May 9, 2008

by Steven Russolillo, Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

From a practice field in Indianapolis to the NCAA tournament in College Park, Carlos Navarro and Jeremy Sieverts have come full circle.

Navarro, a 6-foot-3 senior defenseman for the Denver men's lacrosse team, used to defend Sieverts every day in practice when they were teammates at Butler University. But both players went their separate ways when the Bulldogs' program was abruptly discontinued in January 2007. Navarro transferred to the Denver, while Sieverts enrolled at Maryland.

The ex-teammates will get a chance to square off Saturday when No. 7 Maryland hosts unseeded Denver in the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament, a little more than two years since they last played together.

"I can't tell you how fun it is to look at the tournament bracket and see us matching up against Jeremy," Navarro said of his former teammate, who scored seven goals and added seven assists for the Terps this season. "He's as slick a player as can be. It'll be an interesting showdown."

Navarro and Sieverts aren't the only athletes with Butler ties who will be playing in Saturday's first-round matchup. Junior attackman Cliff Smith and junior defenseman Mike Anderson also transferred to Denver as a result of Butler dropping its lacrosse program.

Smith - the second-leading scorer for the Pioneers this season - said he is thrilled to be playing in the tournament. He always had tournament aspirations while playing at Butler, but admitted to never realizing how far his former team actually was from making it until he joined Denver.

"It's pretty sweet going from a dream world to actually living the dream," Smith said.

The biggest difference between the defunct Butler program and the thriving Denver team is the funding and support, Navarro said, with everything from new helmets and equipment to the meals before away games showing the level of commitment the university has to the lacrosse program. Smith, for one, is grateful for consistent flights instead of long bus trips to away games.

"At Butler, we used to take 12-hour bus rides and stop halfway at an Arby's," Smith said. "It was horrid."

Denver - which averaged nearly 1,500 fans in attendance at home games - has a thriving lacrosse community, a far cry from the Butler scene. Navarro said fans recognize the players when they are around town, adding he loves when kids ask for his autograph.

The Pioneers (10-6) are making just their second appearance in the NCAA tournament. They earned an at-large bid despite losing to Ohio State, 15-8, in the semifinals of the Great Western Lacrosse League. Freshman midfielder Jamie Lincoln has a team-high 47 goals this season.

On the other hand Maryland (9-5) is making its 31st tournament appearance, the second-most of any school in NCAA history. The Terps earned one of nine at-large bids to the tournament after losing 11-8 to No. 3 Virginia in the ACC semifinals. Freshman Grant Catalino leads the Terps with 25 goals this season.

Denver's only other appearance in the NCAA tournament came in 2006, also against Maryland. The Terps defeated the Pioneers, 16-8, in the first-round game. "They really made us look bad two years ago," Denver head coach Jamie Munro said.

But the additions of Navarro, Smith and Anderson have changed the team's complexion this year. Smith is currently Denver's second-leading scorer with 25 goals. Navarro, 24, made his presence known early and has set a good example for some of the younger players. Before playing a single official game in a Denver uniform, he was elected team captain.

"He's the voice of reason for this team," said Munro, who is in his 10th season as head coach of the Pioneers.

Looking ahead to Saturday's game, Munro said his team needs to control the clock and be selective when it comes to playmaking to prevent Maryland from getting fast-break opportunities.

"We just need to slow them down in transition and make it a 6-on-6 game," he said. "We must get in a rhythm early."