Absence

William Lane and John Martin shared Hood's goaltending duties last year with Lane starting in nine games and Martin starting the other seven. The anticipated competition to start in 2012 between the pair of juniors never materialized, however, as Martin, who registered a 10.01 goals-against average and a .581 save percentage, was ruled academically ineligible for the season. That opens the door for Lane to open the season as the undisputed starter - although that doesn't necessarily fit with coach Jeremy Mattoon's preference.

Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala has often been a guest of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, attending games while standing on the sideline at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. With the Patriots slated to meet the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Sunday, Pietramala has a ticket to the contest -- but will not attend. “I have a ticket, I have a hotel room with the Pats and I'm not going,” Pietramala said Friday morning. “I can't. Just too much here.

Every Ravens player on the active roster was present for Thursday's practice. Free safety Ed Reed, the team's lone injury concern for Sunday's AFC championship game against the New England Patriots, participated in drills despite his injured left ankle.

The disappointment felt by Ravens fans after Lee Evans failed to make a catch in the Ravens' 20-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday was palpable. But it didn't exceed the amount of disappointment the wide receiver had in himself. Even five days later, Evans was still putting the onus on himself to make plays for the offense. “I expect myself to play well,” he said. “I have high expectations for myself, and I know what that looks like. So we're trying to get to that point.” The expectation is that Evans would be able to fill in for the injured Anquan Boldin, the team's leading receiver who is out until at least the playoffs after undergoing surgery to repair a slightly torn meniscus in his knee.

After not participating the past two days, Ravens defensive end Cory Redding returned to practice on Friday. He has been dealing with an ankle injury he suffered in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Lardarius Webb (toe) and Billy Cundiff (calf) weren't on the field in the portion of Friday's practice open to the media -- unless, of course, they were wearing someone else's jersey, which is a Friday tradition. For example, Ravens defense tackle Haloti Ngata wore a purple jersey that used to belong to Jared Gaither.

What happens when The Rapture hits suburbia? What happens to those left behind when God appears to randomly harvest members of the human race? A mother here, a daughter there, a husband and both children there. Suddenly gone. Snap! That is the subject of Tom Perrotta's book "The Leftovers. " It is three years after what is being called "the sudden departure," and Mapleton, an upper-middle-class small town in New Jersey, is trying to find its way back to normal. Meanwhile, a handful of cults materialize — some benign, some evil — as people awaken to the fact that they might not have much time left on Earth.

Despite the absence of 12-time Pro Bowler Ray Lewis, the Ravens defense has been instrumental in helping the team win all four games that the inside linebacker has missed due to a turf toe injury on his right foot. That's not startling to the players tasked with maintaining the high level of play that unit has come to expect from every member. “It's hats off to the system, and it's hats off to guys who work hard and prepare the way they prepare,” free safety Ed Reed said.

Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis , who suffered a toe injury on his right foot in Week 10, was inactive Sunday. But his absence was mitigated by the play of Dannell Ellerbe , who made seven tackles in his return to the field after missing the Thanksgiving win over the San Francisco 49ers. Ellerbe practiced all week despite a groin injury that had sidelined him for one game. He started for Lewis alongside Jameel McClain in the Ravens' 24-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Despite lingering doubt whether inside linebacker Ray Lewis' injured toe will allow him to play in the Ravens' clash with AFC North rival Cleveland Browns, Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said he anticipates Lewis returning to the field for Sunday's contest. “I'm thinking he's going to play,” Shurmur said during his conference call with Baltimore media Wednesday. “There's been 10 days since the last game where he almost played. So that's my thoughts. I've had a chance now for a few weeks to see how this goes - limited, doubtful, questionable.

Just over a year ago, on Sept. 27, 2010, the Orioles were leading the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-0, in the ninth inning of a largely meaningless road game when second baseman Brian Roberts came to the plate. He felt prepared for the at-bat, and believed reliever Joaquin Benoit would throw him a changeup. With the count 2-2, the right-hander did. Roberts still swung and missed. "Sometimes the pitcher could tell you what's coming and you still wouldn't execute your plan right," he says, clearly still miffed.