Essex gets another shot at Nassau

Knights, Catonsville part of junior-college final four

A rematch of last year's championship game will highlight the first day of the National Junior College Athletic Association men's lacrosse final four, which comes to CCBC-Essex this weekend.

The host Knights, who won the Region XX title with a 15-8 victory over CCBC-Catonsville on Sunday, will meet defending national champion Nassau (N.Y.) in today's second semifinal at 3 p.m. The Lions (8-6) thrashed Essex in last year's title game, 14-2, but enter today's contest as the third seed after losing the teams' regular-season meeting, 14-11.

Herkimer (N.Y.) Community College enters as the tournament's top seed, owning a 16-0 record and a 13-12 overtime win over second-seeded Essex during the regular season. The Generals will meet fourth-seeded Catonsville (7-5) in today's first semifinal at noon. The Cardinals fell to Herkimer, 23-7, in a March 23 game.