Immediately after Johns Hopkins? opening-round NCAA tournament win, head coach Dave Pietramala was already preparing for the Blue Jays? next game.
In the post-game news conference he pointed out the biggest plays of the game, but emphasized something about Matt Feild.
“Matt Feild rides the ball back right at the box,” Pietramala said after his team?s 13-3 win over Penn at Homewood Field on Saturday. “And that?s intensity that I haven?t seen from No. 45 in a little while. It?s great to see it from a senior captain.”
Feild laughed it off, acknowledging it as a motivational tool.
Feild and the defense certainly were focused Saturday. With Feild and junior goalkeeper Jesse Schwartzman anchoring the unit, the Blue Jays held their first-round opponent at bay.
“We wanted to make sure that they didn?t have their strong hand,” Feild said. “If they were going to beat us, they were going to beat us with their weak hands.”
Feild, who attended Boys? Latin High School, played in 50 consecutive games to start his career, but was forced to sit with an injury three games into the season.
Long term, Feild?s focus has nothing to do with lacrosse. After the season, the senior short-stick defender will attend dental school at the University of Maryland in downtown Baltimore.
In fact, Feild said the most pressure this year came not from preparing to defend Hopkins? national title, but the dental school application process.
Hopkins is the fourth-seed in this year?s tournament, which is an unfamiliar place for the prestigious program. Feild said while it has been an adjustment not being viewed as the favorite this year, he doesn?t mind the role of the darkhorse.
“Every possession, every play matters now,” Feild said. “It?s been a long run and I don?t want it to end anytime soon.”
TOURNEY RECAP
» Hopkins will face the winner of Sunday night?s Syracuse-Harvard contest Saturday at Stony Brook.
» No. 2 Maryland downed Denver, 16-8, behind a record day for senior Joe Walters, who assisted on five scores and added a goal of his own in College Park on Saturday. With his six-point assault, Walters set a Terps record with 223 career points.
» Maryland will face No. 7 Princeton on Sunday at Johnny Unitas Stadium.
» Maryland-Baltimore County dropped an 11-8 final at Princeton on Saturday, ending a six-game winning streak and the program?s first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1999.
