Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala knows the Blue Jays have beaten Navy 34 straight times.
At the same time, he understands that beating the Midshipmen for a 35th consecutive time won?t be an easy task, especially in the NCAA Tournament. That?s the challenge facing Hopkins and Navy, as they will play each other at 3 p.m. Saturday in a quarterfinal game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
“It?s not lost on us where we are going and who we are going to play,” Pietramala said. “We have our work cut out for us and it?s no easy road.”
The defending national champion Blue Jays enter Saturday?s game having won six straight following their 10-4 first-round win Sunday against Hofstra. In that game, senior midfielder Paul Rabil scored four goals to. The National Player of the Year candidate added another chapter to his storied career on Sunday afternoon when he scored four goals to pace the Blue Jays (9-5) to victory.
Navy, which earned one of the final at-large bids into the 16-team NCAA Tournament, upset fourth-seeded North Carolina, 8-7, on Saturday in Chapel Hill behind four goals from sophomore attacker Tim Paul. The Midshipmen are hoping to gain a measure of revenge against the Blue Jays, who beat Navy 12-5, on April 19.
Also at Annapolis on Saturday, Maryland (10-5) is trying to punch its ticket to the Final Four in Boston when the Terrapins take on fellow Atlantic Coast Conference rival Virginia (13-3) at noon. This will be the rubber match between these teams as Maryland won, 13-7, on March 29 in College Park. Virginia then eliminated the Terrapins in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, 11-8, on April 25.
Maryland advanced to the quarterfinals with a 10-7 come-from-behind win against Denver. Virginia held off UMBC, 10-9.
“We fought, we?ve improved a lot, and now I think we?ll be a much better team again next week,” Maryland coach Dave Cottle said. “It?s easy to lead when things are easy, but when things got tough our leaders stepped up.”
Terrapins defender Dave Phipps, however, summed up the feelings of the players on each of the local teams perfectly:
“It feels good to be moving on.”
On the women?s side, Maryland (18-2) is the only local team still alive in the postseason. The Terrapins try to advance to the Final Four for the first time in five years when they host ACC rival Duke (12-7) at 1 p.m. Saturday. Maryland struggled early against Atlantic 10 champion Temple on Sunday, but pulled away late and buried the Owls, 20-7.
“We can?t take anything for granted,” said Maryland?s Katie Pumphrey. “We try to keep playing the same way the whole time and not slack off here and there.”
Andrew Vitelli contributed to this report.
