January 16, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? In a vote by league coaches, Georgetown University was selected to place second in the 2004 ECAC Lacrosse League. The Hoyas have won the ECAC crown in three of the league?s first four seasons. Selected to win the crown in 2004 is the University of Massachusetts followed by Georgetown, Penn State and Rutgers.

Georgetown had an impressive 2003 campaign. Under head coach Dave Urick, the Hoyas went 11-4, earned the ECAC Lacrosse League championship, and made a run to the NCAA Quarterfinals (falling to the eventual national champion Virginia). The Hoyas return 34 players from last year's team. Leading the way for Georgetown's offense are Walid Hajj (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh), the team's top goal leader in 2003 and a 2004 Face-Off Yearbook First Team All-American and Neal Goldman (Ellicott City, Md./ Mount Hebron), a 2004 Face-Off Yearbook Honorable Mention All-American. Returning as a face-off specialist will be Andy Corno (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman), also a 2004 Face-Off Yearbook First Team All-American.  On the defensive end both long stick Brodie Merrill (Orangeville, Ontario/Salisbury School (Conn.)) and close defenseman Andrew Braziel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) will continue in their starting roles and received preseason All-American accolades from Face-Off Yearbook.

The Hoyas open the 2004 season at home on Harbin Field against Maryland on Saturday, February 28th at 1 p.m.