Dave Pietramala

Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala agreed to a contract extension Thursday that will run through the 2016 season. Pietramala, who will enter his 11th season at Hopkins and 14th overall as a college head coach this year, was previously under contract on a deal that ran through the 2015 season. "We have enjoyed a great deal of success under his leadership over the last 10 years, and we look forward to working with him as continues to build on the storied history of Johns Hopkins lacrosse," athletics director Tom Calder said.

Now that Johns Hopkins has opened the door for conferences to woo the illustrious program, the most pressing question centers on if there is one league that best suits the Blue Jays - and vice versa. If coach Dave Pietramala and athletic director Tom Calder are steadfast in retaining traditional rivalries, the Atlantic Coast Conference would appear to be the best fit. Joining that league would allow Johns Hopkins to maintain traditional series with North Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia, and the team would simply have to carve out space for Duke and Notre Dame.

In light of Johns Hopkins president Ronald J. Daniels accepting the recommendation of a seven-member special committee to explore joining a conference, university athletic director Tom Calder and men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala participated in a conference call Friday afternoon. Here are a few highlighted quotes from the conference call. Athletic director Tom Calder on the timetable for researching potential conference: “There really isn't any timeline. We've got to put a lot of time into this and make sure that if we are going to go into a conference, we do all of our homework and that we do what's best not only for the athletes and the team but the university also.” Coach Dave Pietramala on the timetable: “From our perspective, this is an exciting opportunity and the decision to seek conference affiliation is a monumental decision, which means the next decision is as equally as big because you want to continue to move into a positive direction, and you want to find the right place.

In light of Johns Hopkins president Ronald J. Daniels accepting the recommendation of a seven-member special committee to explore joining a conference, university athletic director Tom Calder and men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala participated in a conference call Friday afternoon. Here are a few highlighted quotes from the conference call. Athletic director Tom Calder on the timetable for researching potential conference: “There really isn't any timeline. We've got to put a lot of time into this and make sure that if we are going to go into a conference, we do all of our homework and that we do what's best not only for the athletes and the team but the university also.” Coach Dave Pietramala on the timetable: “From our perspective, this is an exciting opportunity and the decision to seek conference affiliation is a monumental decision, which means the next decision is as equally as big because you want to continue to move into a positive direction, and you want to find the right place.

The starting attack of senior Zach Palmer, junior Brandon Benn and sophomore Wells Stanwick combined for seven points on five goals and two assists in Johns Hopkins' 15-6 victory over Siena a week ago, but coach Dave Pietramala thinks that trio is capable of doing more. Pietramala is not suggesting that he expects 10-point outings from Palmer, Benn and Stanwick, who totaled 13 shots against the Saints. (By comparison, the starting midfield of seniors John Ranagan and John Greeley and junior Rob Guida combined for 21 attempts.)

The release of the NCAA's first RPI list confirmed what many had suspected of Johns Hopkins. The program - which is ranked No. 22 in RPI, which is a tool that the NCAA selection committee will use to determine the at-large teams in the 16-team field - needs a quality win and a prime opportunity will take place this Saturday when the Blue Jays, who are ranked No. 15 in The Sun, visit No. 4 Maryland (8-1) at Byrd Stadium in College Park. At this point, Johns Hopkins, which is 6-4 after losing three of its last four contests, could use any victory, but coach Dave Pietramala insisted that the team isn't feeling the heat from possibly missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

Two days after announcing an open competition at goalkeeper, Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala has not yet named the team's starting goalkeeper for Friday night's home contest against UMBC. Senior Pierce Bassett, who has started 27 consecutive games prior to sitting out Tuesday night's 19-9 thrashing of Mount St. Mary's for violating an undisclosed team policy, and redshirt sophomore Eric Schneider, who made four saves against the Mountaineers, are vying for the role. Although the No. 10 Blue Jays (4-1)

Johns Hopkins was left out of the NCAA tournament Sunday night for the first time since 1971. The exclusion snapped a streak of 41 consecutive appearances in the tournament, which ended what had been the longest active streak in a Division I team sport. The streak was a point of pride for the program, but could also be a burden as senior classes feared about being the one unable to extend the run. Coach Dave Pietramala said the streak did not weigh on him. But for the players? That might have been a different story.

In the aftermath of No. 13 Johns Hopkins' devastating 8-4 loss to then-No. 7 Loyola last Saturday, senior defenseman Tucker Durkin said the week of practice leading up to Friday night's contest at Army would be the most important one of the season. Coach Dave Pietramala said he has been pleased with the players' effort and attention to detail Monday and Tuesday. But one thing the Blue Jays are not paying attention to is their tournament profile. “We don't really talk about it because we can't control that,” Pietramala said Wednesday morning.

Midfielder Rob Guida will not play in No. 5 Johns Hopkins' home contest against Mount St. Mary's tonight, paving the way for a third consecutive start for the first midfield of seniors John Ranagan and John Greeley and junior Rex Sanders. But the junior's absence from the Blue Jays' 11-8 upset loss to No. 14 Princeton had no effect on the offense's shooting woes last Friday night. The team's inaccuracy was especially personified by Ranagan, Greeley and Sanders, who went 0-of-11, but coach Dave Pietramala said Guida's presence might not have changed anything.

Johns Hopkins was left out of the NCAA tournament Sunday night for the first time since 1971. The exclusion snapped a streak of 41 consecutive appearances in the tournament, which ended what had been the longest active streak in a Division I team sport. The streak was a point of pride for the program, but could also be a burden as senior classes feared about being the one unable to extend the run. Coach Dave Pietramala said the streak did not weigh on him. But for the players? That might have been a different story.

Senior Zach Palmer returned to No. 13 Johns Hopkins after sitting out two games with an undisclosed injury and finished with zero points on four shots in Saturday's 8-4 loss to then-No. 7 Loyola. But rather than take up his usual spot on attack with sophomore Wells Stanwick and junior Brandon Benn, Palmer ran with seniors John Ranagan and John Greeley as members of the second midfield. Senior John Kaestner made his third consecutive start with Stanwick and Benn for the Blue Jays (8-5)

There has been plenty of speculation that Johns Hopkins won't make the NCAA lacrosse tournament, but I don't see that happening. As long as the Blue Jays (8-5) beat Army this weekend, they'll get in. Remember, this is still Hopkins we're talking about here. The Hopkins name is synonymous with the sport. The Blue Jays have some lightweights on the schedule, but they still play Maryland, Navy, Loyola, North Carolina, Syracuse and Princeton. That's a very tough schedule. This might be a "down" year for Hopkins, but the Blue Jays will rebound.

In the aftermath of No. 13 Johns Hopkins' devastating 8-4 loss to then-No. 7 Loyola last Saturday, senior defenseman Tucker Durkin said the week of practice leading up to Friday night's contest at Army would be the most important one of the season. Coach Dave Pietramala said he has been pleased with the players' effort and attention to detail Monday and Tuesday. But one thing the Blue Jays are not paying attention to is their tournament profile. “We don't really talk about it because we can't control that,” Pietramala said Wednesday morning.

Saturday's 8-4 loss to No. 7 and reigning national champion Loyola weakened No. 13 Johns Hopkins' profile for an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. But the program's bid for a 42nd consecutive appearance in the postseason could depend on what happens with other teams. Half of the 16-team field will be filled by teams that win their respective conference tournaments and capture the automatic qualifiers associated with those victories. If conference tournament favorites like No. 3 Notre Dame (Big East)

Johns Hopkins has dominated its Charles Street rival, winning 47 of the 50 games and the last 13 meetings. Loyola's last victory in this series was 1999, and the Greyhounds haven't won at Homewood Field since 1998. No. 7 Loyola (10-3) emphatically rebounded from a 13-12 overtime loss to then-No. 1 Denver on April 13 with a 19-11 shellacking of Hobart a week ago. Senior attackman and 2012 Tewaaraton Award finalist Mike Sawyer may be getting hot at the right time, recording four goals and two assists in each of his last two games.

The fact that the starting attack leads No. 12 Johns Hopkins in scoring this season is not particularly shocking. What is surprising is that members of the first midfield are not immediately next on that list. Freshman Ryan Brown, who runs on the second line, is tied with senior John Ranagan for fourth in points with 17. Senior Lee Coppersmith, Brown's linemate, ranks sixth with 14 points, and senior John Greeley, who has been a starter since his freshman campaign, is seventh with 13. “Would we like to be more productive from the midfield?

Debate over whether Johns Hopkins has done enough to warrant an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament continues, but the general consensus is that if the No. 13 Blue Jays (8-4) lose to No. 7 Loyola (10-3) on Saturday, the program's streak of 41 consecutive appearances in the postseason will be perilously close to ending. But if the scrutiny associated with the team's fate grows elsewhere, senior defenseman Tucker Durkin said the conversation has not reached the players. “We haven't really talked about playoffs very much,” he said.

Senior attackman Zach Palmer and senior midfielder John Greeley sat out No. 13 Johns Hopkins' 15-4 thrashing of Navy on Saturday, and their status for this Saturday's regular-season home finale against No. 7 Loyola remains unresolved. Palmer, who is tied for second on the Blue Jays (8-4) in assists (12) and ranked third in points (24), has been sidelined for the team's last two games after sustaining an undisclosed injury during practice on April 10. His absence has been mitigated by the play of senior John Kaestner, who has totaled five goals and three assists in two starts for Palmer.