12 Quotes by Dave Pietramala

What a luxury it is to have both Jesse and Scott returning. Both of these young men have proven they can handle the job and both have won big games for us. To see them work together to make each other better is part of what has made this team so close.

The last thing we can afford right now is to make excuses. We're inexperienced at some spots, that's the way it is. We have injuries, so does everyone, that's the way it is.

I don't think people should expect us to blow people out. We are not like that right now. We played against a very good team. I'm just excited that we got a win over a playoff team.

We are fortunate to have proven returning players on attack and we will look to them for not just their scoring ability, but their leadership as well. It will be exciting to watch this pair lead our offense.

Our returning players learned so much from our seniors last year and they have been quick to demonstrate the right way to do things to our newcomers. We don't believe in the moniker of defending national champions, because when a team wins a championship it's theirs forever. But this group wants to emerge from the shadow of last year's team and create it's own identity. In a lot of ways the lead-up to the 2006 season is more exciting because there is an element of the unknown.

Our coaching staff and players are excited to be a part of something that honors Doyle Smith, a man who dedicated so much of his time and energy to the sport of lacrosse. This is a wonderful tribute to Doyle and the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse program is proud to pay tribute to him for all that he did for this game.

We play like this against anybody, we're not going to win. We have to play better. This week, it isn't about Navy. We have to clean up our own house. ... I don't know if we have to go back to the drawing board. We have to go back to being disciplined.

With Princeton playing one week earlier we agreed to play one week earlier. I thought this was a great game for us to play before Princeton.

Despite its youth, this group demonstrated uncanny poise in the fall. With the losses we suffered not just on attack but at midfield as well that poise will be crucial to our offensive success this season.