Any word on the Lax game today?

[Massholya]

Anxiously awaiting results up here in the Northeast.

[DFW HOYA]

Sweep!

Men's team 15-8 over Towson at Harbin Field. First win ever against the Tigers, though the teams haven't played since 1971. Hoyas advance vs. Syracuse at Cornell next weekend.

Women's team 14-10 over #3 Maryland. Hoyas were 1-13 all-time vs. MD heading into the game at College Park. Hoyas advance to Final Four vs. Virginia on Friday night at Princeton.

[YB]

I was at the game today- good crowd, especially since 3/4 of the students were gone by now. They went nuts when the GU-Mary score was announced.

Good game- good luck Hoyas, Crush the "Orange"!

[jerseyhoya34]

DFW said:

Sweep!

Men's team 15-8 over Towson at Harbin Field. First win ever against the Tigers, though the teams haven't played since 1971. Hoyas advance vs. Syracuse at Cornell next weekend.

Women's team 14-10 over #3 Maryland. Hoyas were 1-13 all-time vs. MD heading into the game at College Park. Hoyas advance to Final Four vs. Virginia on Friday night at Princeton.

I expected the men's result to be good, but I was more realistic with the women and thought that it would be a tough win, especially considering how it doesn't seem like either of our programs has been able to pluck off a Princeton, UVA, UMD or Hopkins/Syracuse on the men's side.

Congratulations to both programs on what is a great day for them. The next games will be very tough, but they are also a fantastic opportunity for us to move up a notch in the lacrosse world against teams/programs that have traditionally given us more problems.

[FLHoya]

This is it!!! I have finally run out of Georgetown University sporting events to recap as an undergraduate (seeing as how my attendance at the lax game prevented me from observing the Senior Week Human Foosball Tournament sponsored by D.C. United and Chipotle...man one of those burritos would be good right now.)

Not a bad way to go out with my final GU sports event as an undergrad this afternoon. I will say that having watched the lax team with some level of frequency the last four years, this was one of the best games I've seen the team play, with the exception of some things which can be chalked up to laziness or the fact that the game was 11-3 at one point and almost never in doubt.

It was also, I figured out, the only time I've been to an NCAA Tournament game in anything. Pretty cool to watch your team win one of these things, even a first rounder.

NON-GAME STUFF

It was a full crowd today, not sure the # of people. The visitor's side was about 90-95% full, with Towson's fans taking up only the one section at the north end. You'd figure more people would have made it down from MD for a relatively "local" game, but I guess not. Maybe they didn't want to sit outside wearing black. It was hot as balls out there.

Georgetown's side was completely full, but it could have been "more full" if it needed to. My Booeymonger's sandwich and 1-liter Coke took up one seat for instance.

(Biggest crowd I ever saw at Harbin was the Syracuse-GU lax game last year, where both sides overflowed and I sat on the north end zone hill which was also full. Wasn't quite there today, but still nice.)

Only gripe (not a big one): they took away the "students get in free" rule for the game. Guess because a). it was a tournament game, b). only Seniors are left at GU. So that brings my total spent on GU Lax in four years to... 8 dollars.

---One of the NCAA scripts they had the announcer read before the game warned fans to watch out during the game for flying lacrosse balls that could travel into the stands. First time I had heard that at a game.

Fittingly, prior to the game, GU was practicing shooting and someone shot high over the left corner of the cage. It bounced once and hit a photographer who wasn't looking dead in the face on the bounce. He wasn't hurt.

Then, at the end of halftime warmups, GU's Kevin Langtry (#1) took a shot that hit the crossbar, rebounded into the fourth row of the visitor's stands, and bounced back into the offensive zone about 10yds from the place the shot came from. Pretty cool.

--The game was delayed for about five minutes right after the start of the first quarter when the sprinklers started going on the visitor's side of the field. Before they turned off they got the visitor's stands wet a couple times.

--As was quickly evident to me based on their cheering, I was apparently sitting next to Sean Denihan's (GU #47) parents. They were definitely into the game. Sean scored and had an assist in the 1st half.

I mention this because I am now 3-for-3 in sitting next to a GU lacrosse parent and having their kid score a goal. The other two times it was Peter Cannon's parents. Pete scored today also by the way.

--The only two odd penalties today were one that Trevor Casey took for unsportmanlike for coming off of the bench to shove a Towson guy during a skirmish. It was a matching penalty. Then Andy Corno got called for tripping at one point, and I believe that's where GU scored a shorthanded goal, and Brodie Merrill ended up taking the face off. He did one other time too, I think b/c GU was on a different man-down situation and wanted to keep the penalty killing unit on.

--I think the GU lax and GU Men's Soccer pregame mix tapes are right about even personally. The lax one includes Outkast's "B.O.B" and "What's the Story (Morning Glory)" by Oasis, but I swore on the way to the game I heard "Butterfly" by Crazy Town, and that one seriously needs to go if true.

--Speaking of songs, I am watching the VH1/Blender present the 50 Most Awesomely Bad Videos Ever (i.e. "take the magazine list and replace the songs without music videos with some with videos"). Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" is one of the VH1 edits into the list at #28. This is, IMO, to put it mildly a traveshamockery. Okay talking heads with no real jobs or careers, he's white, he has red hair, he sings like he's black. I knew that from I Love the 80s. It's a good song though. Matter of fact, it would be a better entrance song for the basketball team than hearing Nelly's "#1" every game sophomore year. That one sucked.

--Too bad I didn't think of asking who was going, would've liked to see YB or other board members. My normal group of friends who go to lax games with me are all out of town for various reasons.

THE GAME

Best I've seen GU play for the most part, like I've said above. Unlike JerseyHoya above, I was actually concerned about the game b/c Towson seemed to be the chic upset pick for some of the lax message board folks. That wasn't happening today, let me tell you.

The GU Defense today was completely in the zone today, it was unbelievable. If I'm giving a player of the game today, it's the GU guys-with-longer-than-average-sticks, Andrew Braziel, Reyn Garnett, and Brodie Merrill. And this is in a game where Neal Goldman scored 5 goals.

Towson for the middle 40-45 minutes of the game was virtually shut down on offense. I've never seen so many passes knocked down or deflected by long sticks. And on a ton of possessions, the long sticks just stick checked the ball clean away. A completely dominating performance. I don't have the stats for the game, but someone oughta check out the ground ball stats.

Consider this: of the 15 GU goals, at least 6 were on fast breaks directly set up by a defender causing a TO in the GU defensive zone and starting an odd man rush (borrowing a term from hockey since I have that on right now). 1 other was the same deal, but Rich D'Andrea set it up off a save, possibly on a deflected shot or ground ball. And then on one Neal Goldman picked up a silly Towson TO in midfield and went one-on-one for a goal. GU scored just a ton of easy goals today. The game went from 4-3 to 11-3 almost in a flash, nearly every Towson possession was resulting in a GU break at one point.

--There was one point at the game (I guess someone keeping score on LaxPower was counting) that GU had 6 extra man opps. to none for Towson. It took a long time to get any penalty in the game, the middle of the second quarter I think. GU scored a couple with the man up. By the end of the game a lot more penalties were being called, but it was overall a good job by officials (of course, it should be noted I know

--A few other goals of note. Walid Hajj's goal was pretty nice, he did a 360 and completely blew by his defender on an ISO and scored on a low skidding shot. Peter Cannon's goal seemed to be just flicking it at the goal over the shoulder, and it snuck in under the post. And at the end of the game, I think GU's last goal, was a nice one. I think this was Mike White (#39)--on the previous possession he fielded a long clearance pass at midfield and got nailed from his blind side and lost the ball. Next possession he got payback, taking the ball about 30 yds down the near sideline, beating a defender easily with a speed move there and walking in on the crease and scoring.

--Don't have the stats, but I imagine Andy Corno did not win 50% of the faceoffs today. He was 5-11 in the first half, and about the same or worse in the 2nd. Towson's main guy was getting the better of the matchup, though they used two other guys in the second half at times.

So now it's on to Ithaca to play the Cuse again I guess. It will definitely be a challenge. If the defense and the guys-with-longer-than-average-sticks play like today, we've got a real shot. But then again, Towson doesn't have any Mike Powells. And teams that can put up 21 in a game in a tourney, even vs. Albany, are scary. GU had some lazy looking offensive sets today, some balls that you wondered was that a shot or a pass. And the intensity went way down in the 4th, but that's to be expected. Wish them the best, it's a travel day for me Sunday, so I will be arriving and checking the computer with anticipation.

Good luck to the GU women on Friday as well.

--FLHoya--

[EasyEd]

FL Hoya,
Thanks for this summary and for all the ones in the past. First class, as usual.

[Massholya]

Thanks for the info everyone! That is awesome. Maybe this is the year the lax team's finally put it all together. Really psyched about the women FINALLY beating the terps. The transformation of that program over the last ten years is nothing short of astounding. Hopefully, they'll both keep it going.

[WilsonBlvdHoya]

Who were the last 3 seniors at GU to lead their teams into 3 out of 4 Final Fours? Well, if you said Patrick Ewing, Bill Martin and Ralph Dalton (later to redshirt) you would have been right.....for men's basketball. But today, seniors Michi Ellers, Gloria Lozano and Anouk Peters just took the GU Women's Lax squad to their 3rd FF in four years!!!!!!!!!

Many congratulations to the team and coaching staff on two gutsy wins over Duke and Maryland (only the 2nd win over UMCP in 15 tries--great timing!!!) in the tourney after a rough end of season (losses to Penn State and James Madison). Now onto UVA and maybe Princeton in the finals............

The men with a convincing win over Towson will face Syracuse next Sunday in a rematch for a space in the men's FF. SU has a 23 year run of FF appearances and wouldn't it be poetic justice if the Hoyas closed it down!!! HOYA LAXA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SFHoya99]

Thanks, FL Hoya, but answer me this...

What's with the East Coast infatuation with Chipotle. They are, without a doubt, the worst burritos I have ever had. I can't believe they use white rice in a burrito. Even in SD, where I've seen one, my whole family (west coast) refuses to go, while my sister's husband (east coast) loves it. Even though he's had legit Mexican food.

I don't understand it.

[DFW HOYA]

Chipotle is a chain out of Denver, and while they're burritos in name only (mostly a tortilla wrap), the products is a healthier diversion (minus the guac and sour cream) from most fast food fare.

Authentic Mexican food? No, but then again, neither are 99% of restaurants east of I-35.

[SFHoya99]

DFW said:

Chipotle is a chain out of Denver, and while they're burritos in name only (mostly a tortilla wrap), the products is a healthier diversion (minus the guac and sour cream) from most fast food fare.

Authentic Mexican food? No, but then again, neither are 99% of restaurants east of I-35.

I believe Chipotle is now owned by McDonald's, but I'm not certain.

[FLHoya]

SFHoya99 said:

I believe Chipotle is now owned by McDonald's, but I'm not certain.

You are correct. There is in fact a Chipotle/McDonalds location on the West side of the MCI Center.

People on the East Coast LOVE fake Mexican food. You go into the Rosslyn Chipotle on most nights you'll see a least one group of GU students, including many a time members of the men's basketball team, not all of whom are from the East coast. There is a new Chipotle location opening on M Street between Prospect and Wisconsin within the week that will undoubtedly get a ton of business.

That being said, if it makes you feel better SF, I also enjoy dining at the Baja Fresh locations in Dupont and Foggy Bottom. In fact, I went to Baja Fresh Friday night. BF originated in Southern California and is less fake than Chipotle. I like them equally and both have their merits IMO.

My closest experience to "real" Mexican would have been in Denver, having only visited LAX and DFW in those states.

If it makes DFW feel better, I also very much enjoy Dave and Busters, the first two of which opened in Dallas (though the idea was spawned by its creators in Little Rock, Arkansas). I also like Texas toast.

The more pressing debate for me is Dunkin Donuts vs. Krispy Kreme, given that the first two locations of the latter appeared in Palm Beach County two years ago (thanks to the investing work of one Jimmy Buffett). PBC and all of South Florida of course is considered effectively part of the Northeast, and thus N.E.-based Dunkin Donuts reigned, not Winston-Salem based KK. Now there's competition.

I hear Syracuse fans like Arby's.

[DanMcQ]

Hoyas Stick It to the Tigers
Georgetown in Quarterfinals for 3rd Straight Year: Georgetown 15, Towson 8

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31627-2004May16.html


NCAA Women's Lacrosse
Hoyas Dispatch Terrapins, 14-10


www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31809-2004May16.html


Goldman powers Hoyas' rout

www.washtimes.com/sports/20040517-125936-2460r.htm

Presaging today's events, I knew things would go well when my 13 year-old was allowed to play as an attacker today for the first time and had an assist and a goal in her lacrosse team's 5-3 win.

[Jack]

[quote/]
Only gripe (not a big one): they took away the "students get in free" rule for the game. Guess because a). it was a tournament game, b). only Seniors are left at GU. So that brings my total spent on GU Lax in four years to... 8 dollars.

Speaking of songs, I am watching the VH1/Blender present the 50 Most Awesomely Bad Videos Ever (i.e. "take the magazine list and replace the songs without music videos with some with videos"). Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" is one of the VH1 edits into the list at #28. This is, IMO, to put it mildly a traveshamockery. Okay talking heads with no real jobs or careers, he's white, he has red hair, he sings like he's black. I knew that from I Love the 80s. It's a good song though. Matter of fact, it would be a better entrance song for the basketball team than hearing Nelly's "#1" every game sophomore year. That one sucked.

--FLHoya--[/quote]

-NCAA tourney games are different from regular season. GU does not have a choice, they have to charge, even for students. You also may have noticed the PA was a little more "neutral" than usual.

-I watched some of that VH1 nonsense too, only because I noticed in the preview that one of the "talking heads with no real jobs or careers" was none other than Mike Birbiglia, GU '00 who has had his own stand-up special on Comedy Central and actually got off a few good lines on the VH1 thing. Another talking head was Nick Kroll, who was more prominent but less funny, and is also a Georgetown alum. Both of them were in G-PIG.

[DanMcQ]

Jack said:

-I watched some of that VH1 nonsense too, only because I noticed in the preview that one of the "talking heads with no real jobs or careers" was none other than Mike Birbiglia, GU '00 who has had his own stand-up special on Comedy Central and actually got off a few good lines on the VH1 thing. Another talking head was Nick Kroll, who was more prominent but less funny, and is also a Georgetown alum. Both of them were in G-PIG.

Well, those guys are fine, but a floormate of mine when I was a 4th Healy Freshman and he was a 4th Maguire Senior, Andy Divoff, has really made it big, appearing in many movies and TV shows basically playing the character he played on our floor:

www.andrewdivoff.com/

www.andrewdivoff.com/career.html