Goalies to meet in 'game for the ages'

By Mike Klingaman

September 25, 2008

Will Swaim, meet Akira Fitzgerald.

Oops, they've already met.

Swaim is the goalkeeper for Maryland's second-ranked soccer team, Fitzgerald the keeper for No.1 Wake Forest.

Both grew up in Maryland and are pivotal in tomorrow's showdown in College Park between the Terps, the 2005 national champs, and Wake Forest's defending NCAA titlists.

"It'll be a game for the ages," Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski said. In the spotlight are the netminders: Swaim, a sophomore out of Howard High, and Fitzgerald, a junior who attended Loyola High.

"Am I excited? This is my first time playing a college game in my home state," said Fitzgerald, The Sun's2005 Player of the Year.

Though their high school teams never met, the goalies have trained together.

"This is cool," Swaim said of their matchup. "I've always been a fan of his."

Yet it is Swaim who leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in goals-against average (0.25), with Fitzgerald close behind (0.50).

Maryland is 6-1; Wake, 7-0. Game time is 8p.m.

Early training pays off

Naomi Tanui accomplished Saturday what no Coppin State woman had done in 10years. She won a cross country race. The sophomore from Elooret, Kenya, set a course record (18minutes, 3.49seconds) at the Cappy Anderson Invitational at UMES.

Her early training was unconventional.

"We had no buses at home in Elooret, so I ran to school every morning," Tanui said. "Three miles. With my books."

Lee's streak at 37

From his first game as a Towson University freshman, Marcus Lee has been catching footballs. For 37straight games, the senior has caught at least one pass, a school record. But Lee said he "absolutely" would chuck the streak in exchange for a Tigers win over Columbia on Saturday.

Lee's work is a bright spot for Towson (1-3), which expects it from the Silver Spring native. He caught seven passes against Coastal Carolina last week to take third place on the Tigers' all-time reception list (180). Jamal White, who played through 2002, leads with 219.

"I didn't realize [Lee] had that streak until this year, " Towson coach Gordy Combs said. "He's so smooth that you sometimes take him for granted."

All but four of Lee's catches were thrown by quarterback Sean Schaefer. Best friends, they've forged a chemistry that spills onto the field.

"Me and Sean golf, bowl and play video games together," Lee said. "I guess it carries over to football."

A winning mixture

Loyola's soccer team is a diverse lot whose players hail from England, Ireland, Finland, Serbia, Colombia and Ghana.

Then there's Josh Taylor. He's from Rosedale.

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