CORTLAND, N.Y. – Greg Wright scored all three of his goals in the third quarter while Cody Consul totaled two of his game-high six points as No. 3 SUNY Cortland outscored the No. 9-ranked Stevenson men’s lacrosse team by four en route to a 13-9 victory Saturday at the Stadium Complex.

The Mustangs (5-2) suffered their first loss in three career meetings against the Red Dragons and their second in as many road games this season. The last time Stevenson lost at least two games on the road was during the 2005 season against Gettysburg, Lynchburg and Salisbury.

Freshmen Stephen Banick (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) and Pat Candon (Long Beach, N.Y./Holy Trinity) led the Mustangs with two goals apiece while freshman Michael Crowe (Arlington, Va./Yorktown) tied his career-high with two points on a goal and an assist.

Stevenson was outshot 40-28 and were 0-for-4 on the man advantage. The team has not scored on its last 15 extra-man opportunities, a stretch that spans the last three games.

Consul led Cortland (4-0) with three goals and three assists while Wright finished with four points.

Today’s loss marks the first time this season that Stevenson’s ninth-ranked scoring defense allowed more than six goals in a game this season. The Mustangs’ six-game streak of six goals or less was the longest in school history, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2003 when they held five consecutive opponents to six goals or less from April 10 to April 22.

Stevenson is 86-2 all-time when allowing six goals or less. The team had won 52-straight before falling at No. 9 Lynchburg last Saturday, 6-3.

Freshman Parker Bratton (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) led the defense with five caused turnovers and three ground balls.

The Red Dragons jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the game’s first eight minutes before the Mustangs scored four of the next five goals to take its only lead of the game at 5-4 with 13:11 remaining in the second quarter.

Cortland answered with a quick 3-0 burst to go back in front 7-5 before Stevenson scored two goals in the final 52 seconds of the first half to tie the game at 7-7 going into halftime.

However, the Red Dragons outscored the Mustangs 5-1 in a decisive third quarter and 6-2 in the second half.

Senior Ian Bolland (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) was credited with 12 saves while counterpart Mike Kaminski had 14, including five in the fourth quarter.

Stevenson returns home to face No. 2 Tufts on Tuesday at Mustang Stadium beginning at 7:00 p.m. The game will be televised live on Maryland Public Television’s MPT2 which can be seen on Comcast 268 and Verizon Fios 480. It will also be simulcast live at GoMustangSports.com.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Stevenson men’s lacrosse senior Kenny Whittaker (Dundalk, Md./Archbishop Curley) scored three goals while sophomore Sam Ramatowski (Bowie, Md./Annapolis Area Christian) won 15 face-offs as the ninth-ranked Mustangs beat York (Pa.) 7-5 Wednesday at Mustang Stadium in the CAC opener for both teams.

Stevenson (5-1, 1-0 CAC) is now 11-0 in conference openers, including 5-0 in the Capital Athletic Conference and 6-0 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference. The team is also 5-0 at Mustang Stadium.

Whittaker tied a career-high in both goals and points while Ramatowski posted a career-high in face-off wins, winning 15-of-16. Whittaker also had three goals and three points in a 20-4 victory over Hood on
Mar. 31, 2010.

Defensively, the Mustangs held their opponent to six goals or less for the sixth time this season while holding the Spartans (3-3, 0-1 CAC) scoreless in the fourth quarter as Stevenson broke a 5-5 tie with goals from freshman Stephen Banick (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) and sophomore J.P. Coombe (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s).

The team’s leader in goals, assists and points this season, Banick finished with three points on two goals and one assist. Sophomore Chris Dashiell (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) had one goal and one assist.

The Mustangs held a 57-24 edge in shots and had twice as many ground balls, 50-25, but were 0-for-6 with the extra-man. The team has not scored on its last 11 extra-man opportunities.

York’s Tyler Powell finished with 20 saves, including seven in the first quarter, while seven different players had at least one point for the Spartans.

Stevenson travels to No. 3 SUNY Cortland on Saturday. Game time is at 3:00 p.m.

EASTON, Pa. — Sophomore attackman Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.) punched in three goals and dealt out five assists to lead the Navy men’s lacrosse team (2-3, 1-1 Patriot League) to a 12-7 victory over Patriot League foe Lafayette (2-3, 0-1 PL) Saturday afternoon at Rappolt Field in Easton, Pa. A strong offensive display by the Mids which featured goals by eight different players helped Navy snap a three-game skid and give it its first conference win of the season.

Navy is the first team to score double digits against the Leopards this season as Lafayette came into the game ranked third nationally in scoring defense, giving up just 6.50 per game.

“It feels awfully good to get back in the win column,” said first-year Navy head coach Rick Sowell.  “We came into the game committed to playing a second midfield and go a little deeper at attack and defense and I was thrilled to see it play out as it did.  We received some solid contributions from a good number of players today.

“We made no bones about it, we felt like today’s game was critical,” added Sowell.  “Having lost three in a row, we needed to get this win especially with such a big stretch coming up this week with games against Towson and Holy Cross.  We are taking it a game at a time, but we needed this win in the worst way and I was proud of the guys for stepping up and getting it done.”

Sophomore midfielder Pat Durkin (Germantown, Md.) put the Midshipmen on the scoreboard first, taking a Jordan Seivold (Tampa, Fla.) pass and sticking it past Lafayette keeper Andrijko Andrusko from seven yards out at the 11:13 mark in the first.  Lafayette, however, answered with back-to-back goals just 46 seconds apart, taking a 2-1 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the opening period.  The Mids evened the score at two all when Hull fed rookie Gabe Voumard (Cape May, N.J.) who put a nice move on his defender at the crease, scoring his first goal in a Navy uniform.

The Mids took the lead at 3-2 when Hull once again found Voumard open for a three-yard beauty up the middle at the 12:38 mark in the second.  The Leopards, though, tied the game right back up a minute later when Doug Prusoff used a roll dodge to get free of Navy short stick midfielder Jay Mann (Cockeysville, Md.), creating enough space for the unassisted goal.

Navy took the lead for good when pole Pat Kiernan (Ridgewood, N.J.) intercepted a Lafayette pass and threw an outlet pass the length of the field to senior co-captain Taylor Reynolds (Babylon, N.Y.) who immediately found sophomore attackman Austin Heneveld (East Hampton, N.Y.) on the crease.  it marked Heneveld’s first goal of the season and gave the Mids a 4-3 lead with 5:38 to go.

The Mids went on the score two goals in the final minute of the first half with Bryce Dabbs (Damascus, Md.) sending a worm burner up the middle from 8 yards out off an assist from Hull.  Following an RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) save with 15 seconds left, Wickham got his outlet pass to Kiernan who again sent a long pass down field to sophomore Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.).  Jones quickly fed Hull who was standing on the crease to give the Midshipmen a 6-3 lead at the half.

Navy wasted little time in adding to their lead, as co-captain Logan West (Berlin, Md.) won the opening draw of the second half and got the ball to Hull.  Hull dealt the assist to Kiernan, the trail man, who fired in his second goal of the season.

The Leopards weren’t giving up, however, as Lafayette scored the next two goals, including an extra-man strike with 4:25 to play in the quarter, to cut the lead back to two at 7-5.

The Mids, who have struggled in the fourth quarter this season, made a statement by scoring four goals in just over three minutes to open the final stanza and salt away the game.  Hull played a huge role in the run, scoring two goals and adding an assist on a third.  Had senior middie Nikk Davis (Cockeysville, Md.) not dodged his defenseman to get free, Hull would have been credited with a second assist as he found Davis who tabbed his second goal of the year.

Hull, who produced his fourth hat trick of the season, led all scorers with his eight-point performance.  His five assists not only go down as a career high, it also marked the most assists by a Navy player since Andy Warner distributed six in last year’s win over Towson.  Voumard and Kiernan finished the game with two goals apiece, while Bryce Dabbs (Damascus, Md.), Davis, Reynolds, Durkin and Heneveld also chipped in goals for the Mids.

Kiernan played one of the best games of his young career.  While he notched a pair of goals, defensively he caused four Lafayette turnovers and picked up five ground balls.

“Pat makes a huge impact in the game for us,” said Sowell.  “We definitely felt it when he went out with his broken hand.  It took him a few weeks to get back into it, but to have him back in game shape mades a big, big difference for us.  It’s definitely good to have him on our side!”

Junior close defenseman Austin Miller (North Bethesda, Md.) turned in a pair of takeaways and picked up three ground balls.  Meanwhile, Wickham surrendered seven goals while making 11 saves in goal.

Lafayette was led by Prusoff, Colin Serling and Will Heffernan who scored two goals apiece, while Andrusko and Jake Hyatt split time in goal where the tandem made a combined six saves and each gave up six goals.

The Midshipmen will be back in action on Tuesday when they make the short trip to Towson, Md. to face the Tigers of Towson at 7:30 pm.  The game will be carried live by AM1570 WNST.net.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – A total of 10 different players scored for the Stevenson men’s lacrosse team, led by four points from freshman Stephen Banick (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) as the No. 4 ranked Mustangs remained unbeaten in four games this season with an 11-3 victory over future MAC rival Widener Wednesday at Mustang Stadium.

Stevenson (4-0) won its 14th-straight regular-season home game dating back to the 2010 season while tying a season-high with 11 goals.

The Mustangs totaled a season-high 51 shots, outshooting the Pride 51-21 while winning 13-of-17 faceoffs, led by senior Doug Reidt (Towson, Md./Hereford) who was 10-for-12. He also had a career-high eight ground balls.

Defensively, Stevenson forced 24 turnovers while holding Widener to just three goals. Through four games, the Mustangs have allowed just 18 goals for an average of only 4.5 per game. The defense has not allowed more than six goals in a game this season and is currently ranked 16th in Division III in scoring defense.

Banick finished with three assists to increase his team-lead to nine. He also leads the team in points this season with 14.

Freshman Billy Burgoyne (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) posted the first multi-point game of his career with two goals and one assist while senior Kenny Whittaker (Dundalk, Md./Archbishop Curley) scored his first points since he netted a goal in a 10-6 win over Salisbury
on Apr. 24, 2010. He finished with one goal and one assist.

After a goal by Michael Bassani gave the Pride (0-4) a 1-0 lead with three seconds left in the first quarter, Stevenson scored the next 11 to take an 11-1 lead with 10:00 remaining in the fourth.

Widener was whistled for nine penalties totaling 8:30 leading to two extra-man goals for the Mustangs. Bassani had two goals to lead the Pride while Bobby Schluter made 17 saves.

Senior Ian Bolland (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) had 10 saves for Stevenson while sophomore and 2011 CAC Rookie of the Year Ryan Rubenstein (Sykesville, Md./Boys’ Latin) had three caused turnovers and four ground balls.

Stevenson faces the second of six top-20 opponents on its 2012 schedule Saturday when it travels to No. 9 Lynchburg. Game time is at 7:00 p.m. The Mustangs are 1-0 against ranked teams this season following an 11-5 victory over No. 17 Haverford on February 18.

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.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Stevenson men’s lacrosse freshman Pat Candon (Long Beach, N.Y./Holy Trinity) scored the game-winning goal with 7:54 remaining, and an insurance goal five minutes later, to lead the Mustangs past Hampden-Sydney, 9-6 Saturday afternoon at Mustang Stadium.

The game was tied at the end of the first three quarters at one, three and five, respectively.

Stevenson (2-0) scored first, just 34 seconds in on an unassisted tally by senior Justin Lea (Elkridge, Md./Mount St. Joseph).

The Mustangs and Tigers would trade pairs of goals, with no team leading by more than one for the first 55 minutes of the game until junior Peter Green (Hereford, Md./Hereford) would score his second of the season off freshman Stephen Banick’s (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) team-leading sixth assist to help Stevenson pull away.

Hampden-Sydney (1-2) would score four of its six goals on the extra-man with three coming from Micah Keller who leads the Tigers with 13 goals this season.

Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm combining for 56 turnovers and 19 penalties.

Stevenson’s defense behind senior goalie Ian Bolland (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) allowed only one goal and forced five of six Hampden-Sydney shots off-cage in the decisive fourth quarter.  Junior Kyle Holechek (Reisterstown, Md./Loyola Blakefield) had game-highs in ground balls with seven and caused turnovers with four.  Bolland netted six saves on the afternoon.

David Noftsinger recorded 12 saves in his first collegiate start.

Today’s victory marks the 99th career win for Paul Cantabene, who has an overall winning percentage of .767.  The program’s winningest coach in both wins and percentage, Cantabene has led the Mustangs to a school record for wins in each of his seven seasons while winning at least 10 games the last six.

The Mustangs return to action next Saturday for their second of eight night home games against Western New England.  Game time is 7:00 p.m.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Sophomore attackmen Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.) combined to score 17 points, including 11 goals, as the Navy men’s lacrosse team opened the 2012 campaign with a 14-7 victory over VMI on a drizzly Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  Saturday also marked the beginning of the Rick Sowell era at the Naval Academy, as he directed the Midshipmen to their 11th-consecutive victory in a season-opener.

While Navy has enjoyed success in season openers over the years, the Midshipmen came into the season having lost their final five contests of the 2011 campaign, including three in a row at home.

“It feels good to get the first win of the season under our belt,” said Sowell, who became the program’s eighth coach in what marks the 105th year of lacrosse played at the Academy.  “I couldn’t be happier for the guys because I know it’s been awhile coming.  I know for the boys in the locker room, it feels awfully good to experience a winning feeling.”

The beginning stages of the game indicated it could be a long day for Navy, as the Mids gave up a goal just 25 seconds into the game and fell behind 2-0 with 10 minutes to go in the opening period.

Navy, though, put together a 7-0 run, scoring six goals in four-and-a-half minutes.  The run started at 9:38 when Hull found Jones cutting in from the left wing and after a stick fake, Jones put away his first of five goals.  Just 35 seconds later, Jones sent a thank-you pass back to Hull who was standing on the right crease to even the score at 2-2.

The Mids took a lead it would not relinquish at 8:18 in the first quarter when Jones threaded his pass through heavy traffic and found second-year midfielder Pat Durkin (Germantown, Md.) darting in and caught him on the doorstep.  While Durkin saw action in nine of the 13 games a year ago, the goal marked the first of his career.

Navy pushed its lead to 5-2 following back-to-back goals by Hull, who owned a hat trick by the 6:39 mark in the first period.  Meanwhile, Jones gave the Mids a 6-2 lead at the end of the quarter after rocking back-and-forth on the right side of the crease and pumping in a shot that had absolutely no angle, but caught the inside of the pipe.

Navy capped off its 7-0 run and extended its lead to 7-2 just 20 seconds into the second stanza when first-year starting defenseman Austin Miller (Rockville, Md.) sent a clearing pass from the defensive end of the field to sophomore long pole Pat Kiernan (Ridgewood, N.J.) at mid-field.  Kiernan turned and was untouched as he ran straight to the goal, scoring for the first time on the afternoon and second in his career.

After being held without a goal for nearly 12 minutes, the Keydets finally found the back of the net at 13:32 in the second when senior midfielder Keith Long went high to low on Navy keeper RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) from seven yards out.  VMI trimmed the lead to 7-4 when Navy’s Nikk Davis (Cockeysville, Md.) was unable to get to VMI’s Chris Kitchen and the slide came too slow, as Kitchen punched in an unassisted goal at 7:55.

Navy answered with three-straight goals, including two by Hull, to put the game out of reach.

Hull led all goal scorers with six, becoming the first Navy player to reach the six-goal milestone since Taylor Harris put up six against Holy Cross on March 26, 2006, en route to a 17-3 win by the Midshipmen.  Hull added two assists to reach eight points for the first time in his career.

Meanwhile, Jones led all point producers in the game with nine on five goals and four assists.  While both goal and assist marks were career highs for Jones, his nine points were the most by a Navy player since Dennis Nealon scored 12 (4 goals, 8 assists) against Washington College on March 20, 1991.

“They (Hull and Jones) are awfully fun to watch,” said Sowell.  “I found out probably mid-fall that our offense would be geared around these two.  I think  versatility best describes our attack because all three, including Taylor Reynolds (Babylon, N.Y.), can play on the perimeter, off the ball and have good vision.  Tucker and Sam have differing styles, yet they have some similarities.”

“I have to give thanks to the play of our midfielders today,” said Jones, who along with Hull, led the Mids a year ago with 38 points on 23 goals and 15 assists.  “It really all started with their play.  They had a lot of hockey assists that they don’t get credit for, but it’s a true testament to what they can do.”

Meanwhile, it was a solid effort by the Mids’ defensive unit which is still gaining experience.  Although the Mids gave up five goals in the opening half, the defensive unit held the Keydets to just two in the second 30 minutes of play including zero in the final quarter.  Senior Matt Vernam (Shoreham, N.Y.) is in his fourth season as a starter, however Miller and sophomore Nik Mullen (Wading River, N.Y.) are first-year starters and juniors Jay Mann (Cockeysville, Md.) and Cade Norris (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) continue to adjust to their new roles as short stick defensive midfielders.  Kiernan was the Mids’ primary long pole a year ago and will be a major player for the Mids up top this season.  In addition to showing his versatility as a scorer when the opportunity presents itself, he picked up a team-high tying six ground balls.  Wickham, meanwhile, was held without a save in the opening period, but a four-save effort in the second contributed to his eight for the day.

While senior Logan West (Berlin, Md.) didn’t finish the day winning the faceoff battle, his performance at the beginning of the game contributed greatly to the Mids’ seven-goal run.  West won six of the game’s first nine draws and each of the last two as he faced the nation’s No.-1 ranked faceoff specialist, Stephen Robarge.  VMI won the faceoff battle 15-10, but West surely put the ball in the Mids’ sticks early on to get a jump on the scoreboard.

The Midshipmen will be back in action next Sunday when they travel to Florida to take part in the Moe’s Southwest Classic which will feature Denver vs. Ohio State at 2:00 pm, followed by the Mids against the host Jacksonville Dolphins at 4:00 pm.  Sunday’s contest will be televised live by NBC Sports Network, formerly known as Versus.

Johnny Rhodes Named An ACC Tournament Legend

Former Maryland guard one of 12 players selected to 2012 class

    GREENSBORO, N.C.— Johnny Rhodes, one of the most versatile players in Atlantic Coast Conference history, who helped lead Maryland back to national prominence in the mid-1990’s, has been selected to the 2012 class of ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Legends.

    The 12-man class was announced Tuesday by Commissioner John Swofford and includes a member of the ACC’s 50^th Anniversary basketball team, a National Player of the Year, three former All-Americas, six former All-ACC selections, ten former NBA Draft selections – including six first-round selections – and eight players who combined for 38 years of NBA experience.

    Rhodes, a native of Washington, D.C., is the ACC’s career steals leader and helped Maryland make three NCAA Tournament appearances in his four-year career. He is the only player in ACC history to score over 1,700 points (1,743) with over 700 rebounds (704), 400 assists (437) and 300 steals (344).

    Joining Rhodes in the class are former Wake Forest All-America Randolph Childress (Washington, D.C.), who led the Deacons to the 1995 ACC Championship, and former North Carolina All-America Kenny Smith (Queens, N.Y.), who led the Tar Heels to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and was named the National Player of the Year by Basketball Times in 1987.

    Also in the class are Boston College’s John Bagley (Stratford, Conn.), who was named a third-team (NABC) All-America in 1982; Clemson’s Sharone Wright (Macon, Ga.), a powerful post player for the Tigers who earned All-ACC honors in 1993 and 1994; Duke’s Kenny Dennard (King, N.C.), one of the key cogs of the Blue Devils 1978 Final Four team who helped lead Duke to ACC titles in 1978 and 1980; Florida State’s James Collins (Jacksonville, Fla), a high-scoring wingman who was a three-time All-ACC selection in 1995, 1996 and 1997; Georgia Tech’s Malcolm Mackey (Chattanooga, Tenn.), a powerful post player who helped lead Georgia Tech to ACC Championships in 1990 and 1993.

    Completing this year’s ACC Legends Class are Miami’s Ron Godfrey (Coral Springs, Fla.), an Honorable Mention All-America forward for the Hurricanes in the 1960’s who also served as head coach for four seasons; NC State’s Todd Fuller (Charlotte, N.C.), a prodigious presence in the paint for the Wolfpack who earned All-ACC honors in 1994, 1995, and 1996; Virginia’s Lee Raker (Louisville, Ky.), a versatile forward who helped lead the Cavaliers to the 1981 NCAA Final Four; and Virginia Tech’s Dale Solomon (Annapolis, Md.), a high-scoring forward who helped lead the Hokies to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth.

   The Legends will be honored at this year’s ACC’s Men’s Basketball Tournament at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga., March 8-11. They will be feted at the annual ACC Legends Brunch, which will be held Saturday, March 10, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel, and, later that day, will be introduced to the Philips Arena crowd at halftime of the first semifinal game. Ticket information for the ACC Legends Brunch is available on the ACC website at theACC.com.

   Rhodes (1992-96), the ACC’s career leader in steals, started four seasons for coach Gary Williams at Maryland, leading the Terrapins back to national prominence. An extremely versatile guard who played point or wing guard, Rhodes is the only player in ACC history to score over 1,700 points (1,743) with over 700 rebounds (704), 400 assists (437) and 300 steals (344). He helped the Terrapins post a 73-49 overall record during his four seasons in College Park, including three straight (1994, 95, 96) appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He was named to the 1993 ACC All-Freshman team, then earned 3^rd-team All-ACC honors as a junior and 2^nd-team All-ACC accolades as a senior in 1996. He still holds the ACC career record for steals per game (2.82), and his 110 steals and 3.7 steals per game in 1996 are still league standards. He totaled 704 rebounds in his career, the third-best mark by an ACC backcourtman, trailing only Georgia Tech’s Bruce Dalrymple (744) and Florida State’s Bob Sura (714). A native of Washington, D.C., Rhodes owns his own construction firm, Rhodes Construction, in the D.C. area, and is working towards starting the Johnny Rhodes Foundation.

   Bagley (1979-82), one of the top playmaking guards in Boston College history, played three seasons for the Eagles for Coach Dr. Tom Davis and led BC to a 64-27 record and one NIT and two NCAA tournament appearances. The first Eagle to earn Big East Player of the Year honors (1980-81), Bagley was an explosive scorer who averaged nearly 18 points per game and led BC in scoring in each of his three seasons at the Heights. A two-time All-Big East selection, he averaged 20.4 points per game in leading the Eagles to the 1980-81 Big East regular-season championship and the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The following year, Bagley upped his production to 21.1 points per game and led BC to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. He was named to the NCAA all-tournament teams for both the 1981 Mideast Regional and the 1982 Midwest Regional. Bagley left BC after his junior season and was the 12^th overall pick in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1982 NBA Draft. He enjoyed an 11-year career in the NBA for the Cavaliers, the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks. Inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, he currently resides in Stratford, Conn., and is working to reintroduce athletics into the middle school system of his hometown, Bridgeport, Conn.

   Wright (1991-94), a dominating 6-11 presence in the low post for the teams of Coach Cliff Ellis in the early 1990’s, still ranks 5^th on the ACC’s career list for blocked shots per game (3.13). An Honorable Mention All-America (AP) in 1994, he was one of 20 nominees for the Naismith Award that year. He led the ACC in blocked shots in 1992 and 1993 and finished 3^rd in 1994. He ranked 6^th on the Clemson career list for rebounds and 4^th in rebounds per game. He still holds the Clemson single-season record for blocked shots (124) and was the only player in the ACC to average in double figures in points and rebounds in both 1994 and 1995. Named a Freshman All-America by Basketball Weekly in 1992, he was named a 3^rd-team All-ACC selection in 1993 and 2^nd-team honors in 1994. As a member of the U.S. team which participated in the 1993 World Games, he shot 73 percent from the field and averaged 10 points a game in leading the U.S. to the gold medal. He was the first Clemson player to declare early for the NBA Draft and was the 6th overall selection on the first round of the 1994 draft by the Philadelphia 76’ers. He played five seasons in the NBA with Philadelphia and Toronto and was named to the 1994-95 NBA All-Rookie team. His NBA career was cut short by a severe auto accident early in his fifth professional season. Wright currently resides in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where he is involved in various basketball coaching projects.

   Dennard (1978-81), a versatile 6-8 forward who was effective inside or outside for the Duke teams of Bill Foster and Mike Krzyzewski of the late 1970’s and early ‘80s, helped lead Duke to the 1978 NCAA Final Four and two ACC Championships in 1978 and 1980. Dennard helped the Blue Devils compile a 90-37 record in his four seasons in Durham, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth. He was named to the 1978 ACC All-Tournament second team in his freshman season. Dennard played three seasons for Bill Foster (1978-80) and one for Mike Krzyzewski and was named team captain in his senior season. Drafted in the 4^th round of the 1981 NBA Draft by Kansas City, he played three seasons in the NBA for Kansas City (1982-83) and Denver (1984). He finished his career shooting 51.3 percent from the field and is one of seven Duke players who have totaled over 1,000 points (1,057), 650 rebounds (671) and 200 assists (232) in his career. A native of King, N.C., Dennard is the managing partner at Dennard, Rupp, Gray and Lascar, an investor relations firm based in Houston, Texas. He will be a 30-year cancer survivor this coming September and has served on the Coaches vs. Cancer National Council since 1996. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Nadine, for 27 years and they have a son, Mason (17).

    Collins (1993-97), a high-scoring wing guard for the Florida State teams of Pat Kennedy, was a three-time All-ACC honoree. Collins was named 3^rd-team All-ACC in 1995 and 1996 and garnered 2^nd-team honors as a senior in 1997. That year he led Florida State to a 20-12 record and to the finals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) where they lost to Michigan. He completed his career as the third leading scorer in school history with 1,793 points. He also still ranks in the FSU all-time Top 10 for field goals (645), field goal attempts, three-point field goals made (255) and three-point field goals attempted (686) and made 37.1 percent of his shots from three-point range. Collins was drafted as the 36^th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2^nd round of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played one season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers (1998) and spent one year (1999) in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) before playing professionally nine seasons in Europe. A native of Jacksonville, Fla., he currently is the head basketball coach at his high school alma mater, Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville.

   Mackey (1990-93), Georgia Tech’s all-time leading rebounder who was a low post force for the Jackets both offensively and defensively, helped lead the Tech to a four-year record of 87-43 which included four NCAA Tournament appearances. Mackey completed his career with 1,205 rebounds, a total which ranks 11^th-best in ACC history. He also had 199 career blocked shots, which ranks 26^th on the ACC career list.  Mackey was named 2^nd-team All-ACC in 1993 and 3rd-team All-ACC  in 1992. An Honorable Mention All-America in 1993 by United Press International, he was also a 2nd-team All-District in 1993 by the NABC. Mackey remains Tech’s career leader in rebounds (1,205), games played (130) and games started (127). He was named to the ACC All-Tournament teams in 1990 (3rd team) and 1992 (2nd team). He is the only Tech player to start for two ACC championship teams (1990,1993). The 27^th overall pick in the first-round of the 1993 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, he played one season in the NBA and 11 seasons professionally in the CBA, Europe, China and Puerto Rico. A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., he currently is the Internet Sales Manager at Hennessey GMC Buick and is also serving as a landlord for several properties in McDonough, Ga.

   Godfrey (1958-61), one of the finest forwards to play at Miami, was an honorable mention All-America as a senior in 1961. He finished his career ranked in the Top Ten in seven career categories in the Miami record book including 7^th in points (1,384), 7^th in field goals made (518), 6^th in free throws made (384) and 7^th in rebounds (767). Godfrey’s totals of 159 free throws made and 207 free throws attempted in 1960 still rank 5^th and 6^th in the Hurricane career lists. His total of 22 made free throws against Oklahoma City in 1960 is still tied with Rick Barry for the most made in a game by a Miami player. For his career, he averaged 17.5 points a game. Playing alongside former Miami All-America Dick Hickox, Godfrey helped lead the Hurricanes to their first-ever NCAA tournament bid in 1960 as the Canes finished with a sparkling 23-4 record. In his senior year, Godfrey led Miami to a 20-7 mark and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. In his three varsity seasons, Godfrey helped the Hurricanes to a 61-18 record. As a coach, he guided Miami for four seasons, leading the Hurricanes to championships in the 1967 Hurricane Classic and the 1968 Marshall Tournament and was inducted into the Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. A native of Martins Ferry, Ohio, he now resides in Coral Springs, Fla.

   Smith (1983-87), one of the top point guards in North Carolina basketball history, Smith ended his career second in ACC history only to Wake Forest’s Muggsy Bogues in career assists with 768, averaging 6.1 per for each of his 127 career games. His assist total still ranks ninth on the ACC’s career list.  Coached by the legendary Dean Smith, he helped lead North Carolina to a 115-19 record during his four varsity seasons. Smith also helped North Carolina to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight in both 1985 and 1987. He was named the National Player of the Year by Basketball Times in 1987 and also earned consensus first-team All-America honors that year. He was a 2^nd-team All-ACC honoree in 1985 and 1986 and earned first-team honors as a senior in 1987. The 6^th pick in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, he played 11 seasons in the NBA for Sacramento, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Orlando and Denver. A member of the 1988 NBA All-Rookie team while with Sacramento, he was a part of two NBA Championship squads (1994, 1995) while with the Houston Rockets. He scored 9,397 points (12.9 avg.), grabbed 1,424 rebounds (2.0 avg.) and passed out 4,073 assists (5.5 avg.) during his NBA career. In 1998, he joined Turner Sports and has since served as a basketball TV analyst for Turner Sports, NBA TV and CBS-TV for the NBA and for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. A native of Queens, N.Y. who attended Archbishop Molloy High School, he now resides in Atlanta, Ga.

   Fuller (1992-96), a strong low-post presence for the NC State teams of coach Les Robinson in the mid-1990s, led the ACC in scoring as a senior in 1996, averaging 20.9 points per game. The 6-11 center finished 4^th in the ACC in rebounding in 1995 and 5^th in 1996. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in as a senior in 1996 and was a third team choice as a sophomore (1994) and a second-team selection as a junior (1995). Also an excellent student, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from NC State in 1996 in Applied Mathematics. He was named to the All-ACC Academic team in each of his four seasons and he was a two-time first-team Academic All-America, earning that honor in 1995 and 1996. He declined to accept the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in order to play professional basketball. He was the 11^th overall pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and went on to play five seasons in the NBA with Golden State, Utah, Charlotte and Miami. He also played professionally six seasons in Spain, Poland, Greece and Australia. He sponsors an annual mathematics competition for Raleigh, N.C., area high school students through NC State, called the “Todd Fuller Math Competition.” He also has a scholarship fund arranged through the NC State Physical and Mathematical Sciences college. In 2007, the Wolfpack honored him by hanging his jersey, number 52, from the roof of the RBC Center.

   Raker (1977-81) combined with high school teammate Jeff Lamp and Virginia All-America Ralph Sampson to lead Virginia to two of the most successful seasons in school history in 1980 and 1981 for coach Terry Holland. An excellent shooter, defender and passer, Raker helped lead the Cavaliers to a 24-10 record which included the championship of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1980. UVa followed that up with a 29-4 record in 1981, including a 13-1 mark in the ACC and first place during the regular season. UVa advanced to the NCAA Final Four, garnering 3^rd-place national honors with a win over LSU in the consolation game. At one point, Raker helped the Cavaliers win eight consecutive post-season games, still a school record. Virginia finished the 1981 campaign ranked 5^th in the final AP poll and 3^rd in UPI. During his four collegiate seasons,  Raker helped lead Virginia to a 92-32 overall record, averaging in double figures in scoring each year, and shooting 50.3 percent from the field for his collegiate career. He completed his career with 1,423 points, which still ranks 20th on Virginia’s career scoring list. He also led the 1979 squad in field goal percentage and was named a 2^nd-team All-ACC selection that year. An excellent student, Raker was twice named to the All-ACC Academic Basketball squad (1980, 1981) and earned first-team Academic All-America honors in 1981. He was selected in the 4^th round of the 1981 NBA Draft by San Diego. A native of Louisville, Ky., he is now the Head of Investor Relations with Camber Capital Management LLC and lives in the Boston, Mass. area.

   Solomon (1978-82), one of the best basketball players in Virginia Tech history, was a 6-9 center-forward who combined power with a soft shooting touch. He helped the Tech teams of Charlie Moir to a four-year record of 78-41 which included two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth. Solomon led Tech in scoring in each of his four  seasons and ended his career with 2,136 points which still ranks 4^th on the Hokies’ career scoring list. Solomon’s career scoring average (18.4) is Tech’s 9th best. His career field goal percentage of .567 is the second best in Tech history and his 856 career rebounds rank 7th. He was named to the first-team All-Metro Conference in each of his four seasons. Solomon was named the Metro Conference Tournament MVP and Freshman of the Year in 1979, leading the Hokies to the Metro Conference championship. Solomon was selected in the 3^rd round of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers but did not play in the NBA. He did play professionally in Italy for 12 seasons. A native of Annapolis, Md., Solomon is currently living in his hometown.

   Childress (1991-95) turned in one of the spectacular performances in the history of the ACC Tournament in his senior season, as the sharpshooting guard led Wake Forest to the 1995 ACC Championship by averaging 35.7 points and 7 assists per game in the Tournament’s three contests. That year, Childress, playing for coach Dave Odom, saved his best for last, scoring 37 points and passing out 7 assists. In that title game, he connected on the game-winning jump shot with only four seconds remaining in overtime as Wake defeated North Carolina, 82-80. For his efforts, he was named the winner of the Everett Case Award as the 1995 Tournament’s MVP. He also was named the winner of the McKevlin Award as the ACC’s Overall Athlete of the Year for the 1994-95 school year. A second-team All-America selection in 1995, he was named first-team All-ACC in 1994 and 1995 and 2^nd-team All-ACC in 1993. He scored 2,208 points during his career, which still ranks 18^th on the ACC ‘s career scoring list, and he made 329 three-point field goals, the 5^th-highest total in ACC history. He helped lead the Demon Deacons to a four-year record of 85-39 which included four appearances in the NCAA Tournament and two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. He was twice named to the ACC All-Tournament team in 1994 and 1995. Childress ranked 3^rd in scoring in the ACC in 1993 and 1994 and finished 2^nd in 1994. Selected as the 19^th overall choice of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft, he played two seasons in the NBA with Detroit and Portland. He then played 14 professional seasons in Turkey, France, Italy and Australia. In 2002, he was named to the ACC’s 50^th Anniversary Basketball Team as one of its Top 50 basketball players. A native of Washington, D.C., he recently returned to Winston-Salem to serve as an Assistant to the Athletic Director of Wake Forest.

LEGENDS BRUNCH

   The Legends will be honored at this year’s ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Atlanta at the annual ACC Basketball Legends Brunch, which will be held on Saturday, March 10 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Hosted by television personalities Tim Brant and Mike Hogewood, tickets for the ACC Men’s Basketball Legends Brunch are priced at $35 each and tables of ten are available for $350 each. Information on purchasing tickets may be obtained at the official ACC website—www.theACC.com/ACCtournament.

   2012 ACC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT LEGENDS ROSTER

   Name School Years Position Hometown (Current Hometown)

   John Bagley   Boston College 1979-82 Guard Bridgeport, Conn. (Stratford, Conn.)

   Sharone Wright Clemson 1991-94 Center Macon, Ga.  (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)

   Kenny Dennard Duke 1977-81 Forward King, N.C. (Houston, Texas)

   James Collins Florida State 1993-97 Guard Jacksonville, Fla.. (same) 

   Malcolm Mackey Georgia Tech 1989-93 Forward/Ctr. Chattanooga, Tenn. (McDonough, Ga.)

   Johnny Rhodes Maryland 1992-96 Guard Washington, D.C. (same )

   Ron Godfrey Miami 1958-61 Guard Martins Ferry, Ohio (Coral Springs, Fla.)

   Kenny Smith North Carolina 1983-87 Guard Queens, N.Y. (Atlanta, Ga.)

   Todd Fuller NC State 1992-96 Center Charlotte, N.C.. (same)

   Lee Raker Virginia 1977-81 Forward Louisville, Ky. (Boston, Mass.)

   Dale Solomon Virginia Tech 1978-82 Forward Annapolis, Md. (same)

   Randolph Childress Wake Forest 1991-95 Guard Washington, D.C. (Winston-Salem, N.C.)