Kessenich

When Michael Gvozden talks, it's hard for people to listen. Gvozden, the sophomore goalkeeper for the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team, has grown hoarse, and his voice has taken on a raspy quality after several weeks of directing and screaming at his defense during practice. Gvozden's predicament is a result of adjusting to his new role as the starter for the defending national champions. But Gvozden doesn't mind sipping tea and gulping down spoonfuls of lemon juice as long as he can contribute to the No. 1 Blue Jays' bid for a second consecutive crown and third in the past four years.

Stephen Peyser has found his nirvana. The Johns Hopkins senior midfielder has grown into his role as a team captain. He has fallen for the city that surrounds the school's campus. And Peyser is at peace with being left out of the media spotlight that tends to focus on classmates like midfielder Paul Rabil, attackman Kevin Huntley and defenseman Matt Bocklet. "That happens in sports all the time. You don't get credit for everything, but that's the way it goes," Peyser said. "I'm not necessarily the offensive gun that Paul or Kevin Huntley is. But we've had so much success as a program that individually, [media attention]

Baltimore CityBryn Mawr Mawrtians1995 record: 6-6.Coach: Anne Townsend Kessenich.Top players: Emily Hickman, Sr., M; Kim Smith, So., A; Janice Kim, Sr., D.Outlook: The Mawrtians return only six seniors, so they will be considerably less experienced than last year's squad. However, this lineup includes two of the AIS A Division's top players in Hickman (44 G, 10 A), an All-Baltimore/City County pick, and Smith, who transferred from Park after helping the Bruins to the B Division title. New coach Kessenich is bolstering the young defense with a couple of converted attackers, Nina Casgar and Katie MacColl.

Trespassing. Kidnapping. Assault. That's not a crime blotter. Those are some of the details of the rivalry between Johns Hopkins and Maryland. The Hopkins-Maryland series is the longest-running tradition in lacrosse, but the sides can't even agree on the exact beginning. The school in Baltimore recognizes 1895 as the first meeting, but the institution in College Park doesn't have records before 1924. Both programs have developed rivalries with other opponents. The Blue Jays' annual series with Syracuse is one of the most anticipated, and Princeton and Virginia aren't far behind.

LoyolaCoach: Dave Cottle1990 record: 11-3Outlook: This is the season of high expectations for the Greyhounds and they have one of their most balanced teams. The attack is one of the best in the country, with senior Chris Colbeck (40 goals, 12 assists), junior Jim Blanding (32, 28) and sophomore attackman Kevin Beach. The midfield is solid and look for redshirt freshman Gene Ubriaco to emerge as one of the area's best middies. The entire Loyola defense of a year ago -- Scott Oslislo, Tom Johnson and Sean Quinn -- returns, but the goalkeeping is suspect with newcomer Tim Dunnigan.

In the first week of her reporting internship for a horse-racing newspaper, Gabby Gaudet nervously approached one of the most celebrated figures in the sport. "Can you tell me how you first got involved in the game?" she asked Kelly Breen, who trained the winner of the 2011 Belmont Stakes. "Terrible question. Get back to me when you think of a better one," he replied.  She flinched but thought fast. "How about if I ride your horse?" she asked. He said yes, they fell to talking, and the story she wrote ran above the fold in The Saratoga Special.

Quint Kessenich knows a thing or two about goalies. The ESPN analyst is a former All-America goalkeeper who helped Johns Hopkins capture the 1987 national title. Here is his breakdown of Notre Dame senior Scott Rodgers, Princeton sophomore Tyler Fiorito and Maryland senior Brian Phipps. Scott Rodgers, Notre Dame Strength : "Rodgers is a physical beast between the pipes like we've never seen before, and to combine that height [6 feet 4, 254 pounds] with an athletic skill set like he has is just absurd.

There are just 67 days until the national championship game on Memorial Day. In real life, that's a blink of an eye. But for teams with an eye on the prize, 67 days can seem like an eternity. 2011 has been an unpredictable season. There are only two undefeated teams in Division I lacrosse. In 67 days, we will have answers to 10 pending questions. 1. Can Virginia's defense play well enough to win a national title? The Cavs' offense is the nation's top-rated unit, averaging 14.3 goals per game behind Steele Stanwick , Chris Bocklet, Shamel Bratton and Colin Briggs.

Three local teams made the cut for Inside Lacrosse writer and Baltimore Sun contributor Quint Kessenich's Top 20 poll. Click here to see the poll

This weekend features crucial games across the landscape of college lacrosse, including a triple-header in Baltimore. March means we are separating the contenders from the pretenders. Virginia vs. Cornell (Saturday, 1:30, p.m., ESPNU) I asked Virginia coach Dom Starsia what a defensive focal point will be. "How we manage the Rob Pannell matchup," he said, referring to the junior attackman who averages 6.0 points per game and will be covered by Matt Lovejoy. "Do we slide or not slide?