Navy is firmly planted on-the-bubble of the 16-team tournament and needs helps to gain an at-large berth. The 15th-ranked Midshipmen closed the season with three straight losses to finish 9-5.

Head coach Richie Meade isn't the type to lobby for his team's inclusion in the playoffs. The hard-nosed 14th-year mentor has always believed a team must earn its way into the tourney and doesn't like leaving the decision to members of the selection committee.

However, Meade does think the Midshipmen merit consideration for what may proved to be the only at-large berth still remaining when the committee meets on Sunday night.

"If you look at the category of quality wins, we're the best of the bubble teams," Meade said yesterday.

Navy's most notable victories came against No. 9 Maryland (8-5) and No. 13 Ohio State (9-4). The Terrapins are a lock to receive an at-large berth while Ohio State is playing in the Great Western Lacrosse League Tournament this weekend.

If Ohio State wins the GWLL and earns an automatic berth, it would improve Navy's resume. By contrast, if No. 6 Notre Dame (11-2) or No. 20 Denver (10-5) wins the GWLL, that would put Ohio State in competition with Navy for an at-large berth.

"We really need Ohio State to win that league because Notre Dame's strength of schedule is not nearly as strong as ours," Meade said.

It also would help Navy if the regular season champions of several other leagues also captured their conference tournaments and automatic bids this weekend. If No. 11 Drexel (12-3) doesn't win the Colonial Athletic Association or No. 7 UMBC (10-3) fails to take the America East title, both clubs would be worth of an at-large berth.

Meade and his players are also interested in the result of the Brown-Princeton contest. Princeton can garner the Ivy League regular season championship and automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament with a win. A victory by Brown would hand Cornell the Ivy League title and likely knock Princeton out of the tourney.

"This has been a season of so many upsets that there are a lot of teams in a similar position as we are," Meade said. "I don't envy the committee because it could be real tough to select those last couple teams."

John Jiloty, editor-in-chief at Inside Lacrosse, has spent the last few weeks analyzing the strength of schedule and Ratings Percentage Index for the various teams in the mix. Jiloty has become the lacrosse version of a "bracketologist" and thinks Navy's in the mix.

"Navy needs a bunch of factors to fall right, but they are definitely in the discussion," Jiloty said. "Navy is an interesting case because they have two quality wins, but a relatively low RPI (15th) and strength of schedule (17th)."

Jiloty agreed it would greatly enhance Navy's argument if Ohio State won the Great Western Lacrosse League with Notre Dame as runner-up.

"I would probably put Navy in ahead of Notre Dame, although it's awfully close," Jiloty said.

Working against Navy, however, is the fact it lost two Patriot League games - to Army during the regular season and to Colgate in the opening round of the tournament. Army is another team on-the-bubble and could have an argument to get in ahead of Navy.

Meade knows Navy could have guaranteed itself a fifth straight trip to the playoffs by winning the Patriot League Tournament and thus will let the chips fall where they may.

"We've got nobody to blame but ourselves. I shouldn't be sitting in this office on Saturday logged onto Inside Lacrosse worrying about whether Brown beats Princeton," said Meade, who would also like to see Army get upset by Pennsylvania tomorrow.

Tim Pavlechko, an assistant athletic director at Bucknell, is chairman of the selection committee this year. Maryland head coach Dave Cottle is serving on the committee for the second straight season. Only the top eight teams are seeded and received first-round home games. The remaining eight qualifiers are paired with a seeded squad based largely on geography.

Another game of interest this weekend is Georgetown at Penn State. The Hoyas are on-the-bubble despite being the only team to beat top-ranked Duke.