Dec. 20, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland men's lacrosse coach Dave Cottle has released the Terps' 2007 schedule. The Terps, who reached the NCAA Final Four in each of the past two seasons and finished the season ranked No. 4 in the final USILA Geico/STX coaches' poll, will once again play one of the most competitive schedules in the nation in 2007. Maryland takes on seven teams that finished 2006 ranked in the top 20.

The Terps are coming off last year's 12-5 campaign that saw them reach the NCAA semifinals for the third time in the past four years. Maryland will return six starters, including preseason first team All-America defenders Ray Megill and Steve Whittenberg.

"We're excited about this season's schedule," said Cottle. "We play some of the top schools in the country and it will be a true test of this team. I'm eager to see how we progress throughout the year."

Following a pair of preseason scrimmages against Ohio State and Princeton, the 2007 schedule kicks off with home games against Bellarmine on February 17 and Vermont on February 20. The Terps follow that opening week with a high-profile home game against D.C.-area rival Georgetown, who has been touted by several preseason publications as a national title contender, on February 24 in College Park.

The first weekend of March finds Maryland playing its first ACC game of the season against school-rival Duke. That game, which will be televised nationally on ESPNU, is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start on March 2 at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium.

The Terps conclude their ACC schedule with back-to-back games with North Carolina and Virginia the last two weeks of March. Maryland hosts the Tar Heels on March 24 before traveling to Charlottesville, Va., to meet the defending national champion Cavaliers on March 31.

The 2007 schedule will be highlighted by a Friday night, nationally televised game with Navy on April 6 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis and the 103rd meeting between Maryland and arch-rival Johns Hopkins returns to College Park on Saturday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium.

Maryland will be then travel to Durham, N.C., for the 2007 ACC Tournament, which will be held at Duke on April 27 and 29.

The full television schedule is not yet available, but the Terrapins are already scheduled for six nationally televised games on WMAR/ESPNU and CSTV.

Home games in BOLD CAPS are played at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium Dates, times and location are subject to change. * ACC game