Umbc

Host Loyola scored the first eight goals and went on to beat UMBC, 21-6, yesterday at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field. Grace Gavin scored a game-high four goals for Loyola (2-1). Abby Rehfuss and Colleen O'Keefe added three each. Meg Taylor took a pass from Gavin, scoring the game's first goal 39 seconds into the game. Loyola's defense held UMBC to eight shots in each half and forced 20 turnovers. Amanda Pappas (Chesapeake-AA) led the Retrievers (1-2) with two goals. No. 9 Georgetown 11, Johns Hopkins 7: : The visiting Hoyas (2-0)

Century's Jenny Steadman set a Carroll County record for career goals last night in leading the No. 5 Knights to a 23-1 victory over Havre de Grace in the state Class 2A-1A semifinals at South Carroll High. The All-Metro midfielder scored five goals to boost her career total to 252, breaking the previous mark of 249 set by Liberty's Becky Trumbo in 2002. Steadman and Katie Schwarzmann had eight points each last night as the defending champion Knights (16-2) scored 11 goals in the first 11 minutes.

NEWARK, Del. -- Delaware senior faceoff specialist Alex Smith was sorting through his euphoric thoughts Sunday night, hours after the Blue Hens eliminated UMBC to keep this crazy journey going. It still didn't seem real to the Boys' Latin graduate or his teammates. Delaware, which six weeks earlier was in the throes of a losing streak and on postseason life-support, suddenly had turned the Division I men's lacrosse world on its ear. Next stop, an unprecedented trip to the NCAA final four at M&T Bank Stadium, where about 60,000 fans are expected Saturday to watch the Blue Hens try to do the unthinkable again, this time against Johns Hopkins.

Deontay Twyman, who scored 26 points, and Joseph Holston, who had 15, led all scorers as Sherwood (23-4) earned its third state title and won a battle of Montgomery County Class 4A schools located five miles apart in Olney, with a 61-38 victory over Magruder (20-6) in College Park. It was Sherwood's third win in as many meetings this season. Class 1A girls Southern-Garrett 41, Pocomoke 34 -- The Rams (22-3) built a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter at UMBC and held on thanks to 8-for-10 free-throw shooting from Sarah Stephens in the final five minutes.

Using a barrage of three-pointers, the fifth-ranked Maryland women's basketball team wrapped up the nonconference portion of its schedule yesterday by defeating UMBC, 98-56, in the final of the Terrapin Classic at Comcast Center. The Terps shot 17-for-28 from three-point range, breaking the team record and the mark for most three-pointers in a game by an Atlantic Coast Conference team. Maryland@Wake Forest Thursday, 7 p.m.

If the encroaching parity in college men's lacrosse asserts itself in the NCAA tournament, it's going be a perilous ride for a number of favorites, starting with this weekend's first-round games. The danger signs seem clear for schools such as Albany and Maryland. The fifth-seeded Great Danes, who have had their best season at Division I, have never won a playoff game at that level, and they will face an athletic, unselfish, senior-laden Loyola team that could win a shootout in its first postseason game since 2001.

A year has passed since they were reunited in a way neither of them could have foreseen, and UMBC junior midfielder Terry Kimener smiles at the strange memory. There he was, telling his 26-year-old brother, P.J., what to do. There was Terry, who was blossoming as a sophomore star, counseling his oldest sibling on the finer points of the UMBC offense and the Division I game. The adjustment period has since passed, and it has led to another unlikely scenario. As the 15th-ranked Retrievers (7-4)

The game What -- NCAA women's tournament Fresno Regional first-round game Where -- Hartford (Conn.) Civic Center When -- 9:30 (approximate) TV/Radio -- ESPN2/1370 AM The teams No. 16 seed UMBC -- 16-16; America East tournament champion; first NCAA tournament appearance. No. 1 seed Connecticut --29-3; Big East regular-season champion (16-0); 19th NCAA tournament appearance. The frontcourts Both teams start two players up front and employ a three-guard alignment. UMBC's tallest regular, 6-3 Amanda Robinson (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

The UMBC women's basketball team will not need the assistance of MapQuest to find its way to its first NCAA Division I tournament game. "We know how to get there," coach Phil Stern said after the tournament committee last night paired the 16th-seeded Retrievers with No. 1 Connecticut in a first-round game in Hartford, Conn., on Sunday. "We've played at Hartford before. We just haven't played in front of 16,000 people." UMBC VS. Connecticut Fresno Regional first round, Hartford (Conn.)

Former UMBC student John C. Gaumer was spared the death penalty yesterday when a jury sentenced him to instead spend the rest of his life in prison for raping and beating to death a woman he met online. The Baltimore County jury deliberated for less than four hours before reaching its decision, which was read just before 4 p.m. in a courtroom so full that attorneys, courthouse staff and other spectators stood several rows deep along the back wall and in part of the aisle. Because the sentencing form that the jurors had to fill out was 10 pages long, several tense minutes passed before the panel's actual sentence - life in prison without the possibility of parole - was announced.

Colleges Maryland field hockey team wins ACC regular-season title The No. 1 Maryland field hockey team held off No. 2 North Carolina, 4-1, in a rainy, wet match Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C., and claimed the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title. The Terrapins moved to 17-0 this season (5-0 ACC), a first in school history. With the win, Maryland secured the top seed in the ACC tournament. Senior goalkeeper Alicia Grater kept the Tar Heels (15-1, 4-1) scoreless until the final minute of play with a career-high 12 saves.

Three shootings in 3 minutes leave 2 dead Three shootings over a three-minute span early Wednesday in separate sections of Baltimore left two men dead and a third suffering from a gunshot wound to his face, according to police. In the most recent incident, reported at 12:41 a.m., an unidentified man was shot in the 2400 block of Baker St. in West Baltimore, police said. He was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center and pronounced dead about 40 minutes later. One minute before that shooting, police were called to the 3900 block of Elmora Ave. in Northeast Baltimore, where a 28-year-old man was found shot in the chest in a rear alley.

Men's college basketball Reggie Williams named coach of Chesapeake College Former Dunbar High and Georgetown star Reggie Williams has been named coach at Chesapeake College, a community college in Wye Mills in Talbot County. Williams, 45, was hired Monday to replace John Mappas, who guided the Skipjacks to an NJCAA Region XX championship in 2008 but retired last week because of family considerations. Williams became available when Towson Catholic closed in July; he had been hired as boys coach in May. Williams, who played 10 NBA seasons, coached the Washington Justice of the National Rookie League - at that time an unaffiliated minor league for the NBA - to the 2000 championship.

Colleges Perry Hall grad Saunders of UMBC named Rookie of Week For the second consecutive week, UMBC freshman goalkeeper Phil Saunders (Perry Hall) was named Monday the America East Men's Soccer Rookie of the Week. The Retrievers (9-0-0) have the best record in the nation and are ranked 18th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll released Tuesday. Saunders has recorded four consecutive shutouts and five overall. With five shutouts, he is tied with Boston University's Hrafn Davidsson for the league lead.

Men's college soccer Two goals by Bulls help UMBC to 3-0 victory at La Salle Sophomore forward Andrew Bulls (McDonogh) scored two first-half goals, leading visiting UMBC (9-0-0) to a 3-0 victory over La Salle (3-4-1) in the Retrievers' first road game of the season. Bulls, the nation's leading scorer, netted his 11th and 12th goals of the season in the 22nd and 29th minutes, and freshman Matt Knight added a goal in the 89th minute to extend UMBC's school-record winning streak to start a season.

Et cetera Goal by Bulls carries UMBC over Loyola on Tuesday Sophomore forward Andrew Bulls (McDonogh) scored on a free kick in the 44th minute and freshman goalkeeper Phil Saunders (Perry Hall) made three saves in the final two minutes, as UMBC (8-0-0) edged Loyola (3-3-2), 1-0, before 1,505 on Tuesday night at UMBC Stadium. Bulls, the nation's leading scorer entering this week, scored his 10th goal of the year. Loyola men's basketball: : The Greyhounds will open the 2009-10 regular season at home against Vermont at 7 p.m. Nov. 13. Other home opponents include Morgan State and Howard.

NFL Chargers avoid having game against Ravens blacked out The San Diego Chargers have sold enough tickets to lift the local television blackout of their home opener Sunday against the Ravens. The Chargers were in danger of their first regular-season blackout since 2004. Both of their exhibition openers were blacked out, and the team has warned fans that there could be regular-season blackouts. The team said 4,000 tickets remain for their game against the Miami Dolphins a week from Sunday.

Colleges Navy agrees to play in 2012 Emerald Bowl Navy has reached an agreement to play in the 2012 Emerald Bowl against a Pacific-10 opponent if the Midshipmen are bowl-eligible, athletic director Chet Gladchuk said Thursday. This will be the Mids' second trip to San Francisco for a bowl. In 2004, Navy defeated New Mexico, 34-19. Navy is committed to the Texas Bowl in 2009, the Poinsettia Bowl in 2010, the EagleBank Bowl in 2011, the Emerald Bowl in 2012 and the Bell Helicopter Armed Services Bowl in 2013.

Orioles Q&A session with Wigginton set for ESPN Zone Thursday Infielder Ty Wigginton will participate in a free question-and-answer session at the ESPN Zone at noon Thursday. He also will sign autographs. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. Colleges UMBC men's basketball team to open at home vs. Morgan The UMBC men's basketball team will open its 2009-10 season by hosting 2009 NCAA tournament participant Morgan State Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m. at the RAC Arena. The 25th all-time meeting between the Retrievers and the Bears will begin UMBC's 13-game nonconference schedule.

Freeman Hrabowski III is a hard-charging, competitive guy. The president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County plowed past naysayers more than a decade ago to build a research park on campus. He cried publicly last year when the school's basketball team, long overshadowed by campus chess jocks, clinched its first bid to the NCAA tournament. And when UMBC found itself last week deadlocked with another school in one of the most cutthroat competitions in all of academia - U.S. News & World Report's annual college rankings - Hrabowski happily shared the spotlight.