April 17, 2006

College Park, Md. - Coming off the 102nd meeting with Johns Hopkins, 4th ranked Maryland (7-3) turns to the other end of the rivalry spectrum with its first-ever meeting with Sacred Heart (2-9) in a Tuesday matinee. Face-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Byrd Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network with Steve Stofberg handling play-by-play duties and former Terrapin All-American Dan Radebaugh providing game analysis.

• The Terps are coming off a dominating 11-4 win at Johns Hopkins this past Saturday evening at Homewood Field. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for Maryland and ended 10 years of frustration at Homewood. Senior Tewaaraton Trophy nominee Joe Walters became the first Terp in five years to score eight points in a game with six goals and two assists vs. the Blue Jays. The last Maryland player to have eight points in a game was Mike LaMonica at UMBC in 2001.

• The Pioneers enter the game following an 18-6 loss at Drexel on Saturday. Sacred Heart is led by Matt Robideau (17-8=25), who is one of three Pioneers to score more than 20 points this season.

Top 5 Terp Tidbits
• This will be the first meeting between Maryland and Sacred Heart.

• The Terps are 45-7 all-time vs. Colonial Athletic Association teams.

• Of the Terps' 143 points (87 G, 56 A) in 2006, 100 (69.9%) have been produced by seniors, including 40 by Joe Walters and 29 by Xander Ritz.

• Thirteen different Terps have scored goals through 10 games, with three having scored points in every game.

• Maryland is leading the nation in man-up efficiency. Through 10 games this season, the Terps have scored on 19 of 32 attempts (.594).

Coaching Match-Up
• Maryland head coach Dave Cottle is currently the third winningest active coach in the country with a 72.1 win percentage with a record of 233-90. He is also 52-20 as head coach of the Terps. The Pioneers' Tom Mariano is in his 10th season as head coach at Sacred Heart and has a 59-78 (.431) record. Overall he has a 73-90 (.448) mark in 12 seasons as a head coach.

Home Vs. Away
• A lot is made in sports about the home-field advantage, but for the Maryland men's lacrosse team it has been better away from home than it has been in College Park. The Terps have played five games at home (2-3) and five on the road (5-0) and the numbers show an edge for the Terps when they are in enemy territory.

• Maryland is averaging 7.8 goals per game in its home games, which is a goal and a half less than the 9.4 goals the Terps average on the road.

• Shooting percentage, which is one of Coach Dave Cottle's key statistics, is another tell-tale stat, and it shows that Maryland is shooting much better on the road. In College Park the Terps are shooting 20.8% (40/192) and on the road they are shooting 27.3% (47/172). Shots on goal percentage shows a clear advantage for road games, 61.0% to 54.2%.

• Player of the year candidate Joe Walters, the team's leading scorer overall, is also the Terps' top scorer on the road with 15 goals and seven assist for 22 points. Xander Ritz has 15 points in road games on 13 goals and two assists. Walters also leads the squad in scoring at home with 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points. Ritz is second in home scoring, totaling 14 points on nine goals and five assists.

• The Maryland defense has been dominating no matter where it has played this season, but the 15-5 loss at home to Virginia swings the numbers in favor of the road. As a team, the Terps are allowing opponents 7.21 goals per game (just 4.8 gpg before the UVa game) at home and just 4.9 gpg on the road. In goal, Harry Alford, a Kelly Award candidate, has made 40 saves in the team's home games with a 7.77 GAA and a .606 save pct. On the road the junior has racked up 51 saves with a 5.04 GAA and a .671 save pct.

Shooting Tells The Story
• The difference between winning and losing for Maryland this season is simple - when the Terps shoot well they win. Coach Dave Cottle is on record saying that good teams will shoot at least 30%. As it turns out 30% is the magic number for the Terps this season.

• In Maryland's five victories this season the Terrapins are shooting nearly 30% (28.3%, 70 goals/247 shots). In their three losses the Terps' shooting percentage is cut in half to 14.5% (17 goals/117 shots).

• Maybe just as telling is the shots on goal percentage. Maryland has put 148 of its 247 shots on goal in its seven wins (59.9%), but just 61 of 117 shots were on net in three defeats (52.1%).

• Sometime things are not always black and white. The Terps are actually averaging more groundballs per game in their three losses (39.3) than in their six wins (31.6). Maryland is also facing-off slightly better in defeat, winning 61.0% as opposed to 56.2% in victories.

Defense Proves To Be Strong Again
• Heading into the 2005 season the big question mark surrounding the Terps was their defense. The entire starting close defense from 2004, consisting National Defensive Player of the Year Lee Zink and All-Americans Chris Passavia and Dave Wagner, Team MVP short-stick D-middie Paul Gillette, and All-America goalie Tim McGinnis were lost to graduation. Taking that group's place figured to be no easy task, but it proved to be easier than previously imagined.

• During the last two seasons, Maryland held its' opponents scoreless for long stretches of game time. The 2004 Terps kept opponents scoreless for stretches of 20 or more minutes eight times. Last year Maryland did it on seven occasions, and was just seconds away from keeping the high-powered Duke (1st meeting) and Navy offenses off the board for more than 20 minutes. This season the Terrapin defense has already done it six times in its first 10 games.

• At No. 7 Georgetown in the season opener, the Hoyas took a 2-1 lead with 0:13 left in the first quarter. Maryland's defense, lead by sophomore goalie Harry Alford, who totaled 14 saves in the 10-4 victory, didn't allow the seventh-ranked Hoyas another goal until 7:09 in the fourth quarter, a total time of 38:05. Of the Hoyas' four goals, two were scored during a Maryland penalty.

• Even though the Terp defense did not hold No. 1 Duke scoreless for any 20-minute stretch, it did hold one of the nation's most prolific offenses to the Blue Devils' lowest scoring output of the season. Prior to scoring just seven goals vs. Maryland, Duke had put up 20 on Butler, 13 on Villanova and 16 on Bellarmine for an average of 16.3 goals per game.

• In their first home game of 2006 against No. 15 Towson, the Terps dominated the first half of play, holding the Tigers scoreless for a 4-0 Maryland advantage at the half. Towson didn't get on the board until the 8:28 mark of the third quarter, which ended its scoring drought to 36:32. The Terp defense caused 14 of the Tigers' 24 turnovers, including a career-best five CT's by Steve Whittenberg. Maryland also controlled the game on the ground, beating Towson in groundballs 40-21.

• Maryland may have lost its first game of 2006 to Bucknell, 7-6 in 2OT, but the Terrapin defense turned in another stellar effort, led by junior All-American Steve Whittenberg, who surpassed his Towson-effort by causing six Bison turnovers and picking up five groundballs. As a team, the Terps caused 15 of Bucknell's 23 turnovers and won the groundball battle, 37-22. Even though Bucknell scored twice in each of the first three quarters for a 6-3 lead heading into the fourth, Maryland's D shutout the Bison in the fourth, allowing the Terrapin offense to score three unanswered goals to tie the game. Overall the Terps held Bucknell scoreless for 27:47 before giving up the game-winning goal with nine seconds left in the second overtime.

• It didn't get to 20 scoreless minutes, but that's because the clock ran out during Maryland's dominating defensive performance in its 9-4 win at UMBC. The Terp defense gave up just the four goals and there was only one assist on the Retriever scores. Maryland held just a one-goal lead going into the fourth quater, but the defense shutout UMBC in the final period to allow the offense to score four unanswered goals. It was the sixth time this season that Maryland has not allowed a goal in a quarter.

• It will be hard to top the Terrapin defense's effort in the 14-2 thrashing of Dartmouth. While it is impressive that the Terps held the Big Green scoreless for the first 53:32 of the game, it is even more impressive that Dartmouth did not even get off a shot until the 6:56 mark of the second quarter. The Big Green comitted 25 turnovers in the game with 19 of those caused by a Maryland player, including four by Ryan Clarke and three each by Joe Cinosky and Ray Megill.

• Maryland turned in another impressive defensive performance in its 9-6 win at North Carolina to raise the Terps' record to 6-1. For the fifth time this season, Maryland held an opponent scoreless for more than 20 minutes - this time 21:26, bridging the third and fourth quarters, during which the Terrapin offense was able to score five unanswered goals. Ryan Clarke and Jimmy Borell were impressive in the defensive midfield, combining for eight groundballs and two caused turnovers.

• After struggling during the first half against Navy, the Terp defense turned things around by allowing just two goals in the final 30 minutes to allow the offense to get back on track and erase a 5-1 deficit. Maryland allowed a goal at the 5:48 mark of the third quarter and did not allow another goal until eight seconds left in the fourth, a span of 20:40. Back-up goalie Jason Carter made seven saves in the game after subbing in for Alford midway through the first period. The sophomore also caused three turnovers and picked up three groundballs. Junior All-American Ray Megill set a career-high with four caused turnovers vs. the Mids.

Opponent Scoring Droughts
Feb. 25 at GTown: 0 goals in 37:05
Mar. 4 at Duke: 2 goals in 26:19
Mar. 11 vs. Towson: 0 goals in 36:32
Mar. 14 vs. Bucknell: 0 goals in 27:47
Mar. 18 at UMBC: 1 goal in 27:20
Mar. 21 vs. Dartmouth: 0 goals in 53:32
Mar. 25 at UNC: 0 goals in 21:26
Apr. 8 vs. Navy: 0 goals in 20:40
Apr. 15 at Hopkins: 1 goal in 27:39

Streaking Terps
• Two Terps entered the 2006 season game with point-scoring streaks and both emerged from the Hopkins game in tact.

• Joe Walters' point scoring streak is now at 43 games. He tallied three assists vs. the Hoyas in the '06 season opener. He followed that up with a one-goal, two-assist effort at Duke. Against Towson the senior came out firing and finished the game with three goals and an assist for a game-high four points. After scoring the game's first goal, Walters also dished out two assists for a three-point effort vs. Bucknell. Three fourth-quarter goals helped the Terps toa 9-4 win at UMBC. The streak was never in jeopardy vs. Dartmouth as Walters picked up an assist on the game's first goal. In total, Walters tied his career-best with seven points vs. the Big Green on four goals and three assists. At North Carolina Walters extended his steak to 40 and did something he had never done before - score five goals in a game. He has two six-goal games and seven four-goal games during his amazing career. The streak appeared to be in jeopardy, but an assist on Bill McGlone's third-quarter goal pushed it to 41 games. After the near end of the streak vs. Virginia, Walters wasted no time in getting in the scoring column vs. Navy, scoring the Terps' first goal of the game in the first quarter. He finished the game vs. the Midshipmen with two goals and one assist. Walters' amazing, career-best eight-point game vs. Hopkins extended the streak in fantastic fashion.

• Xander Ritz now has a point scoring streak of 27 games. After scoring a then-career-best four goals at Georgetown, the senior midfielder/attackman scored five goals to re-set his career high and added an assist at Duke. While Ritz didn't dominate Towson like he did the Hoyas and Blue Devils, he still managed a goal and an assist in Maryland's 9-6 win. Ritz continued his torrid scoring pace against Bucknell with two goals and two assists, his fourth multi-point game in four games this season. Ritz's fifth multi-point game of the season came with a three-goal effort at UMBC. Rtiz not only kept up his point-scoring streak with five points on three goals and two assists vs. Dartmouth, but it was also the sixth-straight multi-point game for the Terrapin senior. He kept the point-streak alive, but the multi-point streak came to an end at Carolina with just one assist vs. the Tar Heels. The one-game multi-point break was just that as Ritz scored two vs. No. 1 Virginia to keep his scoring streak alive. Ritz's streak was kept alive with one goal in the 7-6 loss to Navy. He added another one-goal game vs. Hopkins.

• The last time Walters did not score a point in a game was May 24, 2003 in the NCAA Semifinals vs. eventual National Champion Virginia. For Ritz, he was last held scoreless in the 2004 NCAA Quarterfinal game vs. Princeton.

• While not as long of a streak as Walters' or Ritz's, Bill McGlone has managed to score a goal in each of Maryland's 10 games this season - the only Terp to score a goal in every game.

Healy Named NSCA All-American
• Brendan Healy has been named a National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-American, team strength and conditioning coach Marc Heinecke announced on April 3, 2006.

• Healy, a 2005 third team USILA All-American, was selected as a 2006 NSCA All-American after turning in the following performances during the team's winter conditioning program:

Bench Press: 320 lbs.
Squat: 570 lbs.
Power Clean: 280 lbs.
Vertical Jump: 31.5"
40-yard Dash: 4.6 sec.
Pro Agility: 4.25 sec.

• The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an international nonprofit educational association founded in 1978. Evolving from a membership of 76, the association now serves nearly 30,000 members in 52 countries. Drawing upon its vast network of members, the NSCA develops and presents the most advanced information regarding strength training and conditioning practices, injury prevention, and research findings.

Walters & Ritz Among Top Scoring Tandems
• The senior duo of Joe Walters and Xander Ritz are fourth among top goal scoring tandems in the NCAA this season. Walters leads the Terps with an average of 2.5 goals per game, while Ritz is scoring 2.2 per game.

1. Athan Ianucci (3.2), Tom Dooley (2.3), Hofstra - 5.5 gpg
2. Frank Resetarits (3.3), Merrick Thomson (2.1), Albany - 5.4 gpg
3. David Mitchell (3.2), Joe Boulukos (1.9), Cornell - 5.1 gpg
4. Joe Walters (2.5), Xander Ritz (2.2), Maryland - 4.5 gpg
5. D.J. Andrzejewski (2.2), James Riordan (2.1), Penn - 4.3 gpg

• Ritz has scored 22 goals so far this season, which is already five better than his previous season-best of 17 as a freshman at Delaware. Walters took the team lead with his six-goal outing at Hopkins on April 15. The duo has combined for 47 goals in nine games. That toal represents 54.0% of Maryland's team total of 87 goals.

In College Park Under Coach Cottle
• Home field advantage is a big factor in college men's lacrosse and it's no different for the Maryland Terrapins under Coach Dave Cottle. Since Cottle took over the reigns of the Terps' program prior to the 2002 season, Maryland is 17-7 (.708) at Byrd Stadium. During the four-plus seasons, Maryland has had to play seven games (6-2) at the Field Hockey/Lacrosse Complex. The Dartmouth game was the first for a Cottle-coached Terrapin team at Ludwig Field (a 14-2 Terp victory). If you add those to Maryland's Byrd Stadium total, the Terrapins are 24-9 (.727) in games played in College Park since 2002.

Ritz & Walters Make Tewaaraton Trophy Cut
• Seniors Joe Walters and Xander were among 23 players on the 2006 Tewaaraton Trophy nominee list announced by the Tewaaraton Award Foundation. The 23 nominees will be trimmed to five finalists for the award, which will be presented on June 1.

• Walters, a three-time nominee, was on the preseason "Watch List," while Ritz was one of three players added to the list on March 27 as a midseason addition to the list.

• Senior Bill McGlone and junior Harry Alford were on the preseason "Watch List," but did not make the official nominee list.

• The Tewaaraton Trophy is awarded each year to the top male and female varsity lacrosse player, as chosen by the selection committee. The sixth annual award will be given at a banquet on June 1. The event will take place in Washington D.C. at the National Geographic Society headquarters.

Terps' 81st Season Of Lacrosse
• The Terps boast an all-time record of 668-217-4 (.754), 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 80 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 11-6. The program reached the 650-win milestone with a 16-12 win over Army in the first round of the 2004 NCAA tournament at Byrd Stadium.

• Since 2000, Maryland is 75-28 for a .728 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.

2006 Captains: Healy, Lang, McGlone, X. Ritz
• Four players have been named team captains for the 2006 season. The quartet, which was voted on by the team during the fall season, consists of seniors Brendan Healy, Ryan Lang, Bill McGlone and Xander Ritz.