Five-Star Matchups

Muhlenberg at Haverford (Baseball)
The Mules (3-1 CC, 9-9) and the Fords (3-1, 11-7) begin a crucial two-game series between a pair of teams tied for second place in the Conference. Haverford is second in the CC in hitting (.344), while the Mules are third (.338). Ford OF Jeff Butera leads the Conference in homers (5) and RBI (28) while placing second with a .500 average. Muhlenberg SS Dan Fisher tops the Centennial in hits (32) and runs scored (33).

Swarthmore at Washington (Baseball)
Two of the most surprising teams in the Conference start a two-game set today on the Eastern Shore. The Garnet (3-1, 11-7) is off to its best start in recent memory and is riding the big bat of Spencer Ross, who has four homers and 23 RBI. The Shoremen (3-1, 8-5) counter with the second-best team ERA in the Centennial (4.74), led by Chris Smith who is 2-1 with an 0.93 ERA.

Haverford at Ursinus (Women's Lacrosse)
A pair of Conference unbeatens meet in Collegeville in a match that will go a long way in determining playoff position come the end of next month. The Bears (1-0, 5-2) are 15-1 all-time against the Fords (1-0, 8-0), but Haverford's lone win came last season on the Main Line by an 18-16 count. Elizabeth Cannon is the top UC scoring threat with 16-10-26 on the season, while Haverford's Josie Ferri is averaging 5.0 points per game (27-13-40).

Dickinson at Johns Hopkins (Men's Tennis)
The Red Devils (1-0, 6-4) and the Blue Jays (1-0, 7-2) meet in a match of Conference unbeatens, but observers' eyes will turn to the #1 singles match between Dickinson's Ross Anstaett and Hopkins' David Maldow. Maldow is ranked fourth in the Atlantic South region, while Anstaett has been regionally ranked throughout his singles career.

Five-Star Matchups

McDaniel Invitational (Men's Golf)
Six of the Conference's seven teams get together at the site of last year's Centennial championship (The Bridges GC) for the two-day tournament. Players to watch include Dickinson's Joey Goldstein, F&M's Brendan Mohler, McDaniel's Keith Mazurek (pictured) and Muhlenberg's Zachary Oyer.

Washington at Haverford (Men's Lacrosse)
This clash between two of the preseason Conference favorites on the Main Line has a different flavor to it. Instead of battling for one of the top spots in the Conference, the Shoremen (1-2 CC, 3-4) and the Fords (0-2, 4-4) will fight to avoid a third CC loss before the end of March. Haverford broke an 0-19 history against Washington with an 8-5 victory in Chestertown last spring.

Washington at Dickinson (Women's Lacrosse)
Two teams with Conference playoff aspirations meet as the Shorewomen (1-1, 4-2) travel to Carlisle to take on the Red Devils (1-0, 4-1). Dickinson holds a slim 13-12 all-time series lead following five straight victories. Washington's last triumph was a 17-9 road win in 2004. Both teams have received strong play in goal - Dickinson's Jessie Clark and Washington's Stephanie Seibert have 54.7 and 54.5 save percentages, respectively.

Gettysburg at Haverford (Softball)
Two teams that qualified for the Centennial championship tournament in 2009 meet on the Main Line. The Bullets (2-0, 9-6-1) opened the CC season last weekend with a sweep of defending champ Muhlenberg, while the Fords (0-0, 6-6) open their CC schedule on Saturday. Gettysburg's Megan Lott is one of the top hitters in the Conference with three HR and 13 RBI to go with a .442 average.

Five-Star Matchups

It's always a special game when a pair of nationally-ranked undefeated teams square off with first place in the Conference on the line. Add to the mix a rivalry that goes back to 1957 and the fact that just 28 miles separate the campuses makes even more special. That game, and the matchup between the most surprising team in the Conference and a perennial powerhouse, means that you should go see a lacrosse game today.



Gettysburg at Dickinson (Men's Lacrosse)
The Bullets (2-0 CC, 8-0) and the Red Devils (1-0 CC, 8-0) meet for the 51st time in a series that has been dominated by the Orange and Blue. Gettysburg, ranked #1 in the country, has won 35 straight games from #8 Dickinson since a 10-5 triumph by the Red and White in 1975. The Red Devils have not defeated the Bullets in Carlisle since 1970 (7-5). Defense has been the name of the game for teams and could be the difference today. Gettysburg GK John LeClerc has a 5.87 goals-against average, while Dickinson's Tyler Magann (pictured) is at 6.20.

Ursinus at Washington (Men's Lacrosse)
The Bears (2-0, 6-0) are off to the best start in program history and look to keep the streak alive and make a splash on the national scene against the Shoremen (1-1, 3-3). Washington has won six of the previous seven meetings between the teams with Ursinus' lone triumph coming during the 2007 season in Collegeville (7-6). Each of the last three contests have been decided by no more than two goals.

Five-Star Matchups

It's the first weekend of spring ... the weather should be outstanding here in the Mid-Atlantic ... and we have big games dotting the Conference schedules.

Franklin & Marshall at Salisbury (Women's Lacrosse)
Sure it's not a Conference game ... but when #1 meets #2 in a rematch of last spring's national championship contest ... it's worth noting. F&M (4-0) is 58-1 since 2007 against teams not named Salisbury (8-0). The Gulls are 69-2 in that same stretch against teams not named F&M. The Diplomats are led by Blake Hargest and Meredith Lussier, who each have 15 goals through four games. But it will be the play of GK Lidia Sanza (5.50 GAA, 59.3 save pct) that will be the difference.

Gettysburg at Muhlenberg (Women's Lacrosse)
Not to be overlooked by the matchup on the Eastern Shore is a rematch of the 2009 CC semifinals between the undefeated Bullets (1-0 CC, 5-0) and the undefeated Mules (0-0, 4-0). Gettysburg, ranked third nationally, has outscored its opposition, 106-46, led by Nina Emala who has 20 goals. Muhlenberg has a 76-25 goal-scoring margin on its four opponents, led by the tandem of Danielle Rosen (20-13-33) and Amanda McGovern (18-12-30). The Bullets are 23-0 all-time against the Mules. You can watch the game LIVE on your computer at muhlenberg.edu/main/athletics

Ursinus at Franklin & Marshall (Men's Lacrosse)
This game could go a long way to determining the playoff future for both teams in the ultra-competitive Conference. The Bears (1-0 CC, 5-0) are off to their best start in program history. The Diplomats (0-0, 2-2) are riding a two-game win streak, including a 7-5 triumph over #8 Washington & Lee last weekend. Ursinus is led by senior M Eric Farris (12-6-18), while F&M counters with sophomore A Colin McKew (4-9-13). Three of the last four meetings between the teams have been decided by one goal, including the Diplomats' 7-6 triumph last year in Collegeville. You can watch the game LIVE on your computer at godiplomats.com.

Last Night's aCCtion

Matt Blymier of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal writes that it was a tale of two halves for F&M's Anthony Brooks as the Diplomats advanced to the Elite Eight with a 92-87 win at St. Mary's.

Roundups
Boston Globe
Annapolis Capital

The Sweet 16

The Centennial Conference has a representative in both the men's and women's Sweet 16 tonight, as the Franklin & Marshall men and Gettysburg women continue play in the NCAA Division III tournaments. It is the fourth time in the Conference's 17-year history that a men's and women's team has reached the Sweet 16 in the same season (1995, 2004, 2009).

The Diplomats (25-4) travel to St. Mary's City, Md., to take on St. Mary's (26-3). F&M defeated the Seahawks, 72-61, back on Nov. 30, as James McNally had a double-double with 30 points and 13 rebounds. This is the Diplomats' 12th trip to the Sweet 16 and second consecutive appearance in the third round. Watch the game LIVE on your computer and get live stats here.

The Bullets (24-4) are making their debut in the Sweet 16 and travel to Amherst, Mass. to take on Babson (27-3) in the third round. The Beavers have won 19 straight games and have set a program record for wins in a season. Watch the game LIVE on your computer and get live stats here.

Last Night's aCCtion

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the McDaniel women ran out of energy before they could make one final push in an NCAA tourney loss to Roanoke.

Staff Report
Lancaster Intelligencer Journal

Writing Comes Naturally to Washington Swim Star

Many students come to Washington College hoping the writing program will help them achieve their dreams of becoming published authors. For Jenna Moore '12, that dream became a reality during her first year of college, when Dorrance Publishing Co. printed The Creators: Book 1, The Universal Wars. It's the first book in a series she began writing in 7th grade.

"I've been writing since I was really little. I actually wrote the second and third books first, and then went back and wrote the first to fill in some of the basics you need to know about the characters going forward."

She started the series while daydreaming during class; her 7th grade English teacher encouraged her to keep writing and offered feedback on Jenna's work. When the drafts were finished, Jenna's parents urged her to get them published.

"I'm kind of shy about promoting my work like that," she said, but her dad found a list of publishers to approach and the first, Dorrance, wanted Jenna's story.

"It was really surprising, actually. I was so overwhelmed that they said yes!" Jenna said. "I'm hoping this one will do well so they want the others."

Her fantasy series isn't the only thing the creative writing student has in print. As a finalist in a 2006 International Poetry Society contest, two of Jenna's poems were published in an anthology, "Forever Spoken: Centers of Expression."

Jenna chose to attend Washington College because of the opportunities to develop both her fiction and poetry.

"My parents and I were always thinking academics first, and there's really no better place to go for writing," she said. "The teachers are really helpful. I think my poetry's better already."

Another important factor in her decision was Washington College's Division III athletic program. Jenna wanted to attend a school with a strong swimming program that would still allow her to pursue her other interests. "If I really wanted to write," she reasoned, "I needed the flexibility of a D-III school." Editor's Note: Jenna won four gold medals and two silver at the recent Centennial Conference Swimming Championships.

Given that flexibility, Jenna also joined the varsity rowing team. If that sounds like a lot to juggle, it is. In college, "It's tougher to find time for writing, especially with two sports," Jenna admitted, but that hasn't deterred her from working on the next books in her series.

"Writing is a good release for me, to get away and relax and not think about studying or races or anything else," she said. And if she doesn't get to write as often as she'd like, it's because she's taking advantage of so many other opportunities at the college.

"I can't imagine fitting anywhere else."

Last Night's aCCtion

Ed Gruver of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal writes that F&M's 66-62 win over defending champion Gettysburg was 12 months in the making. photo by Marty Heisey

Andre D. Williams of the Allentown Morning Call writes that it was a bad time for Muhlenberg to have an off day as McDaniel won the women's title with a 72-56 victory. photo by Michael Kubel

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times notes that the Green Terror's win at Muhlenberg was the culmination of four years of hard work for the McDaniel seniors.