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Fallen teammate remains part of Johns Hopkins lacrosse team

Jeremy Huber died a few days before he was to suit up for his first season of college lacrosse. He has been gone for a little more than three months, but the freshman has never left his teammates.

Jeremy Huber died a few days before he was to suit up for his first season of college lacrosse.

He has been gone for a little more than three months, but the freshman has never left his teammates.

He was with them in the postgame prayer after every game this season. Johns Hopkins players always took the field with the number 19 - his intended jersey number - stitched onto their jerseys and painted on their helmets.

That same 19 was painted on their home field in front of their bench. Huber, who died of pneumonia complications related to influenza in his dorm room on Jan. 26, is listed in the game notes - along with his photo and a brief bio detailing a storied career at West Career and Technical (Las Vegas), where he earned all-state honors four times.

And Huber will be with his teammates this weekend as the surprising Big Ten champion Blue Jays - only the 12th unseeded team to reach the NCAA men's lacrosse final four - face hated rival and No. 7 seed Maryland (14-3) in the semifinals Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The winner will meet either No. 1 seed Notre Dame (12-2) or No. 4 Denver (15-2) on Monday in the NCAA championship game.

The Blue Jays are coached by Dave Pietramala, the first man in history to win an NCAA lacrosse title as a player (with Hopkins, 1987) and coach (2005, 2007). Hopkins' coach since 2001, Pietramala was not prepared for the 8 a.m. call interrupting his staff meeting in January - placed by another freshman - informing them Huber was unresponsive in his bed.

"It was the worst day of my life," Pietramala said. "We lost a young man who was just a really good person. In a short time he touched a number of lives."

Along with the pain, there was also guilt. Pietramala was used to driving his teams hard. Now, the loss of a life forced him to step back and reevaluate some things.

"I brought him here, and I told his family I would take care of him," Pietramala said, "and he passed away on my watch. Is it OK for us to go out and have fun and enjoy ourselves when this happened?"

Senior faceoff man Drew Kennedy (Malvern Prep) took to Huber immediately. They went to breakfast together three times a week. They talked about lacrosse, Kennedy said, but they also got to know each other away from the field.

After Huber's death, he and some other teammates would videoconference with Huber's family in an effort to keep them connected to the team.

"What happened was shocking. No one knew how to react to it," said Kennedy, who handles most of the Blue Jays' faceoff duties. "We grew closer as a team; we grew closer to Jeremy's family during the grieving process.

"And every time we go out there," Kennedy said, "he's with us."