March 11, 2004
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#18 TOWSON (1-1) at #2 MARYLAND (2-0)
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2004 * 1:00 p.m.
BYRD STADIUM (48,055/Grass), COLLEGE PARK, Md.
Television: WMAR Channel 2
Live Audio: WMUCSports.com * Live Stats: umterps.com
No. 2 Terps Tussle With Towson In Televised Game
* The No. 2 Maryland men's lacrosse team hosts its 2004 home opener on Saturday, as the Terps welcome rival Towson to Byrd Stadium for a 1 p.m. face-off. The game will be broadcast live on WMAR Channel 2 in Baltimore. The TV broadcast is the first of three appearances by the Terps on WMAR -- Maryland will also have its Navy (Apr. 10) and Johns Hopkins (April 17) games televised live. Scott Garceau, Keith Mills and Mark Dixon will be joined by former Maryland coach
Dick Edell in the booth for the call of the game. The game will also be available live over the Internet at WMUCSports.com with live stats available on umterps.com.
* The Terps come into the game ranked No. 2 for the second consecutive week in the Geico/STX USILA Coaches' Poll after a solid 17-12 victory over ACC rival Duke last Saturday afternoon in Durham. Terps' sophomore Joe Walters (Rochester, N.Y.) netted four goals and added two assists in the win at Duke and was named ACC Player of the Week. It marked the second time a Terp was named conference player of the week as fellow soph attacker Xander Ritz (Wayne, Pa.) earned the honor after a seven-point performance in the season opener at Georgetown.
* Towson enters Saturday's game with a 1-1 record after pounding Providence, 12-3, last Sunday at home. They are ranked No. 18 in the USILA Poll. Leading scorer Jonathan Engelke posted two goals and an assist in the win over the Friars and now has a team-high six points on five goals and one assist. The Tigers lost their season-opener to Loyola, 14-9, on Feb. 28 at Towson. The Greyhounds scored the game's final four goals to seal the win in the Baltimore battle.
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Top 5 Terp Tidbits
* Maryland has won the last nine regular-season meetings with Towson, dating to 1995.
* Maryland has outscored its opponents, 13-1, in the second quarter.
* Of the Terps' 31 goals, 19 have come from sophomores, including a team-high seven by Joe Walters, the reigning ACC Player of the Week.
* Fourteen different Terps have scored goals through two games, including 11 at Duke last Saturday.
* Both All-American defensemen Chris Passavia and Lee Zink are on the Tewaaraton Trophy "Watch List" for the nation's top lacrosse player award.
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Terps Offense Cooking at Start of Year
* The Terps' offense has continued to be the story early in 2004, as Maryland blasted Duke for a 17-12 ACC win in Durham last weekend. Joe Walters netted his second hat trick of the year and now has eight for his career after his four-goal burst at Duke.
* Sophomore midfielder Bill McGlone (Swarthmore, Pa.) had his biggest game as a Terp, as he tallied his first career hat trick and added two assists for a five-point day. McGlone has already surpassed last season's totals of four goals and five points, in just two games -- as he is running with the first midfield.
* Senior attacker J.R. Bordley (Vienna, Va.) also had his most productive day as a Terp at Duke, as he scored back-to-back goals in a 4-0 run in the second quarter and added an assist for a career-high three points.
* Overall, 11 different Terps scored in the win at Duke including five players who tallied their first career goals: freshman Mike Brown (West Hartford, Conn.), junior Peter Ellis (Ross, Calif.), sophomore Ryan Lang (Northport, N.Y.), junior Dave Matz (Woodstock, Vt.) and freshman Michael Phipps (Severna Park, Md.). In two games, the Terps have had 14 different goal scorers led by Walters' seven.
* The Terps have looked to underclassmen for much of their offense as 19 of the 31 goals have come from sophomores with a trio topping the team in goals and points: Joe Walters, Bill McGlone and Xander Ritz.
* The second quarter has been the knockout quarter for the Terps as they have outscored their opponents, 13-1, in the second period. Against Georgetown, they took a 2-1 first-quarter lead to a 9-1 halftime lead with a 7-0 second quarter. Against Duke, it was more of the same, as the Terps outscored the Blue Devils, 6-1, in the second period to break a 4-4 tie and lead 8-4 at half.
* Maryland's extra-man unit remains a perfect 4-for-4 as they did not have a chance at Duke. They were peerless in the in the win at Georgetown, scoring once in each quarter. Walters, McGlone, Justin Smith (University Park, Md.) and Ian Healy (Great Falls, Va.) tallied the goals. The last time Maryland netted four extra-man goals was in the 2003 opener against Duke, as they went 4-for-6. The perfect day was especially sweet as the Terps worked hard on improving the EMO. Last season, they scored just four goals on their final 41 man-up chances spanning the final 10 games.
Defense Still Strong
* With all the talk of the Terps' offense clicking at such a high rate, the heralded defense has taken a back seat for the time being. Maryland has been strong on defense in both games, limiting opponents to an 8.50 GAA.
* In the season opener at Georgetown, the Terps were sensational in limiting the Hoyas to one goal in the first half. Georgetown turned the ball over 25 times, with 14 of them being forced by a Terp. Senior captain and All-American Lee Zink (Rowayton, Conn.) led the way with four caused turnovers. In the most significant playing time of their career, juniors Gavin Webb (Columbus, Ohio) and Tyler Hereth (Glastonbury, Conn.) also contributed with tough defense, causing four turnovers.
* In goal, graduate student Tim McGinnis (Ellicott City, Md.) was strong in his Terrapin debut. He allowed just five goals, making 13 stops in the first 52 minutes before giving way to freshman Harry Alford (Washington, D.C.). In his collegiate debut, Alford stopped all three shots on goal and helped hold the Hoyas to just five goals.
* Against Duke, senior captain and All-American Chris Passavia (Stony Brook, N.Y.) was back to his usual form as he caused five turnovers and limited Duke's top scorer Matt Danowski to just two goals.
* Captain and short-stick defensive midfielder Paul Gillette (Millersville, Md.) has been steady and consistent as he has a team-high 10 groundballs through two games with seven coming at Duke where he also scored and assisted a goal.
The Maryland-Towson Series
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The Last 15 Terp-Tiger Games
Mar. 8, 2003 Maryland 12, Towson 8
Mar. 9, 2002 Maryland 15, Towson 10
May 20, 2001 Towson 12, Maryland 11 (NCAA QF)
Mar. 10, 2001 Maryland 9, Towson 7
Mar. 11, 2000 Maryland 13, Towson 12
May 5, 1999 Maryland 15, Towson 11
Mar. 7, 1998 Maryland 17, Towson 6
Mar. 12, 1997 Maryland 17, Towson 9
Mar. 12, 1996 Maryland 7, Towson 5
Mar. 11, 1995 Maryland 6, Towson 5
Mar. 12, 1994 Towson, 14, Maryland 7
May 4, 1993 Maryland 11, Towson 8
Mar. 14, 1992 Towson 13, Maryland 9
May 25, 1991 Towson 15, Md. 11 (NCAA SF at Syr.)
Mar. 16, 1991 Maryland 17, Towson 16
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* In games against Towson, Maryland holds a 20-5 (.800) all-time record in the series that dates to 1971. The Terps have won the last nine regular-season meetings, including last season's 12-8 victory at Towson on March 8, 2003.
* In the last game at Byrd between the teams, the Terps got a small measure of revenge with a 15-10 win on Mar. 9, 2002. Towson had ousted Maryland from the NCAA Tournament in the spring of 2001 with a 12-11 win over the Terps in the NCAA Quarterfinals at Byrd Stadium on May 20, 2001 in the final game coach by Maryland legend Dick Edell.
* Interestingly, Towson has never beaten Maryland at Minnegan Field (Unitas Stadium), although winning four times in College Park: May 20, 2001 - Towson,12-11, March 12, 1994 - Towson, 14-7, March 14, 1992 - Towson, 13-9 and March 17, 1990, Towson, 8-7.
* The Tigers also topped Maryland in the teams' first NCAA Tournament match-up, 15-11, in the NCAA Semifinals at Syracuse on May 25, 1991.
Towson-Maryland Connections
* Of course when two schools are located less than an hour away from each other there are many connections with the teams. Here are a few:
* Second-year Maryland assistant coach Paul Cantabene spent four years as the offensive coordinator under Tony Seaman at Towson from 1999-2002. Last season, Cantabene was reunited with his college coach -- Maryland head coach Dave Cottle, whom he played for at Loyola. Cantabene graduated from Loyola in 1993, when he was a second-team All-American at midfield. He also helped the Hounds to the 1990 NCAA finals, which was also Cottle's first trip to the national championship game.
* Towson offensive assistant coach Andrew "Buggs" Combs is in his second year on the sidelines after a standout playing career at Maryland. Combs was a 2001 Terp lacrosse All-American , who became the second player in the storied history of Maryland lacrosse to score 50 goals in a season, which he did three years ago. Combs is also the son of Towson football coach Gordy Combs.
* Towson assistant coach Stan Ross played college lacrosse for Maryland head coach Dave Cottle, when he was the head coach at Loyola. Ross, a 1996 Loyola grad, was a two-year starter under Cottle in helping the Greyhounds to NCAA bids in each of his seasons in Baltimore.
* Former Maryland coach Dick Edell, who retired from the school on Sept. 3, 2001, is a 1968 Towson graduate and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1980.
* Maryland's Jacob Baxter (Severna Park, Md.) is the brother of recent Towson grad and All-American Adam Baxter. Jacob is redshirting this season with the Terps.
* Many Terps and Tigers have been high school teammates as well. Former Severn School teammates Michael Phipps will oppose Todd MacMullan and Michael Houser. Long Island natives from Baldwin, Matt Aksionoff and Casey Cittadino will be on opposing sidelines after playing together in high school. Jay Feeley (phoenix, Md.) and Kyle Batton will face each other after graduating from Dulaney last spring.
Individual Terps Vs. Towson
* Five players on the current Maryland roster have recorded points against Towson.
* Joe Walters scored the first four goals of his collegiate career in the 12-8 win at Towson last season. Ian Healy also had a goal and assist in last season's game. Paul Gillette had a goal in the 2003 game after gaining an assist in the 2002 game. Defensive midfielder Alex Melzer (Darien, Conn.) picked up his first collegiate point with an assist at Towson last season. J.R. Bordley scored in the 2002 game.
* Senior Jermey Pastula (Yorktown, N.Y.) had his career-game on face-offs winning 11-of-12 at Towson last season.
Coaching Match-up
* Coach Dave Cottle has a 13-9 career record against Towson while coaching at Loyola and Maryland. He was 11-9 vs. the Tigers while at Loyola. He is 2-0 vs. Towson as the coach at Maryland ,winning 15-10 in 2002 and 12-8 last season. Overall, Cottle has a 204-78 record in 22 years at Maryland and Loyola. He is 23-8 with the Terps in two-plus seasons.
* Towson's Tony Seaman is in his sixth year Towson with a 203-107 record in 23 years at Towson, Johns Hopkins, Penn and C.W. Post. He is 39-34 in six years with the Tigers starting in 1999.
Putting On The Ritz: Xander Earns Honors
* Maryland sophomore attacker Xander Ritz had a huge first week at Maryland. After his seven-point performance against Georgetown in the Terps' 14-5 on Feb. 28, he has been named Inside Lacrosse's National Division I Player of the Week, the ACC Co-Player of the Week and the Maryland Student-Athlete of the Week.
* In his first game as a Terrapin, Ritz put on a star performance with a career-high seven points on three goals and four assists as the Terps cruised past No. 6 Georgetown at Harbin Field on Feb. 28. Ritz opened the Terps' scoring to start a 9-0 run as Maryland built a 9-1 halftime lead. Ritz tallied the Terps' sixth goal -- the eventual game-winner -- in that run. He also assisted four other goals including the final goal of the game for the 14-5 final.
* The seven points were the most by any Maryland player since Mike LaMonica had eight on May 4, 2002.
Terps' 79th Season of Lacrosse
* The Terps have an all-time record of 639-205-4, 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 78 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 12-4. The program's 600th win came against Duke on April 21, 2000, 7-6 in the ACC Semifinals at Byrd Stadium.
* Since 2000, Maryland is 47-16 for a .746 win percentage. 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.
Passavia & Zink Up For Tewaaraton
* Maryland All-American defensemen Chris Passavia and Lee Zink are among the 26 men named to the 2004 Tewaaraton Watch List. This preseason list highlights the players to watch, as all NCAA Division I, II and III players vie for the most coveted and prestigious award in varsity lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Trophy.
* The Tewaaraton Trophy is presented annually following the collegiate season to the top female and male varsity collegiate lacrosse players in the United States. The trophy will be presented in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2004, at a banquet honoring the finalists and trophy winners. The ceremony will be held at the National Geographic Society Auditorium and will be broadcast by CSTV. Former Maryland coach Dick Edell is serving as the Chair of the committee which presents the award. Scholarship money is given to the 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 which has received approval from the Mohawk Council of Elders.
Four Terps Named Preseason All-Americans
* The Terps placed two players on the Face-Off Magazine Preseason All-American list. Maryland will be led by its pair of preseason first-team All-American defenseman, Chris Passavia and Lee Zink . Both Passavia (second team) and Zink (third team) were USILA All-Americans last season. The Terps also feature two preseason Honorable Mention All-Americans in attacker Joe Walters and midfielder Justin Smith.
2004 Team Captains: Gillette, Passavia, Wagner, Zink
* The Terps have named a quartet of captains for the 2004 season. They will be led by seniors: midfielder Paul Gillette (Millersville, Md.), defenseman Chris Passavia (Stony Brook, N.Y.), defenseman David Wagner (Severna Park, Md.) and defenseman Lee Zink (Rowayton, Conn.). All four players are defensive standouts for the team and were voted captains by their teammates during the fall season.
100th Maryland/Hopkins Game: April 17, 2004
* Maryland will play Johns Hopkins for the 100th time in lacrosse history on April 17, 2004. The game will be played at Hopkins' Homewood Field in Baltimore. It will be televised live on WMAR Channel 2 in Baltimore and nationally on College Sports Television (CSTV).
* Maryland and Hopkins are the two most storied lacrosse programs in the nation, with the rivalry beginning with back in 1895 as Hopkins defeated the Maryland Agricultural College. The Blue Jays (32) and Terps (26) have played in the first and third most NCAA Tournaments since the event began in 1971, respectively. Maryland (108) and Hopkins (172) have produced the most first team All-Americans in the history of lacrosse dating to the first awards in 1922.
* This year's historic event will feature both teams wearing "throwback jerseys." The Terps will wear the mode of the early 70s when they won two NCAA championships including the 1973 title when they beat the Blue Jays in double-overtime, 10-9 on June 2, 1973.
* The logo to the right will be worn by both teams on their commemorative jerseys. Following the game, the jerseys will be auctioned off for charity with Maryland's funds going to the Ronald McDonald House of Baltimore. Hopkins' money will go to the Hopkins Children's Hospital.
* Overall, Hopkins holds a 62-36-1 lead in the series. Since the Terrapins elevated to a varsity sport in 1924, Maryland has a 36-52-1 record against Johns Hopkins. There has been at least one Maryland-Hopkins game every year since 1924 with the exception of 1944 and 1945 when World War II kept the schools from fielding teams.
Terps On WMAR-TV Three Times In 2004
* WMAR-TV (channel 2) in Baltimore will continue its bold concept of telecasting college lacrosse in the state of Maryland by presenting the TOYOTA Lacrosse Game of the Week. Beginning Saturday, March 6 and continuing through Saturday, May 8, WMAR will broadcast 10 games live. Included in the package are three Maryland games. The Terps will be featured on WMAR, three times during the 2004 season: March 13, when Towson comes to Byrd Stadium, April 10, when the Terps host Navy and April 17 when Maryland travels to Johns Hopkins for the 100th Maryland/Hopkins game.
* Scott Garceau, Keith Mills, Mark Dixon and former Terp coach Dick Edell make up WMAR's broadcast team that will bring the Baltimore area great lacrosse television coverage.
CSTV Lacrosse Package Features Terps Twice
* College Sports Television (www.cstv.com), the fastest-growing independent cable network, will feature college lacrosse powers such as Princeton, Virginia, Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and Maryland as part of its CSTV Lax college lacrosse schedule, the sport's first live nationally televised game of the week series. In addition, CSTV Lax will televise five NCAA Lacrosse Championship games live: Men's Division II and III, and Women's Division I, II and III.
* The national network is available on DirecTV Channel 610 as well as certain cable systems across the country.
WMUC 88.1 FM
* WMUC (88.1 FM) and www.wmucsports.com will broadcast up to 14 games men's lacrosse games in 2003. A tentative schedule has been set up, but is subject to change due to other Maryland sporting events. The action will be called by Mark Zaner, Josh Madden, C.J. Holley, Steve DeClue, Bryan Mann and Jeff Sundrun. A half-hour pregame show precedes each game. Tentatively, WMUC is scheduled to broadcast every game with the exception of the Bucknell game on March 16.
Media Information
* 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.
* Scores on your cell phone: Fans can now get score updates sent directly to their cell phones! Just go to any schedule page at www.umterps.com to sign up for the service.
* Terps on the Web: For up-to-date game stories, statistics, schedules and results, and other Maryland athletic department information, please locate www. umterps.com on the Internet.
Probable Line-Up
ATTACK
1 Joe Walters So., 6-0, 185 7-2=9 ACC Player of Week (3/8)
5 J.R. Bordley Sr., 5-6, 160 3-2=5 Career-high 3 pts., at Duke
13 Xander Ritz So., 6-0, 170 4-4=8 IL Nat'l Player of Week (3/1)
FIRST MIDFIELD
22 Justin Smith Sr., 6-1, 220 3-0=3 32 goals in last 25 games
33 Bill McGlone So., 6-2, 205 5-3=8 First career hat trick at Duke
34 Brendan Healy So., 5-11, 175 1-1=2 Two pts. in opener equals '03
SECOND MIDFIELD
4 Ian Healy R-Jr., 5-6, 160 1-0=1 Missed Duke game with wrist inj.
18 Paul Gillette Sr., 5-10, 165 1-1=2 Goal, Asst. 7 GB at Duke
38 Andrew Schwartzman Jr., 6-0, 183 0-0=0 Man-up specialist
FACE-OFF MIDFIELD
18 Paul Gillette (SSM) Sr., 5-10,165 10 GB, 2 CT '03 team leader in GB's
35 Jeremy Pastula (FO) Sr., 6-0, 200 18/45, 40.0% Primary F-O Man
45 Tyler Hereth (LSM) Jr., 6-2, 195 3 GB, 2 CT Most playing time of career
CLOSE DEFENSE
24 David Wagner Sr., 6-2, 210 3 GB, 3 CT Senior captain on defense
29 Lee Zink Sr., 6-4, 200 6 GB, 5 CT Preseason 1st Team AA
44 Chris Passavia Sr., 6-1, 210 2 GB, 5 CT Preseason 1st Team AA
GOALIE
7 Tim McGinnis Gr., 6-3, 190 9.12 GAA, 57.5 Sv.% D-III AA at G'burg
