#2002 NCAA College Lacrosse Final Four Capsules#
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JOHNS HOPKINS
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Coach: Dave Pietramala (5th year overall, 43-22; 
                        at JH, 2nd year, 20-5)
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Nickname: Blue Jays
Colors: Columbia blue and black
Overall record: 12-1
Seed: 1st 

Last NCAA appearance: 2001, lost to Notre Dame, 13-9,
                      in Quarterfinals
Best NCAA Tournament finish: Seven-time National Champions
                              (1974, 1978-80, 1984-85, 1987)

Notes: Faces Princeton in first semifinal ... Beat Princeton (at
home) in first game of season, 8-5, March 2 ... The Blue Jays
are 15-2 in their last 17 games under Pietramala ... Have also
beaten Syracuse at home, 9-8, March 16 but lost on the road to
Virginia, 12-6 (only loss of season) ... Hopkins has competed in
every NCAA Tournament (31) since 1972, having only missed the
inaugural tournament in 1971 ... Hopkins has knocked out the
defending champion out of the NCAA Tournament six times in its
history (1973, 74, 78, 83, 84, 87) ... Junior attackman Bobby
Benson leads the team in points and goals (27 goals & 13 assists
for 40 points) ... Hopkins is 20-4 when Benson scores two or
more goals ... Junior Adam Doneger beacame the 12th player in
school history to score five goals (career-high) in an NCAA
Tournament game against UMass in the quarterfinals.

PRINCETON
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Coach: Bill Tierney (18th season, 203-59)
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Nickname: Tigers
Colors: Orange and Black
Overall record: 9-4
Seed: 4th 

Last NCAA appearance: 2001, defeated Syracuse, 10-9 (OT), 
                      National Championship
Best NCAA Tournament finish: Six-time National Champions
                              (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001)

Notes: Defending champs and winners of seven straight ... Will
face top-seed John Hopkins ... This is the ninth Final Four
appearance in the last 11 years for the Tigers ... The Tigers
are 7-1 in Final Four games, including six straight ...
Princeton has won 11 straight games at Rutgers Stadium (six in
NCAA tourney, five against Rutgers) ... Only one team (Virginia
in 1972) has won National Championship with as many as four
losses ... Each of the Tigers' last four semifinal wins have
been by one goal ... Get a kick out of this - Tierney once
coached John Hopkins soccer team to the NCAA Final Four ...
Junior attackman Sean Hartofilis and senior attackman B. J.
Prager lead the team in goals scored with 28 apiece ...
Hartofilis has scored nine goals in two career Final Four games.

SYRACUSE
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Coach: John Desko (fourth season, 53-11)
Location: Syracuse, New York
Nickname: Orangemen
Colors: Orange and Blue
Overall record: 13-2
Seed: 2nd 

Last NCAA appearance: 2001, lost to Princeton, 10-9 (OT), 
                      National Championship

Best NCAA Tournament finish: Seven-time National Champions
                              (1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2000)

Notes: Will face second-seed Virginia in second semifinal ...
Won five straight games ... An unprecedented 20th straight Final
Four appearance ... The Orangemen are aiming for their fourth
straight title game appearance ... Lead the nation in scoring
offense with 14.13 goals per game ... Sophomore attackman
Michael Powell leads the nation in scoring with 4.93 points per
game (leads the team with 74 points - 36 goals and a team-high
38 assists) ... Powell is also riding a six-game streak with at
least four points ... Senior attackman Josh Coffman is team's
leading goal scorer with 38 ... Desko is 9-2 in the postseason.

VIRGINIA
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Coach: Dom Starsia (10th season, overall 211-85; at VA: 110-39)
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Nickname: Cavaliers
Colors: Orange and blue
Overall record: 11-3
Seed: 3rd 

Last NCAA appearance: 2001, lost to Hofstra, 15-14 (OT), First Round
Best NCAA Tournament finish: 1999 National Champions 

Notes: Lost to semifinal opponent Syracuse, 15-13, at home March 2 
(second game of season) ... Defeated Cornell, 11-10, to advance to 
Final Four ... Senior Conor Gill recorded nine assists in the win, 
an NCAA record ... Freshman attackman Joe Yevoli leads the team
with 36 goals ... Since NCAA Tournament expanded to 12 teams in
1987, the third seed has advanced to the championship game eight
times and has won five titles (including the Cavaliers' 1999
championship).
st 05-24-02 13:15 et