Game Data

• Loyola University Maryland travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday night to battle the University of Michigan Wolverines at 7 p.m.
• It is the first home game for the Wolverines in program history.
• The Greyhounds are looking for their first 4-0 start since 2002 when the squad won its first seven games.

Series History

• Wednesday’s match-up marks the first-ever meeting between the Wolverines and the Greyhounds.
• Michigan is a future ECAC Lacrosse member.

In the Polls

• Loyola moved up to No. 9 in the USILA Coaches’ Poll, and 12th in the Nike/Inside La­crosse Media Rankings after its 11-8 victory at Bellarmine. The Greyhounds are one of four ECAC teams in the polls, joining Denver (13/11), Ohio State (20/18) and Fairfield (17/17).

Coming from Behind

• The Greyhounds have come from behind to win in two of their first three games, including last time out against Bellarmine.
• Loyola trailed 3-0 after the first quarter against Delaware, but then outscored the Blue Hens 10-2 in the second and third quarter to go on to a 13-8 win.
• Against Bellarmine, the Greyhounds went into halftime trailing 4-2, but scored five times in the third quarter to take a 7-6 lead and went on to the, 11-8, win.

Hasn’t Lost a Step

• Eric Lusby returned to game action in the season-opener after missing all but two games of the 2011 season. Now a graduate student, Lusby tore his right ACL in the 2010 NCAA First Round game against Cornell. He attempted to come back last year, but he saw limited action against Navy and Towson and was shut down to rehab the injury for the remainder of the season.
• Lusby burst back onto the scene against Delaware, scoring the Greyhounds’ first goal of the game on an extra-man opportunity, and the 2010 All-ECAC First Team member tallied three more in the second half.
• Lusby reset his career-high at Bellarmine, tallying five goals in the victory to go with one assist.
• Through Loyola’s first three games, Lusby ranks seventh in the nation at 3.33 goals per game.

Making Adjustments

• Loyola continued a trend from the last two years in the opener against Delaware, making adjustments at halftime to outscore their opponents in the third quarter and second half. The Greyhounds outscored the Blue Hens 5-1 in the third quarter and 8-4 after the break.
• The Greyhounds have scored just two goals in the first quarter of games this season, but have outscored opponents 13-4 in the second quarter and 14-5 in the third quarter this year.
• Loyola outscored its opponents 69-52 after halftime last season (including two over­time goals) despite being outscored 54-39 in the first halves of games.
• The Greyhounds scored 34 third-quarter goals to their opponents’ 27. In 2010, they outscored opponents 41-24 in the third quarters of games and 76-55 overall after halftime.

Four by Two

• Mike Sawyer and Sean O’Sullivan both scored four goals in the Greyhounds’ win over Tow­son last Saturday, becoming the first pair of Loyola players to record four or more goals in the same game since Patrick Fanshaw and Matt Langan scored five and four, respective­ly, on March 20, 2010, in a 17-3 win over Air Force.
• O’Sullivan matched his career-high, set as a sophomore in 2010 at the U.S. Military Acad­emy against Rutgers, and Sawyer was one off tying his career-best. O’Sullivan needed just four shots to score his four goals, two of which came on extra-man opportunities.

Ward Dishes Five

• Justin Ward played the role of feeder in Loyola’s 13-6 win over Towson, finishing the game with five assists. Just one week previously, the sophomore recorded his first collegiate assist against Delaware.
• Ward became the first Loyola player to record five or more assists since Shane Kop­pens had six in a March 10, 2009, win over Bryant.
•  Through the first three weeks of the season, Ward is tied for fourth nationally with a 3.0 assists per game mark.

Scoring In Three Straight

• Loyola has posted 10 or more goals through the first three games to open the season, marking the first time since April 2008 that the Greyhounds scored 10 or more in three games in a row.
• The last time it happened, Loyola defeated Rutgers, 15-3, on April 5, 2008, Georgetown, 11-9, on April 12, 2009 and Fairfield, 13-4, on April 19, 2008.
• Through the first three games, the Greyhounds rank 12th in NCAA Division I in goals per game (12.33).

Extra-Man Success

• Loyola was successful on all three of its extra-man opportunities in the game against the Blue Hens, scoring three man-up goals in the second quarter during its 5-0 run. The Greyhounds followed that by converting on 2-of-3 EMOs in the win over Towson.
• Patrick Fanshaw, Eric Lusby and Mike Sawyer each scored EMO goals of the Grey­hounds, and Fanshaw added another at the end of a Delaware non-releasable pen­alty just as the teams returned to even strength. Sean O’Sullivan tacked on both of the man-up goals against Towson.
• Loyola is tied for sixth nationally with a 62.5-percent EMO success rate through the first three weeks of the season.
• The Greyhounds extra-man unit was seventh nationally with a .420 (21-of-50) con­version percentage in 2011.

Dominant At The ‘X’

• J.P. Dalton was 15-of-23 on restarts, going 7-of-8 in the third quarter to help Loyola come from behind to beat Bellarmine.
• Dalton raised his season percentage to 63.6-percent, which ranks 10th nationally.
• It is the second-straight game that the Greyhounds have dominated the face-off ‘X’, as the team won 14-of-21 restarts against Towson.
• The Greyhounds are fifth in the nation in face-off win percentage at 62.3-percent.

Sawyer Shows Same Form

• Mike Sawyer picked up where he left off a year ago, tallying three goals and assisting on Eric Lusby’s first, in the win over the Blue Hens. He then tacked on four goals and an assist against Towson. Sawyer led Loyola last season with 31 goals and 36 assists.
• The Towson game was Sawyer’s 12th career multi-goal game and the 5th multi-point effort of his tenure at Loyola.
• Before the season, Sawyer was named to the Preseason All-ECAC Team and was named to the Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America Honorable Mention.

What’s Next

• Loyola returns home to Ridley Athletic Complex for the first of three-straight home games when they host Duke University on Saturday, March 10 at 12 noon. The contest is part of a doubleheader that features the women’s team facing UMBC at 3:30 p.m.
• Loyola battles ECAC foe Air Force on Saturday, March 17 at noon.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – The fourth-ranked Maryland men’s lacrosse team plays its first midweek game of the season when it heads up I-95 to take on intrastate rival UMBC on March 6 at 7 p.m. at UMBC Stadium. The game is scheduled to be streamed live on UMBCRetrievers.tv.

• Maryland (3-0, 1-0 ACC) is coming off of a 10-7 victory over then No. 8 Duke in both team’s conference opener. Senior Drew Snider led the Terps by posting his third career hat trick, which included two man-up goals. Junior Billy Gribbin also had three points (1 goal, 2 assists) for Maryland. Sophomore Niko Amato made nine of his 14 saves in the fourth quarter to secure the victory for the Terrapins. Freshman Goran Murray held All-American Jordan Wolf, the ACC’s leading scorer, to just one shot and one assist in the game.

• For the season, the Terps are led offensively by All-Americans Joe Cummings and John Haus, who each have nine points. Overall, 13 different Terrapins have scored goals this season. Defensively, Amato has stopped 63.5 percent of the shots put on goal by opponents and has a 6.49 goals-against average. Sophomore Brian Cooper leads the team with seven caused turnovers. Junior Curtis Holmes is winning 64.2 percent of his face-offs and is the team leader in groundballs with 19.

• The Retrievers are 1-2 on the season after dropping a 10-9 decision in overtime to No. 17 Fairfield. UMBC started the season with a 10-8 home loss to Robert Morris on Feb. 18. The Retrievers then won their first game of the season, 11-7, at Rutgers on Feb. 26. Attackman Scott Jones and midfielder Zach Linkous lead UMBC with eight points on seven goals and one assist. Adam Cohen has logged all 180-plus minutes in goal for the Retrievers and has an 8.96 goals-against average and a 57.1 save percentage.

The Count Down

10 … Since 2002 Maryland has won 85 of the 92 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .924 winning percentage.
9 … Maryland is 102-22 in games since 2002 when it allows nine goals or less, for an .823 winning percentage.
8 … Eight Terps have at least one goal and one assist this season.
7 … Seven current Terps have scored a goal vs. UMBC during their careers.
6 … Maryland has converted six of seven extra-man opportunities so far this season.
5 … Maryland is off to a 3-0 start for the fifth time in the past 10 seasons.
4 … Joe Cummings had his first career four-goal game in the 2011 game vs. UMBC.
3 … The last time UMBC and Maryland played a nighttime weekday game was the three OT game in 2008.
2 … This will be John Tillman’s second career game vs. UMBC as a head coach.
1 … David Miller earned his first career point vs. Duke by assisting on Billy Gribbin’s goal in the third quarter.

Coaching Match-Up
• John Tillman is in his fifth season as a head coach, and second with the Terps, with a 36-24 career record for a 60.0 winning percentage. Tillman is 16-5 (.762) as Maryland’s head coach. He had a 20-19 record in three seasons as the head coach at Harvard.

• Don Zimmerman is in his 25th season season as a head coach and holds a lifetime record of 208-131 (.614). He has been the head coach at UMBC for 18 years and is 135-116 (.539) with the Retrievers.

• Coach Tillman’s is 1-0 all-time vs. UMBC as a head coach.

Series History vs. UMBC
• Maryland holds a 26-7 lifetime advantage in 33 meetings with state rival UMBC. Maryland has won 10 of the last 13 games, but the Retreivers have taken three of the last five. Prior to that, UMBC had not defeated the Terps since taking back-to-back games in 1998 and 1999.

• For the second straight season Grant Catalino tied his career high with seven points to lead the Terps to a 15-6 rout of the Retrievers. Catalino scored six goals, which also tied his career high, while Joe Cummings also set a career-best with four goals. Niko Amato allowed just five goals during his 55:03 and made 12 saves.

• In 2010, Grant Catalino tied his career high with seven points to lead the Terps to their first victory over the Retrievers since the 2007 regular season. Catalino combined with fellow attackmen Travis Reed and Ryan Young for 14 points in the 13-7 win. Senior Brian Phipps made 12 saves for Maryland, while Max Schmidt led the defender with three groundballs and three caused turnovers.

• The Retrievers won their third straight over the Terps, taking a 9-7 victory at Ludwig Field in 2009. Grant Catalino and Ryan Young each had hat tricks for Maryland, but the Terrapins couldn’t overcome a three-goal halftime deficit.

• In 2008 the two teams hooked up in a Friday night game that saw the Retreivers eek out a 9-8 win in triple-overtime. The Terps used a 3-0 scoring blitz in the fourth quarter to take an 8-7 lead, but UMBC tied the game with just 5.8 seconds to go to send the game into OT. Max Ritz led the Terrapins with two goals and an assist, while Grant Catalino and Drew Evans each had a goal and an assist.

• In the 2007 NCAA Tournament Maryland jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but the Retrievers responded by going on a 9-2 run spanning the second and third quarters to advance to the quarterfinals. Max Ritz and Dan Groot each had four points for the Terps, while Bryn Holmes won 10-of-14 face-offs and picked up a career-high nine groundballs.

• Earlier in 2007, Maryland topped the Retrievers, 11-7, at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. Sophomore midfielder Jeremy Sieverts scored his first hat trick as a Terp, while junior attackman Max Ritz chipped in with two goals and an assist. Senior defender Ray Megill scored the first poitnts of his career with a goal and an assist.

• The Terps entered the 2006 game as the No. 1 team in the nation and the Retrievers were looking for the upset. Maryland only led by one heading into the fourth quarter, but the Terrapin defense shutout UMBC for the final 15 minutes, allowing the offense to score four unanswered goals to take home a 9-4 win. The senior trio of Bill McGlone (2-2=4), Xander Ritz (3-0=3) and Joe Walters (3-0=3) were the main weapons for the Terrapins but it was junior attackman Michael Phipps that scored the game-winning goal.

• In 2005 Joe Walters tied then-career highs with six goals and seven points to lead No. 4 Maryland to a 16-10 win over the Retrievers at Byrd Stadium. First team All-American Bill McGlone also had a career day for the Terps, setting his career high with five goals in the victory. Brendan Healy scored twice and added a pair of assists, while long pole Ryan Clarke set his career high with six groundballs. The Terrapins dominated possession, thanks in large part to winning 20 of 29 face-offs. David Tamberrino won 14 of 18, tying his personal best for wins in a game.

• In 2004 Joe Walters lead the Terps to a hard-fought 9-4 win with a natural hat trick in the second quarter. The Maryland defense was sensational, holding UMBC scoreless for 29:12 bridging the second through the fourth quarters. Terp goalie Tim McGinnis made 13 saves, including eight in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory.

• In the 2003 game in College Park, Mike Mollot and Joe Walters each had three goals while former Retriever Justin Smith had two goals and two assists in his first game vs. his former team.

• This will be just the sixth time the two teams will play in the month of March. The 2003 game on April 25 was the first time since 1977, that Maryland-UMBC game was not be played in May. The UMBC game had been the last contest on Maryland’s regular-season schedule for the 13 years, dating 1990 through 2002, with Maryland winning 10 of 13 regular-season finales..

Going Purple
· Once again this season, the Terps will be wearing purple “MY” stickers, to show their support for the fight against pancreatic cancer, which touched everyone in the Maryland lacrosse family last season with the passing of Maria Young on April 17.

· This past fall the Terps, Maryland alums and family and friends came together for the inaugural Forever Young Walk/Run for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness. More on Ms. Young and her amazing story can be found here: Forever Young.

· If you’re interested in more information about the Lustgarten Foundation, including how to make a donation, click here to visit the foundation’s website. You can also get more information on pancreatic cancer at CurePC.org.

In case you’re wondering here are some facts about pancreatic cancer from the American Cancer Society:
· More than 43,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer present each year
· There are more than 36,000 deaths from pancreatic cancer each year
· The lifetime risk of having pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 71.
· The risk is about the same for both men and women.

Going Gray
· Maryland players will also be wearing gray stickers with the number 42 in honor of Zack Wholley’s father, John, who passed away from brain cancer on August 28, 2011.

· If you’re interested in more information, please visit the National Brain Tumor Society website.

In case you’re wondering here are some facts about brain and spinal cord tumors from the American Cancer Society:
· About 22,910 malignant tumors of the brain or spinal cord (12,630 in males and 10,280 in females) will be diagnosed. These numbers would likely be much higher if benign tumors were also included.
· About 13,700 people (7,720 males and 5,980 females) will die from these tumors.
· Overall, the chance that a person will develop a malignant tumor of the brain or spinal cord in his or her lifetime is about one in 150 for a man and one in 185 for a woman.

Get To 10 And Win
• One axiom of lacrosse is that if you score 10 goals or more your chances of winning are pretty good. Well, a look at the results since 2002 shows that when Maryland scores 10 or more goals there’s not just a pretty good chance the Terrapins will win; it’s an almost certainty. Since 2002 Maryland has won 85 of the 92 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .924 winning percentage.

· The Terps scored 11 vs. Johns Hopkins on April 16, 2011, but the Blue Jays won the game in overtime, 12-11. On April 3 of last season the Terps lost to No. 1 Virginia by a final of 11-10, giving Maryland its only loss when scoring 10 or more goals in 2010. In 2009 the Terps lost to Georgetown, 13-10 on Feb. 21 and lost again when scoring 10 in the ACC Semifinals in a 16-10 defeat at North Carolina. Prior to that, Maryland had not lost when scoring 10 or more goals since dropping an 11-10 decision to Virginia in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. The Terrapins got to 10 goals in the 100th game against Johns Hopkins, but the Blue Jays took the game 14-10. Virginia is the only team to beat the Terps twice when allowing 10 or more goals. The Wahoos did it first in 2002 with another 11-10 decision..

Holding Opponents To Single-Digits
• The Terps have been extremely impressive (winning 92.2 percent of its games since 2002) when it scores 10 or more goals, they have been nearly as impressive when holding opponents to less than 10 goals during that span.

• Since 2002 Maryland is 102-22 in games, for a .823 winning percentage, when it has held opponents under 10 goals. The Terps have played 165 total games since 2002. Maryland has held opponents to nine goals or less 75.1 percent of the time.

Youth Is Served
• Maryland started two sophomores (Michael Ehrhardt and Brian Cooper) and a freshman (Goran Murray) at close defense in the 2012 season-opening win over Hartford. The last time Maryland’s defense had two sophomore and one freshman starting was 2005 when sophomores Steve Whittenberg and Ray Megill started alongside freshman Joe Cinosky. The first game that group started together was April 23, 2005 at Fairfield (a 9-6 Terrapin win).

• Goran Murray became the first Maryland freshman to start at close defense in a season opener since 2008 when Max Schmidt started in an 11-6 win at Georgetown.

Face-Off Firsts
• Junior Curtis Holmes’ 19-of-20 (.950) performance facing-off vs. Hartford in the 2012 season opener is just the fifth time since 2000 that a Maryland face-off man has won at least 90% of his draws with at least 10 attempts.

• Holmes joins Andy Claxton and Brian Haggerty as the only Terps with multiple games of 19 or more face-off wins. Claxton did it three times (27 at Towson in 1991, 21 vs. Duke in 1991 and 19 at Brown in 1991), while Haggerty did it twice (20 vs. Butler in 1998 and 19 vs. Virginia in 1998). Holmes had 20 wins vs. Georgetown last season to go along with his 19 vs. the Hawks, which makes him the only Terp to win 19 or more face-offs in different seasons.

• The last 90% performance was in 2008 when Bryn Holmes, Curtis’ older brother, won 9-of-10 face-offs at Mount St. Mary’s.

• The last time a Terp faced-off with a winning percentage above 90% was on March 21, 2006 when David Tamberrino won 12-of-13 in a 14-2 win over Dartmouth.

Best Face-Off Performances Since 2000
Curtis Holmes – 19/20 (.950) vs. Hartford 2/18/12
Brian Carroll – 12/13 (.923) at Delaware 3/17/01
Davin Tamberrino – 12/13 (.923) vs. Dartmouth 3/21/06
Jeremy Pastula – 11/12 (.917) at Towson 3/8/03
Bryn Holmes – 9/10 (.900) at Mount St. Mary’s 2/26/08
Bryn Holmes – 12/14 (.857) vs. Presbyterian 2/13/09
Brian Carroll – 11/13 (.846) vs. Mount St. Mary’s 2/26/02
Bryn Holmes – 11/13 (.846) vs. Air Force 2/14/09
Ryan Moran – 10/12 (.833) vs. Bucknell 3/11/03
Will Dalton – 18/22 (.818) vs. Vermont 2/20/07
Curtis Holmes – 17/21 (.810) vs. Detroit Mercy 2/19/11

Maryland In Season Openers
• Maryland has a 83-3-1 (.960) lifetime record in season openers dating back to the 1924 season. The Terps have won their last 19 openers and 26 of the last 27, with the only loss coming to Duke in 1993, when they fell to Duke 9-5 on March 6.

• After losing their 1925 opener to Yale, 5-3, the Terps went on to win 40 consecutive season openers from 1926 through 1967. The streak was broken when Maryland tied Princeton, 6-6, in the 1968 opener. Following the deadlock, Maryland went on to win its next 14 openers, giving the Terps a 54-0-1 record over a 57-year span (Maryland did not field a team in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II.)

19 Straight in Season Openers
• After beating Hartford to open the 2012 season the Terps have an 19-game winning streak in season openers. Five of those wins came against Villanova (1994-98) and the last nine over Denver, Mount St. Mary’s, Air Force, Hobart, Duke, Georgetown (four times), Bellarmine (twice), Presbyterian, Detroit Mercy and Hartford. Over the 19-year stretch, Maryland outscored its foes 267-99 (an average score of 14.1-5.2) in those games.

· The Terps have not allowed more than seven goals to any opponent in a season opener over the last 18 years. Maryland has not allowed an opponent to score 10 or more goals in a season opener since Syracuse beat the Terps, 16-13 on March 9, 1983.

First-Time Opponents
• Maryland has played 78 different opponents in its 87 seasons. The 2012 season added Hartford (a 12-6 win on 2/18) and will add Marist (3/10) to that list. In the Terps’ 78 first-time meetings Maryland is 74-4 (.949) in those games. Adelphi (12-13, 1982), Army (0-3, 1923), Syracuse (3-10, 1927) and Yale (3-5, 1925) are the only schools to beat the Terps the first time the schools met on a lacrosse field.

Consecutive 10-Win Seasons
· The 11-9 victory over Duke on April 24, 2011 was the 10th of the year for Maryland, giving it nine straight seasons with double-digit wins. (Special thanks to Patrick Stevens of the D1Scourse.com).

· How does that stack up against the rest of the college lacrosse programs? Take a look at programs with at least five-straight 10-win seasons:
Maryland (9): 2011 (13-5), 2010 (12-4), 2009 (10-7), 2008 (10-6), 2007 (10-6), 2006 (12-5), 2005 (11-6), 2004 (13-3), 2003 (12-4)
Cornell (7): 2011 (12-3), 2010 (12-6), 2009 (11-3), 2008 (11-4), 2007 (15-1), 2006 (11-3), 2005 (11-3)
Virginia (7): 2011 (13-5), 2010 (16-2), 2009 (14-2), 2008 (14-4), 2007 (12-4), 2006 (17-0), 2005 (11-4)
Notre Dame (6): 2011 (11-3), 2010 (10-7), 2009 (15-1), 2008 (14-3), 2007 (11-4), 2006 (10-5)
Duke (5): 2011 (14-6), 2010 (16-4), 2009 (15-4), 2008 (18-2), 2007 ( 17-3)
Siena (5): 2011 (13-5), 2010 (12-5), 2009 (12-6), 2008 (10-6), 2007 (10-6)

The 700 Club
· Maryland’s 15-6 victory over Penn on April 14, 2009 was the program’s 700th victory in 84 seasons of varsity men’s lacrosse. The Terps join Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Navy and Army as the only programs with 700 or more Division I wins.

· Two things that make Maryland’s accomplishment all the more impressive is that the Terps reached the 700-win plateau in just their 84th season. Only Syracuse reached win No. 700 in as few seasons, but it took the Orange 53 more games than Maryland. In fact, Maryland needed only 940 games to reach 700 wins and only Johns Hopkins needed fewer games (932) to hit the historic number, but the Blue Jays did so in their 105th season.

Terps’ 87th Season Of Lacrosse
· The Terps boast an all-time record of 731-247-4 (.746), dating back to the first varsity team in 1924 (a team was not fielded in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II). Maryland has finished every one of its previous 85 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 10-6. The program reached the 700-win milestone with a 15-6 victory over Penn on April 14, 2009 at Ludwig Field.

· During the decade of the 2000s, Maryland went 111-49 for a .694 win percentage, making it the winningest decade in Terrapin lacrosse history. In the decade of the 1990s, Maryland posted a 95-47 record. The .669 winning percentage matched Maryland’s win percentage of the 1980s when the Terps went 83-41 and also compiled a .669 win percentage. So far, Maryland is 25-9 in the 2010′s for a .735 winning percentage.

A Family Affair
· Many school’s refer to their sports programs as families, but the Maryland men’s lacrosse program is truely a family affair. Since 2002, the Terps have had 13 sets of brothers, including three on this season’s roster, don the red and black together for at least one season.

Harry & Thomas Alford: 2004-05-06-07
Jake & Jesse Bernhardt: 2010-11-12
Justin & Owen Blye: 2009-10-11
Brian & Kevin Cooper: 2011-12
Billy & Bobby Gribbin: 2012
Brendan & Ian Healy: 2003-04-05
Bryn & Curtis Holmes: 2010
Bryn & Travis Holmes: 2007
Dan & Mike LaMonica: 2002
Chris & Willy Passavia: 2002-03
Brian & Michael Phipps: 2007
Max & Xander Ritz: 2005-06
Mark & Michael White: 2008-09-10-11

Three Taken In MLL Draft
· Three University of Maryland men’s lacrosse seniors were selected in the 2012 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft. Midfielder Jake Bernhardt was the highest pick, being selected with the 12th overall selection by the Hamilton Nationals. Midfielder/attackman Joe Cummings was the next Terp taken, going 17th overall to the Rochester Rattlers. Midfielder Drew Snider went 45th overall by the Chesapeake Bayhawks.

2012 Team Captains
· Five players have been named team captains for the 2012 season. The quintet, which was selected by a combination of team vote and coaches’ input, consists of seniors Jake Bernhardt, Joe Cummings and Drew Snider and juniors Jesse Bernhardt and Owen Blye. Blye and Jesse Bernhardt are the first pair of juniors to be named team captains since Bob Ott and Randy Ratliff were among four captains in 1978.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland heads on the road for the first time this season, starting a two-game trek with a Friday night game in Louisville, Ky., against Bellarmine University at 7 o’clock.

Friday’s game marks the start of Loyola’s eighth season in the ECAC Lacrosse League, as the game is the conference opener for both teams. The Greyhounds are 46-11 all-time in conference games.

Series History

Loyola will meet Bellarmine for the third time in series history on Friday with the Greyhounds winning the first two games.

The Greyhounds won the first meeting, 14-8, in Louisville during the 2010 season when current Loyola players Eric Lusby and Patrick Fanshaw each scored three goals.

Last season, the teams were tied 3-3 at halftime and 4-4 after the first minute of the third quarter before the Greyhounds scored five in a row to break the game open and go on to a 9-6 victory.

Mike Sawyer scored five goals in the game, and Matt Langan tallied four assists.

In The Polls

Loyola moved up to No. 11 in the USILA Coaches’ Poll, and 14th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Rankings after its 13-6 victory over Towson. The Greyhounds are one of four ECAC teams in the polls, joining Denver (14/12), Ohio State (17/16) and Fairfield (20/RV).

Four By Two

Mike Sawyer and Sean O’Sullivan both scored four goals in the Greyhounds’ win over Towson last Saturday, becoming the first pair of Loyola players to record four or more goals in the same game since Patrick Fanshaw and Matt Langan scored five and four, respectively, on March 20, 2010, in a 17-3 win over Air Force.

O’Sullivan matched his career-high, set as a sophomore in 2010 at the U.S. Military Academy against Rutgers, and Sawyer was one off tying his career-best. O’Sullivan needed just four shots to score his four goals, two of which came on extra-man opportunities.

Ward Dishes Five

Justin Ward played the role of feeder in Loyola’s 13-6 win over Towson, finishing the game with five assists. Just one week previously, the sophomore recorded his first collegiate assist against Delaware.

Ward became the first Loyola player to record five or more assists since Shane Koppens had six in a March 10, 2009, win over Bryant.

Through the first two weeks of the season, Ward is tied for third nationally with a 3.0 assists per game mark.

Scoring In Two Straight

Loyola posted 13 goals in back-to-back games to open the season, marking the first time since April 2007 that the Greyhounds scored 13 or more in two games in a row.

The last time it happened, Loyola defeated Fairfield, 19-2, on April 21, 2007, and Hobart, 17-10, on April 28.

Through just two games, the Greyhounds rank eighth in NCAA Division I in goals per game (13.0).

Extra-Man Success

Loyola was successful on all three of its extra-man opportunities in the game against the Blue Hens, scoring three man-up goals in the second quarter during its 5-0 run. The Greyhounds followed that by converting on 2-of-3 EMOs in the win over Towson.

Patrick Fanshaw, Eric Lusby and Mike Sawyer each scored EMO goals of the Greyhounds, and Fanshaw added another at the end of a Delaware non-releasable penalty just as the teams returned to even strength. Sean O’Sullivan tacked on both of the man-up goals against Towson.

Loyola is tied for third nationally with an 83.3-percent EMO success rate through the first two weeks of the young season.

The Greyhounds extra-man unit was seventh nationally with a .420 (21-of-50) conversion percentage in 2011.

Dominant At The ‘X’

Loyola used a large advantage at the face-off ‘X’ to secure the win over Towson, winning two-thirds (14-of-21) restarts against the Tigers.

J.P. Dalton won 9-of-11 face-offs in the first half and finished 13-of-18 in the game to raise his season percentage to 62.8 (27-of-43).

Dalton grabbed four ground balls, while wings Scott Ratliff and Pat Laconi each had four, as well. Dalton also finished with a goal and an assist for the Greyhounds.

Season-Opener Success

Loyola won its season opener for the third-straight year, defeating Delaware 13-8 last Saturday afternoon at Ridley Athletic Complex. The Greyhounds trailed, 3-0, after the first quarter, but they scored five in a row to go up 5-4 at halftime.

Lusby Makes Return

Eric Lusby returned to game action in the season-opener after missing all but two games of the 2011 season. Now a graduate student, Lusby tore his right ACL in the 2010 NCAA First Round game against Cornell. He attempted to come back last year, but he saw limited action against Navy and Towson and was shut down to rehab the injury for the remainder of the season.

Lusby burst back onto the scene against Delaware, scoring the Greyhounds’ first goal of the game on an extra-man opportunity, and the 2010 All-ECAC First Team member tallied three more in the second half. The four goals were a career-high for the Severna Park, Md., native.

Lusby was third on the 2010 team in goals with 20 as a member of the team’s first midfield unit. This year, Lusby has moved back to his natural position of attack.

Sawyer Shows Same Form

Mike Sawyer picked up where he left off a year ago, tallying three goals and assisting on Eric Lusby’s first, in the win over the Blue Hens. He then tacked on four goals and an assist against Towson. Sawyer led Loyola last season with 31 goals and 36 assists.

The Towson game was Sawyer’s 12th career multi-goal game and the 5th multi-point effort of his tenure at Loyola.

Before the season, Sawyer was named to the Preseason All-ECAC Team and was named to the Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America Honorable Mention.

Ratliff Earns ECAC Honor

Scott Ratliff was honored as the ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career following the Delaware win after picking up a career-high seven ground balls against Delaware.

Ratliff keyed Loyola’s possession and defensive efforts in the final three quarters when he helped J.P. Dalton win 14-of-21 face-offs.

Ratliff also had two caused turnovers, and the long-stick midfielder scored the fifth goal of his collegiate career in the third quarter when Michael Bonitatibus made a clean save and sent a pass to Ratliff who executed a one-man clear and scored in transition.

Bonitatibus Wins First Start

Junior Michael Bonitatibus made his first collegiate start in goal for the Greyhounds against Delaware after having played less than two minutes prior to this season.

Bonitatibus, who played 65 seconds in his collegiate debut last year at Duke, made seven saves for the Greyhounds and allowed just eight goals. He also picked up five ground balls and caused two turnovers.

Bonitatibus became the first Loyola goalkeeper to win his starting debut in nearly 11 years. The last was Mark Bloomquist who also defeated Delaware, 8-7, on February 24, 2001.

Second Half Scoring

Loyola continued a trend from the last two years in the opener against Delaware, making adjustments at halftime to outscore their opponents in the third quarter and second half. The Greyhounds outscored the Blue Hens 5-1 in the third quarter and 8-4 after the break.

Loyola outscored its opponents 69-52 after halftime last season (including two overtime goals) despite being outscored 54-39 in the first halves of games.

The Greyhounds scored 34 third-quarter goals to their opponents’ 27. In 2010, they outscored opponents 41-24 in the third quarters of games and 76-55 overall after halftime.

Dalton At The ‘X’

After Delaware won all four face-offs in the first quarter, J.P. Dalton dominated play at the ‘X’ for the Greyhounds in the final three quarters. He finished the game by winning 14-of-25 (.560), going 14-of-21 (.667) in the last 45 minutes.

Dalton, who entered the game having won 30-of-58 restarts in his first three years at Loyola, won 5-of-7 in both the second and third quarters as Loyola gained and extended the lead.

Greyhounds Picked Second In ECAC

The Greyhounds were picked to finish second in the ECAC Lacrosse Leagues by the head coaches of their peer schools. Loyola received 54 points in the poll, trailing only Denver University which had 61.

Record At Ridley

After going 4-1 at Ridley Athletic Complex last season, the Greyhounds opened their third year at the stadium with a 13-8 win over then-No. 19 Delaware and a 13-6 victory against Towson. Loyola is now 10-3 all-time at Ridley.

What’s Next

Loyola stays on the road for its next game, a Wednesday, March 7, contest against future ECAC foe University of Michigan. The Wolverines will host the Greyhounds their first-ever varsity home game in a 7 p.m. start.

The Greyhounds then return to the friendly confines of Ridley Athletic Complex for a day of doubleheader lacrosse action on Saturday, March 10. The men will host Duke University at 12 noon with a women’s game against UMBC following at 3:30 p.m.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The fourth-ranked North Carolina men’s lacrosse team scored the game’s final four goals, including the game-winner by senior attackman Thomas Wood with 1:16 remaining in the game, to post a 9-8 come-from behind victory over Navy on Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.  UNC scored six of the game’s final seven goals as the Tar Heels rallied from four goals down on three different occasions.

“It was a heck of a game,” said Navy first-year head coach Rick Sowell.  “I am very proud of Navy’s perfromance and I thought for the first time the things we’ve worked on in practice actually showed up in the game.  Unfortunately our effort was not good enough to get a win against an oustanding North Carolina team, but I think we have a lot to take away from this game.”

The Midshipmen dominated the opening half of play on both ends, taking a 3-0 lead after the first quarter and a 6-3 advantage into halftime.  Junior midfielder Bryce Dabbs (Damascus, Md.) had an All-America-like performance over the first 30 minutes of play, scoring three of the Mids’ first four goals including each of the first two, while senior co-captain Taylor Reynolds (Babylon, N.Y.) pitched in a pair of goals in the opening half.

Navy scored six goals on 10 shots on goal in the first 30 minutes and overcame a 10-1 disadvantage in faceoffs against the nation’s leading draw specialist R.G. Keenan.  Defensively, senior goalkeeper RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) turned away eight Carolina shots, as the Tar Heels put 11 of their 14 shots on cage.

With a 6-3 lead, Navy opened the second half with a two-man advantage after Marcus Holman and Thomas Wood were flagged for slashing and a cross check, respectively, as Wickham was advancing the ball.  The Mids, however, failed to capitalize as starting defenseman Kieran McDonald forced a Dabbs turnover.

Navy was able to get the ball right back, however, as UNC’s Mark McNeill coughed up the ball.  Just minutes later, the Mids pushed their lead to 7-3 thanks to an unassisted goal by sophomore midfielder Pat Durkin (Germantown, Md.), his second marker of the contest.  UNC, though, would answer when Princeton transfer Jack McBride found Joey Sankey sitting on crease for the Tar Heels’ fourth goal of the game.

Senior faceoff specialist Logan West (Berlin, Md.) won the ensuing faceoff and Navy proceeded to hold onto the ball, meticulously looking for a quality shot for nearly three minutes.  The Mids were stingy with their shots throughout the third and fourth quarters, taking caution of making any unforced errors.

“In the first half we wanted to control the tempo,” said first-year Navy head coach Rick Sowell.  “We weren’t afraid to attack the goal, but we wanted to be sure we had quality possession.  In the third quarter, I think we went a little too far the other way.

“We weren’t necessarily trying to shorten the game, we were just working for quality possessions.  We were trying not to be reckless.  At the same time, you have to give credit to North Carolina whose defense was outstanding in the second half.”

Carolina got to within two at the 3:17 mark in the third quarter when it utilized its man-advantage and Pat Foster used a stick face to bounce one in against Wickham.

It was Navy, however, that looked to take the momentum into the final quarter, as the Mids capitalized on a gutsy play by Dabbs with under five seconds to go in the third.  With the ball loose, Dabbs came up with the possession on the far midline and was able to get it to teammate Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.) before getting obliterated by a handful of UNC players.  Hull grabbed the ball at the top of the box and quickly found fellow attackman Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.) cutting, sticking the shot past Carolina keeper Steven Rastivo and getting the fans on their feet.

Despite the hometown fan encouragement, North Carolina came to life in the fourth quarter, scoring a game-high four goals and relying upon its veterans to rally the Tar Heels’ way back into the game.  UNC’s leading scorer Davey Emala was held without a goal until the 12:12 mark in the fourth when he took advantage of a failed clear by the Mids.  Although the Mids double-teamed Emala, he was able to thread his shot in past Wickham.

The Mids had a chance to answer back when at the 9:38 mark UNC’s Tyler Morton was flagged for a 30-second push.  Navy sophomore midfielder Erik Hoffstadt (Dover, Del.) fired off a hard shot from roughly 10 yards out that would ricochet off the cross bar and go out of play.

Hoffstadt’s shot was the Mids’ lone shot of the fourth quarter, as the Tar Heels outshot Navy, 15-1.

Meanwhile, Wood, who sat out Carolina’s first three games of the season with an injury, scored two of the Tar Heels’ final three goals of the game, while Holman, an All-American, scored the equalizer with 4:33 remaining in the contest.

Wood led the way for the Tar Heels with his three goals, while Holman scored two goals and added four assists.  Keenan won 18 of the game’s 20 faceoffs and picked up 11 ground balls.

Dabbs led the Midshipmen with his first-collegiate hat trick, while Jones scored a goal and added a pair of assists and Hull pitched in three assists.  Reynolds and Durkin each finished with a pair of goals, while Hoffstadt turned in an assist.

Defensively, Wickham provided the necessary spark in goal, making eight first-half saves and 12 total on the day, while senior Ian Crumley (Oakton, Va.) and junior Jay Christopher (Winston-Salem, N.C.) filled in nicely on defense for the short-handed Mids.

Sowell sat eight players for violating team rules, including starting defenseman Nik Mullen (Wading River, N.Y.), while the Mids were already without starting long pole Pat Kiernan (Ridgewood, N.J.), who broke his hand two weeks ago.

“We had a few guys who let their teammates down and as a result were suspended for this game,” said Sowell.  “This is about the team, about the program and holding players accountable.

“I feel good about what’s ahead of us,” added Sowell.  “For whatever reason we didn’t play well last weekend and I don’t have an answer for that.  But if we can play like we did today, I think there are a lot of wins out there for us.  We have to continue to work hard and hopefully the ball will bounce our way the next time.”

The Midshipmen will be back in action next Saturday when they open Patriot League action and play host Bucknell.  Faceoff is slated for 12:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Game Data

The Greyhounds play their second game of the year on Saturday, February 25, 2012, when they host Towson University at 1 o’clock on Awalt Field at Ridley Athletic Complex.

Towson enters the game with a 1-1 record after defeating Jacksonville to open the season before falling at Johns Hopkins.

Series History

The Loyola-Towson rivalry is the most played series in the history of men’s lacrosse at both schools. Saturday’s game will be the 54th all-time meeting between the teams, dating back to 1959, the first year of intercollegiate lacrosse at Towson.

Of Loyola’s opponents, only Towson (53) and Penn State (50) have played the Greyhounds 50 or more times. Johns Hopkins will play Loyola for the 50th time later this season, and Georgetown will meet the Greyhounds for the 35th time next month.

Towson holds a slight 27-26 advantage in the series, but Loyola has won the last four.

Last year’s game was a defensive affair, as the Greyhounds won 3-2 when Matt Langan scored with 3:41 to play to put Loyola ahead.

In The Polls

Loyola moved up to No. 13 in the USILA Coaches’ Poll, and 16th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Rankings after its 13-8 victory over Delaware.

Towson is receiving votes in the coaches version.

Season-Opener Success

Loyola won its season opener for the third-straight year, defeating Delaware 13-8 last Saturday afternoon at Ridley Athletic Complex. The Greyhounds trailed, 3-0, after the first quarter, but they scored five in a row to go up 5-4 at halftime.

Lusby Makes Return

Eric Lusby returned to game action after missing all but two games of the 2011 season. Now a graduate student, Lusby tore his right ACL in the 2010 NCAA First Round game against Cornell. He attempted to come back last year, but he saw limited action against Navy and Towson and was shut down to rehab the injury for the remainder of the season.

Lusby burst back onto the scene against Delaware, scoring the Greyhounds’ first goal of the game on an extra-man opportunity, and the 2010 All-ECAC First Team member tallied three more in the second half. The four goals were a career-high for the Severna Park, Md., native.

Lusby was third on the 2010 team in goals with 20 as a member of the team’s first midfield unit. This year, Lusby has moved back to his natural position of attack.

Sawyer Shows Same Form

Mike Sawyer picked up where he left off a year ago, tallying three goals and assisting on Eric Lusby’s first, in the win over the Blue Hens. Sawyer led Loyola last season with 31 goals and 36 assists.

The Delaware game was Sawyer’s 11th career multi-goal game and the 14th multi-point effort of his tenure at Loyola.

Before the season, Sawyer was named to the Preseason All-ECAC Team and was named to the Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America Honorable Mention.

Ratliff Earns ECAC Honor

Scott Ratliff was honored as the ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career on Monday after picking up a career-high seven ground balls against Delaware.

Ratliff helped key Loyola’s possession and defensive efforts in the final three quarters when he helped J.P. Dalton win 14-of-21 face-offs.

Ratliff also had two caused turnovers, and the long-stick midfielder scored the fifth goal of his collegiate career in the third quarter when Michael Bonitatibus made a clean save and sent a pass to Ratliff who executed a one-man clear and scored in transition.

Extra-Man Success

Loyola was successful on all three of its extra-man opportunities in the game against the Blue Hens, scoring three man-up goals in the second quarter during its 5-0 run.

Patrick Fanshaw, Eric Lusby and Mike Sawyer each scored EMO goals of the Greyhounds, and Fanshaw added another at the end of a Delaware non-releasable penalty just as the teams returned to even strength.

The Greyhounds extra-man unit was seventh nationally with a .420 (21-of-50) conversion percentage in 2011.

Bonitatibus Wins First Start

Junior Michael Bonitatibus made his first collegiate start in goal for the Greyhounds against Delaware after having played less than two minutes prior to this season.

Bonitatibus, who played 65 seconds in his collegiate debut last year at Duke, made seven saves for the Greyhounds and allowed just eight goals. He also picked up five ground balls and caused two turnovers.

Bonitatibus became the first Loyola goalkeeper to win his starting debut in nearly 11 years. The last was Mark Bloomquist who also defeated Delaware, 8-7, on February 24, 2001.

Second Half Scoring

Loyola continued a trend from the last two years in the opener against Delaware, making adjustments at halftime to outscore their opponents in the third quarter and second half. The Greyhounds outscored the Blue Hens 5-1 in the third quarter and 8-4 after the break.

Loyola outscored its opponents 69-52 after halftime last season (including two overtime goals) despite being outscored 54-39 in the first halves of games.

The Greyhounds scored 34 third-quarter goals to their opponents’ 27. In 2010, they outscored opponents 41-24 in the third quarters of games and 76-55 overall after halftime.

Dalton At The ‘X’

After Delaware won all four face-offs in the first quarter, J.P. Dalton dominated play at the ‘X’ for the Greyhounds in the final three quarters. He finished the game by winning 14-of-25 (.560), going 14-of-21 (.667) in the last 45 minutes.

Dalton, who entered the game having won 30-of-58 restarts in his first three years at Loyola, won 5-of-7 in both the second and third quarters as Loyola gained and extended the lead.

Loyola Debuts

Four players made their regular-season debuts for Loyola against Delaware and four made their first starts in Greyhound uniforms.

Sean O’Sullivan (Army) and Chris Layne (North Carolina) both took the field and started for the first time as Greyhounds after transferring from other schools. Kevin Ryan saw action in the midfield for the Greyhounds after not playing in 2011 as a freshman.

Nikko Pontrello made his collegiate debut as the only freshman to play for Loyola. He responded well, scoring a goal and assisting on Phil Dobson’s first collegiate tally.

Michael Bonitatibus and Justin Ward also made their first collegiate starts for the Greyhounds.

Greyhounds Picked Second In ECAC

The Greyhounds were picked to finish second in the ECAC Lacrosse Leagues by the head coaches of their peer schools. Loyola received 54 points in the poll, trailing only Denver University which had 61.

Scorers Back

Mike Sawyer returns in 2012 as the team’s leading scorer after finishing last year with 31 goals and five assists for 36 points. He took 124 shots during the 2011 season, 59 more than anyone else on the team.

The Greyhounds also welcome back one of their top scorers from two seasons ago. Eric Lusby, who will play as a graduate student this year, returns to the lineup after missing all but two games last year following a knee injury in the 2010 NCAA Championships. Lusby scored 20 goals and assisted on five from the Greyhounds’ midfield in 2010.

Two other players who scored 10 or more goals a year ago are back in 2012 for the Greyhounds Patrick Fanshaw returns after tallying 12 goals, six of the extra-man variety, last season, and Davis Butts is also back after tallying 10 goals and five assists.

Transfer Talent

Loyola’s midfield will be bolstered by the addition of two transfer student-athletes that have joined the program. Juniors Chris Layne and Sean O’Sullivan will suit up for the Greyhounds after spending previous seasons at North Carolina and Army, respectively.

Layne, who is the younger brother of former Loyola All-American Steve Layne, scored five goals as a sophomore on the Tar Heels’ second midfield after playing in 15 games  as a short-stick midfielder during his first season in Chapel Hill.

O’Sullivan played two seasons at West Point, scoring 16 goals as a midfielder in 2010.  He earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors following his sophomore season, as well.

Experienced Defense

The Greyhounds return two starters on close defense, their top two long-stick midfielders and top three short-stick defensive middies in 2012, forming a cohesive group on the defensive end of the field.

Senior co-captain Dylan Grimm is joined on defense by another returning starter, junior Reid Acton. Grimm finished his first year as a starter, 2011, with 22 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers, while Acton tallied 19 and 15, also in his first season as a starter.

The duo is joined by sophomore Joe Fletcher who played in 13 games and started one as a freshman. Fletcher saw considerable time as an extra-man and fourth defender for the Greyhounds a year ago.

Scott Ratliff and Kevin Moriarity created a formidable long-stick midfield duo last year, combining for 50 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers. Ratliff also added three goals and three assists on the offensive end of the field.

Josh Hawkins, Pat Laconi and Kyle Duffy return as short-stick middies for the Greyhounds  after each saw action in all 13 games last year.

Record At Ridley

After going 4-1 at Ridley Athletic Complex last season, the Greyhounds opened their third year at the stadium with a 13-8 win over then-No. 19 Delaware. Loyola is now 9-3 all-time at Ridley.

The Game: Johns Hopkins (2-0) welcomes Siena (1-0) to Homewood Field for the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams.

Last Time Out: Johns Hopkins improved to 2-0 with a tough 8-6 win over Delaware on Tuesday night. The Saints opened their season last Sunday at the Carrier Dome and knocked off Hobart, 13-11.

Series History: Johns Hopkins and Siena are meeting for the fourth time in a series that dates to an 11-3 Johns Hopkins win in 2009. Every meeting has taken place at Homewood Field, including last season’s 16-6 JHU victory. The Saints gave the Blue Jays all they could handle in 2010 as JHU needed an extra-man goal by Michael Kimmel with less than a minute to play to pull out an 8-7 victory.

In February: Johns Hopkins has played just 15 all-time games in the month of February and the Blue Jays are 12-3 in those 15 games. JHU has currently won eight straight games in the month of February.

These are the Facts: Johns Hopkins enters this week’s game against Siena with an all-time record of 914-294-15 (.753). The Blue Jays own nine NCAA titles, 29 USILA titles and six ILA titles for a total of 44 national championships.

Career Win Number 150: Johns Hopkins head coach Dave Pietramala picked up career win number 150 with the 12-6 victory vs. Towson in the season opener. He now sports an all-time record of 151-58 (.722), including a 128-41 (.757) record at Johns Hopkins. He ranks second all-time in school history in career coaching victories as only Hall of Fame coach Bob Scott (158 wins from 1955-74) has more victories than Pietramala while patrolling the sidelines at Homewood.

Noting JHU in the NCAA Tournament: Johns Hopkins made its 40th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season. By comparison, the next six longest active streaks of qualifying for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament add up to exactly 40 consecutive appearances.

First to 900: Johns Hopkins’ 10-6 win at Towson in the 2011 season opener not only got the season off on the right foot for the Blue Jays, but also made history. The win was the 900th all-time in school history, making Johns Hopkins the first program to record 900 all-time wins. JHU now has 914 all-time wins.

That’s 620 Games Over .500: The Blue Jays’ all-time record is now 914-294-15 (.753) … that’s 620 games over .500. To put this in perspective: JHU has played an average of just over 15 games per season under head coach Dave Pietramala. Using a 15-game season as a reference, if the Blue Jays posted a 5-10 record for 124 straight seasons, they would even their record at .500.

13-Win Seasons: With a 13-3 record last season, Johns Hopkins reached the 13-win mark for the fifth time under head coach Dave Pietramala and the 12th time in school history.

Home Cookin’: Johns Hopkins enters this week’s game against Siena having won eight straight games at Homewood Field. The streak is tied for the second-longest under head coach Dave Pietramala, who picked up his 75th career victory at Homewood Field with the win vs. UD and sports a gaudy 75-12 (.862) record in home games during his career at JHU.
JHU won a school and national-record 37 straight home games from 2001-06 under Pietramala’s guidance and the current eight-game home winning streak is the fourth home streak of seven wins or more since he arrived.

Striking the First Blow: Johns Hopkins scored on its first shot of the game seven times in 2011. The Blue Jays weren’t nearly as fortunate in the season-opening win vs. Towson … it took JHU all the way until its second shot of the game to find the back of the net vs. the Tigers. JHU was back in touch against Delaware as sophomore Brandon Benn scored the first of his three goals on JHU’s first shot of the game.

Nine Straight: Johns Hopkins ran its regular season winning streak to nine games with the 12-6 win over Delaware. This is the longest regular season winning streak for JHU since the Blue Jays had a nine-game run that bridged the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The last time Johns Hopkins won 10 or more consecutive regular season games was from 2004-06, when the Blue Jays won 19 consecutive regular season games.

Attack Oriented: The starting attack unit of senior Chris Boland, junior Zach Palmer and sophomore Brandon Benn combined for nine goals and three assists in the 12-6 win vs. Towson. Add in two assists by freshman Wells Stanwick,who played a regular role throughout the game, and JHU got nine goals and five assists from its four primary attackmen.
In a tighter game against Delaware, it was Benn (3g, 1a), Stanwick (1g, 2a) and Palmer (1a) leading the way with a combined four goals and four assists.

Bassett Now 15-3 in Last 18 Starts: Sophomore goalie Pierce Bassett picked up his 18th career victory in goal with the 8-6 win vs. Delaware on Tuesday night as he posted six saves and allowed six goals to improve to 18-7 in his 25 career starts. He is 15-3 in his last 18 starts dating back to the start of the 2011 season.
Bassett concluded his first full season as the starter for the Blue Jays last season and posted a 7.07 goals against average and a .570 save percentage. He finished fifth in the nation in GAA and 10th in save percentage. His fifth-place finish in GAA is the highest by a JHU goalie since Jesse Schwartzman led the nation in 2005 (6.68), while he is just the third Blue Jay to finish in the top 10 in save percentage since the NCAA began tracking men’s lacrosse statistics in 2000.
Bassett’s 7.07 goals against average is the second best by a JHU goalie since 1993 (Schwartman’s 6.68 GAA in 2005 is the best since records became available in ‘93).

The Fab Five: While the Blue Jays had just one midfielder earn All-America honors last season (John Ranagan), they return four others who performed steadily throughout the 2011 season. The first unit of sophomores John Greeley and Ranagan and freshman Rob Guida started all 16 games together, while the second group returns senior Mark Goodrich, and junior Lee Coppersmith.
The five combined for 58 goals and 30 assists in 16 games last season. The first two lines, which also include sophomore Greg Edmonds, totaled two goals and two assists vs. Towson and four goals and one assist vs. Delaware.

Must be the Speech: Whatever the coaching staff said in the locker room before the game and at halftime worked throughout the 2011 season. Johns Hopkins outscored the opposition 44-25 in the first quarter last season and 51-29 in the third quarter. While JHU was a bit slow getting going against Towson, the halftime speech worked to perfection as the Blue Jays held the Tigers scoreless in the third quarter and tallied the first six goals of the second half to stretch a 5-3 halftime lead to 11-3. JHU outscored Delaware 3-2 in the third quarter … the game was even at 2-2 after the first 15 minutes.

Streaking: Johns Hopkins is 103-29 (.780) in its last 132 regular season games dating back to the end of the 2001 season and 120-37 (.764) overall since the start of the 2002 season.

Poll Position: The Blue Jays check in at number three in this week’s USILA Coaches Poll and second in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications Office uses the USILA Poll to represent JHU’s official ranking at the time of a game. Prior to falling out of the top 20 of the USILA Poll on April 26 and May 3, 2010 (JHU was receiving votes in both polls), the Blue Jays had been ranked in the top 20 in 367 consecutive polls dating back to the first poll in 1973.

More Poll Position: Including this week’s USILA Poll, there have been 385 weekly polls since the inception of the poll in 1973. Amazingly, JHU has been ranked in the top 20 in 383 of those 385 polls. The Blue Jays have been in the top 10 in 362 of the 385 and the top five in 288 of those 385.

Offensive Notes of Interest: Below are several notes about the JHU offense:
• JHU has scored at least one goal in every quarter this season and two or more in seven of the eight quarters.
• Hopkins fired 42 shots on Towson. JHU generated 40 or more shots just four times last season.
• The Blue Jays scored on their first shot of the game seven times last season and did the same vs. Delaware earlier this week.
• Johns Hopkins finished 10th in the nation in scoring offense (11.25), second in scoring margin (+4.0), 12th in assists per game (6.19) and 10th in points per game (17.44) last season.

Defensive Notes of Interest: Below are several notes of interest concerning the JHU defense:
• Hopkins held Towson to just 18 shots – the fewest the Blue Jays have surrendered since holding Mount St. Mary’s to 16 shots on April 27, 2009.
• JHU held Towson scoreless for a stretch of 31:05 midway through the game and then held Delaware off the baord for 29:32 midway through the game.
• JHU has held the opposition scoreless in three of eight quarters this season (.375).
• Johns Hopkins held the opposition scoreless for a stretch of 15 minutes or longer 16 times in 16 games last season. The Blue Jays held the opposition scoreless for 10 minutes or longer 33 times.
• The Blue Jays finished sixth in the nation in scoring defense (7.25) last season.
• The starting attack units the Blue Jays faced last season combined for a total of 39 goals and 36 assists (4.69 points per game). Six of those units were held to three points or less and only five generated more than five points. The JHU starting defense (Tucker Durkin, Chris Lightner and Gavin Crisafulli) picked up where they left off last season as Towson’s starting attack totaled just two goals and two assists against JHU, while Delaware’s added three goals and three assists.

Taking Out the Finalists: Johns Hopkins defeated eventual national champion Virginia and eventual national runner-up Maryland during the 2011 regular season.

We’re Honored: Johns Hopkins produced six USILA All-Americans last season, four of which return in 2012. Headlining the group is returning First Team All-American John Ranagan (M), while classmates Tucker Durkin (defense) and Pierce Bassett (G) grabbed second team honors. Senior Chris Boland (A) rounds out JHU’s four returning All-Americans as he grabbed honorable mention honors in 2011.
The four returning All-Americans are the most for JHU since 2008 and the selection of Ranagan, Durkin and Bassett marked the first time Johns Hopkins had three sophomores earn All-America honors since 1989, when Matt Panetta (A/1st Team), Brian Voelker (M/3rd) and Bill Dwan (D/HM) were selected.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland opens its 73rd season of men’s lacrosse on Saturday, February 18, 2012, when it hosts the University of Delaware at 1 o’clock.

The game will also mark the start of the third season of play for the Greyhounds at Ridley Athletic Complex.

Series History

The Greyhounds and Blue Hens will meet for the 29th time on the lacrosse field but the first time in nearly a decade. Loyola last played Delaware on February 22, 2003, a 9-6 victory by the Greyhounds on their former home pitch, Curley Field.

Loyola leads the all-time series between the teams, 21-6-1. The Blue Hens won six of the first 10 meetings between the teams, but the Greyhounds have won each of the last 18 games.

In The Polls

Loyola is receiving votes in both the USILA Coaches and Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Polls. Delaware, meanwhile, checks in at No. 19 in the USILA preseason rankings and is also receiving votes in the media version.

Greyhounds Picked Second In ECAC

The Greyhounds were picked to finish second in the ECAC Lacrosse Leagues by the head coaches of their peer schools. Loyola received 54 points in the poll, trailing only Denver University which had 61.

Preseason Honors For Pair

Junior attack Mike Sawyer and junior long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff were both named to the Preseason All-ECAC Team by the conference’s coaches. Sawyer led the Greyhounds in points and goals last season, while Ratliff topped the squad in caused turnovers.

Sawyer was also named to the Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America Honorable Mention last month.

Scorers Back

Mike Sawyer returns in 2012 as the team’s leading scorer after finishing last year with 31 goals and five assists for 36 points. He took 124 shots during the 2011 season, 59 more than anyone else on the team.

The Greyhounds also welcome back one of their top scorers from two seasons ago. Eric Lusby, who will play as a graduate student this year, returns to the lineup after missing all but two games last year following a knee injury in the 2010 NCAA Championships. Lusby scored 20 goals and assisted on five from the Greyhounds’ midfield in 2010.

Two other players who scored 10 or more goals a year ago are back in 2012 for the Greyhounds Patrick Fanshaw returns after tallying 12 goals, six of the extra-man variety, last season, and Davis Butts is also back after tallying 10 goals and five assists.

Transfer Talent

Loyola’s midfield will be bolstered by the addition of two transfer student-athletes that have joined the program. Juniors Chris Layne and Sean O’Sullivan will suit up for the Greyhounds after spending previous seasons at North Carolina and Army, respectively.

Layne, who is the younger brother of former Loyola All-American Steve Layne, scored five goals as a sophomore on the Tar Heels’ second midfield after playing in 15 games  as a short-stick midfielder during his first season in Chapel Hill.

O’Sullivan played two seasons at West Point, scoring 16 goals as a midfielder in 2010.  He earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors following his sophomore season, as well.

Experienced Defense

The Greyhounds return two starters on close defense, their top two long-stick midfielders and top three short-stick defensive middies in 2012, forming a cohesive group on the defensive end of the field.

Senior co-captain Dylan Grimm is joined on defense by another returning starter, junior Reid Acton. Grimm finished his first year as a starter, 2011, with 22 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers, while Acton tallied 19 and 15, also in his first season as a starter.

The duo is joined by sophomore Joe Fletcher who played in 13 games and started one as a freshman. Fletcher saw considerable time as an extra-man and fourth defender for the Greyhounds a year ago.

Scott Ratliff and Kevin Moriarity created a formidable long-stick midfield duo last year, combining for 50 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers. Ratliff also added three goals and three assists on the offensive end of the field.

Josh Hawkins, Pat Laconi and Kyle Duffy return as short-stick middies for the Greyhounds  after each saw action in all 13 games last year.

New Look In Goal

Loyola will feature a new starter in goal this season after 2011 graduate Jake Hagelin started 53 of the Greyhounds’ last 55 games since taking over between the pipes at the start his freshman season in 2008.

A pair of goalkeepers are likely to see the field for the Greyhounds to start the season, as they have split time throughout practice and scrimmages. Junior Michael Bonitatibus and sophomore Jack Runkel both made their collegiate debuts last year against Duke and will anchor Loyola’s defense from inside the crease.

Record At Ridley

Loyola will open its third season at Ridley Athletic Complex when it plays Delaware where the Greyhounds have experienced considerable success on Awalt Field.

Loyola is 8-3 in 11 home games at Ridley after going 4-1 last season at home.

Second Half Scoring

Loyola outscored its opponents 69-52 after halftime last season (including two overtime goals) despite being outscored 54-39 in the first halves of games.

The Greyhounds scored 34 third-quarter goals to their opponents’ 27. In 2010, they outscored opponents 41-24 in the third quarters of games and 76-55 overall after halftime.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – The No. 8 Maryland (0-0) men’s lacrosse team opens its 2012 season with its first-ever meeting with Hartford. The Terps and the Hawks are slated for a 1 p.m. start at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 18.

· This marks the first time since 2002-03 that the Terps have opened two consecutive seasons at home.

· Maryland is coming off of a 2011 season that saw the Terps win their first ACC crown since 2005 and make their first run to the NCAA tournament championship game since 1998. This season the Terrapins return five starters, but Coach John Tillman’s squad will feature an entirely new close defense because the 2011 trio all graduated. The attack will feature two new starters as well with junior Owen Blye the only returning starter. Five of the Terps’ top six midfielders from last year return. Sophomore Niko Amato returns as the starter in cage, while sophomore All-America face-off man Curtis Holmes is also back.

· Hartford returns nearly all of its offensive production from its 2011 squad that captured the program’s first-ever America East title and its first-ever bid into the NCAA tournament. The Hawks are led by attackmen Carter Bender (35-18=53), Ryan Compitello (22-27=49) and Aidan Genik (23-10-33). Senior Scott Bement, a two-time all-league goalie, anchors the Hawks’ defense after posting a 9.38 goals-against average and a .536 save percentage last season.

Event Media:
In addition to being streamed live on TerpsTV Premium, the game can also be heard on WMUCsports.com. Gametracker will also be available for the game.

The Count Down
10 … Since 2002 Maryland has won 82 of the 89 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .921 winning percentage.

9 … The Terps have the second longest streak of NCAA tournament appearances, making it into the field for nine consecutive seasons.

8 … Maryland is ranked eighth in the preseason Inside Lacrosse media poll.

7 … Maryland has not allowed an opponent to score more than seven goals in a season opener in the past 18 seasons.

6 … Six Terps were preseason All-Americans, according to Inside Lacrosse’s Face-Off Yearbook.

5 … Five returning Terps started at least 12 games last season.

4 … The Hartford game is the first of four that will be broadcast on TerpsTV Premium this season.

3 … Maryland returns three of its top five scorers from last season.

2 … Hartford is one of two first-time opponents on the Terps’ 2012 schedule (Marist is the other).

1 … Mike Chanenchuk is the first non-attackman to wear the No. 1 jersey since 1993.

Opening Face-Off
Hoping to win back-to-back games to open the season for the first time since 2007, the Tigers will continue their three-game road trip on Friday evening when they make the short trip down Charles Street to face No. 2 Johns Hopkins at historic Homewood Field at 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WNST-AM 1570 with Spiro Morekas and Hunter Lochte on the call. In addition, the game will air live on ESPNU and available online at ESPN3.com.

Updating the Tigers
Now 1-0 on the season, the Tigers used a strong second half performance to win their season opener with a 12-10 road victory over Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers, who won their season opener for the first time since 2007, scored seven goals after the intermission to overcome a two-goal deficit and present Coach Shawn Nadelen with his first victory as the Tigers’ coach. Senior attackman Sean Maguire led the Tigers with three goals and an assist; all three of his goals came in the second half.

Scouting the Blue Jays
Ranked No. 2 in the preseason USILA Division I Coaches’ Poll, the Blue Jays will be opening their 125th season of college lacrosse when they host the Tigers on Friday night. The Blue Jays, who finished last year with a 13-3 record and a number three national ranking, reached the NCAA quarter-finals before losing to Denver by a 14-9 margin. Senior attackman Chris Boland, who earned honorable mention USILA All-America honors last year, returns as the Blue Jays’ leading scorer after a 54-point season in 2011. Coach Dave Pietramala, who was named as an assistant coach for the United States National Team last week, begins his 12th season at the helm. He has posted a 126-41 record at Johns Hopkins, including two NCAA championships.

On Second Thought
When the Tigers face No. 2 Johns Hopkins on Friday night, it will mark the highest-ranked opponent for the Tigers since Mar. 21, 2010 when Towson hosted top-ranked Virginia at Johnny Unitas® Stadium. The game will mark the 14th time since 1980 that the Tigers have faced the nation’s second-ranked team; the Tigers are 0-13 all-time in those contests. 

Lights, Camera, Action
Friday night’s game between Towson and No. 2 Johns Hopkins will mark the Tigers’ only scheduled television appearance during the regular season. Since the start of the 1999 season, the Tigers have been featured on television 45 times, including 19 times since 2007. Mike Corey will handle the play-by-play duties while Quint Kessenich will serve as the color analyst. John Kettering is the producer for Friday night’s game.

Towson-Johns Hopkins Series History
The Tigers and the Blue Jays will be meeting for the 40th time in a series which Johns Hopkins has dominated. The Blue Jays, who have won 16 straight games in the series, hold a 36-3 advantage over the Tigers. The Tigers’ last win in the series came on Apr. 17, 1996, a 13-12 victory over the Blue Jays at Homewood Field. Two of the Tigers’ three wins in the series have come on the road and the Tigers have not beaten the Blue Jays at Unitas Stadium since May 6, 1989, a span of 12 home games.

Last Year’s Towson-Johns Hopkins Meeting
Led by three goals from attackman Kyle Wharton, No. 11 Johns Hopkins used a five-goal run in the third quarter to break a 4-4 tie and earn a 10-6 victory over the Tigers in the season opener for both teams at Johnny Unitas® Stadium. Wharton, who tallied the 10th “hat trick” of his career, scored twice in a five-minute span as the Blue Jays sprinted out to a 9-4 lead they never relinquished. Attackman Zach Palmer scored two goals with three assists for the Blue Jays while midfielder Pat Britton scored twice to lead the Tigers in a losing effort.

Too Close for Comfort
Of the 39 previous meetings between the Tigers and the Blue Jays, 14 of them have been decided by two goals or less, including eight one-goal affairs. There have also been three overtime games, including a double overtime outing three years ago at Unitas Stadium. In addition, all three of the Tigers’ wins in the series have been by a one-goal margin. The Tigers posted a 9-8 double overtime victory in 1989 at Minnegan Stadium before earning a 14-13 verdict three years later at Homewood Field. In 1996, the Tigers won by a 13-12 count at Homewood Field.

The Game: Johns Hopkins welcomes Towson to Homewood Field for the Blue Jays’ 2012 season opener. Towson opened its season with a 12-10 win last Saturday at Jacksonville.

Series History: Johns Hopkins and Towson are meeting for the 40th time in a series that dates to a 15-8 Johns Hopkins victory in 1976. The Blue Jays have won 36 of the previous 39 meetings and JHU has currently won 16 straight against the Tigers.

Check the Calendar: This year’s season-opener against Towson will be the earliest game played in the history of the Blue Jay lacrosse program. Johns Hopkins opened the 2010 (Manhattan) and 2011 (Towson) seasons on February 19. Those had been the earliest games in school history.

In February: Johns Hopkins has played just 13 all-time games in the month of February and the Blue Jays are 10-3 in those 13 games.

For Openers: Johns Hopkins is 9-2 under head coach Dave Pietramala in season-openers and close calls have been the norm as six of the 11 games have been decided by three goals or less.

These are the Facts: Johns Hopkins enters the 2012 season with an all-time record of 912-294-15 (.753). The Blue Jays own nine NCAA titles, 29 USILA titles and six ILA titles for a total of 44 national championships.

A Look Back: Johns Hopkins closed a successul 2011 season with an overall record of 13-3 and the program’s 40th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Noting JHU in the NCAA Tournament: Johns Hopkins made its 40th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season. By comparison, the next six longest active streaks of qualifying for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament add up to exactly 40 consecutive appearances.

Consensus Top Four: Johns Hopkins enters the 2012 season as a consensus top four team as the Blue Jays are ranked in the top four in each of the four major polls. JHU is ranked second in the USILA Preseason Poll, third in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, third in the Lacrosse Magazine Poll and fourth in the Face-Off Yearbook Poll. The Johns Hopkins office of Athletic Communications uses the USILA Poll to reflect JHU’s official national ranking at the time of a game.

Welcome Back: Head coach Dave Pietramala welcomes back nine starters from last seaon’s team, which posted a 13-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Of note …
• The Blue Jays return two starters on attack – Chris Boland and Zach Palmer – who combined for 56 goals and 45 assists last season.
• JHU’s entire first midfield returns with juniors John Ranagan and John Greeley and sophomore Rob Guida all back in the fold. As the youngest first midfield in the nation last season this trio totaled 44 goals and 27 assists.
• Juniors Tucker Durkin and Chris Lightner and sophomore Jack Reilly return to close defense after they started all 16 games together a year ago.
• Junior Pierce Bassett grabbed Second Team USILA All-America honors a year ago and returns after posting a 7.07 goals against average and a .570 save percentage.

First to 900: Johns Hopkins’ 10-6 win at Towson in the 2011 season opener not only got the season off on the right foot for the Blue Jays, but also made history. The win was the 900th all-time in school history, making Johns Hopkins the first program to record 900 all-time wins. JHU now has 912 all-time wins.

That’s 618 Games Over .500: The Blue Jays’ all-time record is now 912-294-15 (.753) … that’s 618 games over .500. To put this in perspective: JHU has played an average of just over 15 games per season under head coach Dave Pietramala. Using a 15-game season as a reference, if the Blue Jays posted a 5-10 record for 123 straight seasons, they would still be three games over .500.

13-Win Seasons: With a 13-3 record last season, Johns Hopkins reached the 13-win mark for the fifth time under head coach Dave Pietramala and the 12th time in school history.

I’ve Got 125 Can I Get 150: The win against Army in the 2011 regular season finale was the 125th for Dave Pietramala as the head coach at Johns Hopkins. He is now 126-41 (.754) at JHU. Add in the 23 wins he accumulated as the head coach at Cornell (1998-2000) and he is currently 149-58 (.720) overall. His first win of the 2012 season will be the 150th of his coaching career.

We’re Honored: Johns Hopkins produced six USILA All-Americans last season, four of which return in 2012. Headlining the group is returning First Team All-American John Ranagan (M), while classmates Tucker Durkin (defense) and Pierce Bassett (G) grabbed second team honors. Senior Chris Boland (A) rounds out JHU’s four returning All-Americans as he grabbed honorable mention honors in 2011.

The four returning All-Americans are the most for JHU since 2008 and the selection of Ranagan, Durkin and Bassett marked the first time Johns Hopkins had three sophomores earn All-America honors since 1989, when Matt Panetta (A/1st Team), Brian Voelker (M/3rd) and Bill Dwan (D/HM) were selected.

Taking Out the Finalists: Johns Hopkins defeated eventual national champion Virginia and eventual national runner-up Maryland during the 2011 regular season.

Striking the First Blow: Johns Hopkins scored on its first shot of the game seven times in 2011.

Bassett Among National Leaders: Sophomore goalie Pierce Bassett concluded his first full season as the starter for the Blue Jays and posted a 7.07 goals against average and a .570 save percentage last season. He finished fifth in the nation in GAA and 10th in save percentage. His fifth-place finish in GAA is the highest by a JHU goalie since Jesse Schwartzman led the nation in 2005 (6.68), while he is just the third Blue Jay to finish in the top 10 in save percentage since the NCAA began tracking men’s lacrosse statistics in 2000.

Bassett, whose 7.07 goals against average is the second best by a JHU goalie since 1993 (Schwartman’s 6.68 GAA in 2005 is the best since records became available in ‘93) has started 23 games in his career and sports a 16-7 record in those 23 games.

Attack Oriented: Johns Hopkins finished 10th in the nation in scoring offense in 2011 (11.25 goals per game) and a big part of that production was the performance of the Blue Jays’ starting attack trio of seniors Chris Boland and Kyle Wharton and sophomore Zach Palmer. Boland and Palmer are back and should lead a talented Blue Jay offense.

Boland led the Blue Jays in scoring with 34 goals and 20 assists for 54 points. An honorable mention All-American, Boland set career highs in each category and was especially effective in the NCAA Tournament as he totaled four goals and seven assists in two games. Boland has career totals of 66 goals, 38 assists and 104 points.

Palmer enjoyed a breakout campaign last season as he posted 22 goals and a team-high 25 assists for 47 points. He ended the season with a 12-game point-scoring streak and scored at least one point in 15 of JHU’s 16 games.

Must be the Speech: Whatever the coaching staff said in the locker room before the game and at halftime worked throughout the 2011 season. Johns Hopkins outscored the opposition 44-25 in the first quarter last season and 51-29 in the third quarter.

Streaking: Johns Hopkins is 101-29 in its last 130 regular season games dating back to the end of the 2001 season and 118-37 (.761) overall since the start of the 2002 season.

Poll Position: The Blue Jays check in at number two in the preseason USILA Coaches Poll and third in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications Office uses the USILA Poll to represent JHU’s official ranking at the time of a game. Prior to falling out of the top 20 of the USILA Poll on April 26 and May 3, 2010 (JHU was receiving votes in both polls), the Blue Jays had been ranked in the top 20 in 367 consecutive polls dating back to the first poll in 1973.

More Poll Position: Including the 2012 preseason USILA Poll, there have been 384 weekly polls since the inception of the poll in 1973. Amazingly, JHU has been ranked in the top 20 in 382 of those 384 polls. The Blue Jays have been in the top 10 in 361 of the 384 and the top five in 287 of those 384.

State Rivalries: Without question the Blue Jays play one of the most difficult schedules in the nation and a big part of the schedule are the in-state rivalries the Blue Jays have. Including the wins over Towson, UMBC, Maryland, Navy and Loyola last season, JHU is 53-4 (.930) against teams from Maryland under head coach Dave Pietramala.

Below is a breakdown of JHU’s record against teams from the state of Maryland under Pietramala.

Loyola (11-0)
Maryland (8-3)
Mount St. Mary’s (4-0)
Navy (11-1)
Towson (12-0)
UMBC (7-0)