5/10/2005 - Men's Lacrosse
Navy Owns No. 3 Ranking Heading into NCAA Lacrosse Tournament
Senior Chris Pieczonka's success in the draw circle has helped lead the Mids to an 11-3 record and No. 3 ranking this spring. |
BALTIMORE, Md. - The Navy lacrosse team (11-3) enters the 2005 NCAA Lacrosse Tournament this weekend ranked No. 3 in both the Geico/STX Coaches Poll, put out by the USILA (United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association), and the InsideLacrosse.com Media Poll. It is the Mids' highest ranking since March 7 when the season's first Geico/STX Coaches Poll was released and had Navy ranked No. 2. The InsideLacrosse.com Media Poll ranked the Mids No. 3 that same week.
The polls reflect the identical top four, headlined by undefeated Johns Hopkins (12-0) at No. 1. Duke (14-2) remains No. 2, but Navy is on the Blue Devils' heels at No. 3, receiving just seven fewer votes than Duke in the coaches poll. Meanwhile, Maryland (9-5), who beat Penn last Saturday, 21-6, is ranked No. 4. Cornell (9-3) dropped from third to fifth in the coaches poll despite its win over Hobart last Friday, while Virginia (9-3) owns the No. 5 spot in the media poll.
Five of Navy's 2005 regular-season opponents remain ranked among the top 20, with three in the top 10 (USILA/IL) - Johns Hopkins (1-1), Maryland (4-4), Georgetown (8-9), Army (12-13) and Bucknell (17-14). Meanwhile, North Carolina and Ohio State, who are receiving votes, were ranked when the Mids beat both teams early in the season.
The Midshipmen, who were awarded the fifth seed in postseason action, will play host to 16th-ranked Delaware (11-5) Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Action is set for noon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and will be carried live by Navy's flagship radio station 1430 WNAV with Pete Medhurst calling the game.
G-o N-a-v-y
