Dave Cottle

Loyola coach Dave Cottle shakes his head and laughs, as he recalls wondering where Gavin Prout would fit in with the Greyhounds. Three months ago, Prout was a late addition at Loyola, a Canadian player with a reputation as a scorer with great field vision and polished stickwork, and a junior joining his third collegiate team. Two years ago, Mercyhurst College had downgraded to Division II, prompting Prout to transfer to nearby Gannon, which dropped its Division I program last year. Prout finally has found a home on the Evergreen campus.

Chesapeake Bayhawks Ex-UM, Loyola coach Cottle named team president The Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse announced Saturday that former Maryland and Loyola men's lacrosse coach Dave Cottle has been named team president. Cottle joined the Bayhawks as a consultant in July after owner Brendan Kelly took over as coach. Cottle's expertise in scouting and evaluating talent helped bring the Bayhawks out of a five-game losing streak and win the MLL championship.

Dan Burns has always been a local boy. He grew up Severna Park, won three Anne Arundel County titles and two state championships at Severna Park, and played college lacrosse at Maryland. Now, after beginning his Major League Lacrosse career with the Rochester Rattlers and Hamilton Nationals, Burns is returning home. The Chesapeake Bayhawks acquired the 25-year old in a trade with the Nationals this offseason, reuniting him with former Terps coach Dave Cottle in his home state.

Johns Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels formally notified the university community Tuesday of the school's intention to consider a conference affiliation for men's lacrosse. Daniels sent an email saying the shifting landscape of the sport has prompted the university to weigh the move. No formal invitations have been sent to Hopkins, and the school will set up a committee to discuss the potential move that would end 130 years of conference independence, he said. "Some traditional foes have recently announced changes in their own affiliations, changes that might limit their flexibility to continue scheduling games with us," Daniels said in the email.

The 28 strapping young giants roaming the Inner Harbor an downtown area today don't mean we're growing 'em bigger in Baltimore. These men are NFL players here to represent their teams at tomorrow evening's Ed Block Courage Award banquet at Martin's West.In 1984, after the Colts left Baltimore, what had been a smallish local banquet named for the late Colts trainer, Ed Block, went national in scope.Behind founder and organizer Sam Lamantia, a Baltimore hair stylist, the affair has raised $1.4 million to help abused children.

COLLEGE PARK -- Everyone knows the formula, but few execute it as Maryland did yesterday. The No. 8 Terps took an early lead and then slowed Virginia's offense to a snail-like pace, upsetting the No. 1 Cavaliers, 13-7, yesterday before an announced 4,239 at Byrd Stadium. The Cavaliers (9-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) were dominated from the opening faceoff and never seriously challenged Maryland (7-2, 2-1) after the Terps took a 3-1 first-quarter lead. Virginia's offense was awful at times and operated at a much lower level than the past couple of seasons, when the Cavaliers had one of the most productive scoring units in the game.

Rookie Brian Phipps turned in an improbable performance between the pipes in the first half of the Chesapeake Bayhawks' game against Boston last Saturday. The Maryland and Severn product stopped 11 shots, holding the Cannons to a lone goal in the first quarter and propelling his team to a 7-6 halftime advantage. Unfortunately for Phipps, Boston responded with an equally unlikely second-half surge. The Cannons held the Bayhawks to two goals over the game's final 28 minutes, in the meantime reeling off 11 goals.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, Dave Cottle won't be patrolling the sideline trying to build his own team, scowling at officials and forcing his blood pressure to rise. He has found a new life after coaching, and he likes it a lot. "I miss the players, the locker room and being on the field with the players," said Cottle, who resigned as Maryland's head lacrosse coach last spring after nine years with the Terps and 19 before that with Loyola. "That's the real reason you get into coaching is because of the players.

The longest game in college lacrosse history has had similar staying power with the Maryland men's lacrosse team. The Terps, who lost, 10-9, in seven overtimes to Virginia on March 28, 2009, get another shot when the No. 1 Cavaliers (9-0) visit Byrd Stadium in College Park on Saturday at 8 p.m. It's an opportunity to bury that frustrating outcome. "It's definitely something we think about," said senior midfielder Will Yeatman , who led Maryland that day with two goals and three assists.

Saturday's game between the visiting Towson men's lacrosse team and No. 6 Maryland figures to be a heated affair. The same might be said of the seats underneath both coaches. When the Tigers and Terps clash for the 32nd time at Byrd Stadium in College Park at 11 a.m., the outcome could be one more factor in determining the futures of Tony Seaman and Dave Cottle. Cottle, hired in 2001, and Seaman, who has been coaching Towson for 12 years, are in the final year of their respective contracts.