May 27, 2006

PHILADELPHIA, PA. - Seniors Bill McGlone and Joe Walters were named to the USILA All-America first team for the second time in their careers as the teams were announced Saturday morning before the NCAA Final Four began at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

A total of seven Terps were honored by the USILA, bringing Maryland's four-year total to 29. Junior defender Steve Whittenberg was named to the second team, while fellow junior defender Ray Megill earned third team recognition. Senior attackman Xander Ritz, senior midfielder Brendan Healy and junior goalie Harry Alford were honorable mention selections.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Walters is now a two-time first team All-American and has been named to the All-America list in each of his four seasons as a Terp. He is Maryland's all-time leader in points and goals with 227 and 153, respectfully, and is the current active career leader among Division I players in both statistical categories. This season, Walters led the Terps with 60 points on 36 goals and 24 assists and is the first Maryland player to lead the team in total points in each of his four years.

The three-time All-American currently ranks 10th in the nation in points per game (3.75) and 12th in the country in goals per game (2.25). Walters is also among the nation's top assist men, checking in at 18th with 1.50 assists per game. Even more impressive is the fact that Walters has put up those numbers for a Maryland team that has played the toughest schedule in the country.

McGlone earned first-team honors for the second straight season after totaling 33 points on 22 goals and 11 assists, which ranks him third on the team behind Walters and Ritz. Earlier this season, the Swarthmore, Pa., native was named to the All-ACC team for the second time and was a preseason first team All-American by Inside Lacrosse magazine.

A 2005 third team All-American, Whittenberg earns second team honors this season after leading the Terps with 40 caused turnovers. The Springfield, Va., native is also third on the squad with 46 groundballs. He has been a key to the Terps' defense, which has allowed just 6.41 goals per game, which ranks third in the NCAA.

Megill makes the third team after being an honorable mention selection last season. In his first full season as a starter, he has been a key to the Terps' defense, which has allowed just 6.41 goals per game and has been ranked among the nation's best for most of 2006. The Clark, N.J., native is second on the team with 29 caused turnovers and is sixth on the squad with 38 groundballs.

Ritz earns his first All-America honor after scoring a career-best 46 points on 34 goals and 12 assists. That goal total is 18 more than his previous season-best of 16 as a freshman at Delaware. The Wayne, Pa., native has scored 10 of his 34 goals on extra-man opportunities, helping the Terps to a .500 extra-man conversion percentage that is second in the nation.

Healy earned his third honorable mention honor after also being an honorable mention selection in 2004 and 2005. The Great Falls, Va., native started slowly for the Terps, but has been tremendous down the stretch, scoring 14 of his 21 goals in Maryland's last six games. Healy is fourth on the team in points and goals with 32 and 21, respectively.

Alford repeats as an honorable mention selection after turning in a consistent 2006 season that saw him ranked among NCAA leaders in goals against average and save percentage. The native of Washington, D.C., is fourth with a .616 save percentage and is also fourth with a 6.54 GAA. He has also been the anchor of the Terp defense that has allowed just 6.41 goals per game, third best in the NCAA.