Keeping It Hot, 5/4

*Ryan Major served as the honorary team captain for Johns Hopkins again yesterday. Major also had served that role in a 10-4 victory over Maryland on April 12. Major, a close friend of former Johns Hopkins backup goalie Andy Posil, lost both of his legs to an IED in Iraq. He has received two Purple Hearts and currently is receiving treatment at Walter Reed in the District.

Major attended the game yesterday wearing the white No. 37 official team jersey he was given at the Maryland game. Yet because this was a road game, the Blue Jays were wearing their light blue jerseys.

And a nice moment occured when he looked over and realized that someone from Hopkins had left a light blue No. 37 jersey hanging on the bench for him (a la where the goalies' jerseys are sometimes placed during pregame warmups). He changed just before the opening faceoff.

Just as in the Maryland game, every Hopkins player went to Major and gave him a high five or fist bump or handshake right before the opening faceoff. It looked like Major was running a little late (in his defense, traffic was a nightmare), so there wasn't time for chit-chat with the players like before the Maryland game.

After the game, I overheard Coach Dave Pietramala ask Major to be on the sideline for the playoffs if he's available.

*The one advantage to Loyola's open air press box was that the TV guys were able to give score updates from the surprising games yesterday. We first heard about Georgetown's overtime loss to Penn State from ESPN's Quint Kessenich during a commercial break.

*The referees were not good. There were no stall warnings even though both teams had long, controlled possessions. At least a half-dozen times I was thinking to myself that a stall had to be called.

*Hopkins senior D Matt Bocklet's 12 groundballs were amazing. One thing I've noticed this year is that if there is a contested loose ball in the Hopkins defensive end, Bocklet is the only JHU player who can come up with it. There were seven such contested loose balls yesterday. Loyola controlled the first two and thus remained on offense.

The final five? Bocklet got each one.

*Loyola's goalie, freshman Jake Hagelin, was amazing. He made several saves on point-blank shots. Hagelin was headed to a prep school last June when Loyola found him and got him on board. With Alex Peaty seemingly out for the year, where would the team be without Hagelin.

*Also, Coach Charley Toomey said faceoff specialist Tim McDermott will play in the playoffs. McDermott had missed the past two games. He has won 102 of 171 faceoffs (59.6 percent) this year.

*There's lots of bracketology out there. Inside Lacrosse has one that I like and that Hopkins fans may not like (a first round game against Gtown).

*Patrick Stevens also has a look at the projected field. His picks are a bit different from ILs.

*One thing they both have in common: Navy making the field.

By Christian Swezey |  May 4, 2008; 9:13 AM ET
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