ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Navy women’s basketball team learned its NCAA Tournament fate Monday night while attending a Selection Show party at Federal House Bar & Grille in Downtown Annapolis. The Midshipmen, winners of their third Patriot League Tournament title in as many years, garnered the No. 15 seed in the Bridgeport, Conn., Regional. Navy will face second-seeded Kentucky Sunday at Carnesecca Arena on the St. John’s campus in Queens, N.Y. The game will tip at 12:05 p.m. EDT and will be aired live on ESPNU.

The Navy Ticket Office will not be selling tickets for the game. Tickets can be purchased through the St. John’s Ticket Office either online at RedStormSports.com or by phone at 1-888-GoStorm. Single session ticket prices are $10 for students/youths, $10 for senior citizens and $15 for adults. An all-session pass that allows entry to both Sunday’s first round and Tuesday’s second round are $15 for students/youths, $15 for senior citizens and adults can purchase a pass for $25.

Kentucky posted a 27-5 record this season. The Wildcats advanced to the championship game of the Southeastern Conference Tournament where they fell to Texas A&M. Kentucky placed second in the SEC during the regular season with a record of 13-3, and was ranked seventh in both national polls that were released Monday by the Associated Press and USA Today.

Kentucky will be making its fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its 10th trip to the event in all. The Wildcats lost in the Elite Eight in both 2010 and 2012, with a loss in the round of 32 coming in 2011.

Navy, which compiled a 21-11 record this season and shared the Patriot League regular season crown with an 11-3 record, has faced a team out of the current SEC three times in its history. The Mids have lost a pair of games to Florida, most recently during the 2010-11 season, and defeated Mississippi once.

Navy is making its third trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history. The 14th-seeded Mids lost to No. 3 DePaul, 56-43, in a 2011 first-round game played at Penn State in their initial appearance in March Madness. Navy then received a No. 15 seed last season and lost, 59-44, to No. 2 Maryland in College Park.

Sunday’s second game at the site features No. 7 Dayton facing region-host and 10th-seeded St. John’s. The winners of the two games will meet Tuesday for the right to move on to Bridgeport.

“I’ve never seen Kentucky play,” said Alix Membreno (Jr., Loxahatchee, Fla.), who was tabbed as the MVP of the Patriot League Tournament. “They are a No. 2 seed, so obviously they are a great team. It is a great opportunity to go to Queens, my family is from New York, it’s just a great opportunity to play. The higher the seed gets, the less there is for us to lose. We’re going to go up there and give it our all.

“I think a 15 seed is great. We’re just so blessed to be in the same position we have been in the last two years. It is still exciting (with it being our third NCAA Tournament), but in different ways. Each year is different; it is a different team, a different vibe, but it is nice it is not something new. We’ve been in this position before.”

“I’m so happy we got a 15 seed,” said Jade Geif (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.), who received first-team all-league honors this season for a second year in a row. “I don’t know a lot about Kentucky. We’re just excited to get in there, try and get a win.

“Definitely, it is still exciting. You can just feel the nerves when you are watching the TV just waiting for it flip over and show Navy and see who we are playing. It is so exciting every time. Even walking over here, everyone was just so hyped.”

“It is a really, really strong opponent,” said Navy head coach Stefanie Pemper of facing Kentucky. “They are going to be challenging the way Maryland was and not the way DePaul was. They are deep, tall, athletic, long and they have one of the best players in the country in A’dia Mathies.”

FLUSHING, N.Y. —  Holy Cross midfielder Terry McKenna scored four goals while Michael Ortlieb made 12 stops between the pipes to lead the Crusaders (4-3, 1-1 PL) to a 7-5 victory over the Navy men’s lacrosse team (3-5, 1-2 PL) Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets.  Sunday’s contest marked just the second Div. I men’s lacrosse game played at a Major League Baseball venue, as Citi Field played host to the Metropolitan Lacrosse Classic presented by Konica Minolta.

“I’m certainly disappointed by the result today,” said second-year Navy head coach Rick Sowell.  “Give credit to Holy Cross.  They played good enough to beat us, so I have to tip my cap to them.

“It was a great opportunity to play in this even.  We came up here to get a win, first and foremost, so the result definitely put a damper on an otherwise great experience.”

McKenna carried the Crusaders on his shoulders, scoring the first three goals for Holy Cross, including the game’s first marker at 4:29 on an unassisted strike from eight yards out on the left wing.

The Mids knotted the game with a minute remaining in the opening period when rookie attackman T.J. Hanzsche (Berwyn, Pa.) beat Holy Cross defenseman Daniel Schmader and curled around for a left shot up the middle.

Navy took its lone lead of the game when junior Pat Durkin (Germantown, Md.) set up at the top of the box and found second-year midfielder Gabe Voumard  (Cape May, N.J.) cutting to the crease for his 12th goal of the season 26 seconds into the second quarter.

The Crusaders answered with back-to-back goals scored by McKenna just 1:27 apart to give them a 3-2 advantage with just under 12 minutes to go in the half.

Navy tied things up when Durkin scored the first of his game-high two goals.  Junior Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.) fed Durkin who drew the double team and spun his way for a low side-winder at 6:47 in the second.

Holy Cross took the lead for good when James Kennedy and Myles Gillespie collaborated for an extra-man goal from just three yards out with 5:00 to go in the first half.

The Crusaders extended their lead to two goals less than four minutes into the third quarter when reserve Chris Smith launched a 13-yard shot from the left side.

Navy answered a minute latr when Durkin beat defenseman Matt Ward and sent his diving left-handed shot past Ortlieb to get the Mids to within one with 10:22 to go in the third.

Holy Cross pushed their lead to two at 6-4 when McKenna fed leading scorer Clay Haarmann for its second extra-man goal of the game with 1:47 to go in the quarter.

The Mids again trimmed the lead to one, 6-5, with 11:51 remaining when Jones set up behind the goal and curled around the left side, beating Reed Kennedy for his game-high  13th goal.

McKenna sealed the win for the Crusaders with his fourth goal of the game, taking a pass from Haarmann and lodging his shot into the back of the net from 15 yards out with 5:16 to go.

Durkin paced the Mids with three points on two goals and assist, while Hanzsche, Jones and Voumard all pitched in goals.

Senior Evan McGoogan (Cranberry Township, Pa.)  played a solid game, winning 10 of the 16 draws he took and led the Mids with six ground balls.

Junior long pole Pat Kiernan (Ridgewood, N.J.), meanwhile, picked up five ground balls and caused three turnovers to lead the defense, while senior keeper Nolan Hickey (Garden City, N.Y.) surrendered all seven goals and made 10 saves.

“I thought today was more about what we did and didn’t do vs. what they did,” added Sowell.  “We didn’t shoot well, but that’s been our Achilles heel all year.  There are a number of things that have plagued us.  We’re in a rut right now that we can’t seem to get ourselves out of, but we have to figure it out in a hurry.”

The Midshipmen return to action next Saturday when they face Colgate in a Patriot League matchup at the Konica Minolta Faceoff Classic.  Game time is slated for 2:00 pm at M&T Bank Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPNU.

Game Preview
• The Navy men’s lacrosse team will play the first of two neutral site contests in consecutive weeks when it travels to Flushing, N.Y. on Sunday to take part in the Metropolitan Lacrosse Classic presented by Konica Minolta  … meeting for just the 10th time in series history, Navy and Holy Cross will face off at 12:00 pm at Citi Field.
• Following the Navy-Holy Cross tilt, Colgate and Michigan will take center stage with a 3:00 pm contest.
• Towson held the Midshipmen without a goal over the final 22 minutes of play while the Tigers scored the final three goals of the game to earn an 8-7 victory over Navy last Tuesday in Annapolis.  Navy twice held a 3-goal lead over the Tigers, but the Mids were unable to find the back of the net and their 4-game home winning streak came to an abrupt end.
• Holy Cross, meanwhile, is also looking to bounce back after a 14-6 loss to Patriot League foe Colgate.  The Raiders racedout to a 6-2 halftime lead and never opened the door to allow the Crusaders back into the game.
• Sunday’s contest will be carried live on ESPN3 with Eamon McAnaney (play by play), Quint Kessenich (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (analyst) calling the action.

Scouting the Crusaders
• In his third season as head coach Jim Morissey has led the Crusaders to a 3-3 record, including an 0-1 mark in Patriot League action.
• Holy Cross wins over Hartford (11-9), Sacred Heart (11-9) and Rutgers (9-8), while dropping decisions to St. John’s (11-9), Harvard (16-12) and Colgate (14-6).
• After opening the season with their first two games at home, the Crusaders have since played four in a row on the road and Sunday’s game will make the fifth away from Worcester.  Holy Cross has held its own, posting a 2-2 mark in its four road games.
• Leading the way for Holy Cross in the scoring column is sophomore attackman Clay Haarmann who owns 17 points on a team-high 15 goals and 2 assists.
• Senior midfielder John Hannan has produced 13 points on 12 goals and 1 assist, while senior attackman James Kennedy also owns 13 points on 6 goals and a team-best 7 assists.
• Junior Kenny O’Connor has started four games in goal for the Crusaders, while rookie Michael Ortlieb has made appearances in three games and started two.  O’Connor owns an 11.15 goals-against average with a 41.3 save percentage, while Orlieb his warded off 53.1 percent of the shots sent his way and is giving way to 11.19 goals per game.
• Perhaps the weakest link in the Crusaders’ game is faceoffs.  Holy Cross is ranked 61st out of 63 teams, winning just 36.9 (55 of 149) percent of its draws this season.  They have 7 different players at the “x” this season with sophomore Tyler Purdue (29 of 77, 37.7) and senior Tim Pond (19 of 52, 36.5) taking the majority of the faceoffs.
• The two areas that Holy Cross has flourished in this season are turnovers per game, where they are ranked  sixth and averaging just 12.67 per contest, and man-down defense, giving up goals on 30.8 percent of the opportunities.  The Crusaders stand 10th nationally in man-down defense.
• Nearly 70 percent (69.0) of Holy Cross’ goals have been unassisted this season, as the Crusaders have 18 assists on 58 goals.
• On the year Holy Cross has been outscored 67-58.  It owns a 32-29 advantage in the opening half, including an 18-10 margin in the second quarter, but the Crusaders’ opponents hold a 38-26 scoring advantage in the second half, including a 28-17 edge in the third quarter.

Navy vs. Holy Cross – The Series
• Sunday’s contest marks just the 10th meeting between Navy and Holy Cross … the Mids own a flawless 9-0 advantage in the series, including a 23-5 victory over the Crusaders in the inaugural meeting in Annapolis in 2004.
• Navy and Holy Cross are meeting at a neutral site for the third time in series history, as the Mids and Crusaders previously met in Dallas, Texas in back-to-back years.
• In 2007, the two programs faced one another at SMU’s Ford Stadium where the Mids dealt Holy Cross a 12-2 loss.  It was Navy’s first trip to Texas since the Mids defeated Johns Hopkins, 9-6, on May 8, 1971, at the Houston Astrodome.
• In 2008, Navy and Holy Cross were part of the Ford Patriot Cup which featured two high school games, along with two Div. I men’s lax games (Rutgers vs. Army).  Navy scored a 16-3 win over the Crusaders at Texas Stadium, the former home of the Dallas Cowboys.
• Navy and Holy Cross have played one another three times in Worcester, Mass. (2005, ‘09, ‘11) and four times in Annapolis (2004, ‘06, ‘10, ‘12).
• Navy has scored eight or more goals in all nine games, while putting up double-figure goals in seven of the nine (8 in 2005 and 2011) … the Mids’ defense, meanwhile, has held Holy Cross to five or fewer goals in eight of the nine games.  Last year the Crusaders scored a series-high seven goals in a losing effort.

Tuesday Rewind
• Navy jumped out to a 3-0 lead and later led 4-1, but was unable to keep the hot hand as Towson scored the final 3 goals of the game and held the Mids scoreless for the final 22 minutes in an 8-7 Tiger victory.
• It’s the second time this season Navy’s has been held scoreless for 20-plus minutes (51:08 by Bucknell).
• Junior attackman Tucker Hull punched in his ninth goal of the year at 7:17 in the third quarter in what would be his 100th collegiate point.  He is just one of 30 players in the program’s 106-year history to reach the milestone
• Junior attackman Sam Jones extended his point-scoring streak to 10 games and is the lone player on the roster to record a goal or an assist in every game this season.  He turned in a goal and 2 assists against the Tigers.
• Sophomore midfielder Gabe Voumard continues to create offense for himself as he ran his unassisted goal total to 10 on Tuesday.  He has scored 11 goals on the year.
• Senior midfielder Bryce Dabbs registered his fourth collegiate multi-goal effort and the second of the season with his 2 goals against Towson.
• Junior long pole Pat Kiernan played a whale of a game, picking up a career-high 12 ground balls while winning 8 of the 10 faceoffs he took.
• Senior Cade Norris played one of his best games in a Navy uniform, grabbing seven ground balls on the defensive end of the field while senior close defenseman Austin Miller matched his career best in caused turnovers with 4.

One-Goal Decisions
• Navy has played 74 one-goal games (of 246) since the start of the 1996 season, winning just 30 (40.5) of those contests.
• Among those 74 games, 26 of them have gone into extra minutes with Navy winning 11 (42.3).
• Over the last six seasons, 28 of the Mids’ 79 contests have been decided by one goal and Navy has produced wins in just 11 of those contests.  Over the last four seasons, the Mids are just 5-13 in one-goal affairs.
• In 2007, Navy played a program-record seven one-goal games, including five that were decided in overtime.
• Navy was 1-1 a year ago in one-goal decisions, marking the first time since 1996 that it had not played at least three one-goal games.
• The Mids are 1-3 this season in one-goal contests, dropping a 10-9 decision to 15th-ranked Fairfield, a 9-8 overtime game to Georgetown – both in the same week – and an 8-7 heartbreaker to Towson this past Tuesday in Annapolis.  Meanwhile, Navy gave up 2 goals in the final 17 seconds of its game against Lafayette to edge the Leopards, 12-11.

National Exposure
• Since the start of 2004, 54 Navy lacrosse games have been televised.
2004    4-2 (6)    CSTV 1-1    ESPN 2-1    WMAR 1-0
2005    3-3 (6)    CSTV 3-0    ESPN 0-3
2006    3-4 (7)    CSTV 2-4    ESPN 1-0
2007    2-3 (5)    CSTV 2-1    ESPN 0-1    MASN 0-1
2008    3-5 (8)    CBS C 1-2    ESPN 2-2    MASN 0-1
2009    5-2 (7)    CBS C 3-0    ESPN 1-2    MASN 1-0
2010    3-5 (8)    CBS C 3-3    ESPN 0-2
2011    0-3 (3)    CBS  0-2    ESPN 0-1
2012    1-3 (4)    CBS  1-2    ESPN 0-0    NBC 0-1
2013    0-0 (4)    CBS  0-0    ESPN 0-0    NBC 0-0
CBS Sports Network: 16-15    ESPN: 6-12
NBC Sports Network:  0-1    MASN: 1-2    WMAR: 1-0
• 4 regular-season contests are on tap to be aired this season, including 2 by CBS Sports Network.
• CBS Sports Network is airing both of the Patriot League Tournament semifinal contests (April 26 at 4:30 and 7:30) as well as the championship (April 28 at 3:00 pm).
• ESPN3 which is an internet-based affiliate will carry Sunday’s Metropolitan Lacrosse Classic from Citi Field which features the Mids against Holy Cross at 12:00 pm, followed by Colgate vs. Michigan.
• The Mids own a 24-30 record when their games are televised (since ‘04) … Navy is 16-15 on CBS Sports Network all-time and 6-12 on the ESPN family of networks … the Mids are also 1-0 on local Baltimore station WMAR, 1-2 on MASN and 0-1 on NBC Sports Network.
• The Mids own a 66-22 record in games that have not been televised since the start of 2004.

Patriot League Success
• Since joining the Patriot League in 2004, Navy is 53-17 (75.7) against conference members, which includes an 11-2 (84.6) mark in the Patriot League Tournament … the Mids are 41-14 (74.5) in regular-season action.
• The Mids have lost regular-season contests to …
Army (3)    2008, ‘10, ‘11, ‘12
Bucknell (5)    2005, ‘09, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13
Colgate (3)    2006, ‘09, ‘11
Lafayette (1)    2010
Lehigh (2)    2011, ‘12
… and dropped the program’s first Patriot League Tournament contest at the 2008 semifinals against eventual champion Colgate and its second to Army in the 2010 championship contest.
• Twelve of the 17 losses were in games played either at the opponent’s field or at a neutral site.
• Navy owns a 25-5 record at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium against Patriot League competition since joining the conference in 2004 … the Mids are 19-5 during the regular season.
• The Mids have produced undefeated marks in conference action twice, 7-0 in 2004 and 6-0 in ‘07.
• Navy has won at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title in five (2004-05-06-07-08) of the nine years it has been a member of the league.
• Additionally, the Mids have claimed the league’s tournament crown five times (2004-05-06-07-09).
• 31 different Mids have garnered All-Patriot League recognition, while 19 of the 31 have earned honors multiple times.

ANNAPOLIS - Behind a five-goal second quarter, Towson men’s lacrosse (3-4) powered through to defeat Navy (3-4), 8-7, on Tuesday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.

Towson got off to a slow start, allowing Navy to take a 3-0 lead. Senior Andrew Wascavage made six stand-up saves that frame for Towson. Sophomore Cory Dobynsbroke the ice for the Tigers at 10:38 in the second, scoring off a Rob Zoppo pass. His goal kicked off a scoring run where Towson posted five of the next seven goals to finish the half tied at five. Junior Thomas DeNapoli, Zoppo, and Hodgson each tallied an unassisted goal from about 12 yards out over a span of 1:33 to knot the score at 4-4 with 3:38 left in the half. Dobyns and Zoppo paired up again just before the half to tie the game again, 5-5, with 16 seconds showing on the clock.

Dobyns and junior Andrew Hodgson each had a pair of goals for Towson. Navy’s Bryce Dabbs led the Mids with two goals. Wascavage made 14 saves in net for the Tigers, while Nolan Hickey stopped seven shots for Navy. The win marked the first time Towson has defeated the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

“Against a great team like Navy, you’re obviously fortunate to come away with a win,” said head coach Shawn Nadelen. “It was a big win for our guys, rebounding from a tough overtime loss to Marist. It gives us confidence and really shows the coaching staff what we can do.”

Navy scored two quick, tough goals to start the second half and go up 7-5 with 7:17 remaining in the third quarter. Junior Andrew Hodgson posted his first man-up goal since his freshman year at 4:10 off an assist from Dobyns (7-6).The Tigers evened it at 7-7 on junior Devin Grimaldi’s second career goal assisted by senior Neil Hutchinson and took their first lead of the game on an unassisted tally, and eventual game winner, from sophomore Greg Cuccinello at 10:28 in the fourth quarter.

Next up, Towson travels to No. 17 Duke on Saturday, March 16 for a 1 p.m. contest with the Blue Devils.

NOTES: Towson fared well from 10-15 yards out, scoring four goals from that distance … junior Devin Grimaldiscored his second career goal … junior Andrew Hodgson scored his first man-up goal since 2011 … the win marked the first time Towson has beaten Navy in Annapolis … Towson was not called for any penalties and went 1-3 on EMO.

College Men’s Lacrosse: Towson 8, Navy 7
Towson (3-4)     0-5-1-2/8
Navy (3-4)         3-2-2-0/7

GOALS: TOW – Dobyns 2, Hodgson 2, Cuccinello, DeNapoli, Grimaldi, Zoppo; NAVY – Dabbs 2, Voumard, Jones, Durkin, Heneveld, Hull. ASSISTS: TOW – Zoppo 2, Bolewicki, Dobyns, Hutchinson; NAVY – Voumard, Hull, Jones. SAVES: TOW – Wascavage (14, 60:00, 7 goals allowed); NAVY – Hickey (7, 60:00, 8 goals allowed).SHOTS: TOW – 28; NAVY – 35. GROUND BALLS: TOW – 29; NAVY – 30. FACE-OFFS: TOW – 7-19; NAVY – 12-19. CLEARS: TOW – 20-25; NAVY – 17-20. EMO: TOW – 1-3; NAVY – 0-0. ATTENDANCE: 824.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —  Fresh off its 12-11 victory over Patriot League foe Lafayette this past Saturday, the Navy men’s lacrosse team (3-3, 1-1 Patriot League) will step away from conference action to face Towson (2-4) on Tuesday evening.  Meeting for the 12th time in series history, the Mids and Tigers will face off at 7:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

After being held to just two goals by Bucknell the week prior, Navy’s offense caught fire on Saturday against the the Leopards where five players accounted for the 12 goals including three players with hat tricks.   The Mids outscored Lafayette 4-2 to start out the fourth quarter to take a 12-9 advantage, but Lafayette closed to within one after scoring back-to-back goals in the final 17 seconds of the game.

Towson, meanwhile, has won two of its last three contests but surrendered a 10-9 decision in overtime to Marist at home last Friday.  Knotted at nine through three quarters, neither team could get on the board in the fourth, forcing overtime.  Jack Doherty punched in his fourth goal of the night with just one second remaining in overtime to lead the Red Foxes to victory.

The game will be streamed online via Navy All-Access (subscription) with live stats available at NavySports.com.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Tampa Bay Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday 1:30pm live on Golf Channel 3pm live on NBC Sunday 1pm live on Golf Channel 3pm live on NBC), Champions Tour Toshiba Classic (Saturday 2:30pm Sunday 3pm from Newport Beach, CA live on Golf Channel), LPGA Tour RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 4pm from Phoenix, AZ live on Golf Channel); Auto Racing: NASCAR Food City 500 (Sunday 12pm from Bristol, TN live on FOX); Tennis: ATP Tour WTA Tour BNP Paribas Open (Tuesday & Wednesday 1:30pm Thursday 1:30pm & 10pm live on Tennis Channel Friday 6:30pm & 9:30pm live on Tennis Channel 4:30pm & 11:30pm live on ESPN2 Saturday 3pm & 5pm live on ESPNNews 8:30pm live on Tennis Channel Sunday 3pm & 5pm live on ESPN2); College Football: Towson Pro Day (Tuesday Unitas Stadium), Maryland Pro Day (Wednesday Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium); Boxing: Timothy Bradly vs. Ruslan Provodnikov (Saturday 10:15pm from Carson, CA live on HBO); Women’s College Basketball: NCAA Tournament Selection Monday (Monday 7pm live on ESPN)

10. Rihanna (Tuesday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); P!nk (Thursday 7:30pm Verizon Center); Trapt (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head Live), Drive By Truckers (Sunday 8pm Rams Head Live); Better Than Ezra (Saturday 7pm Power Plant Live); Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (Wednesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Dr. John (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Average White Band (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Marshall Tucker Band (Sunday 7:30pm Rams Head on Stage); Finch (Thursday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Dropkick Murphys/Carbon Leaf (Friday 7am 9:30 Club), Citizen Cope (Friday 8pm 9:30 Club); George Thorogood & The Destroyers (Tuesday 7:30pm Birchmere); Slick Rick/Rakim (Friday 8pm Howard Theatre); Shamrockfest feat. Sublime with Rome/Virginia Coalition/Carbon Leaf (Saturday 12:45pm RFK Stadium); Sound City: Real to Reel soundtrack available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

You already know damn well I’ll be wandering over to see Better Than Ezra after the Blast game Saturday night.

Despite not particularly enjoying much of anything else in the genre, I really flipping loved “What It Is To Burn” by Finch. I’d go see this show.

Spending a day in the parking lot at RFK Stadium? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Unless Virginia Coalition is involved. (Sorry for the video quality.)

I legitimately CANNOT get enough Sound City in my life. Dave Grohl is a rock God, but you already knew that.

9. Lewis Black (Saturday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Bill Bellamy (Thursday-Saturday  Baltimore Comedy Factory); Pablo Francisco (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “Life of Pi” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 25th Anniversary Edition” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Spring Breakers” and “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” out in theaters (Friday); Glenn Clark’s St. Patrick’s Day plans (Sunday parts unknown)

Yes. We ALL feel the same way about Jessica Rabbit. We just agree not to talk about it so that people don’t talk about us behind our backs.

We CAN however discuss the cast of Spring Breakers if you’d like.

And before we leave this part of the show, BANGERS AND EFFING MASH! ERIN GO BRAGH!

(Continued on Page 2…)

Opening Face-Off
Towson lost a tough one against Marist at home on Friday, 10-9 in overtime. Navy is coming off a narrow 12-11 win over Lafayette at home on Saturday. Today’s game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network on www.towsontigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Hunter Lochte calling the action.

Updating the Tigers
Junior Thomas DeNapoli’s career-high five goals (and fourth-straight hat trick) led the Tigers in the OT loss to Marist. The Red Foxes scored five of the last seven goals in the game to seal the win. DeNapoli’s 18 goals and 21 points lead Towson. Senior Andrew Wascavage has a 9.48 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .540 in net for the Tigers.

Scouting the Midshipmen
Navy is 3-3 on the season after squeaking out a 12-11 win in Annapolis last weekend.. The win snapped a three-game losing streak. Navy had won the first two games of the season. The Midshipmen have outscored opponents 62-56 so far and hold edges in ground balls (217-202), caused turnovers (70-61) and shots (223-216). Sam Jones leads Navy with 11 goals. He is followed closely behind by Gabe Voumard’s 10 goals. The goalie of record is Nolan Hickey. He has a goals-against-average of 9.11 and a save percentage of .584.

Towson-Navy Series History
Navy leads the all-time series 7-4. The Midshipmen have won the last two games contested. The series began in 1975 with Navy winning the opening salvo, 13-9. The teams did not play again until 1991 when the Tigers won at home, 15-8. Navy and Towson played regularly throughout the ‘90s before the series went on a 13-year hiatus. It resumed in 2010. Towson has never won at Navy.

Towson-Navy By the Numbers

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —  T.J. Hanzsche (Fr./Berwyn, Pa.), Sam Jones (Jr./Annapolis, Md.) and Gabe Voumard (So./Cape May, N.J.) pitched in hat tricks for the Mids, while long pole Pat Kiernan (Jr./Ridgewood, N.J.) posted a career-high seven caused turnovers and picked up seven ground balls to lead the Navy men’s lacrosse team to a 12-11 victory over Patriot League foe Lafayette Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.   The Midshipmen are now 54-5 when scoring 10 or more goals since the start of the 2004 season, including 8-0 over the last two seasons.

The win snapped a three-game skid by the Mids that featured a pair of one-goal losses to Fairfield and Georgetown.  Meanwhile it also extended Navy’s home-game winning streak to four in a row dating back to last year’s regular-season finale against Johns Hopkins.

The game featured multiple runs by both teams as the see-saw affair was highlighted by six ties.

“We tried to get away from them several times, but just couldn’t shake them,” said second-year Navy head coach Rick Sowell.  “Jim Rogalski is doing a heck of a job with his team.  Their attack is tough, but we felt confident we could match up well.”

The Mids opened the game scoring back-to-back goals just 37 seconds apart, including the game’s first goal at 12:40 by Hanzsche.  The rookie attackman received his first collegiate starting nod and became the 16th different Navy player to score a goal this season.

“We weren’t looking for T.J. to be the answer, but we were hoping he’d be part of the solution for us.  He played calm and within himself and definitely took advantage of the opportunities he was presented with.  I think he’s a dynamic player.”

Lafayette evened the score by the end of the quarter with sophomore attackman Brian Bock scoring the first of his game-high four goals and rookie attackman Kevin Wanke punching in his first of four goals with an extra-man strike.

Navy and Lafayette exchanged goals in the second quarter, however a turnover on a failed clear attempt by Sonny Round was converted into the go-ahead goal by the Mids when short stick defensive middie Cade Norris (Sr./Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) found Jones to give the Mids a 4-3 halftime advantage.

Navy took a two-goal lead when Voumard found a seam on the left wing just 1:13 into the second half.

Lafayette responded with three straight goals over a one-minute, 14-second span to take its first lead in the game at 6-5 with 10:51 to go in the third quarter.  Bock scored the first two goals, including a near point blank shot after a turnover by Navy defenseman Nik Mullen (Jr./Wading River, N.Y.) in front of the Navy goal, while Bock provided the assist on the third goal in the run.

The Mids stunted the Leopards’ run at 8:52 when attackman Tucker Hull (Jr./Charlotte, N.C.) came around the left side of the goal and Jones found him to knot the game at 6-6.

Lafayette came right back two minutes later with rookie middie Brendan Dunlap scoring from 15 yards out on a 5-on-3 advantage and giving Lafayette the lead once again.

Navy, though, would score the final two goals of the third quarter, both by Hanzsche, to regain the lead by quarter’s end.  The second of Hanzsche’s goals was scored off a heads-up play by midfielder Jay Mann (Sr./Cockeysville, Md.).  After an offside call against Lafayette with four seconds remaining in the period, Navy took advantage of the quick whistle and Mann found Hanzsche just outside of the crease for a buzzer beater.

While Bock’s extra-man goal at 13:16 in the fourth quarter once again tied the game (8-8), Navy went on to score four of the next five goals to take a lead it would not relinquish.

The Midshipmen held a comfortable 12-9 lead with 2:18 remaining, but a disciplined Lafayette team scored twice in the final 17 seconds which included its fourth extra-man goal of the game against the nation’s top-ranked man-down squad.  The Mids came into the contest having given up just two goals in 24 extra-man opportunities, but surrendered the four goals on Lafayette’s six attempts.

Hanzsche, Jones and Voumard paced Navy with each scoring three goals and adding an assist, while Hull is now just one point shy of the 100-point list after posting a pair of goals in Saturday’s win.  Midfielder Bryce Dabbs (Sr./Damascus, Md.) also scored a goal and dealt out an assist.

Kiernan played a nearly flawless game as he caused seven of Lafayette’s 17 turnovers, while contributing a team-high tying seven ground balls.  Close defenseman Austin Miller (Sr./North Bethesda, Md.) also picked up seven ground balls in a solid defensive effort by the Mids.  Senior keeper Nolan Hickey (Garden City, N.Y.) finished the game with 13 saves, including nine in the opening half.

Navy just edged Lafayette in the faceoff battle, taking wins on 14 of the 26 draws.  Rookie Sean Reilly (Doylestown, Pa.) won 11 of the 21 for the Mids, while pole Pat Menezes (Fr./Wading River, N.Y.) was 2 for 3 in his first appearance at the “x” and Evan McGoogan (Sr./Cranberry Township, Pa.) was 1-for-2.

Lafayette was anchored by its starting attack which accounted for eight of the 11 goals, including four each by Bock and Wanke.

The Midshipmen return to action on Tuesday when they play host to Towson at 7:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Game Preview
• After playing three straight games on the road, the Navy men’s lacrosse team returns home to face Patriot League foe Lafayette on Saturday … the 15th edition of the Navy-Lafayette series is set for a 12:00 pm faceoff at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• The Mids are coming off a puzzling 11-2 loss that saw Bucknell hold Navy scoreless for 51 minutes.  The Midshipmen built a 2-1 advantage with 6:08 remaining in the opening quarter, but were blanked for the remainder of the game as the Bison scored 10 consecutive goals to deal the Mids their third straight loss.
• Lafayette has lost two in a row, dropping an 8-5 decision to Marist last Saturday and a mid-week contest to Delaware, 11-9.  The Leopards were tied up with the Blue Hens, 7-7, going into the final quarter, but Delaware scored four straight goals and held Lafayette scoreless for over 10 minutes.
• A radio broadcast of Saturday’s contest will be carried by WNAV 1430 AM/99.9 FM with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller handling the call … coverage begins with the Navy lacrosse pregame show at 11:45 am … the game will also be streamed online via Navy All-Access (subscription) with live stats available at NavySports.com.

A Win over Lafayette would …
• snap the Mids’ three-game skid.
• give Navy a 14-1 series advantage over Lafayette and stretch the Mids’ winning streak to four in a row against the Leopards.
• improve the Mids’ record to 9-0 against Lafayette in games played in Annapolis.
• give Navy’s Rick Sowell a 5-1 record all-time against Lafayette, including a 2-0 mark while at Navy.
• give Rick Sowell a 95-90 career record and a 9-9 mark at Navy.
• push Navy’s all-time record to 759-317-14.

Scouting the Leopards
• First-year head coach Jim Rogalski has led Lafayette to a 2-4 record this season with the Leopards actually posting a better record on the road (2-1) as opposed to playing at home (0-3).
• After opening the season with an 11-10 overtime victory against Georgetown, the Leopards have dropped four of their last five games including each of their last two.
• Lafayette was tripped up at home last Saturday by Marist and dropped an 11-9 decision to Delaware on Tuesday after the Blue Hens outscored the Leopards 4-2 in the final quarter.
• Six of the Leopards’ 10 starters return including junior goalkeeper Jake Hyatt who has started all 5 games between the pipes this season where he owns a 9.98 goals-against average and a 58.0 save percentage.  He is averaging 13.8 saves per game which is ranked ninth nationally, while the team as a whole is ranked 10th.
• Additionally, Lafayette’s top two scorers return in sophomore attackman Brian Bock, who led the way a year ago with 30 points on 15 goals and 15 assists, and fellow second-year attackman Cory Scheuerle, who posted 16 points on 14 goals and 2 assists.  Bock recorded 7 goals and 8 assists this spring, while Scheuerle has scored 3 goals.
• After seeing action in 8 of the 13 games a year ago and earning 4 starts, attackman Sonny Round is off to a fantastic start to his sophomore campaign.  He is Lafayette’s leading scorer with 15 goals and 5 assists.  Meanwhile, rookie Kevin Wanke has been solid for the Leopards with 7 goals and 4 assists.
• Senior Greg Rau won 47.7 percent (51-107) of his faceoffs a year ago and is winning at about the same clip this season.  He has won 41 of his 82 draws.
• Senior defenseman Geoff Stears owns a team-high 10 takeaways and is third on the team with 13 ground balls.
• Lafayette has had more extra-man opportunities than any other team in the country with 35.  On Tuesday, Delaware was flagged eight times with the Leopards scoring on three of their eight opportunities.  On the year, Lafayette is 13-for-35 (37.1) on extra-man.

Navy vs. Lafayette – The Series
• Saturday’s contest marks the 15th meeting between the two programs, and the 11th since the Midshipmen joined the Patriot League in 2004.  Navy leads the series, 13-1.
• The two teams first met in 1926 with Navy earning a 23-0 win … Navy and Lafayette battled one another three times between 1929-31 … the 1931 contest was the last time the two programs had met before the Mids joined the Patriot League.
• The Mids won 10 straight against the Leopards before dropping the program’s only loss to Lafayette on March 12, 2010 in Easton.
• Navy has scored double digits in 11 of the 14 games, while the Mids have held Lafayette to single digits 13 times.
• In the 14-game history, the Mids have outscored the Leopards, 180-64 … since joining the league in ‘04, Navy has outscored Lafayette, 116-63.

Meet the Mids
• Navy will hold its annual “Meet the Mids” event following its game against Lafayette on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Members of the Navy men’s lacrosse team will be available for autographs on the Blue Concourse, with the first 300 kids in line for the postgame autograph session receiving a Navy lacrosse “Meet the Mids” t-shirt, compliments of Annapolis area Papa John’s and Chick-fil-A.
• Navy’s 2013 lacrosse poster and an autograph card will be available, while prizes will also be handed out.
• For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-US4-NAVY or visit NavySports.com(.)

National Leader Board
• According to the latest national statistics released on Monday by the NCAA, the Mids are ranked among the top 20 in four categories including No. 1 in a pair.
• The Mids jumped from No. 4 to No. 1 in caused turnovers this week, averaging 11.8 per contest.  Senior close defenseman Austin Miller, meanwhile, is eighth nationally causing 2.4 turnovers per game while junior long pole Pat Kiernan is 12th, averaging 2.0 per contest.
• Navy is also ranked No. 1 in man-down defense, surrendering just two goals on 24 attempts (91.7).  The Mids have not given up an extra-man goal in their last three games.
• Navy is eighth in ground balls (35.6) which is a huge improvement over 2012.  The Mids were ranked 43rd in ground balls per game, averaging 27.67.
• The Mids are also ranked among the top 20 in saves per game, averaging 13.2.
• Navy dropped out of the top 20 following the Bucknell loss in scoring margin (10th to 26th), scoring defense (13th to 21st), scoring offense (17th to 33rd) and points per game (20th to 35th).

Home Field Advantage
• 2013 marks the 52nd season Navy has played at least one game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Navy owns a 43-19 record (69.4) in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the start of the 2004 campaign, outscoring its foes, 674-454.
• Since playing its entire home schedule at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium beginning in 2004, Navy has lost back-to-back games at home just 5 times … in 2006, the Mids lost to Georgetown, 9-5, and then suffered a 9-8 setback against Johns Hopkins … in 2008, Navy again lost regular-season decisions to the Hoyas and Blue Jays before the Mids’ season concluded with a 10-4 loss to Hopkins in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament … Navy lost back-to-back home games in 2010 to Loyola, 8-7 OT, and North Carolina, 11-4 … in 2011, Navy dropped a one-goal decision to Colgate, a 10-4 contest to No. 7 Maryland and a 14-9 decision to Army … last season, the Mids dropped a one-goal heart breaker to fourth-ranked North Carolina and followed up with a 14-9 loss to Bucknell in the league opener.
• In its 106-year history, Navy has lost 3 straight home games just 5 times …
1980    #1 Virginia, #2 Johns Hopkins, #9 N. Carolina
1985    Washington College, N. Carolina, Army
2003    #13 Rutgers, Air Force, #4 Georgetown,
#4 Maryland
2008    #4 Georgetown, #7 Johns Hopkins,
#4 Johns Hopkins
2011    Colgate, #7 Maryland, #17 Army
… and four-straight home games just once
2003    #13 Rutgers, Air Force, #4 Georgetown,
#4 Maryland
• The 2003 campaign marks the only season in which Navy has lost 4 straight home games at the stadium.
• Having played at least a game a year at the stadium for 42 consecutive years, Navy stepped away in 2003, allowing for state-of-the-art renovations to take place, including the Field Turf surface and two video boards … Navy has played all of its home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the beginning of the 2004 campaign.
• Navy had won 20 consecutive home games against Patriot League foes before dropping a 10-9 decision to Colgate in 2009.
• Opponents have scored double digits against the Mids just 14 times in games played on their home field over the last 10 seasons … Navy has held 21 of its 63 opponents to five or fewer goals since 2004 in games played at home (includes 2010 game vs. VMI played at Rip Miller Field).

DALLAS, March 5, 2013 – The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today the names of 77 players and five coaches who comprise the 2013 Football Bowl Subdivision Ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

“Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Ole Miss. “There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.”

The ballot was mailed this week to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court, which deliberates and selects the class.  Chaired by Gene Corrigan, a former ACC Commissioner and NCAA president, the 14-member NFF Honors Court includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletics directors, conference commissioners, Hall of Famers and members of the media.

“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 4.92 million people have played college football,” said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible to be on the ballot, so being in today’s group of 77 names means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are proud to announce their names today.”

The FBS Hall of Fame Class will be announced live in New York City during a noon press conference on May 7 from the NASDAQ OMX Market Site and inducted at the 56^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner December 10, 2013 at the landmark Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City.

To be eligible for the ballot, players must have been named a First Team All-America by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least ten years prior; played within the last 50 years and cannot be currently playing professional football.  Coaches must have coached a minimum of 10 years and 100 games as a head coach; won at least 60% of their games; and be retired from coaching for at least three years. If a coach is retired and over the age of 70, there is no waiting period. If he is over the age of 75, he is eligible as an active coach.  In both cases, the candidate’s post-football record as a citizen may also be weighed.

Once nominated for consideration, all player candidates are submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees, depending on their school’s geographic location, which conducts a vote to determine who will appear on the ballot and represent their respective districts.  Each year, approximately 15 candidates, who are not selected for the Hall of Fame, will be named automatic holdovers and will bypass the district screening process and automatically appear on the ballot the following year. Additionally, the Veterans Committee may make recommendations to Honors Court for exceptions that allow for the induction of players who played more than 50 years ago.

Of the 4.92 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on November 6, 1869, only 918 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than .0002 percent of those who have played the game during the past 144 years. From the coaching ranks, 200 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.

Today’s ballot, which was mailed to NFF members, also contains the 92 players and 27 coaches for the divisional ranks who are up for Hall of Fame consideration this year. The divisional class will be announced May 16 via a national press release from Dallas, Texas.

The 2013 Divisional College Football Hall of Fame Class will be inducted and enshrined simultaneously this summer in Atlanta, Ga., at the NFF Annual Enshrinement Festival. They will be joined during the festival by the 2012 Football Bowl Subdivision Hall of Fame Class, which was inducted this past December in New York City.

If you would like to become a member and receive a voting sheet for this year’s ballot, please contact NFF Director of Membership Ron Dilatush at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com.

Ballots without valid membership numbers will be invalidated.

- A list of candidates and capsule bios are provided on the following pages. -

2013 PLAYER CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS

Trev Alberts, Nebraska-Linebacker-Named unanimous First Team All-America, BIG-8 Defensive Player of the Year and Academic All-America in 1993…Recipient of the 1993 Butkus Award and two-time First Team All-Conference pick…NFF National Scholar-Athlete in 1993.

Tony Boselli, Southern California-Offensive Tackle-Two-time First Team All-America in 1992 and 1994 (consensus-1994)… 1994 Outland Trophy finalist…Named top offensive lineman in Pac-10 (1994)… 1994 NFF National Scholar-Athlete.

2013 COACH CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS

Jim Carlen-West Virginia (1966-69), Texas Tech (1970-74), South Carolina (1975-1981)-Led teams to eight bowl games and 13 winning seasons in 16 years as head coach…1973 National Coach of the Year…Three-time Southwest Conference Coach of the Year… Coached Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers at South Carolina.