NCAA Div. I tournament
Quarterfinals
Princeton Stadium, Princeton, N.J. No. 1 Loyola (12-0) vs. No. 8 Syracuse (9-4)
Time: 1 p.m.
Radio: WNST (1570 AM)
Outlook: Something has to give, as no No. 1 seed has failed to reach the Final Four, and Syracuse has been to 16 straight Final Fours. Syracuse's postseason magic was at work again last week, when the Orangemen unseated three-time champion Princeton, 7-5, in a first-round game. First-year coach John Desko has gotten good results from his man-up and man-down units, and a combined 72 goals and 69 assists from junior Ryan Powell and senior Matt Cutia. The Greyhounds have a two-game win streak over Syracuse, winning 18-15 at the Carrier Dome last year and 10-8 at Curley Field April 10. Coach Dave Cottle relies on a balanced attack and the nation's stingiest defense. The Greyhounds allow just 6.64 goals a game, as goalie Jim Brown (St. Mary's) leads a unit that has allowed just 15 fourth-quarter goals.
Loyola ----------------------- Syracuse
Goals scored 13.9 ------- 12.8
Goals allowed 6.7 -------- 10.1
Shooting pct. .315 --------- .320
Opp. shooting pct. .215 -- .267
Save pct. .640 --------------- .574
Opp. save pct. .491 -------- .490
Ground balls +6.9 ----------- +3
Faceoffs .553 ----------------- .546
Clearing .857 ------------------ NA
Opp. clearing .744 ----------- NA
Extra-man .364 ---------------- .395
Man-down .222 ---------------- .239
No. 3 Virginia (10-3) vs. No. 6 Delaware (14-2)
Time: 4 p.m.
Outlook: The Blue Hens are coming off a gritty 12-11 overtime win over UMBC in the first round, while the Cavaliers haven't been seriously tested since they beat Duke April 25 in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. Virginia lost on the road to Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and Duke in the regular season by a combined four goals. It is stoked by a pair of St. Paul's graduates, senior Tucker Radebaugh and freshman Conor Gill, who have combined for 51 goals and 50 assists. The Cavaliers have one of the nation's premier defenseman in junior Ryan Curtis, who will have his hands full with John Grant (52 goals, 51 assists), the Canadian whose arrival last season sped Delaware's turnaround from a 3-12 record in 1997 to a school record for wins. While Virginia is in its 22nd tournament, Delaware is in for the first time since 1984.
Virginia ------------------------ Delaware
Goals scored 15.0 -------- 14.9
Goals allowed 7.7 -------- 1.2
Shooting pct. .334 --------- .330
Opp. shooting pct. .269 -- .284
Save pct. .521 -------------- .537
Opp. save pct. .494 ------ .520
Ground balls +15.4 ------ -1.6
Faceoffs .608 -------------- .412
Clearing .839 --------------- .794
Opp. clearing .705 -------- .779
Extra-man .377--------------- .378
Man-down .333 -------------- .264