Spring Break
2007 Lacrosse Guide on Stands
Men's squad boasts experience, savvy
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The men's lacrosse team has been looking forward to the 2007 season as a chance to forget about the inconsistency of last season, when they lost a spot in the semifinals to Syracuse and failed to follow up an unbeaten championship run the previous year.
But the Blue Jays didn't make much of their first opportunity for a comeback when, during their earliest start of the season in the school's history, they lost 8-7 at home to a resurgent Albany.
The loss was the first time the Jays had lost their season opener since 2001. Albany got off to a quick start when they scored five points within the first 22 minutes, but the Jays equalized, only to fall to the rallying visitors by the end of the game.
After this game, the Jays face a tough season, with 12 games still to play, 7 of which will be away from home. Next week, the Jays will take on a major rival, Princeton University, at the inaugural Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium.
This historic double-header will also feature a scintillating game pitting Virginia against Syracuse. Hopkins is featured in the lacrosse extravaganza as one of the four teams that, combined, have won every NCAA tournament since 1992.
Next, Hopkins will also face road games at University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Syracuse, with a home game against Hofstra in between.
The schedule shifts to the ACC when they face the University of Virginia on March 24, in what should be an exciting home game.
On April 7, Hopkins will play a belated rematch of the 2005 NCAA Championship game with Duke -- another duel between historical rivals that should prove to be a cracking match-up.
Before and after the Duke game, the Jays will take on University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Maryland.
The Jays' home schedule comes to an end in April, when they face Navy during Homecoming weekend and Loyola University.
Later in the month, they will visit Towson and Mount St. Mary's -- embarking on a busy end to the regular season with two games in a 48-hour period .
Although the Jays' year hasn't begun on an ideal footing, with the defeat to Albany disappointing hopes of a strong start, the good news is that this year's team will be far more experienced than last year's roster.
The core of last year's team will be kept in place, as eight starters who are responsible for most of last season's goals will be returning to the roster.
These include goalie Jesse Schwartzman, a third-year starter and two-time All-American. With his stunning record of winning 27 games in 30 starts, Schwartzman might do the impossible by bringing a smile to Coach Pietremala's face -- he will be the first goalie in Pietremala's coaching career at Hopkins to feature as a starter for two years in a row.
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