COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Six incoming University of Maryland men’s lacrosse signees are among the 45 boy’s lacrosse players selected to play in the eighth annual Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic, which will take place on Saturday, July 6, at Towson’s Unitas Stadium.

Attackmen Connor Cannizzaro (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia HS) and Tim Rotanz (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River HS) will compete for the North squad, while the South team features a quartet of future Terps in attackman Colin Heacock (Catonsville, Md./Boys Latin), goalie Dan Morris (Dallas, Texas/Dallas Jesuit HS), defender Mac Pons (Bel Air, Md./Boys Latin) and attackman Matt Rambo (Glenside, Pa./LaSalle College HS).

The six selections ties for the second-most ever for an incoming Terrapin class and also ties for the most for any school in this year’s game. The six selections bring the total of Maryland men’s lacrosse players to have competed in the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic to 40.

The selected high-school seniors will experience a weekend of events that begins on Thursday, July 4 and culminates with the Under Armour All-America Girls Classic on Saturday, July 6 at 5 p.m. followed by the Boys Classic at 8 p.m. The Under Armour All-America Boys Classic will be showcased live on ESPNU for the eighth year.

The Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic also includes the Underclassmen tournament that will feature the top underclass boys players from the classes of 2014-2016 from10 regions across the country. The three-day Underclassmen tournament culminates Sunday, July 7 with the finals at 3:30 p.m. on the fields surrounding Unitas Stadium.

Tickets will be available for purchase on www.ticketmaster.com. For more information about the event, visit www.underarmourlacrosse.com. You can also follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UAAllAmericaLax.

Maryland’s former Under Armour Lacrosse All-Americans:
2012
Tommy Forsberg
Ryan Lehman
Bradlee Lord

2011
Jay Carlson
Kevin Forster
Bobby Gribbin
Joe LoCascio
Goran Murray
Eric Parnon
David Solomon

2010
Rustin Bryant
Emmett Cahill
Brian Cooper
Michael Ehrhardt
Quinn Haley
Casey Ikeda

2009
Niko Amato
Jesse Bernhardt
Landon Carr

2008
Jake Bernhardt
Owen Blye
Joe Cummings
Joey Fontanesi
Grant Oliver
Michael Shakespeare

2007
Grant Catalino
Tony Mendes
Travis Reed
Max Schmidt
Mark White
Ryan Young

2006
Brian Farrell
Bryn Holmes
Brian Phipps

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 1pm live on Golf Channel 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Ft. Worth, TX), Champions Tour Senior PGA Championship (Thursday & Friday 12pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from St. Louis), Bahamas LPGA Classic (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 3pm from Paradise Island, Bahamas live on Golf Channel); Boxing: Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler (Saturday 6pm from London live on HBO); WNBA: Washington Mystics @ Tulsa Shock (Monday 3pm from Tulsa live on ESPN2); High School Lacrosse: MPSSAA Championship Games-1A/2A Final: Patterson Mill vs. Fallston (Tuesday 6pm UMBC Stadium), 2A/3A Final: Glenelg vs. Hereford (Wednesday 4pm UMBC Stadium), 3A/4A Final: South River vs. Westminster (Wednesday 8pm UMBC Stadium)

10. 10 Years (Thursday 7:30pm Rams Head Live); 10,000 Maniacs (Wednesday & Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Korn (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Kelly Rowland & The Dream (Sunday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Macy Gray (Thursday 7:30pm Birchmere); SWV (Friday 8pm Howard Theatre); Lonestar (Wednesday 8pm Strathmore); Trey Anastasio (Wednesday 8pm Kennedy Center); Shooter Jennings (Thursday 8pm State Theatre); Kenny Chesney/Eric Church/Eli Young Band (Saturday 5pm FedEx Field); Delfest feat. Del McCoury Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jerry Douglas, Carolina Chocolate Drops (Thursday-Sunday Allegany County Fairgrounds); Daft Punk “Random Access Memories”, Darius Rucker “True Believers” and 30 Seconds to Mars “LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

As far as country music goes, Eric Church ain’t too bad.

There’s so much I’d like to see at Delfest. I hope you know how great Jerry Douglas is.

Or how great Carolina Chocolate Drops are.

Lot of people who want to prove how cool they are have been trashing Darius’ version of “Wagon Wheel.” Not among that group of people, the band that first turned Bob Dylan’s half song into a full song.

9. Greg Proops (Tuesday 8pm DC Improv), Godfrey (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Chris Hardwick (Saturday 6pm 9:30 Club); “The Hangover Part III“, “Epic” and “Fast & Furious 6” out in theaters (Friday); “Parker” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Brew At The Zoo (Saturday & Sunday Maryland Zoo in Baltimore); “Arrested Development Season 4” debuts (Sunday 3am Netflix)

It’s kinda hard to remember just how great “The Hangover” ever was at this point. I THINK I’ll end up seeing the new one, but I’m not promising.

Also, you’ll be watching this video until 3am Sunday…

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The No. 12 Salisbury University men’s lacrosse team’s title defense came to an end on Sunday night at Mustang Stadium, as the Sea Gulls fell to No. 4 Stevenson University, 12-6, in an NCAA Division III semifinal game; this marked the fourth-straight semifinal appearance for the Gulls, but the first loss in the round since 1998 and the first time failing to make the national championship since 2009.

Stevenson jumped out to an early lead on the Sea Gulls, starting the game with a three-goal run. Less than two minutes into the game, at the 13:27 mark, Mark Pannenton scored for the Mustangs to begin the run. Pannenton blocked a pass by junior goalkeeper Alex Taylor and retrieved the ground ball for a one-on-one chance.

Freshman attackman Brady Dashiell, Salisbury’s leader with three goals, stopped the run with the Sea Gulls’ first goal to cut the lead; junior attackman Rhett DePol passed across the crease to an open Dashiell, who put the ball home in the right side of the cage. Dashiell and DePol both tallied four points to lead the Gulls, as DePol registered a team-high three assists.

The quarter ended with two goals from the Mustangs, as Salisbury entered the second quarter trailing, 5-1.

The Gulls took little time getting onto the scoreboard in the second, scoring two goals in the first two minutes of the period.

At the 14:05 mark, Dashiell had the ball near the right sideline, before dodging his defender, running to the crease and beating the Mustang’s keeper for his second goal. He then assisted DePol just 64 seconds later, passing the ball to DePol, who faked the goalie on the crease and scored low to cut the lead to 5-3.

After getting within two, the Sea Gulls gave up a four-goal run to the Mustangs to end the half. Chris Dashiell scored three during the run for Stevenson, and Salisbury entered halftime trailing, 9-3.

At the half, Salisbury was trailing in shots, 22-16, and faceoffs won, 2-of-6, but the Sea Gulls were successful on 5-of-7 clears.

Both teams scored only one goal in the third quarter, with Tyler Smith ripping a shot from 15 yards for the Sea Gulls, and the score entering the fourth quarter was 10-4.

While holding the Mustangs to the single score, the Gulls were unable to jump at the chance to gain some ground. “We did create some opportunities during that run,” Head Coach Jim Berkman said. “We just weren’t able to capitalize.”

To start the final quarter, Stevenson’s Tyler Reid scored at the 13:05 mark to increase the Mustang’s lead to 11-4, but two goals from the Sea Gulls cut the lead to five with just over six minutes remaining.

Brady Dashiell completed his hat trick by taking a pass from DePol and netting a shot from the right wing.

Smith tallied his second on a man-up chance; he took a pass from junior midfielder Greg Korvin and whizzed a low shot from 20 yards past the keeper.

The Mustangs scored again late to cap the game.

Taylor played all 60 minutes for the Gulls in the cage and made nine saves in the effort.

Despite the 2013 season coming to an end, the Sea Gulls were a young team this season that now has good experience moving forward. “There are some young guys that definitely got their feet wet and hopefully got some great experience,” Berkman said. “It will really pay dividends in the future.”

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Senior Tewaaraton finalist Alex Aust led top-seeded Maryland to a 14-9 victory over Duke in the quarterfinals of the 2013 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship Saturday.

With the win, the Terps (21-0) punched their ticket to a fifth-straight national semifinal and will face Syracuse Friday at Villanova Stadium. Aust recorded five goals and added two assists. The Sterling, Va., native also moved into third all-time in points (119) in single season history at Maryland.

After being stymied in the beginning of the Stony Brook match in the second round, the Terps wasted no time getting their attack rolling against the Blue Devils, notching the first two tallies of the game in the first seven minutes of play. Brooke Griffin and Halle Majorana put Maryland up with a pair of unassisted scores before Duke landed on the scoreboard with a goal at 20:25.

A pair of goals at 19:13 and 14:52 by Aust and fellow attacker Kristen Lamon extended the Terrapin lead to 4-1 before the two teams exchanged goals twice for a 6-3 score with five minutes remaining. The Terps would outscore Duke 2-1 down the stretch in the first half to carry a solid 8-4 cushion into the break.

Maryland preserved that momentum early in the second half, adding on to its four-goal lead with three early tallies in the stanza. Aust played a hand in all three, scoring goals at 26:30 and 22:44 and assisting on a Katie Schwarzmann score in-between.

Duke posted its first goal of the period with a Maddy Morissey score at 21:55 but Maryland compiled a devastating 3-0 run in-and-around the 17-minute mark – courtesy of goals from Schwarzmann, Griffin and Beth Glaros - to mount a 14-5 advantage with 15 minutes to play.

Duke turned up the heat with four goals in the final seven minutes of play, but Maryland would hold on for the 14-9 win, the last for eight Terrapin seniors at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.

Maryland benefited from a balanced attack with seven goal-scorers on the day. Griffin added three goals and two assists and Schwarzmann tallied a pair of scores to aid the attack.

Defensively, senior Kasey Howard recorded seven saves in the cage. Aust, Schwarzmann and Cummings combined for 10 ground balls. Cummings and fellow freshman Alice Mercer led the way with two caused turnovers each.

“Congratulations to Duke. It was a fun game, a hard-fought game and I don’t think you’d expect anything less when you get a Maryland-Duke rivalry,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “For us, we are thrilled to be in the position we are in. We’re excited and looking forward to being one of the final four teams standing and heading to the final four next week.”

Maryland – which is headed to its nation-leading 21st final four – will play fourth-seeded Syracuse next Friday in the national semifinals at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pa.

In a letter to the Johns Hopkins community on Friday, May 17, President Ronald J. Daniels announced that he has accepted the recommendation of a special committee that the Blue Jay men’s lacrosse program seek conference affiliation. The text of President Daniels’ message and the committee report follow.

Dear Member of the Johns Hopkins Community:

In some circles, Johns Hopkins is known best for healing. In others, we are recognized for discovery or for the amazing achievements of our students.

In still others, the name “Johns Hopkins” means lacrosse, Homewood Field and 44 men’s national championships. As with healing, discovery and achievement, that is a very special association and one that we are determined to preserve.

I wrote to you in early March to say that the changing face of intercollegiate athletics and the immense growth in the sport of lacrosse had made it necessary for Johns Hopkins to consider a step it had never taken in 130 years of competition: foregoing our independent status and affiliating with a conference for men’s lacrosse.

It would be a big step, a departure from history and Blue Jay tradition. We would never take such a step lightly. I announced the formation, therefore, of a special committee to examine all aspects of the issue and to provide me with an informed recommendation.

I also invited you to participate in the process by sharing your views with the committee. I am pleased to say that more than 300 of our students, alumni, faculty and staff did so.

In the two months since it was formed, the committee has worked diligently to understand the landscape and to consider whether we should make a change. Its members and staff, in addition to considering your feedback, have consulted with faculty athletics representatives at other universities, with officials of a number of conferences, and with traditional Johns Hopkins rivals. They have compiled and analyzed relevant statistical information; they have engaged in detailed discussions with Athletics Director Tom Calder and Coach Dave Pietramala, A&S ’90.

The committee’s unanimous conclusion, transmitted to me last week, is that Johns Hopkins and its men’s lacrosse student-athletes would best be served by our seeking affiliation for men’s lacrosse only with an NCAA Division I conference. That conclusion was based on committee members’ conviction that such a move will provide our university and history’s most-successful lacrosse program the best opportunity for continued leadership at the highest level of intercollegiate competition. It was based on their conviction that joining a Division I conference for men’s lacrosse is the best course for our athletes, our program and our university, and that it can be done without compromise to our academic integrity or athletic traditions.

I agree with the committee’s analysis and have accepted its recommendations. Tom Calder and Dave Pietramala are also in agreement. Together, we intend to pursue an affiliation. As I mentioned in my March message, there already have been expressions of interest. I will report to you when there is a conclusion to these discussions.

The special committee’s report is available online here. To be clear, we intend, as previously announced, to compete as a Division I independent in women’s lacrosse. We remain deeply and philosophically committed to continued participation in NCAA Division III competition in all other sports.

The members of the special committee have invested a great deal of time and energy and done a wonderful job. On behalf of the entire university community, I want to express my most sincere appreciation to all the members, and especially to co-chairs Jerry Schnydman, A&S ’67, and Chris Watson, A&S ’05.

Sincerely,
Ronald J. Daniels

Honorable Mention: MLS-Sporting Kansas City @ DC United (Sunday 5pm from RFK Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet); Boxing: Lamont Peterson vs. Lucas Matthysse (Saturday 9pm from Atlantic City live on Showtime); Pro Lacrosse: Chesapeake Bayhawks @ Boston Cannons (Saturday 7pm from Boston live on Comcast SportsNet/ESPN3.com); Women’s College Lacrosse: Duke @ Maryland (Saturday 12pm Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex); High School Lacrosse: MIAA Lacrosse Championships-A Conference Semis: Calvert Hall vs. Boys’ Latin (Tuesday 5pm Unitas Stadium), Loyola vs. McDonogh (Tuesday 7:30pm Unitas Stadium), C Conference Final (Friday 3pm Unitas Stadium), B Conference Final (Friday 5:30pm Unitas Stadium), A Conference Final (Friday 8pm Unitas Stadium); Tennis: ATP Tour WTA Tour Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Tuesday 5am Wednesday-Saturday 6am Sunday 7:30am from Rome live on Tennis Channel)

10. ZZ Top (Sunday 7:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); The Band Perry (Saturday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Luke Bryan (Saturday 4pm Jiffy Lube Live); Infieldfest feat. Pitbull, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Chevelle, Florida Georgia Line, Afrojack (Saturday 12pm Pimlico), Goo Goo Dolls/Rodney Atkins (Friday 2pm Pimlico); Alkaline Trio (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live); Ghostface Killah (Tuesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Lee Brice (Wednesday 9pm Rams Head Center Stage); Paramore (Saturday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Mickey Hart Band (Tuesday 8pm Howard Theatre), Brian McKnight (Friday 8pm & 10:30pm Howard Theatre), Blind Boys of Alabama (Saturday 8pm Howard Theatre); Joe Bonamassa (Tuesday 8pm France-Merrick Performing Arts Center at The Hippodrome); Chicago (Wednesday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Youngblood Hawke (Wednesday 6pm U Street Music Hall); Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival feat. Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (Saturday & Sunday Sandy Point State Park); Anti-Flag (Monday 7:30pm DC9)

I haven’t seen Macklemore & Ryan Lewis yet. Looking forward to seeing what they bring to the table Saturday.

Chevelle is a rock and roll band I regularly find myself enjoying.

Goo Goo Dolls are a band I really used to find myself enjoying.

I’m going to the O’s game Sunday but I’m awfully tempted to duck out early to see Mavis.

9. Lewis Black (Sunday 8pm Sixth & I Historic Synagogue); Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling (Thursday 8pm Baltimore Comedy Factory); Aries Spears (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “Cloud Atlas” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Star Trek Into Darkness” out in theaters (Thursday); Preakness Hot Air Balloon Festival (Thursday-Saturday Turf Valley); Wine In The Woods (Saturday & Sunday Symphony Woods)

I’ll just go ahead and say “yes” to Lewis Black.

If they haven’t brought back Rachel Nichols to play the Green Girl in Star Trek I might boycott going.

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“How long must we sing this song?”

It was a “Bloody Sunday” indeed for the three Maryland teams in the NCAA Lacrosse Tournament. Sixth seeded Maryland was blown out by Cornell, upstart Towson was rocked at Ohio State and defending national champion Loyola fell to Duke in double overtime after coughing up a four goal second half advantage.

The rest of the NCAA Tournament isn’t going to be cancelled, it will just seem irrelevant to those of us in this area. (Other than the handful that will still wander to Byrd Stadium next Saturday to see Ohio State, Cornell, Syracuse and Yale, that is. I imagine the crowd size will make a Maryland/James Madison football game look like a packed house.) It is particularly disappointing considering the 2012 NCAA Championship Game was an all-Old Line State affair between the Greyhounds and Terrapins.

For the Tigers, the loss marked the end of a season that lasted two or three games longer than anyone could have expected after a 3-5 start. (Worse, a 3-5 start that included a loss to High Point-playing only their second game ever in program history and the first of only three wins all season for the Panthers.) Shawn Nadelen’s team made great strides in the CAA his second season as head coach and the blowout loss to the Buckeyes was to be expected by most. It would be hard for Towson fans to get away with labeling themselves as particularly disappointed with the result.

For the Hounds, the nature of their season-ending setback at the hands of the Blue Devils had to be considered particularly disappointing. Loyola had an 8-4 lead in the second half and appeared to have essentially clinched victory before Face-Off Specialist Blake Burkhart’s final minute goal was waived off because head coach Charley Toomey had called timeout just a split second earlier. Loyola was a legitimate contender to return to the Final Four, but the heartbreak shouldn’t be misconstrued as disappointment. What Loyola accomplished a season ago in Foxborough should have never been viewed as a measuring stick for the program’s success. It was a remarkable run unlikely to be accomplished with any sort of regularity. The Greyhounds had a very successful season (including their first win over Johns Hopkins since 1999) with a very tough end.

And then there’s the Terps. The same team that coming off two consecutive trips to the NCAA Championship Game was believed to be a legitimate national championship contender. After winning their rematch with the Greyhounds in Baltimore in February, the Terps took over the #1 ranking in both polls and held it almost exclusively until mid-April. Conversation within crowds of Maryland alums was set around the idea that this group was finally primed to claim the school’s first national championship since 1975.

1975…it seems more and more impossible every time I think about it. For what it’s worth, only eight schools have combined to win the 37 championships since Maryland last claimed lacrosse glory. Still, the drought remains staggering for the flagship university in the state most closely associated with the sport.

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Duke Slips Past Men’s Lacrosse In Double Overtime Thriller

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University’s Case Mathias scored the game-tying goal with 55 seconds left in regulation, and he tallied the game-winner two minutes, 20 seconds into the second overtime period, and the seventh-seeded Blue Devils defeated visiting Loyola University Maryland, 12-11, on Sunday in NCAA Championships First Round action at Koskinen Stadium.

Duke (12-5 overall) and Loyola (11-5) traded turnovers on the Blue Devils offensive end in the final scramble, as Blue Devil long-stick midfielder Luke Duprey picked up a ground ball and got the ball to Mathias.

Mathias then raced in from the right side and slid a shot inside the near post for the winning tally. His shot ended a game that featured a combined 98 shots and 35 saves by the goalkeepers.

Loyola goalkeeper Jack Runkel posted a career-high 22 saves, far outdistancing his previous best of 15 that came last year in an NCAA Semifinal win over Notre Dame. He is the first Loyola goalkeeper to post 20 or more saves since Michael Fretwell made 21 against Hobart in 2005.

Runkel made saved in the final five seconds of both the first and third quarters and one with 13 ticks left in regulation.

The Blue Devils score the game’s first goal just 53 seconds in on an unassisted Jordan Wolf tally, but the Greyhounds responded with three in a row, two coming on extra-man scored by Brian Schultz and Sean O’Sullivan. Nikko Pontrello’s goal with 3:17 in the first quarter was the Greyhounds’ first six-on-six score of the day, and it gave Loyola a 3-1 lead.

Duke’s Deemer Class scored the second quarter’s first goal, 2:19 in, but Chris Layne beat his defender down the middle and shot a pass to Zach Herreweyers, and the freshman sparked a 4-0 Loyola rally with a four-yard shot at 8:12.

O’Sullivan dodged hard to his left and then reversed a pass right to Mike Sawyer who ripped a goal at 5:31, and then Josh Hawkins executed a one-man clear and scored from inside three yards at 4:59.

Herreweyers scored his second of the quarter dodging from goal-line extended on the right side at 3:06, putting Loyola in front 7-2.

Duke got two back before the half, the first on a Josh Dionne extra-man goal, and the second when David Lawson scored with 1:07 left before halftime, pulling the Blue Devils back within three, 7-4.

Loyola got the first goal of the second half as a Runkel save keyed a Greyhounds’ transition run that Scott Ratliff capped with his 14^thgoal of the season, extending his single-season goal scoring record for a long-pole at Loyola.

Duke, however, reeled off four in a row, and Myles Jones’ post-up goal with 1:57 left in the third quarter tied the score at 8-8.

Matt Sawyer, however, put Loyola back in front with 12:41 on the fourth-quarter clock, scoring off a Justin Ward assist on an extra-man opportunity.

Wolf, however, tied it back up 25 seconds later, and Josh Offit goal at 9:20 put Duke in front for the first time since Schultz’s goal with 10:35 to play in the first quarter tied the score at 1-1.

The Greyhounds responded with two goals in a row, with several Runkel saves mixed in between Mike Sawyer took a Ward feed and scorched a 13-yard shot on a man-up at 8:39, tying the score at 10-10, and Herreweyers tallied his team-high third of the game with 3:32 left, again on a Ward assist, to give Loyola an 11-10 advantage.

Ward finished with five assists, tying his career-high.

Mathias’ goal at 1:05 came from in front of the goal after Lawson hit the post. Mathias scooped the rebound into the net, tying the game at 11-11.

Loyola won the ensuing faceoff, but the Greyhounds turned it over, and Duke has possession with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

Greg DeLuca ran the clear, but Runkel saved his shot with fewer than 15 seconds remaining in regulation.

In the first overtime, Runkel made saves on shots by Wolf and Matheis, and the Greyhounds killed a 30-second penalty in the process.

Loyola had a man-advantage in the final 30 seconds, but the Greyhounds’ first shot was wide, and the second was saved by Kyle Turri as one of his 13 in the game with just over 10 seconds left.

Runkel made a save on an Offit shot 48 seconds into the second overtime, but Loyola turned it over after clearing it to its offensive end. Duke cleared the ball, setting up the final flurry where the teams traded turnovers and Matheis scored the winner.

Hererweyers and Matheis tied for game-high honors with three goals each, while Mike Sawyer scored twice and assisted on another for Loyola. O’Sullivan, Ratliff, Hawkins, Pontrello, Schutz and Matt Sawyer each had single goals for the Greyhounds.

Columbus, Ohio – No. 3 Ohio State held No. 17 Towson to two goals in the second half en route to a 16-6 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon at Ohio State.

Towson (10-8) scored two of the first three goals before Ohio State (12-4) asserted itself, scoring four straight goals and holding an 8-4 lead at halftime. The Buckeyes’ defense improved in the second half, holding Towson scoreless for 14:46 over the second and third quarters and for 12:27 over the third and fourth quarters.

Junior Andrew Hodgson led the Tigers with a hat trick, while senior Matt Hughes posted two goals for the second straight game. Logan Schuss had a game-high six points on three goals and three assists for Ohio State. Senior Andrew Wascavage made eight saves for the Tigers, while Greg Dutton stopped seven shots for the Buckeyes.

“I want to commend Ohio State on an excellent game today,” said Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “That said, we can’t make as many mistakes as we did today, we can’t allow them so many opportunities as far as possession times. They are a very balanced team and a very dangerous offense.

“I’m extremely proud of our team this year, and how they competed from the start to the finish. We didn’t start strong, but we finished strong. We were one of 16 teams to play in the NCAA tournament. A lot of people didn’t give us a chance, but our guys believed in themselves and put in the effort to get us to this point, back into the conversation as being a top team in the country.”

The Tigers won the opening face-off and worked the ball quickly down into the Buckeyes’ defensive zone. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello moved down the left side of the field and passed to Hughes who was waiting right in front of the cage. Hughes continued his stellar end-of-season play, posting the game’s first goal at 14:13.

Just under five minutes later, Schuss equalized for OSU unassisted at 9:16. The Tigers got strong play from their defense in the first quarter, particularly sophomore JoJo Ostrander and junior Jordan Fortmann. A caused turnover by Ostrander late in the third quarter led to a goal from Hodgson, off a feed from sophomore Justin Mabus, that gave Towson a 2-1 lead at 5:37 in the first quarter.

OSU’s King knotted the score at 2-2 with under two minutes remaining in the first quarter, and Carter Brown gave the Buckeyes the lead with 29 seconds left in the quarter, 3-2. Ohio State picked up a controversial David Planning goal as time expired on the first frame to hold a 4-2 advantage.

A series of quick passes led to King’s second goal for the Buckeyes at 14:09 in the second, but Towson’s Hodgson answered with his second of the game at 13:31 to inch the Tigers closer, 5-3. King’s third goal and a fast break tally from Dominique Alexander at 5:40 pushed the Buckeyes’ margin to four, 7-3. Hodgson then notched his second hat trick of the season with 2:06 left in the half. But confusion over the timer and possession led to another Ohio State goal, and the Buckeyes held an 8-4 advantage at the half.

Ohio State went on a tear in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 8-2 over the two frames. Cuccinello scored a goal at 2:52 in the third quarter and Hughes added his second at 5:26 in the fourth for Towson.

Towson finishes the season at 10-8, 4-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

NOTES: Towson scored first for the eighth time this season (6-1) … Senior Matt Hughes scored two goals for the first straight game … Junior Andrew Hodgson posted his fourth straight multi-goal game and second hat trick of the season … the game marked Towson’s 11^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2007.

College Men’s Lacrosse: No. 17 Towson 6, No. 3 Ohio State 16
Towson (10-8)              2-2-1-1/6
Ohio State (13-3)          4-4-4-4/16

GOALS: TOW – Hodgson 3, Hughes 2, Cuccinello; OSU – King 4, Schuss 3, Brown 3, Planning 2, Alexander, Evans, Kapinos, Liddil. ASSISTS: TOW – Cuccinello, DeNapoli, Mabus; OSU – Alexander 3, Schuss 3, Planning 2, Brown, Crawford, Evans, King. SAVES: TOW – Wascavage (8, 60:00, 16 GA); OSU – Dutton (7, 60:00, 6 GA).SHOTS: TOW – 23; OSU – 40. GROUND BALLS: TOW – 23; OSU – 34. FACE-OFFS: TOW – 5-24; OSU – 19-24. CLEARS: TOW – 14-16; OSU – 14-15. EMO: TOW – 0-0; OSU 2-4. ATT: 2358.