Ricky Williams Retires - Running Back Ricky Williams retired this week after 11 seasons in the NFL and 1 season in the CFL. Williams was selected as the fifth pick of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Head Coach Mike Ditka traded all of the Saints’ 1999 draft picks to get Williams, as well as a 1st and 3rd pick the following year. Williams spent three seasons  with the Saints. He was successful with two 1000 yard seasons. In 2000 he rushed for exactly 1000 yards and scored nine total touchdowns in 10 games. He missed the team’s last 6 games and the playoffs due to injury. Williams’ most successful statistical season with the team came the next year in 2001, when he rushed for 1245 yards. He also caught 60 passes for 511 yards. It would be his last season with the Saints.

Williams was traded to the Miami Dolphins on March 8, 2002 for four draft picks, including two first-round picks. In 2002, his first season with the Dolphins, he was the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,853 yards, a First-team All Pro and a Pro Bowler.

In 2004, he tested positive for marijuana and retired from the NFL.

He came back in 2005 and Williams finished with six touchdowns and a 4.4 yards per carry average on 168 carries and 743 yards during the 2005 season.

On February 20, 2006, the football league announced that Williams had violated the NFL drug policy for the fourth time. On April 25, 2006, Williams was suspended for the entire 2006 season. Ricky then signed with the Toronto Argonauts for the 2006 season in the CFL. In the 11 games that he played during the 2006 CFL regular season, Williams rushed 109 times for 526 yards, scoring two touchdowns. He caught 19 passes for 127 yards.

Williams came back in the middle of the 2007 season but was out for the season and the 2008 season after 1 game.

In the 2009 season, He reached 1,000 yards rushing in Week 15 and set an NFL record for longest span between 1,000-yard seasons at 6 years. In the 2010 season Williams carried 159 times for 673 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Dolphins while splitting duties averaging 4.2 yards a carry.

Williams signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2011.  On January 1, 2012, Williams surpassed the 10,000 career rushing yards mark and became the 26th player in the history of the NFL to do so.

On February 7, 2012, Williams informed the Ravens of his retirement from the NFL.

His career stats are 10,009 rushing yards, 4.1 yards per carry, 66 rushing TD’s, 342 receptions, 2,606 receiving yards, and 8 receiving TD’s. If Ricky would have stayed out of trouble, he could’ve went down as one of the best running backs in NFL history. Even with his trouble off the field, he still produced great numbers. Do you think he will ever get into the Hall of Fame?

The sparks flew in real-time following Saturday’s loss at Duke, where the 18-point deficit didn’t necessarily show how hard (and well) Maryland competed for the better part of 30 minutes.  Afterwards, Stoglin took to the social networking scene to voice his displeasure with the way his day went, posting a handful of messages on Twitter (called “Tweets” if you’re living in a cave these days…) and most certainly drawing the ire of Turgeon and, perhaps, even his teammates.

(Here’s a tweet for you, Terrell.  I’ll get it all said in less than 140 characters.  “You’re not the whole team. Your coach is smarter than you. Just play basketball, son.  Leave the commentary to the experts.”)

That Stoglin used foul language, questioned his coach’s judgment and threw out the word “nigga” in his Twitter rampage is only part of the problem.  The issue is now Turgeon’s to handle, and I’m sure he’ll do the right thing with it.

The more pressing feature of this coach-player battle is more about why today’s athlete can’t simply take the role handed out to them and deal with it in the manner best fitting the team.  Attached to that is this question:  When things DON’T go your way, why would you ever seek to embarrass your coach?

Terrell Stoglin is a nice basketball player.  At this stage, though, he’s nothing more than that.  His game has lots of holes and, as Duke showed yesterday, he can be negated rather easily if you have the right players on your team to handle him.

For some reason, and Twitter is probably one of them, Stoglin thinks he’s better than he is, a problem that plagues a lot of “nice” basketball players in both the college and pro game.

After his Saturday evening outburst, Stoglin’s twitter account quickly filled up with replies from followers who basically took HIS side and reminded him of how great he (supposedly) is.

“Don’t let ‘em get you down, T, u the only reason Terps be any good.”

“Your (sic) the 4th leading scorer in the nation.  Only way they win is with you on the court.”

“If they left you in, you mighta beat Duke.”

Anyone following Maryland basketball knows there’s a small sliver of truth in all three of those comments and – naturally – a larger chunk of non-truth in them.

Needless to say, folks following (and admiring) Stoglin on Twitter are far more likely to take his side than go against him.  That’s one of the reasons why Twitter among athletes is somewhat dangerous.  It can lull you into a false sense of promise and security, unless you’re someone like LeBron James and people use the social networking source to say hateful stuff to you over their computer that they’d never have the balls to say to your face.

It’s now Turgeon’s job to rein in his leading scorer, making him understand without any question or wonder who runs the team and who plays on the team.  In doing so, the coach will also remind Stoglin that his legion of faithful followers don’t coach the Maryland basketball program, and therefore their opinion – to borrow a line from Chris Farley – doesn’t mean “jack squat”.

(Please see next page)

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland wraps up a weekend set of games at Reitz Arena on Sunday, February 12, when it hosts Fairfield University at 4 o’clock.

Watch On The World-Wide-Web

Loyola and Fairfield take the court in a game that will be broadcast worldwide on the internet through ESPN3 as the MAAC National Game of the Week.

The game is Loyola’s third on ESPN3 this season following dates in November and December at Wake Forest and current No. 1 Kentucky, respectively.

Over The Airwaves

The game’s audio will be streamed live on LoyolaGreyhounds.com.

Series History

Loyola and Fairfield will meet for the 52nd time on the hardwood Sunday afternoon with the Stags entering the game with a 35-16 advantage in the previous meetings.

The Greyhounds won the most recent meeting between the two, 66-63, on January 13, at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.

Loyola rallied form a 15-point halftime deficit in the second half to win the first meeting this year. The Greyhounds trailed by seven with 2:07 left when Robert Olson scored seven in a row to tie the game with 1:19 to go. Five of his points came as the direct result of Dylon Cormier steals in the backcourt.

Erik Etherly led all players with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Olson finished with 15, Cormier added 12, and Justin Drummond scored 10. Rakim Sanders had 17 for Fairfield.

Jesuit Basketball Spotlight

Sunday’s game against Fairfield is the sixth of six games the Greyhounds play this season as part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight.

As one of 28 Jesuit Catholic universities around the nation, Loyola is a proud participant in the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight again this season. The Greyhounds are 5-0 in Jesuit Basketball Spotlight games this season with wins over Canisius (twice), Fairfield and Saint Peter’s (twice).

Tying School Marks

Friday night’s win over Iona improved Loyola’s record to 19-5 overall and 12-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this season.

The Greyhounds’ 19 wins tie the 2007-2008 team’s school Division I record for most victories, and the 12 wins also tie the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 squads for most wins in the league.

Loyola’s 19 wins are also tied for fourth-most all-time in school history.

Through 24

Loyola’s 19-5 start through its first 14 games of the season ranks is tied for the best start in that many games in school history, matching the record the 1947-1948 “Lefty” Reitz-coached team put forth.

Reitz Is Rockin’

The Greyhounds’ last two games in Reitz Arena have both been sellout crowds of 2,100. It marks the first time since Reitz opened in December 1984 that the gym has had back-to-back sellout crowds.

The crowd on February 3 against Rider was the building’s first sellout since November 14, 2008, against Mount St. Mary’s.

Offensive Onslaught

Loyola turned in season highs in points (87), field goals made (32) and field goals attempted (63) on Friday night against Iona.

The Greyhounds’ 47 points in the first half were also the most they’ve scored in the first 20 minutes this season and were tied for the most in either half, matching the 47 scored on November 14 against Coppin State in the second half.

Eight Field Goals For Three

Three Greyhounds knocked down eight or more field goals Friday night against Iona. Erik Etherly was 9-of-12 from the field, Justin Drummond 8-of-12, and Dylon Cormier 8-of-16.

It was the first time in the eight-year tenure of Jimmy Patsos as head coach that three or more players have made eight or more baskets in the same game.

Etherly, Cormier Top 20

For the second time this year, Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both topped the 20-point mark. The duo also accomplished the feat on November 17 at UMBC when Etherly scored a career-best 27, and Cormier  finished with 20.

On Friday night, Etherly and Cormier’s combined 44 points were just over half of the Greyhounds’ 87.

Drummond Raises Efficiency

Justin Drummond had his best shooting night of the season Friday versus Iona, making 8-of-12 shots (.667). Drummond, who shot .446 as a freshman last year, has seen his field-goal percentage dip to .387 this year.

His previous best outing of the season came on December 28 at Bucknell when he was 5-of-8 (.625) from the floor.

Strong Inside

Erik Etherly’s performance in the paint on Friday night was a key reason the Greyhounds defeated the Gaels after falling by 11 in New Rochelle, N.Y., to the same team last month.

In the January 15 loss, Etherly scored nine points and had seven rebounds, but Friday night he finished with a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. He also had three assists, two blocked shots and a steal.

Defensive Presence

Jordan Latham did not play in the Greyhounds’ first meeting with Iona, an 11-point setback, but the sophomore forward made his presence known Friday night.

He came off the bench and played 14 minutes and had four blocked shots. Three of his blocks were not just redirects, but true swats of the ball. Each of his blocked shots came against different Iona players and in different situations. Twice, Latham swatted shots by driving guards, and he twice denied post players.

The four blocks were a career-high for Latham.

R.J.’s Assists Equal Success

R.J. Williams recorded five assists in the win Friday night over Iona, the fourth time this year he’s dished out five or more. The Greyhounds are 7-0 this season in games that Williams has four or more helpers.

As a team, the Greyhounds are 4-0 this year when recorded 15 or more assists, like they did Friday night.

Etherly’s Last Ten

Erik Etherly continued his solid play of late with 15 points against both Rider and Saint Peter’s, followed by 22 against Iona. The game against the Gaels marked the sixth straight game Etherly has scored 15 or more, raising his 10-game scoring average to 15.5 points, best on the team during that stretch.

Etherly also has averaged 7.8 rebounds, just above his season average, during the stretch that dates back to the Greyhounds’ first meeting with Canisius on January 7.

During the stretch, Etherly has scored in double figures nine times – he finished with nine at Iona – and he has scored 15 or more seven times.

Fastest To 19

Loyola’s win over Iona was the Greyhounds’ 19th of the season, marking their fastest path to 19 victories since joining Division I for the 1981-1982 season. The Greyhounds’ arrival at 19 wins after just 24 games came by a wide margin over the previous best.

The 2007-2008 squad, set the previous standard, reaching 19 wins in 30 games, six more than this year’s team.

Good MAAC Start

With wins in 11 of its first 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games this season, Loyola is off to its best start in league play since joining the league in 1989-1990. The Greyhounds’ previous best starts were 9-4 in both 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

Last Time Out

Loyola outscored Iona 36-20 in the last 13:40 of the first half to built a 17-point advantage at the break that it would extend to 25 on two second-half occasions.

Iona steadily chipped away at the Greyhounds’ advantage, pulling to within four with less than 30 seconds to play, but Robert Olson and Erik Etherly both hit 2-of-2 from the line in the last 21 ticks of the clock to secure an 87-81 win for Loyola.

Etherly finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Dylon Cormier tallied 22 points, and Justin Drummond had 17.

Six Under Sixty

For the first time in its NCAA Division I history (since 1981-1982), Loyola held six consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points.

During the span, all Loyola victories, the Greyhounds have held Siena, Saint Peter’s (twice), Niagara, Canisius and Rider to an average of 53.2 points per game.

The Greyhounds previously had held three teams to sub-60 performances just once since joining Division I, and that came during 1981-1982, their first season at this level.

The last time a Loyola team held six-straight teams under 60, regardless of division, came in January-February 1977 when it held six teams in a row – Southampton, Saint Peter’s, Randolph-Macon, Mount St. Mary’s, Baltimore and Philadelphia Textile – to 59 or fewer. The Greyhounds, however, were just 3-3 in that stretch.

During The Six

Loyola’s success during the last six games is reflected in several statistics. Opponents are shooting .387, .046 lower than the season average of .433. Also, Loyola has held foes to .241 from 3-point range, more than 10 points lower than the season mark of .350.

Following the Greyhounds’ game at Iona on January 15, Loyola was ranked 265th in field-goal percentage defense (.449), 325th in 3-point defense (.389), and 163rd in scoring defense (66.2).

The last six games have moved the Greyhounds to 193rd in field goal percentage defense (.443), 215th in 3-point defense (.350) and 71st in scoring defense (62.8).

Threes In The First

Robert Olson put on a shooting clinic in the first half of Sunday’s win at Saint Peter’s, making all four of his 3-point attempts and finishing the stanza with 14 points. While foul trouble limited him to nine second-half minutes, he finished with 19 points, two off his career-high, and he matched his season-high with five 3-pointers.

His only miss from behind the arc in the game came with 32 seconds left in the game. He fired a long three with the shot-clock expiring as Loyola was running out the clock.

Olson is now shooting 44.7-percent from 3-point range, and his 51 threes made this season are 14th in school single-season history. His 3-point field goal percentage currently stands third in school single-season history.

Olson has made 123 threes in his career, good for seventh-best all-time at Loyola. With two more, he will tie Gerald Brown (2006-2008) for sixth.

Olson’s January, Continued

After a stretch of not scoring in double figures for the last three games of December and the first two in January, Robert Olson was the Greyhounds’ leading scorer during the first month of the new calendar year, averaging 13.8. He continued his stretch of scoring with 14 against Rider, 19 at Saint Peter’s and 13 against Iona in February’s first three contests.

In Loyola’s last 10 games, a stretch in which the Greyhounds are 9-1, Olson has averaged a team-best 15.3 points per game, second-most on the team.

During those eight games, his low total is 11, coming at Niagara. He is shooting .520 from the field (51-of-98) and a more impressive .516 (32-of-62) from 3-point range.

Olson has made at least two 3-pointers in each of the 10 games and has three or more in all but three.

Senior Stepping Up

Shane Walker’s play over the Greyhounds’ wins against Canisius, Rider and Saint Peter’s was more in line with his season averages after tailing off some during the month of January.

Walker averaged 12.7 points and 9.3 rebounds against Canisius, Rider and Saint Peter’s, a stretch in which he also had eight assists, eight blocked shots and six steals.

In January’s first eight games, every contest that month except for the date at Canisius, Walker scored just 5.4 points per game, shooting 26.5-percent from the field and 23.5-percent from 3-point range. His rebounds per game also dipped to 5.1.

Over the last three, however, Walker has shot 48.6-percent from the field and a modest 33.3-percent from 3-point range. He had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds at Canisius, a season-high 12 boards versus Rider, and then a 14-point, 5-steal performance at Saint Peter’s.

Something Had To Give

Entering last Friday night’s game against Rider, Loyola had held four consecutive opponents to 57 or fewer points, while the Broncs were averaging 87.5 points in their previous three games.

Loyola’s defense prevailed in the contest, holding Rider to 12 points in the first half and just 46 overall. It was the Broncs’ lowest scoring game since February 2008 when Fairfield held them to 40.

Almost 20 Years

Rider’s 46 points were the fewest Loyola has allowed since the Greyhounds defeated Niagara, 68-45, on February 21, 1992, a stretch of 521 games.

Loyola has now held opponents to 49 or fewer points eight times since joining NCAA Division I in 1981-1982. The Greyhounds did it twice each in 1981-1982, 1984-1985 and 1991-1992 and once in 1983-1984.

Bracketbuster Opponent Named

Loyola learned Monday that it will host Boston University of the America East Conference in its sixth appearance in the Sears’ Bracketbuster Event. The Greyhounds and Terriers will play Sunday, February 19, at 12 noon in Reitz Arena.

Tied For Second In Road Wins

As of the beginning of the week, Loyola’s 10 road wins had them tied for second in all of NCAA Division I for victories away from its home court.

Cleveland State leads the way with 11, while the Greyhounds are tied with Murray State, Friday’s foe Iona and Wagner.

Olson Scores In Bunches

Robert Olson scored seven points in a 23-second stretch versus Fairfield, going on a 7-0 run by himself. Fairfield led 62-55 when Olson pulled up for an 18-foot jumper with 1:42 left in regulation. He then hit a shot with his foot on the 3-point line 15 ticks later to make it a 3-point Stags lead. The junior guard tied the game at 62-62 with 1:19 on the clock with a three from the right side.

Olson finished with 15 points, 13 coming in the second half. Earlier in the stanza, an Olson three at the 14:38 mark cut Fairfield’s largest lead of 15 to 12, and he then knocked one down with 10:04 on the clock.

It was the second game in a row Olson has scored seven-straight points in the second half. He went on a personal 7-0 run against Canisius to move Loyola’s lead back to 11 after the Golden Griffins cut it to four.

The second half has often been a big one for Olson. Last year, he scored nine points in 83 seconds to help defeat Morgan State, and against Iona in Baltimore, Olson made a three pointer with seven ticks of the clock left to tie and send the game to overtime. He then scored the game’s last four points to secure the victory.

Walker Moves Into Second

Shane Walker blocked two Fairfield shots in the first three minutes of the game, and he then swatted a Maurice Barrow layup with 13:58 on the clock, tying him for second all-time at Loyola in blocked shots.

With five blocks against Canisius, Walker now has 124 blocks in his career and is all alone in second place. Brian Carroll (1997-2001) holds the school record with 213.

Everyone On The Offensive Boards

Loyola leads the MAAC in offensive rebounding as a team, averaging 13.9, more than a full rebound more per game that second-place Canisius (12.8).

Despite the team ranking, no Greyhounds player is higher than seventh in the conference in offensive rebounds per game. Erik Etherly is tied for sixth with 2.6, while Justin Drummond is 13th with 2.2, and Dylon Cormier is just behind, tied for 15th.

No other team in the MAAC has more than two players in the top 15 of the category.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9.

What’s Next

Loyola hits the road for a Wednesday, February 15, game at Marist.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC has been a much tougher out in February, with down-to-wire setbacks in the last three contests. The Retrievers offense has been much improved, averaging 72.5 points per game and shooting 45.1 percent from the floor in the last four. Sophomore forward Chase Plummer (15.2 ppg, 5th in America East) is had been on a tear, averaging 21.4 points per game in his last five contests.

WILDCAT UPDATE:  New Hampshire just completed a three-game home stand and won two of three, including a 69-64 upset win over Albany on Thursday. Senior guard Alvin Abreu scored 21 points and surpassed the 1,500-point mark in his career. He averaged 20.0 points per game in the three home games and leads the squad at 13.9 points per game. New Hampshire has struggled away from home this year, winning just 2 of 10 contests.

Who’s Up Next:  UMBC travels to Binghamton for a Wednesday, Feb. 15 clash with the Bearcats.

With the victory, the Tigers presented Coach Shawn Nadelen with a win in his coaching debut.

Midway through the third quarter, the Tigers were trailing the Dolphins, 8-6. However, Maguire’s unassisted goal with 7:17 left in the third period ignited a five-goal run that gave the Tigers an 11-8 advantage with 8:23 remaining in the game.

After Maguire made it an 8-7 contest, senior Carl Iacona scored the game-tying goal with 3:53 left in the third quarter off a pass from freshman Justin Mabus, his second assist of the game. With 13:46 remaining in the game, sophomore Thomas DeNapoli scored an unassisted goal to give the Tigers a 9-8 advantage.

When freshman Robby Zoppo added an unassisted goal with 9:32 left, the Tigers upped their lead to 10-8. Maguire tallied his second goal of the game off a pass from Mabus with 8:23 left, giving the Tigers an 11-8 advantage.

Junior midfielder Cameron Mann took a pass from Donovan Lang with 6:48 left in the game to end the Tigers’ scoring spurt and pull the Dolphins to within 11-9. With 4:12 remaining, sophomore defenseman Warren Kalkstein of the Tigers was called for a slashing penalty and Jacksonville had a man advantage. Moments later, junior T.J. Kenary scored off a pass from Max Gurowski to score an extra man goal with 3:54 remaining, pulling Jacksonville to within 11-10.

But, Kalkstein atoned for his penalty by winning the ensuring faceoff. Sophomore Andrew Hodgson picked up the ground ball and fed it to junior Dan Kramer. Kramer passed it to Maguire, who scored only nine seconds after the Dolphins’ goal, giving the Tigers a 12-10 lead with 3:45 left to play.

In the final minutes, the Dolphins managed only one shot, which junior goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage saved. The Tigers were able to run out the clock and win their season opener for the first time since 2007.

Maguire, who scored a career high three goals, led the Tigers with three goals and one assist. DeNapoli added three goals for Towson while Zoppo scored the first two goals of his college career. Kramer had a goal and an assist and junior Matt Hughes also scored a goal with an assist.

Wascavage made eight saves for the Tiger defense as the Tigers forced 11 turnovers.

A third-year program, Jacksonville was led by Ari Waffle, who had three goals and an assist.

The Tigers, who played their season opener on the earliest date ever, return to action next Friday evening when they visit Johns Hopkins University for a 5:00 p.m. start.

For players not receiving an invitation to Indianapolis, the NFL is holding regional combines at eight different locations, with the Ravens’ Owings Mills facility having hosted one on Saturday. In addition to college seniors who have completed their eligibility, the regional combine was open to players with past collegiate experience who wanted to gauge their pro potential and even those with limited NFL experience who have been away from the game for an extended time.

While college seniors having completed their NCAA eligibility received a direct invitation if they were not offered a spot at the national combine in Indianapolis, participants had to register and be approved by the league office before paying the $195 registration fee — in addition to paying their own travel expenses. The fee was designed as a litmus test for serious candidates who weren’t simply looking for a fun experience at an NFL practice facility.

Saturday’s combine in Owings Mills didn’t include an extensive number of household names, with former Maryland running back — and Ray Lewis’ younger brother — Keon Lattimore, former Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell, and former New England Patriots linebacker Shawn Crable among the few recognizable ones present on Saturday.

Most participants on Saturday hailed from smaller schools, but some played at bigger programs including former Maryland cornerback Colin Nelson. A reserve defensive back for the 2007 Terps after transferring from McDaniel College earlier in his collegiate career, the 26-year-old Nelson now plays for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League while still dreaming about a life in the NFL.

For players like Nelson, Saturday marked an opportunity to earn an invite to the super regional combine at Ford Field in Detroit at the end of March and — if they’re lucky enough — an opportunity to land on an offseason roster with a chance to go to training camp. The process can be draining for those continuing to chase the NFL after being told over and over that they’re not good enough.

“It’s tough on your psyche, because you feel like you’re worth it,” said Nelson, who will go to training camp with the Storm this coming week. “You feel like you can do it. It’s humbling, so the biggest thing is just to stay focused. If that’s your goal, just keep going. Consistency [and] perseverance.”

While scouts from the Ravens, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Carolina Panthers were in attendance on Saturday, the regional combines aren’t specifically designed for teams to send representatives. Instead, the events are held to filter out individuals with no legitimate chance and identify the few who are worth evaluating at the super regional combine.

Knowing that reality, there was little margin for error in drills conducted at the Ravens’ indoor practice field on Saturday. For many, the day may have represented their last chance to fulfill long-held dreams.

No pressure, right?

“As long as you know you put the work in and you prepared yourself, it’s just like taking a test,” Lattimore said. “You know how you’re going to do on that test. You take a pretest before the real test. I’ve been timing — a lot of my times have been pretty good times. I’ve been satisfied with them. Weight-wise, I’m where I want to be. I think it’ll be a good day.”

In reality, Saturday wasn’t a good day for most players in terms of defining their potential futures in the NFL, but it did provide what they all were asking for.

Another chance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cassese, Pietramala and Tambroni join the coaching staff led by head coach Richie Meade that will lead the U.S. men’s national team at the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships, hosted by US Lacrosse and set for July 10-19, 2014, in Denver, Colo. The U.S. men’s national team is seeking its 10th world championship after reclaiming the gold medal at the 2010 FIL World Championships in Manchester, England.

“We’re really pleased about the quality and number of coaches who were interested in the positions and especially about the three guys we selected to help coach the team,” said Meade, who was named head coach in December 2011. “It’s a very solid group. Each of the coaches is experienced, tough-minded and brings something special to the group.”

Kevin Cassese is beginning his fifth season as Lehigh’s head men’s lacrosse coach, where, in 2011, he led the Mountain Hawks to their first Patriot League Tournament appearance since 2006. Prior to Lehigh, Cassese served as assistant coach at his alma mater Duke from 2005-07, helping lead the Blue Devils to the 2007 national championship game. As a player at Duke from 2000-03, Cassese was a three-time All-American, two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist and received the Lt. Donald MacLaughlin, Jr. Award as the nation’s top midfielder in 2002.

A three-time U.S. men’s national team midfielder (2002, 2006, 2010), Cassese was part of two gold medal winning U.S. teams at the FIL World Championships (2002, 2010). Cassese has also helped coach the U.S. men’s training team at US Lacrosse’s Stars & Stripes and Champion Challenge events from 2010-12.

“Coach Cassese has been involved in the international game for more than 12 years,” Meade added. “He’s an expert at international lacrosse and the face-off game, and his familiarity with the current player mindset will help him relate really well.”

Dave Pietramala is entering his 12th season as the head coach at Johns Hopkins. He guided the Blue Jays to the 2005 and 2007 NCAA championships and sports a record of 126-41 at Johns Hopkins and an overall collegiate coaching record of 149-58. Johns Hopkins has advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of his 11 seasons with two national championships, two national runner-up finishes (2003, 2008) and six total trips to the final four. The only person in the history of men’s college lacrosse to win an NCAA Division I lacrosse championship as a player and a head coach, Pietramala was a three-time first team All-American at Johns Hopkins during his playing career from 1986-89. He helped the Blue Jays to the 1987 NCAA championship and later starred for the U.S. men’s national team in 1990 and 1994. Pietramala was inducted to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2003.

“We were looking for one guy on each side of the ball and one guy who would be good in the specialty area,” Meade noted. “Coach Pietramala is a great coach across the board, but especially at the defensive end of the field. He has a level of comfort with the international game and will get the most out of the players at the defensive end.”

Jeff Tambroni is entering his second year as head coach at Penn State University. Prior to his arrival in State College, he spent 10 seasons as head coach at Cornell University (2001-2010), where his teams won eight Ivy League championships (2003-2010) and made three final four appearances (2007, 2009, 2010). In 2009, Tambroni was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Coach of the Year after leading Cornell to the national championship game. His overall collegiate coaching record is 116-47, having amassed 109 wins while at Cornell. A 1992 graduate of Hobart University, Tambroni helped lead the Statesmen to back-to-back NCAA Division III championships (1990-91) before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater in 1993.

“Coach Tambroni is one of the most outstanding coaches in the game,” Meade said. “He’s great with offensive players and will be very good at developing schemes to highlight the great talent we have here in the U.S.”

“I want to thank Coach Meade and the committee for their time and effort in screening a deep and talented pool of applicants,” said Bill Tierney, chair of US Lacrosse’s Coaches Selection Committee and former U.S. men’s team head coach. “My experience as a head coach of the 1998 team afforded me the opportunity to work with a great group of coaches and this was our goal for Coach Meade. Clearly, this is one of the most impressive U.S. staffs ever to be assembled. We are all looking forward to great things from them and the team in Denver in 2014.”

Warrior is the official equipment and apparel sponsor of the U.S. men’s national teams. Marriott and Nationwide are official sponsors of the National Teams Program.

About US Lacrosse US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse. US Lacrosse is the parent organization of the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams program. US Lacrosse has 400,000 members in 64 regional chapters around the country. Through responsive and effective leadership, US Lacrosse strives to provide programs and services to inspire participation while protecting the integrity of the game. To learn more about US Lacrosse, please visit www.uslacrosse.org

On the national horse racing scene, this weekend is thin on Derby preps as there is only one, the $150k G2 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. IMHO, this is among the least affective tests as 3 year olds race to prove their worthiness for a chance to run in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. The reason is the Hutcheson is run at a distance of 7 furlongs while the Derby is 10 furlongs (1¼ miles). A key attribute for a Derby contender is stamina. The ability to win a 7 furlong race proves nothing in the stamina department.

Only six 3 year olds have been entered in the Hutcheson Stakes with #3 – Thunder Moccasin the 7-5 Morning Line favorite. This son of Empire Maker made a dazzling career debut on Christmas Eve at Gulfstream Park, scoring a 2½ length victory going 6½ furlongs. Both the runner-up and third place finisher in that race have come back to break their maidens in impressive fashion. Another potential star is second choice #6 – Ever So Lucky (2-1) who was last seen at Churchill Downs in the G2 KY Jockey Club, running second to highly touted Gemologist. The way this race shapes up, there’s no shortage of early speed, so the one who has a good late foot can prevail, which points to #4 – Quick Wit (6-1).

Here are my opinions for a sloppy surface at Laurel Park on Saturday, February 11th. 1st race post is 12:35pm EST.

1st race – $5,000 Claiming for fillies and mares – 7 furlongs
#6 – Cure Creation (7-5)
#2 – VooDoo’s Vision (9-5)
#3 – Rosiana (8-1)

2nd race – $16,000 Maiden Claiming for 3 yr old fillies – 5½ furlongs
#2 – Scat Miss (3-1)
#6 – Smoothe Landing (4-1)
#3 – Anamericanpatriot (8-1)

3rd race – $5,000 Claiming for fillies and mare NW3L – 6 furlongs
#1 – More Punch (12-1) $$$ LONGSHOT PICK $$$
#4 – Lilly Leggs (6-1)
#6 – Quiet Intent (8-5)

4th race – $15,000 Claiming for fillies and mare NW3L – 5½ furlongs
#5 – Offlee Classy (8-1)
#2 – Simsational (9-5)
#1 – Singita Cat (10-1)

5th race – $25,000 Claiming NW2L – 6 furlongs
#1 – Carolyn’s Moon (9-2) *** BEST BET ***
#4 – My Summation (7-5)
#7 – Issues And Answers (5-2)

6th race – $100,000 Marshua Stakes for fillies and mares– 1 1/8 miles
#3 – Lacie Slew (3-1)
#4 – Acting Happy (4-5)
#2 – Pilot Point Lady (6-1)

7th race – $5,000 Claiming – 6 furlongs
#1/1A – Let Me Be Frank / Wie Ein Stein (7-2)
#5 – Tripplite (3-1)
#3 – I. Turner (4-1)

8th race – $35,000 Allowance n1x – 6 furlongs
#4 – Key To A Cure (6-1)
#6 – Brush Creek (9-2)
#8 – Royal Straight (8-5)

9th race – $8,000 Maiden Claiming – 5½ furlongs
#4 – April’s Foil (8-5)
#2 – Rosemont Drive (6-1)
#6 – Stand Up Stan (9-2)

SETTING THE STAGE: The Tigers welcome the James Madison Dukes to the Towson Center Saturday for the second to last home game of the 2011-12 season. Saturday will be a BLACK OUT and all fans are encouraged to wear black to the game. It will also be Alumni Day as 12 former Tigers return to the Towson Center. The battle between the Tigers and Dukes is being sponsored by PNC Bank.

HUSTLE PLAYS: Towson has improved vastly this year in two areas that head coach Pat Skerry credits to hustle – defense & rebounding. Last year in 18 conference games, Towson held just three opponents under 42 percent shooting and won the battle of the boards just five times. In fewer games this season, the Tigers have held six opponents under 42 percent and have won the rebounding battle in nine of 14 league games.

ON THE GLASS: ADVANTAGE TOWSON: The Tigers will look to dominate the boards Saturday against the Dukes. The Tigers own a +4.1 rebounding advantage per game in their last eight contests while JMU ranks 11th in the CAA with a -4.4 rebounding discrepancy.

LAST TIME OUT: Despite a season-high tying 19 points and nine rebounds from senior Robert Nwankwo, Towson fell, 66-43, at VCU on Wednesday. Nwankwo paced the Tigers on the boards for the 22nd time this season, just missing his 11th double-double while shooting 7-for-13 from the field. Freshman Kris Walden, returning to his hometown of Richmond, Va., handed out a game-high six assists.

SCOUTING THE DUKES: James Madison has dropped five straight games and seven of its last eight. The Dukes are led in scoring by backcourt duo A.J. Davis and Humpty Hitchens.  Davis is fourth in the CAA averaging 16.6 points per game while Hitchens is just behind in fifth at 15.5 points a contest. JMU excels from beyond the arc, leading the league making 7.7 triples per game. The Dukes shoot 36.0 percent from three-point range, a mark that ranks second in the CAA.