of the athletes involved and says in most cases they don't know they were improperly ruled eligible. Many of the athletes received incorrect advice from an academic adviser or were not told of a waiver they could have received that would have made them eligible.

This is the second major infractions case in Tech history. The other, involving violations in men's tennis, occurred in 1989. Florida State leads the ACC with six major infractions cases, and the University of Georgia leads the state with six.

Any school found guilty of a major infraction twice within five years faces increased penalties, regardless of whether the first case resulted in probation. Tech officials said they had put in place procedures to avoid a repeat.

"The process of how we certify [academic eligibility] has completely changed," Braine said. "A system of checks and balances has been set up."

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
May 19, 2005

A FAMILY DIVIDED: Men's lacrosse coach Dom Starsia has three brothers and two sisters. Not all of them, it seems, can be counted on to pull for Dom when U.Va. meets Navy in an NCAA tournament semifinal Saturday at Homewood Field in Baltimore.

"My siblings were actually talking about it over the weekend," Starsia said. "They're trying to decide how to approach this thing."

Here's why: Starsia's nephew Graham Gill is a standout midfielder for the Midshipmen, last year's NCAA runners-up. Gill, a 6-2, 190-pound senior from Medford, N.J., is the son of Starsia's sister Christine.

Gill, who was born in Richmond and lived in Midlothian, was better known as a soccer player in high school. Starsia chose not to recruit him, and Gill enrolled at the U.S. Naval Academy after a year at prep school.

"He might have been swallowed up in our program," Starsia said.

Graham Gill is not related to U.Va. senior Brendan Gill, an attackman who had four assists last weekend against Albany in the NCAA tournament's first round. Graham Gill, with 32 points, is tied for third among Navy scorers. He's second on the team in assists with 15.

A FAMILY TRADITION: Former basketball standout Todd Billet is the new hoops coach at Morris Catholic in Denville, N.J. Billet's brother, Geoff, is an assistant coach at Monmouth University.

Todd Billet, who's from Middletown, N.J., was a two-year starter at guard for Virginia after transferring from Rutgers. He received a bachelor's in economics from U.Va. in May 2003 and played as a graduate student in 2003-04.

"As I played more in college, I knew coaching was something I was interested in," Billet told The Star-Ledger newspaper of Newark, N.J. "There's a lot to be said about working with players on the high school level. They're developing on and off the court, and it's a great time to interact with them."

Billet is working on a master's in public health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which is in Newark.

ON SCHEDULE: U.Va.'s nonconference opponents in coming football seasons will include Pittsburgh and Wyoming.

Virginia is scheduled to play at Pitt in September 2006, with the Panthers coming to Scott Stadium in September 2007. Wyoming will visit U.Va. in 2006. The Cavaliers will play at Wyoming in 2007.

U.Va. has played Pitt three times, most recently in 2003. The Cavaliers beat the Panthers 23-16 in the Continental Tire Bowl that season. Pitt beat Virginia in 1953 and'55. U.Va. and Wyoming never have met in football.

STUDENT-ATHLETES: A dozen members of the 2004 football team were drafted last month or signed free-agent contracts with NFL teams. By the end of this weekend, 11 of those 12 will be college graduates. The exception is linebacker Darryl Blackstock, who was a junior in 2004-05.

The 11, with their degrees, are: Elton Brown, anthropology; Chris Canty, African-American studies; Isaiah Ekejiuba, electrical engineering; Patrick Estes, archeology; Dennis Haley, anthropology; Jermaine Hardy, psychology; Andrew Hoffman, environmental sciences; Michael McGrew, urban planning; Heath Miller, sociology; Alvin Pearman, sports medicine; and Marquis Weeks, sociology.

"For any people who think there is a disconnect between playing big-time college football and performing academically, this dispels that," coach Al Groh told Inside UVA, a newsletter for the school's faculty and staff.

EXTRA INCENTIVE: For the baseball team, an at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament is within reach. To be assured of advancing to the NCAAs for the second consecutive year, however, Virginia (11-14, 35-17) probably must sweep its three-game series with ACC rival Duke (5-22, 14-35) in Charlottesville.

The teams meet today (7 p.m.), tomorrow (7 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) at Davenport Field.

"It's tough to sweep any team - the ACC is a tough league - but we hope we can get it done," pitcher Mike Ballard said last weekend.

LEGAL UPDATE: The cases of former basketball player Elton Brown, who faces two misdemeanor charges, were continued in Albemarle County General District this week. Brown is scheduled to return to court twice next month: June 7, on the charge of carrying a concealed weapon, and June 17, on the charge of brandishing a firearm.

The 6-9, 250-pound Brown, who started 23 games for Virginia as a senior in 2004-05, was arrested May 11 after an incident in which he allegedly pulled a gun on Derrick Jones, an acquaintance, in a disagreement over a woman. - Jeff White

Leitao building for Virginia's future
Inside ACC Nation
Chris Graham
chris@augustafreepress.com

Dave Leitao's first month in Charlottesville has bordered on the overwhelming.

"I'm not a complainer by any stretch of the imagination, but sometimes you can be overwhelmed by all the things that are thrown at you," said Leitao, who was hired in April to replace Pete Gillen as the men's basketball coach at the University of Virginia.

"It has kind of in some ways taken me back in terms of what my plans for the first 30 days were. It's all very exciting, it's overwhelming, but it's headed in the right direction," Leitao told the "ACC Nation" radio show.

"What I've tried to do is separate what had to be taken care of yesterday with what goes on today and the planning stages for tomorrow. Sometimes it all goes into one pot, which isn't always a great thing. But at the same time, the priorities are to get the guys organized and allow them to finish the semester the right way and to piece together what I feel will be the building blocks for the future," Leitao said.

That has been Leitao's focus since deciding to leave DePaul, where his teams rang up a 58-34 record in his three seasons in Chicago, for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Try as you might, you won't get Leitao to talk about how many wins he expects his team to post or what kind of splash he hopes the program will make on the national scene.

It's all about getting ready for the journey up ahead - not about the math that one can get bogged down in doing along the way.

"I try not to put any strict parameters on those kinds of things," Leitao said. "To maximize ourselves is to answer the following question. Do you want to be the best that you can possibly be? If the answer to that is yes, then everybody commits to that on a daily basis. Everybody is willing to share of themselves. Then that's going to put us in a pretty good place.

"Given the fact that we have good kids who have a pretty decent amount of talent, what that means in the short term in the amount of wins or where we will place within the conference, there are so many variables that it's hard for me to say and put anything on that," Leitao said.

"Long term as well, I want this program in the long term to be among the consistent winners in the ACC. And if we do that, that will put us in great shape nationally, and everything else will come down from there," Leitao said.

Leitao shrugged off the notion that he is under any unusual amount of pressure from a hungry fan and alumni base at UVa. - which followed up a run of 12 NCAA tournament appearances in a 15-year period between 1980 and 1995 with two NCAA berths in the 10 years since.

"Pressure is such a relative term, and I look at that as a reason to be excited," Leitao said. "It gives this university and our staff and our players the opportunity to put themselves among the league's and the nation's best. So that's very exciting.

"Pressure is only the amount of pressure that you put on yourself. I know that there are fans here that are hungry. I know that there's a new building (the John Paul Jones Arena, slated to open in the fall of 2006) that you want to build toward and want to fill up. I look at it as an opportunity," Leitao said.

"Pressure to me is trying to run a program that doesn't have any resources, that doesn't have great academics, that doesn't play in a great league, and trying to make that work. To me, that's pressure," Leitao said.

NCAA Semifinal Berth on the Line as Mids Battle Cavaliers
Files associated with this release:
Navy vs. Virginia (5/21)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The third-ranked Navy lacrosse team aims for a repeat appearance in the NCAA semifinals as it battles sixth-ranked Virginia in NCAA quarterfinal action on Saturday. The game will start at approximately 3:00 p.m., at Homewood Field on the campus of Johns Hopkins University. It will be the second game of a doubleheader as the first game, which begins at noon, features Johns Hopkins and Massachusetts. The game will be carried live by CN8 and Comcast SportsNet in the Annapolis area. A list of TV stations nationally that will carry the game is listed below. For ticket information, call the Johns Hopkins ticket office at 410-516-7490.

TV coverage nationwide:
-- CSS (Comcast Sports SE)
-- CN8
-- CSN (Comcast Sports Net)
-- Altitude (Colorado)
-- Cox Sports Television
-- Mediacom (Iowa)
-- Charter-St. Louis
-- TWC-Memphis
-- TWC Syracuse
-- Comcast Sportsnet West
-- ESPNU (Tape-delayed - 8:00 p.m.)

Midshipmen - Cavaliers Briefly...
NCAA TOURNAMENT - QUARTERFINALS
Date: May 21, 2005 Time: 3 p.m. Site: Baltimore, Md.
Radio: WNAV (1430 AM) Internet: www.wnav.com Play-by-play: Pete Medhurst
Television: ESPN Syndication Play-by-Play: Dave Ryan Color: Brian Heyward
Records: Navy (12-3 / #5 seed); Virginia (10-3 / #4 seed)
National Rankings: Navy (#3 USILA); Virginia (#6 USILA)
Series: Navy leads 31-17 Streak: Virginia -- 5 games
Saturday's Forecast: Mostly Cloudy, High 74 degrees

Navy Quick Notes...
* Navy looks to advance to its second consecutive NCAA semifinals appearance with a matchup against Virginia. The winner will advance to the NCAA semifinals next weekend at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
* This weekend's game will be carried live on CN8 and Comcast Sports Net, and tape-delayed on ESPNU (8 pm).
* This is Navy's 22nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the fifth most of any school. The Mids own a 15-21 mark in the NCAA Tournament, including an 8-9 mark in the quarterfinals.
* This will be the 49th meeting between the two teams, but first since 1995, with Navy holding a 31-17 edge. Virginia has won five in a row and 12 of the last 17.
* Navy had a total of nine players named to the All-Patriot League teams, including five first-teamers.
* The Mids advanced to the quarterfinals with a 9-7 victory over 16th-ranked Delaware. Navy led 8-2 midway through the third quarter, then withstood a furious Blue Hens rally for the win.

A Win Would...
* Move Navy into the semifinals for the second straight year and ninth time ever.
* Give Navy 13 wins for the second time in program history, and the second straight year.
* Set up a semifinal matchup with the winner of the Johns Hopkins / Massachusetts game.
* Be the senior class' 42nd win in four years, setting a school record for wins by a class, previously set by the Class of 1978 (41).

About Virginia...
-- Virginia is coming off an impressive 23-9 victory over Albany in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last weekend. The win appears to have rejuvenated the Cavalier attack, as Virginia looks for its third national title since 1999. The Cavaliers have one of the nation's top offenses, averaging just under 12 goals per game. Virginia has been held to single-digit scoring just four times this season. However, all four times have come in the last seven games.
The Cavaliers enter Saturday's contest with a 10-3 overall record and a No. 6 national ranking. Virginia is paced by Tewaaraton Award finalist Matt Ward with 45 points. John Christmas has added 34 points, and eight others have contributed at least 10 points. In goal, Kip Turner has played the majority of the time, posting a .583 save percentage and a 6.94 GAA.

Against the ACC...
-- Navy is 94-85-1 all-time against the Atlantic Coast Conference (Duke 24-9, Maryland 30-49-1, North Carolina 9-10 and Virginia 31-17). However, the Mids are just 2-8 against ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament, but haven't played an ACC team in the postseason tourney since 1986, a 12-9 loss to Virginia.
* Under Richie Meade, the Midshipmen are 5-20, but are 4-0 since the start of last year.

The Common Thread...
-- Navy is 4-2 against teams in this year's NCAA Tournament, while Virginia is 4-3. The two have three common opponents - Johns Hopkins, Maryland and North Carolina.
* Both teams lost to Johns Hopkins during the regular season. Virginia dropped a 9-7 decision at JHU on March 26, while Navy fell to the Blue Jays, 9-8 in overtime, on April 23.
* Both teams defeated Maryland once during the year. Navy defeated the Terps, 9-8, on April 8, while Virginia defeated Maryland, 10-2, on April 2, but fell to the Terps, 8-7, on April 29.
* Lastly, both teams defeated North Carolina (Navy, 9-6 on March 5; Virginia, 15-9 on April 9).

Turning it Around...
-- Navy has enjoyed success over the last two seasons that few schools nationally have experienced. Since the start of last year, Navy is 27-6 for an .818 winning percentage. The 27 wins are the most in the country and the .818 winning percentage is second only to Johns Hopkins (25-2, .926).
* The Mids have produced the top two win totals in school history during the current two-year stretch and with its 12th win last Saturday, this year's squad has the second most wins in school history.

Road Warriors...
-- A large amount of Navy's success over the last two years has come away from Annapolis. In true road games since the start of last season, Navy boasts a 9-2 record with the lone losses coming to Bucknell (8-7 in overtime) and Johns Hopkins (9-8 in overtime) earlier this year. Over the 11-game stretch, six of the wins have come against foes ranked in the nation's top 15, and five of the victories came against teams ranked outside of the top 15. Navy has outscored its foes in the last 11 road games, 108-66.
* In all games away from Annapolis (neutral sites included), the Mids are 13-3 since the start of last year, including 7-2 against ranked opposition. The lone losses were to Bucknell and Johns Hopkins (mentioned earlier) and to Syracuse in last year's national championship game.

Home Sweet Home...
-- The Mids have also enjoyed much success over the year playing at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, boasting an impressive 7-1 mark. The lone loss came over a span of two days as then-No. 5 Georgetown dealt the Mids an 11-6 setback on April 2-3.
* Since the start of last year, Navy owns a 13-3 mark at home, outscoring its foes, 191-114 (11.9 to 7.1 gpg). The Mids have allowed just three teams (2005 - Georgetown, 2004 - Ohio State and Johns Hopkins) to reach double digits in that span in Annapolis.

Breaking it Down by Quarters...
-- While Navy has struggled at times in the first period of games, no one can argue about its play in the second and third periods.
* The Mids are outscoring their foes in the middle two quarters, 89-52, and outshooting their foes, 326-184.
* Navy has allowed 31 fewer shots in the second half than in the first half and four fewer goals.
* In the first five minutes of each quarter, Navy is outscoring its opposition, 38-27, including a 21-10 margin in the second half.
* Navy has dominated coming out of the halftime break, outscoring opponents, 14-4, in the first five minutes of the third quarter.

Playing the Best Brings Out The Best...
-- The Mids have consistently played one of the toughest schedules in the country and this year is no different. Since 1997, Navy has played at least six ranked teams each season.
* Navy has played eight ranked teams this year, and is 6-2.
* The Mids have played a top-10 ranked team in five of their last seven outings. Navy is 5-2 in those meetings, all coming since April 2.
* Since the start of last season, Navy is 14-5 against ranked teams.
* The Mids are 1-22 against No. 1-ranked teams all-time after their loss to Johns Hopkins.
* Meade has led Navy to a 32-41 mark against ranked teams since 1997 and a 46-5 mark against unranked teams in that same span.
* Navy finished last season by playing ranked teams in nine of its last 12 games, and the Mids are following the same route this season. With this weekend's game against No. 6 Virginia, seven of Navy's last eight games have been against ranked foes.

Balancing Act...
-- Navy is one of the most balanced teams in the country, having six players with at least 20 points. The Mids are one of 10 teams nationally with six players with at least 20 points.
* Navy is also one of seven teams around the country with five players netting at least 17 goals.
* Navy, Delaware and Mount St. Mary's are the only schools nationally with five players with 17 goals, four players with 30 points and six players with at least 20 points.

Spreading the Wealth...
-- In addition to being one of the most balanced teams in the country, Navy has gotten widespread scoring all year long.
* In the last five games, Meade has had at least seven players score a goal in each game, and at least eight players score a point in each outing.
* In eight games this season, Navy has had at least seven players find the back of the net in a game.
* Nine times this season, at least eight players have found their way into the scoring column either via a goal or an assist.
* The distribution of scoring may have never been more evident than in Navy's 9-7 first-round NCAA win over Delaware. Seven different players scored goals for the Mids, including two defensive midfielders (Seth DiNola and Clipper Lennon) and a midfielder who had one career goal prior to the game (Cody Shea).
* Navy's non-starters produced seven (4 g, 3 a) of the 15 points in the win over Delaware, including a career-best three points (1 g, 2 a) from sophomore William Wallace.

National Exposure...
-- Navy's lacrosse resurgence has also increased national exposure..
* Navy has appeared on national television five times this season, posting a 3-2 record. Navy is 3-0 this season on CSTV, but is 0-2 on WMAR/ESPNU. This weekend's contest with Virginia will be televised by ESPN Syndication.
* Since the start of last year, Navy has been on television 11 times with a 7-4 record. Navy is 4-1 on CSTV all-time and 3-3 on the ESPN family of networks.

Coming Out In Droves...
-- Not only has Navy had major success on the field, but also at the turnstiles. The Mids averaged 5,332 fans per game at home this season, the most in the country. Syracuse was second, averaging 5,009 fans.
* Navy is the only school in the Patriot League to average at least 1,000 fans per game, and only one school in the league, Army, drew what Navy averages.
* The April 8 crowd of 14,124 against Maryland was the third largest in school history and largest in NCAA Division I lacrosse this season.
* The Mids followed that performance with a crowd of 12,117 against Army, the fourth largest in school history. It marked the first time in school history that Navy drew over 10,000 fans in back-to-back games and was the largest documented crowd to see an Army-Navy lacrosse game.

Getting Defensive...
-- The Navy defense has been a big reason why Richie Meade's club is 12-3.
* In 15 games, Navy has allowed just 96 goals on 379 shots for a shooting percentage of just .253.
* Twenty of the goals have come via man-up opportunities for the opponents, meaning only 76 goals have come even-strength, an average of 5.07 even-strength goals per game. When even strength, Navy is outscoring its foes 130-76, an average of 3.6 goals per game.
* The 38 goals allowed in the first eight games of the season were the fewest since the 1970 team held its first eight foes to just 36 goals.
* Navy has limited 12 of its last 33 opponents to five or fewer goals, and only four foes (Ohio State 2004, Army 2004, Syracuse 2004 and Georgetown 2005) have managed to reach double figures.
* The Mids have held eight of their 15 opponents to 25 or fewer shots, with Bucknell, Georgetown, Maryland, Army twice, Johns Hopkins and Delaware being the exceptions. Since the start of last year, Navy has limited 16 of its 33 opponents to under 25 shots. When holding its foes to under 25 shots, Navy is 15-1 (Ohio State 2004) since the start of 2004.
* Only eight foes (Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh, Georgetown, Maryland, Army, Johns Hopkins and Delaware) have had more than seven shots in a quarter in 2005.
* In 10 of the 30 halves played this year, Navy has limited its opponent to 10 or fewer shots.
* Navy has held 14 of its 15 opponents under their scoring average entering the game, and in 14 of 15 games (Georgetown), the Mids have shut out their opponent for over 15 minutes. The Mids have held their foes scoreless in 11 quarters this season.
* Navy has lost just two games when holding foes to nine or fewer goals since the start of last year, posting a 26-2 mark. Both losses came this year in overtime (Bucknell and Johns Hopkins).

Overtime Blues...
-- The Mids have struggled in close games this season, one year after posting a 4-2 record in one-goal games. Navy is just 1-2 in one-goal games this spring with both of the losses coming in overtime.
* In overtime under Meade, Navy is 5-8, after falling to Bucknell earlier this season and Johns Hopkins in late April. The Mids last won an overtime game on March 5, 2004, a 9-8 win over fourth-ranked North Carolina.
* Navy has had decent success under Richie Meade in one-goal games. Navy has played in 41 one-goal outings under Meade, posting a 17-24 record in his 10-plus years at Navy.
* The four wins last season were tied for the most games won by one goal under Meade. Navy went 4-0 in 1997 in one-goal games.

Long Poles Standing Tall...
-- The Navy long poles have had a terrific season and hope to continue their strong seasons in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday.
* Navy's three starting defensemen, seniors Mike Felber and Mitch Hendler, and sophomore Andrew Dow, have been the core of a defense that ranks first in the country in scoring defense at 6.46 gpg.
* The trio has combined for 73 ground balls on the season, and Felber's 41 ranks third on the squad.
* Meanwhile, Seth DiNola has had a stellar year on the face-off wing as a long stick midfielder. DiNola has scored two goals and three assists, while scooping up 21 ground balls.
* DiNola tallied his first career goal in the Patriot League Tournament finals against Army, a goal which gave Navy a 7-5 third-quarter advantage and started Navy's domination in the second half. He then scored a goal in his second straight game, the eventual game-winner against Delaware, giving Navy an 8-2 lead midway through the third quarter. He has two goals on two shots this season.

Red-Hot EMO...
-- The Navy extra-man unit struggled out of the gates, but has now hit full stride.
* In Navy's first three games, the Mids went 0 for 8 on the EMO attack.
* However, in the 12 games since, Navy is a red-hot 19-of-44 (.432), including a stellar 4-for-5 performance against Maryland. The strong recent performance has propelled the Navy EMO unit to 14th on the national list.
* The Mids have scored at least two EMO goals in seven of the last 12 games. The lone exceptions came against Colgate, (0-for-0), Army (1-for-1), Johns Hopkins (0-for-1), Lehigh (0-for-1) and Delaware (0-for-1).

The Last Line Of Defense...
-- Matt Russell burst onto the scene last year and is continuing his standout career as a junior in 2005. The Connecticut native earned the starting job in the team's third game last season and never let it go, earning First-Team All-America honors and claiming the Kelly Award as the nation's top goalie. He currently sports a 26-4 career record.
* Russell enjoyed a happy homecoming on opening weekend in the victory over Providence. Playing in front of several friends and family after growing up just 13 miles east of Branford, Conn., he stopped six shots and allowed just two goals.
* His performance over the first two weeks of the season earned him Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, handed out Feb. 28.
* Had another big game against North Carolina, stopping eight shots, including several from point-blank range. In the next contest, he stopped 12 shots in a loss to Bucknell.
* The performance against Lafayette and Colgate (13 saves) earned Russell his second Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week citation of the season and fifth of his career.
* Had a heroic effort against sixth-ranked Maryland, stopping 10 shots to lead Navy to the victory. He played the game with a severely sprained ankle and as of 1 p.m., on gameday, he wasn't going to play.
* Had one of his better games of the year against Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament, stopping nine shots. He also set a career high with seven ground balls.
* Turned it up to another notch in last weekend's win over Delaware. Stopped a season-high 13 shots, including nine in the first half, to keep the Blue Hens at bay.
* He has saved at least 50 percent of the shots he has faced in 25-of-31 games he has played in since the start of last season. When Russell stops at least 50 percent of his shots, Navy is 23-2, with the lone losses coming to Johns Hopkins (Apr. 24, 2004) and Bucknell (March 12, 2005).

The Magic Number...
-- When Navy reaches these game statistics, it usually means success for the Mids.
* Navy is 8-1 when Jon Birsner has at least two assists in a game this season and 18-3 in his career when he has two or more assists in a game.
* The Mids are 11-0 this season when a player records a hat trick and 23-1 since the start of last season.
* When the Mids hold a foe to single-digit scoring, Navy is 26-2 since the start of last season.
* This season, when Navy has at least 30 shots in a game, the Mids are 12-1.When Navy allows 29 or fewer shots in a game, the Mids are 10-1.
* When Steve Looney picks up at least five ground balls in a game, Navy is 7-2 this season and are 18-4 since the start of last year.
* When Chris Pieczonka wins over 60 percent of his face-offs, Navy is 18-2 in his career.

The Distributor...
-- Junior Jon Birsner has provided valuable playmaking skills to the Mids' attack this season.
* He tallied his 100th career point in the Patriot League Tournament final against Army, becoming just the 25th Navy player to accomplish the feat.
* Birsner had a career game in the March 19 meeting with Colgate. He dished out eight assists, tied for the second-best total in school history, leading the Mids to an 11-6 win over the Raiders. The eight assists were the most since Paul Basile had eight in a 14-6 win over Brown (May 13, 1987).
* The eight assists are the most in the NCAA this season and the eight points are tied for the most.
* He followed that performance with a six-point (3 g, 3 a) showing against Lehigh. The 14 points in consecutive games are the most since Mike Buzzell had 20 points (10 g, 10 a) in a two-game stretch against Delaware and Syracuse in 1978.
* During the Patriot League Tournament, Birsner entered the top 10 on the Patriot League's career assist list, and currently sits ninth with 69 career helpers.
* Recorded another stellar game against Army in the regular season, scoring three points (1 g, 2 a), then dished out six points (1 g, 5 a) in the Patriot League finals against Army.
* His five-assist effort against Army moved him from outside of the top 20 single-season assist list to 12th on the chart with 31 helpers. He needs just nine more to enter the top five.
* Scored three points (1 g, 2 a) in the semifinal win over Lehigh, despite playing under one half because of injury.
* Has 21 career multi-assist games in just 43 career games.
* Has recorded assists (31) on 20.8 percent of Navy's goals (149) this season and has accounted for 36.5 percent of all of Navy's (85) assists this season.
* He has led the team in assists in 11 of the 13 games he has played in, except the Bucknell and Delaware contests.

Hendler Does It All...
-- Senior Mitch Hendler has played in 55 career games, but accomplished something against Army on April 16, that he couldn't do in his other 54 games. Hendler's first career shot resulted in his first career goal with just 0.1 seconds left on the clock in the first period. The goal tied the game at 3-3 and gave the Mids some much-needed momentum heading into the second quarter. He also picked up his 75th career ground ball on the same day.
* A month ago, Hendler was named one of 16 finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually to the nation's top player. Hendler is just one of four defensemen named to the list.

When The Whistle Blows...
-- The Mids are one of the most dominant teams in the country at the face-off "X", and all three primary face-off men are performing well.
* Senior Chris Pieczonka continued his standout career in the season opener against Providence, winning 10-of-14 face-offs and tying for the team lead with three ground balls. He added a team-best five ground balls and went 12-of-20 from the "X" in the victory over Ohio State.
* Had a dominant performance against North Carolina, winning 13-of-18 face-offs versus the Tar Heels. In that contest, Pieczonka moved past Chris Dingman into the top spot on Navy's career face-offs won list.
* Returned from injury in the contest against Colgate, winning 12-of-19 face-offs. He followed that performance with a typical 10-of-15 showing against Lehigh, including 7-of-8 in the second half.
* Pieczonka finished below 50.0 percent in the loss to Georgetown. It marked the first time since last year's loss to Johns Hopkins (4/24/04) that he finished a game below 50.0 percent.
* Rebounded against Maryland to win 11-of-19 draws, including 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter. During that game, he won his 300th career face-off and scooped up his 150th career ground ball.
* Turned in another solid performance against Army in the regular season, winning 13-of-22 draws and against Lehigh in the Patriot League semifinals, going 9-of-15.
* Pieczonka currently ranks 10th on the all-time NCAA career list for face-off win percentage (.623).
-- When Pieczonka struggles, Meade has been able to call on sophomore William Wallace.
* William Wallace has won over 61 percent of his face-offs this season, equaling an NCAA record accomplished only six other times in NCAA history when he won all 13 of his face-offs against Lafayette.
* Excels in the Patriot League Tournament, where he went 8-of-14 this season. In his career, he has won 30-of-45 face-offs.

Valuable Looneys Perform All Over the Field...
-- The Looney brothers have both stepped up their respective games in helping Navy to a 12-3 record and a No. 3 national ranking.
* The elder Steve, a junior, shows his versitility all over the field, performing on the top midfield line, the top face-off crew, defensive midfield and the EMO unit. However, he missed the first-round game with a injured right leg and is questionable for Saturday's game with Virginia.
* He scored a career-best five points on five goals in leading Navy to a 9-2 triumph over Providence. It was a breakout game for the elder Looney, as he netted his second career hat trick.
* He the equaled it with a stellar performance against No. 7 North Carolina. He tallied five points (4 g, 1 a) and scooped up a Navy-season best nine ground balls.
* For his efforts against the Heels, he was named Insidelacrosse.com National Player of the Week, as well as Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week.
* Recorded a monster game against No. 4 Army, scoring three points (2 g, 1 a) and picking up eight ground balls. The effort earned him his second Patriot League Offensive Player-of-the-Week award this season.
* Netted four points (3 g, 1 a) and six ground balls in the Patriot League Tournament.
* A ground-ball machine, Steve scooped up a game-high seven grounders against Johns Hopkins, then added four more against Lehigh. He has gobbled up 162 career ground balls and needs just 52 to set a new school record.
* Steve was added to the Tewaaraton Award watch list midway through the season.
* Meanwhile, Billy, the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, has started all 33 career games, and is averaging over a point a game for his career (43 career points in 33 games).
* He netted his first career multi-goal game against Colgate, then added four goals against Holy Cross.
* Led the Mids to a 12-9 triumph over Army with a team-best three goals. Two of his goals came in the second half to help Navy build an insurmountable lead.
* Has scored at least two goals in five of the last 11 games.
* Combined, the brothers have tallied 34 points (29 g, 5 a) and 55 ground balls in the last 11 games. For the season, the duo have combined for 49 points (41 g, 8 a) and 75 ground balls.

Reaching the Club...
-- Jon Birsner has already reached the 100-point club, and Graham Gill is nearing it.
* Birsner tallied his 100th career point in the Patriot League finals against Army, becoming just the 25th player in school history to accomplish the feat. He has 100 career points entering the Virginia game.
* Gill, meanwhile, has 97 career points entering this weekend's game.
* If Gill reaches 100 points this season, it will mark just the third time in school history that two players reached 100 points in the same season. The others were in 1978 (Mike Buzzell, Brendan Schneck and Mike Hannan) and 1988 (Mike Herger and Paul Basile).

Fantastic Freshman...
-- Head coach Richie Meade has had a long line of freshmen succeed in his offense, and this year is no different.
* Nick Mirabito is third on the team in scoring with 32 points and has scored at least two points in 11-of-15 games this year.
* He tallied three points (2 g, 1 a) in the loss to Bucknell. He also scooped up a career-best five ground balls against the Bison.
* He followed that performance with a two-point showing against Lafayette, then potted his first career hat trick in the victory over Colgate. The performance earned him Patriot League Rookie-of-the-Week honors on March 22.
* Potted his second career hat trick in the Patriot League finals against Army.
* Netted two goals against Army, including a second-period tally that gave Navy a 6-4 advantage.
* Netted his team-leading fourth hat trick of the season in the first round win over Delaware.
* With 26 goals, he is fourth among the nation's freshmen in goals and seventh with 32 points.
* Mirabito's goal-total is fifth all-time among Navy freshmen and his 32 points is eighth all-time.
* Has tallied three points six different times this season, and has scored in every game thus far in his career.

Virginia Ties...
-- Graham Gill has a pretty strong tie to the Virginia program when he steps onto Homewood Field on Saturday. Virginia head coach Dom Starsia is Gill's uncle.
* Brendan Teague and Colin Finnegan went to the same high school as Cavalier midfielder Joe Thompson (St. Mary's in Annapolis, Md.).
* Navy's Karl Hassenfratz went to the same high school as Virginia redshirt freshman Simon Manka (Orchard Park in Orchard Park, N.Y.).
* Lastly, Roger Wieland and Drew Thompson went to Northport H.S. (Northport, N.Y.) together.

The Great Gill...
-- Senior Graham Gill may have started his year slow, but he has picked it up when he's needed to.
* Gill ranks third on the team with 31 points and his 14 helpers rank second on the squad.
* Tallied two goals in the final 2:02 of the game to defeat Maryland, 9-8, on April 8. He finished the game with his first hat trick of the season.
* Has scored 15 points (10 g, 5 a) in the last six games, after posting 17 (7 g, 10 a) in the first nine.

Representin'...
-- The Mids were well represented on the Patriot League All-League teams as nine players earned spots on the first two teams. Graham Gill, Billy Looney, Chris Pieczonka, Mitch Hendler and Matt Russell earned spots on the first team, while Jon Birsner, Steve Looney, Clipper Lennon and Mike Felber were on the second team. Army and Bucknell each had five players named on the teams.
* Seven players were also invited to the 2006 U.S. Men's Lacrosse Team tryouts. Jon Birsner, Graham Gill, Mitch Hendler, Billy Looney, Steve Looney, Chris Pieczonka and Matt Russell were all invited to the tryouts.

Seniors Get Service Assignments...
-- The Midshipman seniors received their service assignments before the start of the season. Seth DiNola, Mike Felber, Graham Gill, Dan Harris, Ben Horn, Clipper Lennon and James Sullivan received Navy pilot. Matt Hage, Mitch Hendler, Matt Meehan, Chris Pieczonka and Pat Reilley received surface warfare, while Karl Hassenfratz received submarines, and Dwayne Osgood received Marine naval flight officer.

Quartet Named To "Watch" List...
-- Four of Navy's six Preseason All-Americans were named to the Tewaaraton Award Foundation's watch list. The list consists of 39 players with Navy and Virginia boasting the most players among those vying for one of the most prestigious awards in college lacrosse.
* Matt Russell is joined by teammates Mitch Hendler, Graham Gill and Steve Looney.
* The list will be voted upon by coaches and narrowed as the season progresses, ultimately reaching a final list of the five men who constitute the award's finalists.
* Navy was the only school with four players on the list, surpassing Virginia's three.
* The Mids will play against 11 players that are on the list during the course of the year. Three (Chris Cara from Bucknell and Jim Wagner and John Walker from Army) are members of the Patriot League.
* Senior defenseman Mitch Hendler is the lone Mid to make the cut, as during the past week, the list was dwindled to 16 players.

A Coaching Rarity...
-- Navy has pulled off a rare double-feature, which hasn't happened too often in the historical realms of coaching success. Navy is the only school in the country that can boast two current national coaches of the year.
* Lacrosse coach Richie Meade was named the 2004 Coach of the Year following last year's historical run to the NCAA title game, while football coach Paul Johnson won the 2004 Bobby Dodd award given to the nation's top coach. Johnson led the Mids to a 10-2 record and an Emerald Bowl victory.

The Last Word...
* This is Navy's 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance, the fifth most in college lacrosse history. Johns Hopkins (34), Maryland (28), Virginia (28) and Syracuse (25) have made more appearances.
* Navy tied an NCAA record by scoring goals just five seconds apart in the loss to Johns Hopkins.
* With a goal against Delaware, Ben Horn became just one of 15 players in NCAA history to tally a goal in 16 straight games.
* Navy has scored back-to-back goals within one minute of each other 20 times this season.
* The Mids claimed their eighth-consecutive N-Star with a 12-9 victory over Army on April 16.