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March 15, 2002

No. 5 MARYLAND (4-1) vs. DELAWARE (2-2)
SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2002 * 1:00 p.m.
BYRD STADIUM (48,055/Grass), COLLEGE PARK, MD.

NO. 5 MARYLAND HOSTS DELAWARE THIS SATURDAY AT 1 P.M.
o Coming off a pair of well-rounded victories over then-No. 5 Towson (15-10) last Saturday and Bucknell (16-6) this past Tuesday, the No. 5 Maryland men's lacrosse team welcomes Delaware to Byrd Stadium for the teams' annual meeting this Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WMUC Radio (88.1 FM) and available via the Internet at www.umterps.com and wmuc.umd.edu.

o The No. 5 Terps (4-1) lead the nation in goals with 70 after netting 16 against Bucknell in Tuesday's 16-6 win in Maryland's first-ever trip to Lewisburg, Pa. In the well-rounded win over the Bison, 13 different Terps scored goals, led by Dan LaMonica's (Parkton, Md.) three and Nate Watkins (Elmira, N.Y.), who had two. Close defensemen Michael Howley (Wantagh, N.Y.) and Chris Passavia (Stony Brook, N.Y.) each scored their first goal of the year -- Passavia's was the first of his career. Mike Mollot (Holbrook, N.Y.) netted a goal and added four assists for five points, raising his team-high point total to 22.

o Junior Mike Mollot was named the Warrior/Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Week and the ACC Player of the Week on March 11 after his career-high five goals vs. Towson, as he scored four of the five in an 8-2 run which broke open a 6-6 tie in the second quarter. He ranks second in the nation in points with 22 and fifth in goals with 12.

o Delaware comes into the game with a 2-2 record after a season-opening loss to Loyola (17-12), victories over Rutgers (12-10), Mount St. Mary's (15-6) and a defeat at the hands of No. 10 North Carolina (16-9) last Saturday. The Blue Hens' attack is led by sophomore Ryan Metzbower, who has 12 goals and two assists.

GAME FACTS
Maryland:
2002 Record: 4-1 (0-1 ACC)
2002 Rankings: 5th (USILA/Coaches) / 5th (Media)
Head Coach: Dave Cottle (Salisbury '78)
Coach's Record: 185-71 (.723)/20th season
Coach's Record at UM: 4-1 (.800)/1st season
Ass't Coach: Dave Slafkosky (Johns Hopkins '74)
Ass't Coach: Jon Stainbrook (Nazareth '93)
Ass't Coach: Graham Niemi (Maryland '97)
Leading Scorers: Mike Mollot (12g, 10a, 22pts.), Dan LaMonica (8g, 10a, 18pts.), Mike Morsell (5g, 7a, 12pts.)

Delaware:
2002 Record: 2-2 (0-1 CAA)
2002 Rankings: RV (USILA/Coaches) / RV (Media)
Head Coach: Bob Shillinglaw (North Carolina '74)
Coach's Record: 212-191 (.526)/27th season
Coach's Record at UD: 188-174 (.519)/24th season
Ass't Coach: Greg Carroll (Loyola '97)
Ass't Coach: Kevin Warne (Hofstra '00)
Leading Scorers: Ryan Metzbower (12g, 2a, 14pts.), Andy Hipple (8g, 4a, 12pts.), Brad Downer (7g, 2a, 9pts.)

Series Info:
All-Time Series: Maryland leads 7-1
Last Meeting: Maryland win, 10-4 on March 17, 2001

TERPS LEAD NATION IN TOTAL GOALS
o With a new offensive system in place under new coach Dave Cottle, the Maryland attack is scoring at a faster pace and taking more shots than in recent years. The Terps lead the nation in total goals with 70 and rank fourth in goals per game, pouring in 14 per contest.

o Maryland has scored 13 or more goals in each victory this season with a season-high of 18 coming vs. Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 26.

o With 15 goals against Towson on March 9, the Terps produced their highest goal total against a top-10 team in four seasons. The last time Maryland scored at least 15 goals against a highly-ranked team came on May 23, 1998, when the Terps piled up a 19-8 victory over No. 1 Loyola in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

o Maryland ranks fourth in the nation in goals scored per game (14.0) behind only Yale (18.5), Syracuse (16.5) and Towson (16.0).

o Junior Mike Mollot leads the team with 12 goals, senior captain Mike LaMonica (Parkton, Md.) and sophomore brother Dan LaMonica both have eight goals to rank tied for second on the team.

o Maryland has been shooting the ball at an uncanny pace this season. The Terps have nearly doubled their opponents shot total, as the Terps have 257 shots while holding their foes to just 149.

o Leading the shot barrage is Mike LaMonica, who has a team-high 49 shots. LaMonica had a career-high 18 shots vs. Towson. With his brother, Dan LaMonica, the siblings outshot the entire Towson team, 30-28, as Dan took 12 shots.

NATIONAL TEAM OFFENSE
Team Goals (GPG)
1. MARYLAND 70 (14.0)
2. Denver 67 (13.4)
3. Syracuse 66 (16.5)
4. Virginia 53 (13.3)
5. North Carolina 52 (13.0)
5. Penn State 50 (12.50)

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!
o As Maryland continues to develop its offense, coach Dave Cottle has set a goal for seven players to score at least 10 goals this season. The Terps are well on their way to that goal as many players have surpassed their entire goal totals for all of 2001. Through five games, 10 Terps have more goals in 2002 that they had in 16 games last season. Seven players have scored goals after not scoring all of last season

o Junior Ryan Moran (Setauket, N.Y.) and sophomore J.R. Bordley (Vienna, Va.) each have scored the first four goals of their careers.

o Senior captain Nate Watkins (Elmira,N.Y.) has seven goals this year after five last season. Senior captain Mike Morsell (Hungtingdon Valley, Pa.) has five goals after not scoring all of last season.

SCORING MORE...
Player 2002 2001 Nate Watkins 7 5 Craig Hochstadt 5 4 Mike Morsell 5 0 Ryan Moran 4 0 J.R. Bordley 4 0 Matt Urlock 4 0 Matt Brock 3 1 Willy Passavia 2 0 Sean Leary 1 0 Chris Passavia 1 0

MOLLOT NAMED NATIONAL, ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
o In leading the Terps to the 15-10 victory over Towson, junior Mike Mollot was named the National Player of the Week by Warrior/Inside Lacrosse, Baltimore Sun Player of the Week and the ACC Player of the Week on March 11. Mollot had a career day against Towson last Saturday as he tied his career high with seven points. The win avenged the loss the Terps suffered last year in the NCAA quarterfinals to the Tigers. The junior scored a career-high five goals and added two assists to tie his career best with seven points, which he had done twice before. This was his sixth career hat trick. He started an 8-2 run and scored four of his five goals during the stretch which lasted until the fourth quarter as the Terps broke up a 6-6 game in the second quarter.

o Mollot leads the Terps in points with 22 and goals with 12. Those totals also rank among the national leaders. He is second to Syracuse's Michael Powell in point scoring and tied for fifth in goals and tied for fifth in assists. Teammate Dan LaMonica is tied for fifth in points with 18 and tied with Mollot in the assists category.

o With the seven points against, Mollot also became the 30th player in Maryland history to surpass the 100-point plateau. He currently has 46 goals and 63 assists for 109 points in two-plus seasons. He stands 20 points short of Pat O'Meally (197-74) for 20th on the all-time Maryland scoring list.

NATIONAL SCORING LEADERS
Player, Team G-A=Pts.
1. Miichael Powell, Syracuse 15-11=26
2. MIKE MOLLOT, MARYLAND 12-11=22
3. Josh Coffman, Syracuse 14-5=19
3. Matt Brown, Denver 16-3=19
5. Dave Pittard, Navy 10-8=18
5. Curtis Smith, Ohio State 12-6=18
5. DAN LaMONICA, MARYLAND 8-10=18
Through March 12.

TERP DEFENSE CONTINUES TO BE ROCK SOLID
o Maryland has made defense a stable of its success over the past few seasons and 2002 is no different. With preseason All-Americans Michael Howley and Chris Passavia leading the way, the Terps have allowed just 6.20 goals per game to rank fourth in the nation in team defense.

o Also playing key roles on the defense are defensive midfielders Paul Gillette (Severna Park, Md.), Brett Harper (Columbus, Ohio) and Carrington King (Crozet, Va.) along with close defenders Lee Zink (Rowayton, Conn.) and Dave Wagner (Severna Park, Md.).

o Gillette leads the defensive crew with 20 groundballs -- second to Brian Carroll's 22 groundballs -- as three others also have more than 10 groundballs after just five games (Passavia-16, Harper-15 and Howley-13).

o In goal, junior Danny McCormick (McLean, Va.) has been solid in his first season as the team's starter, posting a 5.76 goals against average and a 63.9 save percentage.

o Last season, the Terps were No. 2 in the nation in team defense giving up just 6.31 goals per game.

NATIONAL TEAM DEFENSE
Team GPG (GA)
1. Dartmouth 5.00 (10)
2. Pennsylvania 5.50 (11)
3. Lafayette 6.00 (6)
4. MARYLAND 6.20 (31)
5. Johns Hopkins 6.50 (13)

THE SERIES WITH DELAWARE
o Maryland holds a 7-1 lead in the series history with Delaware. The Terps topped the Blue Hens 10-4 in Newark last season on March 17, 2001. Andrew "Buggs" Combs (1998-2001) scored a career-high six goals in the win, including four in the fourth quarter.

o The last game at Byrd between the teams renewed a rivalry that was dormant for 12 years, as Maryland defeated Delaware13-4, on March 15, 2000. Combs had a hat trick in this game also.

o The Terps have won the last five meetings on March 15, 2000 (13-4), May 4, 1988 (17-7), April 29, 1987 (20-3) and April 30, 1986 (11-6).

o Delaware's lone win came on May 1, 1985 a 9-5 defeat in Newark, Del. Maryland won the first two meetings in 1978 (21-10) and 1979 (21-5).

o Interestingly, the Maryland-Delaware game on May 4, 1988, was the first-ever night lacrosse game played at Byrd Stadium, the Terps won 17-7 behind four goals from the school's 14th all-time leading scorer Mark Douglas.

THE TERP-HEN SERIES
March 17, 2001 Maryland 10, Delaware 4
March 15, 2000 Maryland 13, Delaware 4
May 4, 1988 Maryland 17, Delaware 7
April 29, 1987 Maryland 20, Delaware 3
April 30, 1986 Maryland 11, Delaware 6
May 1, 1985 Delaware 9, Maryland 5
May 9, 1979 Maryland 21, Delaware 15
May 10, 1978 Maryland 21, Delaware 10

INDIVIDUAL TERPS VS. DELAWARE
o Nine different Terps have scored against Delaware over the past two years. Mike Mollot leads the way with three goals and two assists for five points. He had a goal and two assists last season and two goals in the 2000 game. Dan LaMonica recorded two goals and three assists in last year's game. Mike LaMonica also had two goals in the 2000 game and has three career points vs. Delaware.

o Danny McCormick (McLean, Va.) played 11 minutes vs. Delaware, coming on in relief in each of the last two years. He has allowed just one goal and made five saves.

o Coach Dave Cottle has a perfect 15-0 record against the Blue Hens. His Loyola teams defeated Delaware 8-7 in 2001 and 13-3 in 2000.

Mike Mollot 3-2-5
Dan LaMonica 2-3-5
Mike LaMonica 2-1-3
Craig Hochstadt 1-0-1
Mike Morsell 1-0-1
Willy Passavia 1-0-1
Alex Poole 1-0-1
Michael Howley 0-1-1
Nate Watkins 0-1-1
D. McCormick 5 svs, 1 GA

HOWLEY NAMED TEWAARATON CANDIDATE
o Terps junior defenseman Michael Howley is one of 12 players named as a candidate for the Tewaaraton Trophy, the most cherished and prestigious award a varsity lacrosse player can receive and a symbol of excellence in college lacrosse.

o The Tewaaraton Trophy is presented annually following the collegiate season to the top female and male varsity collegiate lacrosse players in the United States. Scholarship money is given to the award recipient's college or university general scholarship fund. The Foundation committee honors Native American heritage with the name "Tewaaraton," the name the Mohawk nation gave to their game and the progenitor of present day lacrosse and has received approval from the Mohawk Council of Elders.

o Every eligible male and female college varsity player in Divisions I, II and III is considered a nominee. Nominations are requested from all varsity coaches. A selection committee comprised of coaches for both male and female candidates oversees the voting process. There are five wild-card spots left open for a new candidate(s) who emerges during the season. The five finalists will be announced in May.

o The Tewaaraton Trophy Awards Dinner will be presented at The University Club of Washington, DC on June 5, 2002 at a banquet honoring the finalists and winners. Hofstra's Doug Shanahan won last year's trophy.

SENIOR CAPTAINS
o Maryland will feature four senior captains in 2002. New coach Dave Cottle has named Andy Burman (Kensington, Md.), Mike LaMonica (Parkton, Md.), Mike Morsell (Huntingdon Valley, Pa,) and Nate Watkins (Elmira, N.Y.) as the captains for the team.

AMERICA'S TEAM
o Of course the sport of lacrosse is a regional one, being played mostly in the Northeast, but Maryland's coaching staff has combed the nation far and wide to compose the 2002 Terp roster which features players from a school-record 11 states. Never before has Maryland had more than eight states represented on its roster. However, the 2002 team includes the first-ever recruits from California and Colorado, giving the team its first Western natives since the start of the program in 1924.

o Coming from California are Peter Ellis and Drew Virk, both of whom are from Ross, Calif., and played at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco. From Colorado is freshman Mark Foster, who prepped at Kent Denver.

o Add to that freshman Dave Matz, who is the first player from Vermont to play for the Terps, and 11 states are represented in total. Of the 11 newcomers on the roster for 2002, nine different states are represented.

o Two other players on the roster previously were the first recruits from their states, as junior Brett Harper came from Upper Arlington High School in Ohio and junior Sean Leary came to College Park from Detroit Country Day School in Michigan in 1999.

THREE GAMES ON WMAR-TV
o WMAR-TV (channel 2) in Baltimore will continue its bold concept of telecasting college lacrosse in the state of Maryland by presenting the Lacrosse Game of the Week. Beginning Saturday, March 2 and continuing through Saturday, May 4, WMAR will broadcast 13 games live.

o The Terps will be featured on WMAR three times: March 9, when Towson comes to Byrd Stadium, April 5 when the Terps host Navy and April 13 as part of a men's-women's doubleheader vs. Johns Hopkins. The seven-time defending NCAA champ Terp women face the Blue Jays at noon, followed by the men's game at 3 p.m..

o Former All-American goalie Quint Kessenich joins WMAR's broadcast team of Scott Garceau and Keith Mills to bring the Baltimore area the greatest lacrosse television coverage ever.

WMUC (88.1) TO BROADCAST GAMES
o WMUC (88.1 FM) and wmuc.umd.edu will broadcast up to nine men's lacrosse games in 2002. A tentative schedule has been set, but is subject to change due to other Maryland sporting events. The action will be called by Rishi Barran, Evan Parker, Steve Rudenstein and Josh Madden. A pregame show precedes each game.

MEDIA INFORMATION
o Email Straight To You: If you would like the latest Maryland men's lacrosse news emailed directly to you as soon as it breaks, email men's lacrosse contact Jason Yellin at jyellin@wam.umd.edu with the message "Men's Lacrosse Email" as the subject and you will receive every update distributed about the team.

o Terrapin Fan Phone: The Fan Phone is currently experiencing technical difficulties. It will be rectified soon.

USILA COACHES' POLL (MARCH 11)
Team (1st Place Votes) Record Pts. LW
1 Syracuse (10) 4-0 200 1
2 Johns Hopkins 2-0 190 2
3 Loyola 3-0 172 8
4 Virginia 2-1 171 6
5 Maryland 3-1 151 7
6 Duke 2-1 145 3
7 Georgetown 3-0 138 9
8 Princeton 0-2 135 4
9 Towson 2-1 127 5
10 North Carolina 4-0 117 10
11 Hofstra 2-2 101 11
12 Massachusetts 3-1 85 14
13 Penn State 3-1 77 13
14 Navy 2-2 59 12
15 Pennsylvania 3-0 56 16
16 Cornell 2-1 54 15
17 Army 2-1 37 19
18 Ohio State 2-2 28 18
19 Notre Dame 1-2 20 20
20 Yale 2-0 14 RV
Others receiving votes (in order): Harvard, Denver, Brown, Delaware, Fairfield