San Diego, Calif. (May 16, 2012) — The United States Football League (USFL) announced today that Jeff Garcia, a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback during his 12-year NFL career, has been named to the USFL’s board of advisors.

Garcia will serve on the player development branch of the USFL’s advisory board. The Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. resident joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff and former NFL and San Diego Chargers executive Jim Steeg – Chairman of the USFL board of advisors – along with former Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens executive vice president James Bailey and sports consultant/coach Terrell Jones on the board.

“We are thrilled to have Jeff involved and to be able to tap into his knowledge and experience in the professional football world as we look forward to re-launching the USFL in 2013,” USFL President and Chief Executive Officer Jaime Cuadra said. “Jeff’s extensive background and networks with professional football players will undoubtedly help carry out the USFL’s mission of helping our players live successfully and responsibly as positive citizens on and off the field.”

The USFL is planning to field eight teams for its inaugural 14-game season in 2013, kicking off in March and concluding with a championship game in June. The league has targeted a number of U.S. cities for franchises.

The USFL’s board of advisors will be responsible for guiding and advising USFL management on various areas of operations and, eventually, focus on identifying candidates and selecting the league’s commissioner.

Garcia began his NFL stint with the San Francisco 49ers in 1999 and went on to play with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans. He led the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders to the 1998 Grey Cup championship and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, providing his springboard to the NFL.

Garcia, retired from football, is the owner of Beyond Wealth Sports, a company representing professional athletes on and off the field. It is focused on mentoring athletes and helping them prepare for the transition from sports to secondary careers. Garcia’s business practice is directly in line with the USFL’s long-term goals for its players.

The USFL is designed to allow players not drafted by the NFL, or those that have been released by NFL teams, an opportunity to play professional football under the same rules as the NFL. In order to maintain financial responsibility and sustainability, the USFL will structure itself under a single-entity business model. All player and coach contracts will be owned by the USFL, and each team owner will be a member operator of the league.  

The USFL intends to create a working relationship with the NFL by allowing access to its players and personnel. This relationship will be one of respect and collaboration, but the USFL will operate independently with a focus on developing its players and creating the best fan experience possible.

The USFL will also endeavor to prepare players for life after playing football by providing mentorship and counsel to expand the athletes’ awareness of opportunities inside and, especially, outside of football.  Additionally, the USFL wishes to enhance the fan experience by providing greater access to its players and employing technology to enhance the viewing experience for its fans.

Biletnikoff was a six-time All-Pro wide receiver who totaled 589 receptions for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns during his 14-year NFL career with the Raiders. He began his professional coaching career in the original USFL, coaching with the Oakland Invaders and the Arizona Wranglers.

Steeg is a 35-year veteran as an NFL executive and the former COO of the San Diego Chargers. Prior to joining the Chargers, Steeg was instrumental in the growth of the NFL’s Super Bowl, having worked for the NFL for 26 years, where he was Senior Vice President of Special Events.

Bailey was responsible for the management of all business, financial and legal operations in his 21-year tenure with the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens franchise. He facilitated and oversaw the relocation of the franchise to Baltimore.

Jones, CEO and founder of TJones Group, LLC, has been involved in professional sports as a coach and consultant for more than 16 years. He has worked with the NFL, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. Jones has successfully negotiated endorsement deals for his clients as well as sponsorship deals with major corporations, and will consult with the USFL on its business operations.

About The United States Football League

The United States Football League, LLC, a Delaware LLC, is a professional spring outdoor football league owned by EndZone Sports Management and is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. Jaime Cuadra is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the USFL. The USFL’s vision is provide a high-level competitive environment to help develop players for the National Football League, while preparing its players for succeeding as professionals and in life on and off of the field during and after their football careers. While the USFL initially operated from 1983-87, the new USFL plans to debut in the spring of 2013 by fielding eight teams nationwide to play a 14-game season, including a four-team playoff tournament, and providing fans with an exciting and innovative brand of football. The USFL plans to adopt all playing rules of the National Football League. For more information on the USFL’s 2013 launch, please visit the USFL online at www.theusfl.net and via social media on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheUSFL) and on Twitter (@TheUSFL).

CHESTERTOWN, Md. — For a good portion of this afternoon’s game, it appeared as though Rory Averett (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North) might score enough goals to assure a Goucher victory over Washington (Md.) in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

The senior attackman scored twice in the first quarter and the Gophers were up 2-1 after 15 minutes. He stuck another one in the second period as Goucher enjoyed a 3-2 advantage at halftime.

There was only one goal scored the entire third period and it was an extra-man goal by Averett which made the score 4-2 in favor of the Gophers.

But in a span of nine seconds during the early stages of the fourth quarter, the Shoremen wiped out their deficit. They closed to within 4-3 on a goal by Dominic Serio with 12:44 left to play. Michael Trapp won the ensuing faceoff, scooped up a ground ball, took off up the field and deposited a shot in the net to create a 4-4 tie.

The tie would last for nearly five full minutes before Kyle Boncaro (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) scored to put Goucher back on top.

Although the Shoremen got off six more shots over the final 7:45, not one reached its intended target as the Gophers held on for a 5-4 victory. By winning, head coach Kyle Hannan’s squad, which is at No. 10 again this week in the USILA Division III national rankings, advances in the tournament to play No. 1 Salisbury, the defending Division III national champion, on Saturday.

Averett, Goucher’s all-time leader with 190 career goals, took only two of his team’s 11 shots in the opening period, but still accounted for both of the Gophers’ goals. The first one was set up by Sam Woodruff (Glen Ridge, N.J./Kent School) and the second one by Matt Lynch (Ivyland, Pa./LaSalle College). It was Lynch’s 38th assist of the season, which breaks the former school record of 37 established in 1997 by Tim Asher.

Woodruff also picked up an assist on Averett’s goal in the second quarter.

Connor Mishaw (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) made 15 saves in goal for the Gophers and some could only be described as “remarkable.” The junior goalkeeper was particularly solid down the stretch, making three of his saves after Boncaro scored midway through the fourth quarter to put Goucher back in the lead.

In addition, Mishaw rose to the occasion when one of his teammates was serving time for a penalty, making saves on three of the nine shots the Shoremen (11-6) got off during their five extra-man opportunities.

While Washington was 0-for-5 in man-up situations, three of Goucher’s five goals came on extra-man opportunities for the Gophers (18-1). Averett’s goal that broke a 1-1 tie in the first quarter was an extra-man tally, as was with his goal in the third period and Boncaro’s tie-breaking goal in the final stanza.

Today’s win evens Goucher’s all-time record in NCAA Division III men’s lacrosse playoff games at 1-1. The Gophers made their only other appearance in the tournament in 2010 and lost to Middlebury, 10-6, in the opening round.

It’s also the school’s first victory in an NCAA postseason tournament in any sport since the men’s basketball team defeated Cabrini, 67-60, in a first-round game during the 1996-97 season.

DELAWARE, Ohio - Stevenson men’s lacrosse freshman Stephen Banick (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) led the team with two goals and three points, scoring both of his goals in a decisive third quarter as the No. 4 Mustangs wrapped up the regular season Saturday with a 10-5 non-conference road victory at Ohio Wesleyan.

Stevenson (15-4) finished the regular season with at least 15 wins for the fourth-straight year in anticipation of its fourth consecutive selection to the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

The NCAA selection show will take place Sunday, May 6 at 10:00 p.m., on NCAA.com.

As for Saturday, the Mustangs jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Ohio Wesleyan (11-4) scored three of the next four goals to pull within one when Spencer Schnell netted his second of the game just 54 seconds into the third quarter.

However, that would be as close as the Battling Bishops would get as Stevenson outscored them 5-2 in the third quarter, the last two of which came from Banick to give the Mustangs their biggest lead of the game at 9-4.

Stevenson outshot Ohio Wesleyan 16-5 in the third, but won just 2-of-7 face-offs. The Battling Bishops won 12 of the game’s 16 face-offs, but were 0-for-5 on extra-man opportunities.

The Mustangs, who committed a season-low 10 turnovers, received two goals each from Banick, sophomore Chris Dashiell (Salisbury, Md./Parkside), senior Kenny Whittaker (Dundalk, Md./Archbishop Curley) and senior Justin Lea (Elkridge, Md./Mount Saint Joseph).

Senior Nick Rossi (Baltimore, Md./Towson) also had two points with one goal and one assist.

Senior Ian Bolland (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) was credited with nine saves to lead a defense that allowed five goals or less for the 10th time in 19 games this season.

Schnell and Tommy Minkler each had two goals and one assist to lead Ohio Wesleyan while Ryan McMahon had 15 saves.

Four Tigers Named 2012 All-CAA
Thomas DeNapoli & John Fennessy Earn Second Team All-CAA Selections

RICHMOND, Va. – Towson University sophomore’s Thomas DeNapoli and John Fennessy garnered second team All-CAA selections while freshmen Justin Mabus and Jojo Ostrander were named to the All-Rookie team as the league announced its men’s lacrosse post-season awards Friday afternoon.

The four underclassmen were all major contributors in leading the Tigers back into the CAA Tournament after a one year absence. Towson went 7-8 under first-year head coach Shawn Nadelen in 2012 after only winning three games in 2011. The Tigers lost just three games all year to teams not ranked in the Top 20 nationally and they won five straight games from March 17 to April 4, a stretch that included wins over Delaware, Hofstra and UMBC.

DeNapoli led the Tigers with 28 points this season. The sophomore tallied 15 goals and dished out a team-high 13 assists on the year. DeNapoli set a new career high with six points on three goals and three assists to lead the Tigers to a dramatic come-from-behind victory at No. 20 Hofstra on March 31. He had four points in the fourth quarter against the Pride, including a goal with two seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

Fennessy was an anchor on the Towson defense throughout the season. The sophomore started 14 games and was second on the team with 14 caused turnovers. A 2011 CAA All-Rookie team selection, Fennessy caused a career-high three turnovers against both Navy on March 13 and No. 1 Massachusetts on May 2.

Mabus started 10 of the 13 games he played in during his first season in a Tiger uniform. The freshman was second on the team with 11 assists and he scored four goals to total 15 points. Mabus was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week twice, on March 26 after dishing out three assists against Mercer and on April 2 after tallying the game-winning goal for the Tigers in double overtime at Hofstra.

Ostrander was a starter on defense for the Tigers in 14 of 15 games this season. The freshman was usually assigned to guard the opposing team’s top scorer. Ostrander ended the year with 18 groundballs and 11 caused turnovers.

CAA MEN’S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Will Manny, A, Jr., Massachusetts
CAA MEN’S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Dana Wilber, D, Sr., Drexel
CAA MEN’S LACROSSE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:  Ryan Belka, M, Fr., Drexel
CAA MEN’S LACROSSE CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR:  Greg Cannella, Massachusetts

FIRST TEAM
Name, SchoolPos.Yr.Hometown/Previous School
Matthew Mackrides, Penn State*ASr.Newtown Square, Pa./Malvern Prep
Will Manny, Massachusetts#AJr.Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony’s
Grant Kaleikau, Delaware#ASr.Germantown, Md./Bridgton Academy
Kyle Bergman, Drexel#MSr.Toronto, Ontario/St. Andrew’s
Anthony Biscardi, Massachusetts*MSr.Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh
Adrian Sorichetti, HofstraMJr.Whitby, Ontario/All Saints
Frank Tufano, Drexel*LSMSr.Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge
Anthony Toresco, MassachusettsFO Spec.Sr.Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central
Tom Celentani, Massachusetts#DSr.Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur
Ryan McGarvey, Penn StateDSr.Lower Gwynedd, Pa./Penn Charter
Dana Wilber, DrexelDSr.Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan
Austin Kaut, Penn State*GKSoph.Morton, Pa./Springfield-Delco
SECOND TEAM
Name, SchoolPos.Yr.Hometown/Previous School
Robert Church, DrexelAJr.Coquitlam, B.C./Charles Best
Jack Forster, Penn StateASr.Jenkintown, Pa./LaSalle
Art Kell, MassachusettsASr.Westford, Mass./Bridgton Academy
John Austin, DelawareMSr.Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River
Thomas DeNapoli, TowsonMSoph.East Rockaway, N.Y./Lynbrook
Aaron Prosser, DrexelMJr.Portland, Ore./Lincoln
Ryan Hollenbaugh, Massachusetts #LSMJr.Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury
Dan Cooney, Delaware#FO Spec.Sr.Lewes, Del./Ridge (N.J.)
John Antoniades, Hofstra*FO Spec.Jr.Hauppauge, N.Y./St. Anthony’s
John Fennessy, TowsonDSoph.Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown
Mark Mullen, HofstraDJr.Harleysville, Pa./Germantown Academy
Greg Rushing, MassachusettsDSr.Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge
Tim McCormack, MassachusettsGKSr.Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach

* — First Team All-CAA Selection in 2011
# — Second Team All-CAA Selection in 2011
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Name, SchoolPos.Yr.Hometown/Previous School
Tyler Begley, HofstraAFr.East Islip, N.Y./East Islip
Ryan Belka, DrexelMFr.Crofton, Md./DeMatha
Jack Donnelly, Penn StateDFr.Toronto, Ontario/The Hill Academy
Ryan Izzo, MassachusettsMFr.Walpole, Mass./Walpole
Justin Mabus, TowsonMFr.Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown
Michael Malave, HofstraMFr.Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River
Jojo Ostrander, TowsonDFr.Massapequa, N.Y./Farmingdale
Ryan Reilly, HofstraLSMFr.East Northport, N.Y./John Glenn
Michael Richards, Penn StateMFr.Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles
Brandon Worrall, DelawareLSMFr.Plainsboro, N.J./West Windsor North

Opening Face-Off
Towson men’s lacrosse will be making its eighth appearance in the CAA Tournament since joining the league 11 years ago as the Tigers travel to top-seeded and No. 1-ranked UMass on Wednesday. The Tigers (7-7, 2-4 CAA), who have dropped four straight games, are the No. 4 seed. Towson met UMass in the CAA Tournament semifinals in 2010, topping the Minutemen 13-6 at home. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. and all the action can be heard live on WNST-AM 1570 with Spiro Morekas and Hunter Lochte calling the action.

Updating the Tigers
After winning five consecutive games to become nationally-ranked, the Tigers have dropped four straight to even their record at 7-7. Towson still qualified for the CAA Tournament though by virtue of their head-to-head win at Hofstra, which also had a 2-4 mark in CAA action. Towson’s leading goal scorer during the regular season was Sean Maguire, who posted 19 goals to go along with six assists. Sophomore Thomas DeNapoli leads the Tigers in points with 27 on 15 goals and a team-high 12 assists. Faceoff specialist Ian Mills has won 88 of 157 (56 percent) matchups in the ‘X’ this year and he’s also posted a team-high 47 groundballs. In the cage for the Tigers is junior Andrew Wascavage, who has a 9.53 goals-against-average and has saved 56.7 percent of shots face this season. Wascavage is just two games removed from stopping a career-high 21 shots against No. 19 Drexel.

Scouting the Minutemen
UMass is ranked No. 1 in both the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and the USILA Coaches Poll. At 13-0, the Minutemen are the only remaining unbeaten team in the country. UMass posted its first perfect regular-season since 1969 by winning at Delaware on Friday. The Minutemen are led by Tewaaraton nominee Will Manny, who leads the team in points (65), goals (39) and assists (26).

Towson-UMass Series History
Wednesday’s game will be just the sixth all-time meeting between Towson and UMass. The programs met in 1963, but then did not play again until 2010. The squads will be playing for the fifth time since 2010 when they battle on Wednesday. UMass leads the all-time series 3-2 after defeating the Tigers at home this season, 14-3, on April 7. Towson won the only other meeting at Garber Field, 10-9, on April 10, 2010. The Minutemen have won two straight against the Tigers.

Just 26 Days Ago…
The Tigers and Minutemen met on the lacrosse field just 26 days ago in Amherst, Mass. Towson trailed by just two at halftime, but UMass dominated the second half to snap the Tigers’ five-game winning streak. The Minutemen scored 11 of the game’s final 12 goals to pick up the 14-3 victory. The Tigers were outshot 55-24 and won just five of 19 faceoff’s. Junior goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage recorded 15 saves and the Tigers got goals from Andrew Hodgson, Sean Maguire and Matt Hughes.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Needing to address the center position with veteran Matt Birk not getting any younger, the Ravens wasted no time on the third day of the draft by selecting Delaware’s Gino Gradkowski with the third pick of the fourth round.

Able to play both center and guard, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Gradkowski will compete for the vacant left guard job as well as continue to develop at the center position. The younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, the Blue Hens product joins quarterback Joe Flacco in Baltimore.

“It’s a perfect spot for me,” Gradkowski said. “Come in and maybe play guard my first year and eventually take over at center, and that’s what I was looking to do. Get in behind a veteran like Matt Birk. I’m really excited to meet him and pick his brain about football. It’s a perfect scenario, and I just couldn’t be happier.”

Gradkowski was the second center taken off the board in the 2012 NFL Draft after Wisconsin’s Peter Konz was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round. The Houston Texans took the third center off the board with the pick immediately following the Ravens, grabbing George center Ben Jones with the 99th overall pick.

The Ravens showed plenty of interest in Gradkowski throughout the draft process as he reportedly made a pre-draft visit to Baltimore.

“I’m elated right now because Baltimore plays football the way it’s supposed to be played,’ Gradkowski said.

The Gradkowski pick at 98th overall was made possible by general manager Ozzie Newsome’s decision to trade the Ravens’ first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the third pick of the second round (35th overall) and the third pick of the fourth round, where Baltimore grabbed the center.

A Pittsburgh native, Gradkowski began his collegiate career at West Virginia before transferring to FCS school Delaware due to a lack of playing time with the Mountaineers. He was a co-captain for the Blue Hens in his senior season.

Though he transferred to Delaware after Flacco was already taking snaps in Baltimore, Gradkowski is looking forward to potentially forming an all-Blue Hens quarterback-center combination in the future.

“I have heard a lot of great things about him, and I am excited to meet him,” Gradkowski said. “I feel like, from the things I have heard, we are very similar personality wise.”

Listen to Gradkowski’s conference call with the Baltimore media here.

UMBC (5-6, 3-1 America East) takes on host Binghamton (3-9, 0-4) in the regular season finale at the Bearcats Sports Complex on Saturday, April 28. The Retrievers are seeking a victory to post their first back-to-back wins of the season and clinch at least one home game in next week’s America East Conference Championships. The opening face-off is scheduled to take place at 7:00 p.m.

SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS

JR A Scott Jones capped a miraculous rally with a goal at the 1:43 mark of overtime and the Retrievers edged Albany, 17-16, at UMBC Stadium on Senior Day. With the victory, UMBC clinched a spot in the America East four-team playoffs for the ninth time in nine conference seasons.

The Retrievers (3-1 AEC) also will have a winning league record in America East for the ninth consecutive year.

PLAYOFF SCENARIOS:

UMBC will be the No. 1 seed if…

The Retrievers defeat Binghamton and Albany defeats Stony Brook

UMBC will be the No. 2 seed if…

Stony Brook defeats Albany

UMBC will be the No. 3 seed if…

UMBC loses to Binghamton and Albany defeats Stony Brook

SO M Phil Poe was been named America East Conference Player of the Week. Poe tied a school record by winning 22 face-offs in the 17-16 overtime victory over Albany. Poe is ranked 14th in the country in ground balls per game (5.91) and 21st in face-off winning pct. (55.5).

Jones has scored 17 goals in his last five outings and became the first Retrievers since Alex Hopmann (36) in 2009 to reach the 30-goal plateau with 31 scores. he is tenth in the nation with 2.82 goals per game.

SO A Joe Lustgarten is 7th in the country with 2.0 assists per game.

The 17 goals scored by UMBC was its most since a 17-10 win over Rutgers in 2009… The 33 goals combined by the two squads was the most in a Retriever contest since an 18-15 loss at Towson early in the 1998 campaign.

BEASTS OF AMERICA EAST: UMBC is now 36-10 in nine years of America East competition and 20-4 at UMBC Stadium. UMBC has never lost back-to-back regular season contests in league play.

WINNING THE TIGHT ONES: UMBC is now 26-16 in games decided by three goals or less since the beginning of the 2007 season. UMBC had won eight straight overtime decisions from 2007-09 until dropping a Feb. 20, 2010 triple overtime decision to Delaware. UMBC’s previous overtime loss was an 11-10 setback at Penn early in the 2006 season.

In 2012, UMBC is 2-4 in games decided by one or two goals. The Retrievers have won 17 of its last 23 one-goal decisions.

UMBC is now 16-6 in Don Zimmerman’s 19 seasons in overtime and in his career, Coach Zimmerman is 18-8 in extra time in 26 seasons.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS

Binghamton dropped its third straight game last Saturday with a 11-5 defeat at Vermont, eliminating the Bearcats from playoff contention.

SO M Michael Antinozzi registered a goal and two assists, while fellow midfielder Tyler Perrelle chipped in with a goal and an assist in the losing effort.

Antinozzi improved his point per game total to 3.25 (28 goals, 11 assists, 4th in AE) and is just one goal shy of tying the BU season scoring record with 29 goals. Perrell has 23 goals in 2012.

The game will feature the Bearcats seven seniors which include Ryan Button, Ben Waldron, John Clark, Jeff Donigan, Jordan Marra, Chris Cook and Nick Marshall. The Bearcats are 3-2 at home in 2012.

The Bearcats lead America East with 36.3 shots per game, but are last in shooting accuracy at 25.0 percent.

Binghamton also leads America East with 8.25 caused turnovers per contest.

THE SERIES

Binghamton won the first match-up between the two teams in 2004 (5-4), but UMBC has won the last 11 straight.

The last two AEC tournament games between the two teams have gone to overtime in 2008 and 2009.

Due to playoff games at UMBC, four of the last five meetings have occurred at UMBC Stadium. Six of the 12 meetings have been decided by three goals or fewer. Dave Brown scored three goals and added an assist as the host Retrievers edged Binghamton, 8-6, in the last meeting on April 9, 2011. UMBC used a 6-0 run in the second quarter to take control of the contest. Rob Grimm had three goals and two assists and Nick Doub had a career-best 3-point game (2g, 1a) in UMBC’s 12-6 win at Binghamton in 2010. Adam Cohen recorded that win in goal.

The Game: Tenth-ranked Johns Hopkins (9-3) makes the short trip to the Ridley Athletic Complex to take on top-ranked Loyola (12-0). The game is sold out.

Last Time Out: Johns Hopkins dropped its second straight game with an 8-2 loss at Navy last Saturday. Loyola moved to 12-0 and took over sole possession of the top spot in the national rankings with a 17-6 win at Hobart.

Series History: Johns Hopkins and Loyola are meeting for the 50th time in a series that dates to a 20-1 Johns Hopkins win in 1939. Johns Hopkins won last season’s meeing, 8-7, at Homewood Field, has won 12 straight against the Greyhounds and leads the series 46-3. A complete series review can be found at the back of this week’s note packet.

These are the Facts: Johns Hopkins enters this week’s game against Loyola with an all-time record of 921-297-15 (.753). The Blue Jays own nine NCAA titles, 29 USILA titles and six ILA titles for a total of 44 national championships.

A Win For Johns Hopkins Would …
• Give the Blue Jays 10 wins for the ninth time in 12 seasons under head coach Dave Pietramala.
• Give JHU 10 wins for the 33rd time in school hsitory.
• Be the 13th consecutive win for Johns Hopkins over Loyola.
• Improve JHU’s record to 56-6 against teams from the state of Maryland since Dave Pietramala took over in 2001.
• Improve Johns Hopkins’ reocrd to 50-10 in games played in April under Dave Pietramala.

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 158-61 (.721), including a 135-44 (.754) 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.

Representing the Stars and Stripes: Johns Hopkins head coach Dave Pietramala will serve as an assistant coach for the United States at at the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships in Denver Colorado. Pietramala will serve under Richie Meade, the head coach at Navy from 1995-2011.

Durkin, Bassett Among Tewaaraton Nominees: Johns Hopkins placed two players among the top 25 men’s nominees for the 2012 Tewaaraton Award it was announced on April 25. Juniors Tucker Durkin (D) and Pierce Bassett (G) are among the 25, making Johns Hopkins one of just five schools with two nominees.
The 12th-annual Tewaaraton Award will be presneted to the top male and female lacrosse players on May 31 at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
Durkin is one of just three close defensemen among the final 25, while Bassett is one of just four goalies among the final 25.

Program Ties-I: Johns Hopkins Associate Head Coach Bill Dwan is the older brother of Loyola assistant coach/defensive coordinator Matt Dwan.

Program Ties-II: Loyola sophomore faceoff specialist Brandon Donovan is the younger brother of Tim Donovan, who played at Johns Hopkins from 2008-11 and helped the Blue Jays to four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Play it and They Will Come: Johns Hopkins will play in front of its second sellout crowd in three weeks on Saturday as Loyola has sold all 6,000 tickets available for this week’s game. JHU also played in front of a packed house of 8,500 on April 14 when Maryland visited Homewood Field.
Playing in front of large crowds is nothing new for the Blue Jays, who lead the nation in average attendance for all games played (7,094).

Six Over Six: This week’s crowd of 6,000 at Loyola will be the sixth crowd of 6,000 or more that Johns Hopkins will have played in front of in 2012.

Five of Top Eight: There have been eight crowds of 6,500 or more at a Division I men’s lacrosse game this season and Johns Hopkins has been a participant in five of the eight.

Against Number One: This week’s game against Loyola will be the second this season for the Blue Jays against a team ranked number one – and both will have taken place on the road.
Earlier this season (March 24) the Blue Jays knocked off then top-ranked Virginia, 11-10, in overtime.
This week’s game will be the 11th Johns Hopkins has played against a team ranked number one under head coach Dave Pietramala. The Blue Jays are 6-4 in their 10 games against the nation’s top-ranked team under his guidance and 16-22 overall against the number-one ranked team since 1973 (USILA rankings began in 1973).

Close Calls: Seven of the 10 games Johns Hopkins has played against teams ranked number one under head coach Dave Pietramala have been decided by one goal. JHU is 5-2 in those seven one-goal games. Overall, 15 of JHU’s 37 games against a team ranked number one have been decided by one goal – JHU is 7-8 in those 15 games.

That’s Odd: This will be the fourth game Johns Hopkins has played under head coach Dave Pietramala as the 10th-ranked team in the nation. JHU is a perfect 3-0 in the previous three games.

April Reign: Flipping the calendar to April has usually been a good sign for the Blue Jays, who are 49-10 (.831) under head coach Dave Pietramala in games played in April. JHU is 28-4 at home, 19-4 on the road and 2-2 on a neutral field in April under Pietramala’s guidance.

Prepping For May: May become a whole lot more important when the NCAA began sponsoring the lacrosse national championhip in 1971. Johns Hopkins currently has a streak of 40 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and finishing April strong has been a big part of Hopkins’ success. In fact, Johns Hopkins has won the last game it has played in the month of April in each of the last 15 years and 39 of 40 during its streak of qualifying for the NCAAs. The only time JHU lost its last game in April since 1972 was in 1996 (Towson: Lost 13-12).

Marching Orders: Johns Hopkins closed out the March portion of its 2012 schedule at Virginia on March 24. The Blue Jays posted their first perfect record in the month of March (5-0) since 2005, when they also won all five of their games played in the month. Since 1972, JHU has posted a perfect record in the month of March 15 times (not including this season). In six of those years the Blue Jays went on to win the national championship and in seven other instances JHU finished as national runner-up.

Streaking: In case you didn’t notice, Johns Hopkins is 17-4 in its last 21 games, 22-6 since the start of the 2011 season and 24-8 in its last 32 games.

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 had its 12-game home winning streak snapped with the 9-6 loss to Maryland on April 14. The streak is the second-longest under head coach Dave Pietramala, who picked up his 75th career victory at Homewood Field with the win earlier this season against Delaware. Hopkins sports a 79-13 (.859) 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 recent 12-game home winning streak is the fourth home streak of seven wins or more since he arrived.

Balancing Act: Johns Hopkins has employed virtually the same first and second midfield units throughout the first 12 games and those units have proven to be steady in terms of production. JHU’s first unit of Rob Guida(13), John Ranagan (13) and John Greeley (7) has combined for 33 goals, while the second unit of Lee Coppersmith (12), Mark Goodrich (6) and Greg Edmonds (4) has 22 goals to its credit.
The major difference between the two groups has been with assists. The unit of Guida, Ranagan and Greeley has combined for 19 assists. Edmonds’ assist against North Carolina was the first assist of the season from the trio on the second midfield, which now has two assists to its credit.

Attack Oriented: Despite being forced to start five different players in three different combinations, the starting attack units the Blue Jays have trotted out have been effective and efficient. Despite struggling the last two weeks, the unit has combined for 54 goals and 38 assists (7.67 points per game) through 12 games.

On the Flip Side: While the Blue Jay attack is collectively averaging nearly eight points per game, the Blue Jay defense has not been nearly as giving. In fact, the starting attack units Johns Hopkins has faced this season have totaled just 41 goals and 23 assists (5.3 points per game).

Bassett Now 22-6 in Last 28 Starts: Junior goalie Pierce Bassett picked up his 25th career victory in goal with the 17-6 win vs. Albany as he posted 11 saves in just over 55 minutes of action. Bassett is now 22-6 in his last 28 starts dating back to the start of the 2011 season and counts a 25-10 career record to his credit.
Through 12 games Bassett currently ranks sixth in the nation in goals against average (7.02) and 19th in save percentage (.552).
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. Bassett’s 7.07 goals against average is the second best by a JHU goalie since 1993 (Jesse Schwartman’s 6.68 GAA in 2005 is the best since records became available in ‘93).

Boland Returns: Senior attackman Chris Boland returned to the lineup against North Carolina after missing seven consecutive games with an injury he suffered 35 minutes into the season opener against Towson. Boland scored twice and dished out a pair of assists against the Tar Heels and came back with a three-goal, two-assist showing against Albany and a one-goal, one-assist effort against Maryland to push his season totals to 10 goals and five assists. He had 13-game goal and point-scoring streaks snapped last week at Navy.
Boland pushed his career totals to 76 goals and 43 assists for 119 points with his one goal and one assist vs. Maryland. He has 10 career hat tricks, 28 career multi-point games and 18 games with four points or more.

Stanwick in Rare Company: Freshman Wells Stanwick ran his streak of consecutive multi-point games to seven with one goal and two assists in the win over Albany before being held scoreless by Maryland and Navy. His run of seven straight multi-point games to open his career is the longest by a Johns Hopkins player (freshmen only – not transfers) since all-time leading scorer Terry Riordan opened his career with 18 consecutive multi-point games from 1992-93.
Stanwick has six goals and 13 assists for 19 points in nine games played. He missed three games early in the season with an injury, but still ranks second on the team in assists and fourth in points.

Offensive Notes of Interest: Below are several notes of interest about the JHU offense:
• JHU has scored at least one goal in 43 of 48 quarters this season and two or more in 35 of the 48 quarters.
• For all the talk about JHU being a slow down team, the Blue Jays are averaging 35.5 shots per game. That number compares favorably to JHU’s averages in 2005 (38.1) and 2007 (36.3) – the most recent years in which Johns Hopkins won the national championship.
• Johns Hopkins ranks 30th in the nation in scoring offense (9.83), 15th in extra-man offense (.419) and 12th in scoring margin (+2.92).

Defensive Notes of Interest: Below are several notes of interest about the JHU defense:
• Hopkins is surrendering an average of just 29.2 shots per game.
• JHU has held the opposition scoreless in 14 of 48 quarters this season (29.2%).
• The Blue Jays rank fifth in the nation in scoring defense (6.92), 14th in man-down defense (.722) and 12th in scoring margin (+2.92) this season.
• Johns Hopkins has held each of its 12 opponents scoreless for a stretch of at least 14:25 and 10 of the 12 have gone scoreless for 19:30 or longer.

Now That’s a Drought: The Johns Hopkins defense did not allow an even-strength goal for an amazing stretch of 116:37 from late in the win at Princeton through early in the fourth quarter of the win over UMBC.

About the Shutout: Shutouts in college lacrosse are rare, but JHU notched one with the 11-0 victory over Manhattan on March 6. Prior to that, the Blue Jays had last posted a shutout on March 26, 1988, when they knocked off Princeton, 9-0. The shutout vs. Manhattan was the 61st in JHU history with 57 of those coming prior to 1950.

Poll Position: The Blue Jays check in at number 10 in the USILA Coaches Poll and 11th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll this week. 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 394 weekly polls since the inception of the poll in 1973. Amazingly, JHU has been ranked in the top 20 in 392 of those 394 polls. The Blue Jays have been in the top 10 in 371 of the 394 and the top five in 295 of those 394. Johns Hopkins has been ranked number one 104 times since the poll debuted in 1973.

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 (Maryland-9, Cornell-8, Virginia-7, Notre Dame-6, Duke-5, North Carolina-5).

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 921 all-time wins.

That’s 624 Games Over .500: The Blue Jays’ all-time record is now 921-297-15 (.753) … that’s 624 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 125 straight seasons, they would still be four games over .500.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - The No. 9 Maryland men’s lacrosse team closes out its regular season home slate by hosting Bellarmine on Saturday, April 28, at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Faceoff is scheduled for noon.

• The game will mark the final regular season game for seven Terrapin seniors: Joe Cummings, MJ Leonard, David Miller, Pat Morrison, Tim Shaeffer, Michael Shakespeare and Drew Snider. The 2012 senior class has compiled a 43-20 (.683) record during its time in College Park, helped bring the Terps the 2011 ACC Championship and were key to Maryland’s run to the 2011 NCAA championship game. They have also helped Maryland to three NCAA tournament bids with a fourth a near certainty when the 2012 field is announced on May 6.

• Maryland (8-4, 1-2 ACC) is coming off of a 12-8 victory at Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday, April 25. Senior Joe Cummings became just the 38th player in the 87-year history of the Maryland men’s lacrosse program to reach 100 career points with four points on three goals and an assist vs. the Mount. Owen Blye led the Terps with five points on two goals and three assists.

• The Knights are 4-7 on the year and are coming off of a 9-8 victory over Detroit Mercy on April 21. Bellarmine opened the season winning three of its first five games, but then went on a five-game losing skid before beating the Titans. This season the Knights are led by senior midfielder Colton Clark, who has 30 points on 18 goals and 12 assists. Junior attackman Michael Ward is the team leader in goals with 22. Junior Dylan Ward has started all 11 of Bellarmine’s 11 games in cage and has a .515 save percentage and a 10.25 goals-against average.

The Count Down
10 … Since 2002 Maryland has won 89 of the 97 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .918 winning percentage.
9 … Maryland is 107-24 in games since 2002 when it allows nine goals or less, for an .817 winning percentage.
8 … Owen Blye needs eight points to reach 75 for his career.
7 … Seven Terps will be playing in their final regular season game at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.
6 … Joe Cummings has had six games this season with at least three points.
5 … Niko Amato is fifth in the lastest NCAA rankings with a 6.94 goals-against average.
4 … This will be the Terps’ fourth meeting all-time with Bellarmine.
3 … Three Terps have totaled 20 or more points so far this season.
2 … Goran Murray is just the second close defender to be named the ACC Freshman of the Year in the last 12 years.
1 … Head coach John Tillman is 1-0 all-time vs. Bellarmine.

Coaching Match-Up
• John Tillman is in his fifth season as a head coach, and second with the Terps, with a 40-28 career record for a 58.8 winning percentage. Tillman is 20-9 (.690) as Maryland’s head coach. He had a 20-19 record in three seasons as the head coach at Harvard.

• Bellarmine’s Kevin Burns is in his first season as a head coach and has a 4-7 (.364) record at Bellarmine.

• This will be Tillman’s second game vs. the Knights as a head coach. He is 1-0 vs. Bellarmine, winning 12-8 in College Park in his first season as Maryland’s head coach.

Series History vs. Bellarmine
• There’s not much of a series history, but Maryland holds an 3-0 advantage in it.

• Last season the Terps hosted Bellarmine in a Monday matinee and Maryland, behind hat tricks by seniors Travis Reed and Ryan Young, raced out to an 11-3 lead through three quarters and won the game 12-8. Niko Amato played the first three quarters and made eight saves, while allowing just three goals.

• Maryland played its 2010 season opener at Bellarmine as the Knights dedicated the plaza area of its stadium to Jack McGetrick, the former head coach who founded the Knights’ lacrosse program. McGetrick passed away from prostate cancer in October of 2010. The Terps went on to win their 17th straight season opener, 11-6, behind four different Maryland players each scoring a pair of goals. Grant Catalino led the way with six points on two goals and four assists. Brian Phipps made 12 saves to lead the Terrapin defense.

• The first meeting between the two clubs came in the 2007 season opener with the Terps taking an 11-6 victory at Maryland’s Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. The game was the Terrapin debut for some highly touted freshmen and they did not disappoint. Long pole Brian Farrell scored twice in his college debut to go along with four groundballs. Goalie Brian Phipps was pressed into duty from the start due to injuries to Harry Alford and Jason Carter, but he responded with nine saves and three groundballs to pick up his first career victory. Overall, 11 different Terps registered points in the game, led by attackmen Michael Phipps and Max Ritz, who had three apiece.

Bernhardt, Murray Earn Annual ACC Awards
• Junior long pole Jesse Bernhardt and freshman defender Goran Murray were among the five student-athletes recognized as recipients of the annual ACC men’s lacrosse individual awards, the conference announced Tuesday.

• Bernhardt, a native of Longwood, Fla., shares the inaugural ACC Defensive Player of the Year award with Duke’s CJ Costabile. Bernhardt, who is also a 2012 Tewaaraton Trophy nominee, leads the Terps with 22 caused turnovers and leads the conference with 2.0 caused turnovers per game. He is also averaging 3.3 groundballs per game and is the captain of a Maryland defense that currently ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 7.45 goals per game.

• Murray, a native of Merion Station, Pa., becomes the seventh Terp to be named the ACC Freshman of the Year. He is the first since 2007 when Brian Phipps earned the honor and the first Maryland defender since Michael Howley won the honor. Murray was a long-pole midfielder coming into preseason practice, but was converted to close defense and has become Maryland’s shutdown defender. Murray has started all 11 games for the Terps and became the first freshman close defender to start a season opener since 2008. He currently ranks sixth in the conference with 1.1 caused turnovers per game.

• Virginia senior Steele Stanwick earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Duke’s John Danowski was named the ACC Coach of the Year.

League-Best Four Terps Named To All-ACC Team
• Maryland placed a league-high four players on the 2012 All-ACC Men’s Lacrosse Team, which was announced today by the Atlantic Coast Conference. Senior attackman Joe Cummings and sophomore goalie Niko Amato made the team for the second-straight season, while junior long pole Jesse Bernhardt and junior midfielder John Haus are first-time selections.

• All four ACC men’s programs are represented on the annual All-ACC team, which was determined by a vote of the four head coaches. Maryland’s four honorees were the most by any school. Duke and Virginia each had three selections, while North Carolina had one player make the team.