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April 30, 2002

No. 9 MARYLAND (8-4) vs. UMBC (5-6)
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2002 o 2:00 p.m.
UMBC STADIUM (4,500/TURF), CATONSVILLE, MD.

TERPS CLOSE OUT '02 SEASON AT STATE FOE UMBC ON SATURDAY

o The 2002 regular season comes to a close this Saturday as the No. 9 Maryland lacrosse team travels to UMBC for its annual season finale against the Retrievers. The game will be broadcast live on WNST (1570 AM). The Terps come into the game with an 8-4 record and await their fate as far as a possible NCAA Tournament bid. The field of 12 will be revealed from the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind., on Sunday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Empire Sports Network (Channel 626 on DirecTV/Channel 432 on Dish Network).

o Saturday's game will be the final regular-season contest for the senior class, all of whom have played four seasons for the Terps, recording a 41-17 record over that time. The class includes senior captains Andy Burman (Kensington, Md.), Mike LaMonica (Parkton, Md.), Mike Morsell (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) and Nate Watkins (Elmira, N.Y.). Joining the captains are fellow seniors Brian Carroll (East Rockaway, N.Y.), Craig Hochstadt (Columbia, Md.), Rob Hoffman (Severna Park, Md.), Carrington King (Crozet, Va.) and Alex Poole (Hunt Valley, Md.). o The Terps come into the game after a strong 14-8 victory over No. 13 Yale on Senior Night last Friday at Byrd Stadium. Senior midfielder Nate Watkins had a career day as he scored six goals and scooped up seven groundballs in the win.

o Junior All-ACC selection Mike Mollot (Holbrook, N.Y.) posted six points against Yale for the third straight year on three goals and three assists. He now has 18 career points vs. Yale. With the big day, Mollot is now tied for 20th in career scoring at Maryland with Pat O'Meally (1971-74) at 129 points. Mollot leads the team in points with 42 and is tied with Watkins for the team lead in goals with 22. Senior face-off specialist Brian Carroll was also sensational against Yale, winning 18-of-25 draws and has raised his season win percentage to 60.4.

o Maryland continues to feature the nation's top defense, allowing just 6.83 goals per game. Junior goalie Danny McCormick (McLean. Va.) also continues to lead with country with the best goals against average (6.56). All-ACC defenders Michael Howley (Wantagh, N.Y.) and Chris Passavia (Stony Brook, N.Y.) are making strong bids for All-American honors leading the country's top close defense.

o UMBC comes into Saturday's finale with a 5-6 record, but has reeled off back-to-back wins, 15-9 over Army on April 20 and 11-3 over Stony Brook last Saturday night at UMBC Stadium. The Retrievers are led by Joey Kestermann, who has 22 points in 11 goals and 11 assists. Both Justin Smith and Adam Shiley have 14 goals to top the team in that category. Goalie Tim Flanagan has been strong in the last two weeks allowing just 12 goals in two games and was named the National Player of the Week after a career-high 19 saves to help upset No. 18 Army two weeks ago.

GAME FACTS
No. 9 Maryland:
2002 Record: 8-4 (1-2 ACC)
2002 Rankings: 9th (USILA/Coaches) / 7th (Media)
Head Coach: Dave Cottle (Salisbury '78)
Coach's Record: 189-74 (.719)/20th season
Coach's Record at UM: 8-4 (.667)/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 (22g, 20a, 42pts.); Dan LaMonica (12g, 24a, 36pts); N. Watkins (22g, 5a, 27pts.)

UMBC:
2002 Record: 5-6 (2-3 ECAC)
2002 Rankings: RV (USILA/Coaches) / RV (Media)
Head Coach: Don Zimmerman (Johns Hopkins '76)
Coach's Record: 133-72 (.649)/16th season
Coach's Record at UMBC: 60-56 (.517)/9th season
Ass't Coach: Jarred Testa (Hofstra '98)
Ass't Coaches: Rocco Vicchio (UMBC '81), Brian Lawton
Leading Scorers: Joey Kesterman (11g, 11a, 22 pts.); Jon Harasym (8g, 12 a, 20pts.), Justin Smith (14g, 5a, 19pts)

Series Info:
All-Time Series: Maryland leads 18-4
Last Meeting: Maryland win, 14-4 on May 5, 2001

FOUR TERPS EARN ALL-ACC HONORS
o Four Maryland men's lacrosse players were named to the 2002 All-ACC team at the league's banquet held at the Durham Hilton on Thursday, April 18. Junior Michael Howley was named to the team for the second straight year. He was joined by sophomore Dan LaMonica (Parkton, Md.), junior Mike Mollot and sophomore Chris Passavia as members of the All-ACC team. The four honorees mark the most for the Terps since 1998, when they had five members on the team.

o A 2001 second team All-American, Howley has been a cornerstone of the Terps' defense which has allowed just 6.83 goals per game -- ranking first in the nation and first in the ACC. Howley is a 2002 candidate for the Tewaararton Trophy as the sport's top player. He has 40 groundballs to go with a goal and an assist this season.

o LaMonica has ranked among the national leaders in assists all season and points for the first five weeks. He is currently second on the Terps in scoring with 36 points. He leads the club in assists with 24 -- tied for 10th best in the nation and second in the ACC. He has recorded points in 27 of his 28 career games.

o Mollot leads Maryland in scoring with 42 points on 22 goals and 20 assists. He has six multi-goal games this season including a career high five goals and seven points vs. Towson on March 9. He was named National and ACC Player of the Week after that game. Mollot, who ranks 20th all-time in career scoring at Maryland, was an honorable mention All-American last season and an ACC All-Tournament pick.

o Passavia has teamed with Howley to form the most dynamic duo on close defense in the nation. He has been lauded for his outstanding checking and been honored with the Ginsu Award by Inside Lacrosse. Passavia is an outstanding takeaway defenseman and has 35 groundballs this season. He scored his first career goal at Bucknell on March 12.

MARYLAND-UMBC SERIES HISTORY
o Maryland holds an 18-4 lifetime advantage in 22 meetings with state rival UMBC. Maryland has won the last two games, 14-4, last season in the home finale on May 5, 2001 at Ludwig Field and two seasons ago, 15-7 in Catonsville on May 6, 1999. Those wins ended a two-year run of detrimental Terp losses to the Retrievers in 1998 and 1999.

o UMBC upset the then-No. 1 Terps in the regular-season finale in 1998, 12-8 at UMBC. They repeated the upset in the 1999 finale, winning 7-6 in College Park. Prior to that pair of losses, Maryland had won six meetings in a row from 1992-1997.

o The teams have played once every May since 1982 and the UMBC game has been the last on Maryland's regular-season schedule for the last 12 years, dating to 1990 with Maryland winning nine of 12 finales.

MARYLAND-UMBC SERIES
May 5, 2001 Maryland 14, UMBC 4
May 6, 2000 Maryland 15, UMBC 7
May 8, 1999 UMBC 7, Maryland 6
May 2, 1998 UMBC 12, Maryland 8
May 3, 1997 Maryland 12, UMBC 10
May 3, 1996 Maryland 18, UMBC 12
May 6, 1995 Maryland 16, UMBC 14
May 6, 1994 Maryland 18, UMBC 11
May 8, 1993 Maryland 23, UMBC 8
May 2, 1992 Maryland 20, UMBC 7

INDIVIDUAL TERPS VS. UMBC
o Eleven Terps have posted points against UMBC over their careers. Mike Mollot leads the way with six points on two goals and four assists, all in the 2000 game in Catonsville. o Dan LaMonica posted a career-high five assists in last season's game at Ludwig Field. Brother Mike LaMonica has two goals and an assist vs. the Retrievers.

o Alex Poole also had two goals in last year's game to set his career high.

o Last year's game also featured goals by Jamie Daue (Lutherville, Md.), Paul Gillette (Severna Park, Md.), Michael Howley and Nate Watkins.

o Goalie Danny McCormick has played 13:32 against UMBC over the last two seasons and allowed just one goal while making seven saves for a 4.50 GAA vs. UMBC and a 87.5 save percentage.

o Head coach Dave Cottle has recorded a 12-2 record against UMBC while he served as the head coach at Loyola. In his most recent game against the Retrievers, Cottle led his team to a 19-8 victory in 1996. Cottle has won every game he has coached against UMBC since 1988 including the last two against current UMBC coach Don Zimmerman in 1995 and 1996.

TERPS VS. UMBC
Mike Mollot 2-4-6
Dan LaMonica 0-5-5
Mike LaMonica 2-1-3
Alex Poole 2-0-2
Nate Watkins 2-0-2
Jamie Daue 1-1-2
Craig Hochstadt 1-1-2
Michael Howley 1-1-2
Paul Gillette 1-0-1
Mike Morsell 0-1-1
Willy Passavia 0-1-1
Dan McCormick 13:32, 7 sv., 1 GA

TERP DEFENSE CONTINUES TO BE ROCK SOLID
o Maryland has made defense a staple of its success over the past few seasons and 2002 is no different. With All-American candidates and All-ACC selections Michael Howley and Chris Passavia leading the way, the Terps have allowed just 6.83 goals per game to rank No. 1 in the nation.

o The Terps' goalie Danny McCormick is the nation's best when it comes to allowing the fewest goals. He leads the country in goals against average (6.56) and is 11th in save percentage (.601). He has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, 2001 first team All-American Pat McGinnis, who was ranked in the top two in both categories all of last season.

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

o Gillette leads the defensive crew with 54 groundballs. Three other defenders also have more than 30 groundballs after 10 games (Howley-40, Passavia-35, Harper-32). McCormick also has 31 groundballs.

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

o Maryland has kept its opponents to less than 10 goals in seven of nine games this season including the Terps' 18-0 shutout of Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 26, which was the program's first in 32 years since Maryland blanked Duke 19-0 on April 20, 1970.

o Last season, in all of Division I lacrosse there was only one shutout as Dartmouth blanked Boston College 12-0 on April 24, 2001.

o The 18-goal margin of victory against the Mount was the largest since a 21-2 shelling of Radford on April 1, 1997.

NATIONAL TEAM DEFENSE
Team GPG (GA)
1. MARYLAND 6.83 (82)
2. Cornell 7.08 (85)
3. Ohio State 7.15 (93)
4. Navy 7.23 (94)
Statistics Through April 29

NATIONAL GOALIE LEADERS
Player, Team GAA
1. DANNY McCORMICK, MD. 6.56
2. Jon Higdon, Navy 7.05
3. Justin Cynar, Cornell 7.15
4. Jack Alaimo, Hofstra 7.19
Statistics Through April 29

CARROLL EARNS ACC ALL-TOURNEY HONORS, CONTINUES SOLID PLAY
o Senior face-off specialist Brian Carroll has had his best season at Maryland as the Terps' primary face-off man. He has taken 230 of the team's 259 draws. He has won 139 of them to give him a 60.4 win percentage, which ranks second in the ACC and 15th nationally. He won a career-best 18-of-25 face-offs against Yale, including all six in the fourth quarter.

o Carroll was named to the ACC All-Tournament team after a sensational effort against Duke, winning 13-of-19 face-offs, mostly against Kevin Cassese, the ACC's top face-off man, who ranks fourth in the nation with a 64.0 win percentage.

TERPS OFFENSE ON THE ATTACK
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 have been ranked among the nation's top scoring teams all season, ranking in the top two for the first five weeks of the season. Maryland is currently 15th in goals per game (11.27).

o With its offense scoring 11.27 goals per game and the defense allowing just 6.73 per game, Maryland is fourth in the nation in scoring margin, winning games by an average of 4.55 goals per game.

o Maryland is averaging 42.5 shots per game after averaging 32.6 last season.

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

o The Terps scored 15 or more goals in three straight games and four overall this season. The last time the Terps scored 15 or more in consecutive games came in the first three games of the 1998 season, when they beat Villanova (18-5), Duke (15-9) and Towson (17-6).

o The Terps had back-to-back double-digit victories for the first time since 1994 with a 16-6 win at Bucknell on March 12 and a 16-5 victory over Delaware on March 16. The last time the Terps won consecutive games by 10 or more goals came on March 19 and 22, 1994, when they beat Cornell (19-9) and Ohio State (16-2), respectively. Also, the last time the Terps scored 16 or more goals in consecutive games came during the team's NCAA Tournament run in 1995, when they did it three games in a row: UMBC (16-14), Notre Dame (19-11) and Johns Hopkins (16-8).

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.

MOLLOT REACHES TOP 20 ON TERP SCORING CHART

o With the seven points against Towson on March 9, Mike Mollot became the 30th player in Maryland history to surpass the 100-point plateau. He is now tied with Pat O'Meally (1971-74) for 20th in all-time career scoring with 129 points. Mollot currently has 56 goals and 73 assists for 129 points in two-plus seasons. Next on the scoring chart is Dave Dempsey (1970-74), who had 134 points.

o Mollot is seven assists shy of the Terps' top 14 in career assists. Brendan Hanley had 80 from 1985-88 to rank 14th.

MARYLAND SCORING LIST
Player Goals Asst. Pts.
1. Bob Boneillo (1977-80) 93 126 219
2. Ray Altman (1961-63) 68 146 214
3. Frank Urso (1973-76) 127 81 208
10. Jack Heim (1965-67) 85 96 181
15. Rob Wurzberger (1988-91) 137 18 155
16. Scott Hochstadt (1996-99) 121 32 153
16. John Lamon (1976-79) 70 83 153
18. Mike Hynes (1974-77) 60 91 151
19. Dave Dempsey (1970-74) 107 27 134
20. Pat O'Meally (1971-74) 88 41 129
20. MIKE MOLLOT (2000-pre.) 56 73 129

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 (six already have 10 or more: Mike Mollot-22, Nate Watkins-22, Mike LaMonica-18, Mike Morsell-13, Dan LaMonica-12 and Ryan Moran-12). The Terps are well on their way to that goal as many players have surpassed their entire goal totals for all of 2001. Maryland had five players scored 10 goals all of last season in 16 games.

o Through 12 games, 12 Terps have more goals in 2002 than they had in 16 games last season. Seven players have scored goals after not scoring all of last season.

o High goal scorers Mike Mollot and Mike LaMonica have passed last year's total. Mollot now has 22 goals after 19 last season and LaMonica has 18 after 15 as a junior.

o Senior captain Nate Watkins has a career-best 22 goals in 2002 after just five last season. Watkins came into the season with 13 career goals -- he matched that with his first career hat trick vs. Virginia on March 30 in the eighth game of the year.

o Senior captain Mike Morsell has 13 goals after not scoring all of last season. He netted his third career hat trick against Navy on April 5 and fourth trick vs. Yale on April 26. The 13 goals are also a single-season best, passing his mark of 10, which he set as a sophomore.

o Junior Ryan Moran (Setauket, N.Y.) has 12 goals -- the first 12 of his career after his second hat trick of the season against Duke at the ACC semifinals.

o Junior Matt Brock (Manakin-Sabot, Va.) has seven goals after scoring just once all of last season.

o Sophomore J.R. Bordley (Vienna, Va.) has scored the first five goals of his career.

SCORING MORE...
Player 2002 2001
Mike Mollot 22 19
Nate Watkins 22 5
Mike LaMonica 18 15
Mike Morsell 13 0
Ryan Moran 12 0
Matt Brock 7 1
Craig Hochstadt 6 4
J.R. Bordley 5 0
Matt Urlock 5 0
Willy Passavia 3 0
Sean Leary 1 0
Chris Passavia 1 0

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 its 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, D.C. on June 5, 2002 at a banquet honoring the finalists and winners. Hofstra's Doug Shanahan won last year's trophy.

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.

TERPS' 77TH SEASON OF LACROSSE
o The Terps begin the third season of the new century with an all-time record of 624-201-4 (.755), dating back to the first varsity team in 1924 (a team was not fielded in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II). Maryland has finished every one of its previous 76 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 13-3. The program's 600th win came against Duke on April 21, 2000, 7-6 in the ACC Semifinals at Byrd Stadium.

o In the decade of the 1990s, Maryland recorded its most wins in any decade with a 95-47 record. The .669 winning percentage matched Maryland's win percentage of the 1980s when the Terps went 83-41 and also compiled a .669 win percentage.

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.