Dave H
03-24-2001, 01:17 AM
Then this season began, most people in lacrosse thought the best men's college team would be Syracuse, a perennial powerhouse. The Orangemen were that until this past Saturday, when they were upset by Johns Hopkins, 11-10, at Syracuse's Carrier Dome.
Now Syracuse (3-1) has a quick chance for redemption. This Saturday, the Orangemen play host to Princeton (3-0), who replaced them as the nation's No. 1 team in the weekly ranking of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
At least Syracuse does not have to worry this week about ERIC WEDIN, Johns Hopkins's face- off specialist. In his first three college seasons, Wedin scored a total of five goals. In his two previous games this season, he got one goal. Against Syracuse, he scored five goals and propelled his team into fifth place in the national ranking.
``That was an upset, sure,'' said BRIAN LOGUE, the editor of Lacrosse Magazine, ``but that's been common this year. There have been many upsets because the top teams have become so close in ability.''
This week, the 10 coaches who rank the teams placed Princeton first, followed by Notre Dame, Maryland, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. Syracuse fell to sixth, followed by Massachusetts, Loyola of Baltimore, Virginia and Duke.
Notre Dame
If you agree that Duke, North Carolina and Penn State are Eastern colleges, 19 of this week's top 20 men's teams are from the East. The exception is Notre Dame, second in the nation, its highest ranking ever (its previous best was sixth in 1996).
Notre Dame (5-0) has not allowed 10 goals to any opponent this year. Its past two games were victories over Virginia by 11-8 and Loyola of Baltimore by 10-7. It next plays at Hofstra Sunday, and road games pose no extra threat because the Irish are 4-0 away from home.
The key players for Notre Dame have been attackmen TOM GLATZEL (18 goals and 4 assists) and DAVE ULRICH (7 goals and 7 assists) and goalie KIRK HOWELL (7.00 goals-against average and a .628 save percentage). They are three of the six seniors who start - three on attack, two on defense and the goalie.
``We've been getting unbelievable play from our seniors,'' Notre Dame Coach KEVIN CORRIGAN said. ``This is the first time in our seven years here that we've had a lot of experience at every position.''
Things should get even better for the Irish. They have no athletic scholarships for men's lacrosse now, but they will have them starting in the fall. In January, the university decided that all of its sports teams, male and female, would have the full number of scholarships allowed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Maryland Women
JEN ADAMS of Maryland has broken one N.C.A.A. career record for women and is within sight of another.
In leading Maryland, the defending national champion, to a 5-0 start this year, Adams recorded 16 goals and 15 assists. The last assist, during a 20-4 rout of Brown, was the 133rd of her college career. That broke the record set between 1993 and 1996 by KELLY AMONTE of Maryland, now the coach at Northwestern.
The N.C.A.A. career points record is 420 by KAREN EMAS of Delaware from 1981 to 1984. Adams, with 328 points, ranks fifth, and she has 14 regular-season games and as many as three N.C.A.A. tournament games to break the record.
Adams is a 21-year-old senior from Australia, a midfielder who plays an attacking game. She was the national player of the year the past two years, and last year she won the Honda Award as the outstanding female athlete in any college sport.
When she broke the assists record, Maryland called time out to retrieve the ball and honor her. Her teammates were ecstatic. Adams was baffled.
``What was that all about?'' she said. ``What's the big deal? We have so many people on the team that can score. Anyone could be up there doing it. That record and stuff are not a big deal.''
Wrong, her teammates told her. It was indeed a big deal, and they explained it to her.
``Oh,'' she said. End of celebration.
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Dave H
Now Syracuse (3-1) has a quick chance for redemption. This Saturday, the Orangemen play host to Princeton (3-0), who replaced them as the nation's No. 1 team in the weekly ranking of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
At least Syracuse does not have to worry this week about ERIC WEDIN, Johns Hopkins's face- off specialist. In his first three college seasons, Wedin scored a total of five goals. In his two previous games this season, he got one goal. Against Syracuse, he scored five goals and propelled his team into fifth place in the national ranking.
``That was an upset, sure,'' said BRIAN LOGUE, the editor of Lacrosse Magazine, ``but that's been common this year. There have been many upsets because the top teams have become so close in ability.''
This week, the 10 coaches who rank the teams placed Princeton first, followed by Notre Dame, Maryland, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. Syracuse fell to sixth, followed by Massachusetts, Loyola of Baltimore, Virginia and Duke.
Notre Dame
If you agree that Duke, North Carolina and Penn State are Eastern colleges, 19 of this week's top 20 men's teams are from the East. The exception is Notre Dame, second in the nation, its highest ranking ever (its previous best was sixth in 1996).
Notre Dame (5-0) has not allowed 10 goals to any opponent this year. Its past two games were victories over Virginia by 11-8 and Loyola of Baltimore by 10-7. It next plays at Hofstra Sunday, and road games pose no extra threat because the Irish are 4-0 away from home.
The key players for Notre Dame have been attackmen TOM GLATZEL (18 goals and 4 assists) and DAVE ULRICH (7 goals and 7 assists) and goalie KIRK HOWELL (7.00 goals-against average and a .628 save percentage). They are three of the six seniors who start - three on attack, two on defense and the goalie.
``We've been getting unbelievable play from our seniors,'' Notre Dame Coach KEVIN CORRIGAN said. ``This is the first time in our seven years here that we've had a lot of experience at every position.''
Things should get even better for the Irish. They have no athletic scholarships for men's lacrosse now, but they will have them starting in the fall. In January, the university decided that all of its sports teams, male and female, would have the full number of scholarships allowed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Maryland Women
JEN ADAMS of Maryland has broken one N.C.A.A. career record for women and is within sight of another.
In leading Maryland, the defending national champion, to a 5-0 start this year, Adams recorded 16 goals and 15 assists. The last assist, during a 20-4 rout of Brown, was the 133rd of her college career. That broke the record set between 1993 and 1996 by KELLY AMONTE of Maryland, now the coach at Northwestern.
The N.C.A.A. career points record is 420 by KAREN EMAS of Delaware from 1981 to 1984. Adams, with 328 points, ranks fifth, and she has 14 regular-season games and as many as three N.C.A.A. tournament games to break the record.
Adams is a 21-year-old senior from Australia, a midfielder who plays an attacking game. She was the national player of the year the past two years, and last year she won the Honda Award as the outstanding female athlete in any college sport.
When she broke the assists record, Maryland called time out to retrieve the ball and honor her. Her teammates were ecstatic. Adams was baffled.
``What was that all about?'' she said. ``What's the big deal? We have so many people on the team that can score. Anyone could be up there doing it. That record and stuff are not a big deal.''
Wrong, her teammates told her. It was indeed a big deal, and they explained it to her.
``Oh,'' she said. End of celebration.
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Dave H