Faces

Despite getting upset by Princeton in the semifinals of the Ivy League tournament last Friday, Cornell was thought to be in position to earn one of the eight seeds in the NCAA tournament and the right to host a home game in the first round. Instead, the No. 5 Big Red (12-3) were frozen out and forced to travel to meet No. 9 and sixth-seeded Maryland (10-3) this Sunday. Cornell had an RPI of eight and four wins against teams in the top 20 in RPI (seventh-rated Yale, 14th-rated Penn, 16th-rated Princeton and 19th-rated Virginia)

A former volunteer firefighter who worked with youth at the Lansdowne fire department pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to producing and possessing child pornography. Anthony Maurice Cottle, 23, of Owings Mills, faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison after engaging in sexually activity with two boys and filming the encounters. Authorities recovered more than 600 images of child pornography from Cottle's computer and cell phone, which included images of additional victims, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office.

I suspect my children will want to see me throw myself on my husband's funeral pyre, the better to tie up all the loose ends. But I am certain they would not want me out there and available again. And frankly, the idea of revisiting all that teenage dating angst does seem like an awful lot of work. Just in time for Mother's Day, there is a new book, written by two women who watched their own mothers search for love again in widowhood, called "From Granny Panties to Thongs: The Mourning After.

The commander of the Navy unit that included two sailors who drowned at Aberdeen Proving Ground in February has been relieved of his duties, the Navy said Wednesday. The Navy said Cmdr. Michael Runkle, who led the Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, was relieved because of a "loss of confidence in his ability to command. " Diver 1st Class James Reyher, 28, of Caldwell, Ohio, and Diver 2nd Class Ryan Harris, 23, of Gladstone, Mo., died Feb. 26 during a training exercise at a testing facility at Aberdeen known as the Super Pond.

Enrollment in a controversial program that provides free cell phone service to low-income families has increased faster in Maryland than any other state in the nation, jumping nearly 90-fold since 2008 — renewing scrutiny on Capitol Hill over its management. The Lifeline program, created in 1984 to soften the impact of telephone deregulation on low-income families, had nearly 509,000 subscribers in the state last year, up from 5,821 in 2008. Growth in Maryland was nearly 40 times greater than the national average.

Employers in Maryland and across the United States face a deadline Wednesday that some may not know exists but that could prove costly if ignored. That's when all employers will be required to use an updated version of the federal I-9 form to prove the eligibility of new workers. The form appears to be short and simple, requesting an employee's name, address, Social Security number and citizenship status. But immigration and business experts say it's more complex than it looks.

If it's the Colonial Athletic Association women's lacrosse tournament, it must be a one-goal win for Towson. For the third straight time, the Tigers nipped an opponent by one goal in a CAA postseason game, edging Drexel for an 8-7 comeback victory Friday afternoon at the Tiger Soccer Complex. Last season, Towson beat Drexel, 12-11, in the semifinal and went on to slip past James Madison, 8-7, for the championship. This time, the top-seeded Tigers (9-8) scored twice in the final three minutes and their defense did the rest to ensure the chance to defend their title Sunday at 1 p.m. against Hofstra.

For Peter Baum, winning the Tewaaraton Award last year was a life-changer - both good and bad. When the Colgate attackman was named the top college player in June after an impressive junior season in which he racked up 67 goals and 30 assists, he called the honor "one of the proudest moments of my life. " Amid his struggles a season later, it would dawn on Baum why only one player has won the Tewaaraton twice since it was first awarded in 2001. "It's funny the way you look at it because this is an award that only one person has won twice.

Ben McCarty (South Carroll) scored a career-best six goals to lead Towson to an 11-8 victory over Drexel in a Colonial Athletic Association men's lacrosse semifinal Wednesday night at the Penn State Lacrosse Field. The Tigers (9-7) face the host, top-seeded and No. 9 Penn State, in Friday's championship at 3 p.m. McCarty's six goals led all scorers. Andrew Hodgson scored twice and Justin Mabus had three assists. Andrew Wascavage made 14 saves for Towson. Robert Church led Drexel (11-4)

I was given a potted hydrangea flower as an Easter gift. Can I plant that outdoors? Mophead (Grandiflora) hydrangeas are hardy outdoors, but yours was bred for greenhouse culture and forced into bloom for the holidays, so its chances are less certain. Sometimes they make the transition fine. Because it is essentially a houseplant at this point, adjust it to outdoor temperatures slowly over several days or wait until your indoor temperatures and the outdoor temperatures are similar before taking it outdoors.