Yeakel

For UMBC, a lot more hinges on this week's Northeast Conference women's lacrosse championship than any of the previous three titles the Retrievers have won. A victory in Saturday's conference final at Monmouth would give the Retrievers an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and send them to their first appearance in the tournament, which expands to 16 teams this season. "The automatic bid does make it tougher," said Retrievers coach Monica Yeakel, whose team opens with Wagner in today's semifinal.

Two people were killed on Maryland roads yesterday -- a jogger in Cecil County and a motorcyclist in Charles County -- bringing to five the number of traffic fatalities so far this July Fourth weekend, state police reported.By contrast, police last year reported no fatal accidents over the Fourth of July weekend, said state Trooper Frank Troska.In addition to the fatal accidents yesterday, two 19-year-old men were killed in separate road accidents Saturday and a teen-age girl was killed Friday night, state police said.

When the 12-team field is announced tonight for the NCAA Division I women's lacrosse tournament, it likely won't look much different from the top of the latest Interscholastic Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association poll. Next year's field, however, could look quite different. Automatic qualifiers - six next year and as many as eight after that - could drastically change the tournament. This year, there were two automatic qualifiers - No. 5 Loyola, the Colonial Athletic Association champion, and No. 9 Dartmouth, the Ivy League champ.

THE PROSPECTS for electing women to high offices in 1992 are exhilarating.But as the "year of the women" unfolds, a pattern of personal attacks against female candidates has emerged.Using familiar stereotypes, the attackers are trying to undercut the credibility of the women running for office, from Pennsylvania to California.Female candidates have to prove themselves again and again to voters and the press, long after their male opponents have established themselves.Whether these women are criticized for their fund-raising skills or the management of their campaigns, it all boils down to "they can't win."

For seven years, Mark Laubner commuted to Baltimore for his job as corporate chef at Phillips Seafood. Now, even though plenty of people have told him it's a mistake, he has opened a restaurant less than two miles from his home in Havre de Grace. From the outside, Aquatica doesn't look like much - it's a spare, brick building next to a tire shop, a martial arts studio and a supermarket. But inside, the efforts of Laubner and his wife, Kelly, have transformed the former pit beef restaurant on the outskirts of town into a tranquil, elegant oasis, painted and furnished in the soothing colors of the ocean.

Two months ago, while Simpson's United Methodist Church members wereon edge over the appearance of Ku Klux Klan rallies in town, someoneransacked the church and tried to burn it down.It was perhaps the worst day in the nearly all-black congregation's 98-year history, atime when some parishioners said they felt betrayed in their own community.But on Saturday, about 50 volunteers tried to restore the small Mount Airy church back to its former luster, providing it with everything from a new coat of paint to a newly paved driveway -- and this time the windows have wrought-iron bars.

WASHINGTON -- Bill Clinton brings his presidential campaign to Democratic members of Congress today after a resounding victory of more than 2-1 over Jerry Brown in a Pennsylvania primary that offered him some hope that the "character" issue plaguing him may be dissipating.Mr. Clinton, in meetings here with many Democratic House and Senate members who will attend the Democratic National Convention as automatic, unpledged "superdelegates," can point to exit polls in which 64 percent of Pennsylvania voters surveyed said they believed he had the honesty and integrity to serve effectively as president.

As two-time defending champions in Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference girls lacrosse, the John Carroll players know how to handle big-game pressure. That made a lot of difference in Tuesday's 13-6 tournament quarterfinal victory over up-and-coming St. Paul's. The No. 5 Patriots opened up a 9-4 lead when Katie Kiriazoglou capped a four-goal run with 11:14 left. The five-goal margin held to 11-6 with 7:36 to go, and the host Patriots (13-4) stalled away most of the rest of the time.

The UMBC women's lacrosse team moved closer to its first NCAA tournament bid yesterday with a dominating 16-4 victory over Sacred Heart in a Northeast Conference tournament semifinal at UMBC Stadium. Sophomore Jen Dragoni scored four first-half goals, and senior Jamie Gerhart added two goals and three assists to send the Retrievers (11-4) into the tournament title game for the fifth straight year. They will play Monmouth, a 13-7 winner over Wagner in the other semifinal, at noon tomorrow.

Transactions Baseball Athletics: Granted former Orioles OF Rich Becker his unconditional release. Recalled OF Jeremy Giambi from Triple-A Sacramento. Blue Jays: Optioned P Clayton Andrews to Triple-A Syracuse. Rcalled IF Chris Woodward from Syracuse. Braves: Purchased contracts of IF Mark DeRosa from Single-A Richmond and CFernando Lunar from Double-A Greenville. Dodgers: Placed OF Devon White (partially torn left rotator cuff) on 15-day DL. Placed SS Kevin Elster (pulled right groin)