March 9, 2007

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The 10th-ranked Maryland men's lacrosse team plays its first road game of the seaon at No. 13 Towson on Saturday, March 10. The Terps and the Tigers are slated for a 1:00 p.m. face-off at Unitas Stadium.

• The game will be broadcast live locally on WMAR Channel 2 in Baltimore as well as nationally on ESPNU. Handling the play-by-play will be Scott Garceau, while four-time All-American Quint Kessenich will provide the analysis.

• The game will be broadcast by WMUC, Maryland's student-run radio station. Calling the game for WMUC will be the crew of John Willmott, Adam Winer, Norman Carter, Russell Dinallo and Gregg Sussman.

• Maryland is 2-2 on the season and is looking to break a two-game losing streak. Junior attackman Max Ritz has been red-hot for the Terps, totaling at least three points in each of Maryland's four games this season. Defensively, the Terps have gotten outstanding play from the close defense trio of Steve Whittenberg, Ray Megill and Joe Cinosky in support of freshman goalkeeper Brian Phipps who has exceeded expectations in his first four games.

• Towson is 2-0 on the season. The Tigers opened the season with a 9-8 win over Loyola before dispatching Division II Molloy, 14-7.

• The Terps lead the all-time series with the Tigers 23-5, including a perfect 12-0 mark at Towson.

Coaching Match-Up
• Now in his 25th season as a head coach, Dave Cottle comes into the game with a 240-94 career record for a 71.9 win percentage, fourth-highest among active coaches. His win total is fifth among active coaches. He is 59-24 (71.1) in his six seasons at Maryland.

• Coach Dave Cottle has a 16-9 career record against Towson while coaching at Loyola and Maryland. He was 11-9 vs. the Tigers while at Loyola. He is 5-0 vs. Towson as the coach at Maryland.

• Towson's Tony Seaman is in his ninth year Towson with a 234-122 (.657) record in 26 years at Towson, Johns Hopkins, Penn and C.W. Post. He is 70-49 (.588) in nine years with the Tigers starting in 1999.

Series History vs. Towson
• In games against Towson, Maryland holds a 23-5 (.821) all-time record in the series that dates to 1971. The Terps have won the last 12 regular-season meetings, including last season's 9-6 win in College Park.

• Last season's meeting saw All-American Brendan Healy score a hat trick, including the game-winning goal to lead the No. 1-ranked Terrapins to a 9-6 victory over the Tigers. Maryland got a dominating performance out of its defense, which held Towson scoreless in the first half. Steve Whittenberg led the defensive charge for the Terps, causing five Tiger turnovers and picking up four groundballs.

• The 2005 meeting saw the sixth-ranked Terps take a 9-5 decision over the No. 9 Tigers at Unitas Stadium on March 12. Xander Ritz (2-2=4) and Michael Phipps (1-3=4) each totaled four points for Maryland and Bill McGlone netted a hat trick, but it was Andrew Schwartzman who tallied the game-winner by converting on an extra-man opportunity.

• Maryland led 8-1 through three quarters, but Towson rallied for five fourth-quarter goals at Byrd Stadium in College Park on March 13, 2004. The Terps held on for an 8-6 victory largely on the performance of goalie Tim McGinnis, who made 15 saves.

• In the 2003 game at Towson, the Terps got a dynamic performance from then-freshman Joe Walters, who scored the first four goals of his career and added an assist for his first five-point game as a Terp to lead Maryland to a 12-8 victory. Ian Healy, the only other current Terp to score at Towson, added a goal and an assist in the win.

• The two schools first played in 1971, a 22-6 Maryland win on April 3. The teams did not meet again until 1981 and have met at least once per season since.

• The Tigers have never beaten Maryland in Towson. The Terps are a perfect 11-0 at Towson, although Towson has won three times in the regular season in College Park: Towson, 14-7 (4/12/94), Towson, 13-9 (3/14/92) and Towson, 8-7 (3/17/90).

• Towson has won the only two meetings between the two schools in the postseason. The Tigers beat the Terps 15-11, in the NCAA Semifinals at Syracuse on May 25, 1991. Towson also upset Maryland in College Park in the 2001 NCAA Quarterfinals 12-11.

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:

• Towson offensive assistant coach Andrew "Buggs" Combs is in his fourth 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 five years ago. Combs is also the son of Towson football coach Gordy Combs.

• 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 is the brother of recent Towson grad and All-American Adam Baxter. Jacob is a junior this season with the Terps.

• Many Terps and Tigers have been high school teammates as well. Jay Feeley and Kyle Batton will face each other after graduating from Dulaney. Terp junior Jeff Reynolds will be on opposing sidelines from fellow Calvert Hall grads Phil Blevins, Matt Eckerl Kevin Kelly, Rob Wheeler (who was a freshman at Maryland last season) and Nick Williams. Former Boy's Latin (Md.) teammates Brian Farrell, John Carolan, Bobby Griebe and Adam Hagelin will reunite, while St. Mary's high school will be represented by Will Dalton and Jason Carter on the Maryland side and Justin Schneider from Towson. Loyola Blakefield will have Terp freshmen Casey Creaney and Patrick Hutchinson and Towson's Matt Antol. Maryland sophomore Nick Ward and the Tigers' Andrew Maurer will meet after being teammates at Ward Melville in New York. Terp long pole Ryan Clarke could find himself guarding fellow Chaminade graduate, Tiger attackman Timmy Andre.

• Jon Beard and Billy Sadtler were not high school teammates, but they played together at Essex Community College in 2005.

Individual Terps Vs. Towson
• Only three players on the current Maryland roster have recorded points against Towson and none have more than one goal.

• Before erupting for eight points vs. Vermont earlier this season Michael Phipps' previous career-best for points was four, which he totaled vs. Towson in 2005. Last season, he added an assist to raise his career points total vs. the Tigers to five.

• Dan Groot is the only other current Terp to score on the Tigers. He scored the Terps' second goal in the first quarter with just eight seconds remaining on the clock.

• The third current Terps to score vs. Towson is junior attackman Max Ritz, who has just one assist vs. the Tigers, helping on Joe Walters' second goal of the game in 2006.

Defense Ready To Meet Expectations
• On paper this year's Maryland defense shapes up as one of the nation's best. The unit features two preseason first team All-Americans in seniors Ray Megill and Steve Whittenberg and an honorable mention selection in junior Joe Cinosky. Add to that trio senior long pole Ryan Clarke and senior short-stick middie Jimmy Borell, both two-year starters, and there is no question that the tools are there for defensive coordinator Dave Slafkosky.

• During the last three 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. In 2005 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. Last season the Terrapin defense did it 10 times in its 17 games. So far the 2007 Terp "D" has three 20+ minute scoring droughts to its credit.

• Versus Bellarmine in the season opener, the Knights took a 2-1 lead with 6:46 to go in the first quarter. Maryland's defense, lead by freshman goalie Brian Phipps, who totaled nine saves in his college debut in the 11-6 victory, didn't allow Bellarmine another goal until 11:47 in the third quarter, a total time of 24:59. Maryland's man-down unit was stellar on the afternoon, allowing only one goal (at 11:46 of the fourth quarter with Maryland holding a 9-5 lead) in six opportunities. The defense even got into the scoring column against the Knights as freshman long pole Brian Farrell scored twice in his college debut.

• The Catamounts of Vermont scored on three of their first four shots and were tied with the Terps at 3-3 after the first period. But the Maryland defense gave up just one goal in the next 36:09 and allowed the offense to go on an 8-1 run. The Terrapins held Vermont without a goal for 26 minutes, spanning the second, third and fourth quarters. Brian Phipps made 14 saves in the win. The defensive effort was even more impressive considering that All-American Ray Megill, Zach Hinton and Jimmy Borell did not play in the game.

• After a first half that saw Georgetown score six goals, the Maryland defense settled down and shutout the Hoyas in the third quarter, allowing the Terps to score five unanswered goals to tie the game at 6-6. During that 5-0 Terrapin scoring run, the Maryland defense held Georgetown scoreless for 25:14. Senior All-American Steve Whittenberg was magnificent, causing five Hoya turnovers and picking up three groundballs. Long pole All-America candidate Ryan Clarke had five groundballs to his credit and caused a pair of turnovers. Freshman short-stick Bryn Holmes, who saw his most significant playing time so far due to the loss of Jeff Reynolds for the season with a torn ACL, caused three turnovers and had one groundball.

Terps Among ACC Stat Leaders
• The Terps are off to a 2-2 start and have several players near the top the ACC stat charts.

• Max Ritz ranked among the conference'e top 10 in all three major categories. The junior All-America candidate is fifth in the ACC in points per game (3.5), tied for third in assists per game (2.0) and tied for ninth in goals per game (1.5).

• Michael Phipps is also on all three offensive lists, checking in at seventh in points per game (3.25), tied for fifth in assists per game (1.75) and tied for ninth in goals per game (1.5). The senior attackman is also tied for third in the conference with two man-up goals.

• The Terps lead the league in extra-man goals with 14 and senior midfielder Thomas Alford leads league individuals with four man-up goals. Sophomore midfielder Dan Groot is second in the ACC with three man-up goals.

• Maryland is also the only school in the conference to score a man-down goal. Drew Evans and Michael Phipps each scored a man-down goal vs. Vermont.

• Face-off man Will Dalton ranks third with a .618 winning percentage and is second in groundballs per game with 5.5.

• In goal, Brian Phipps is second in save percentage (56.2) and third in both goals against average (8.75 GAA) and saves per game (11.25).

Home Cooking
• A lot is made in sports about the home-field advantage, and for the Maryland men's lacrosse team that advantage has held true since Coach Cottle arrived in College Park. Since 2002, the Terps are 29-11 (.725) when playing on the Maryland campus. At Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium Maryland is 20-8 (.714) under Cottle, while the Terps have gone 8-3 (.727) at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex and 1-0 at Ludwig Field.

Three Terps Named To Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List
• Three defenders -- seniors Ray Megill and Steve Whittenberg along with junior Joe Cinosky -- were named to the preseason "Watch List" for the 2007 Tewaaraton Trophy. All three Terps are making their first appearance on the list.

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

Streaking Terps
• Four games into the 2007 season and so far and three Terps have modest scoring streaks.

• Michael Phipps has scored at least one point in each of the four games so far and has a five-game point scoring streak dating back to the NCAA Quarterfinals against Princeton last season.

• Max Ritz is currently on a five-game mult-point streak dating back to last year's NCAA Semis vs. UMass. So far this season he has had at least three points in each of the Terps' four games. Overall he has a six-game point scoring streak going.

• Maryland's third streaker may come as a surprise to even Terp fans. Sophomore attackman Nick Ward has a three-game point scoring streak going. He scored goals vs. Vermont and Duke and picked up his first career assist vs. Georgetown.

A Family Affair
• Many school's refer to their sports programs as families, but under Coach Cottle the Maryland men's lacrosse program has really become a family affair. Since arriving in College Park in 2002, Cottle has had seven sets of brothers don the red and black together for at least one season.

Harry & Thomas Alford: 2004-05-06-07
Brendan & Ian Healy: 2003-04-05
Bryn & Travis Holmes: 2007
Dan & Mike LaMonica: 2002
Chris & Willy Passavia: 2002-03
Brian & Michael Phipps: 2007
Max & Xander Ritz: 2005-06

Terps' 82nd Season Of Lacrosse
• The Terps boast an all-time record of 675-221-4 (.752), 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 81 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 12-5. 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 82-31 for a .726 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.

Game No. 900 - March 2 Vs. Duke
• The Maryland men's lacrosse program reached the 900-game milestone on Friday, March 2 when the Terps hosted Duke at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium.

Earlier Than Ever
• Maryland's 11-6 win over Bellarmine on February 17 marked the earliest the Terps have opened a season in their 82-year history. The previous earliest start came on February 21, 1998 - an 18-5 win over Villanova.

Maryland In Season Openers
• Maryland has a 78-3-1 (.957) lifetime record in season openers dating back to the 1924 season. The Terps have won their last 14 openers and 22 of the last 23, with the only loss coming to Duke in 1993, when they fell 9-5 on March 6

• After losing their 1925 opener to Yale, 5-3, the Terps went on to win 40 consecutive season openers from 1926 through 1967. The streak was broken when Maryland tied Princeton, 6-6, in the 1968 opener. Following the deadlock, Maryland went on to win its next 14 openers, giving the Terps a 54-0-1 record over a 57-year span (Maryland did not field a team in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II.)

14 Straight In Season Openers
• Following their 11-6 win over Bellarmine last Saturday, the Terps have now won 14 straight season openers. Five of those wins came against Villanova (1994-98) and the last nine over Denver, Mount St. Mary's, Air Force, Hobart, Duke, Georgetown (three times) and Bellarmine. Over the 14-year stretch, Maryland outscored its foes 193-72 (an average score of 13.8-5.1) in those games.

• The Terps have not allowed more than seven goals to any opponent in a season opener over the last 14 years. Maryland has not allowed an opponent to score 10 or more goals in a season opener since Syracuse beat the Terps, 16-13 on March 9, 1983.

2007 Captains: Borell, Feifs, Holmes, Megill
• Four players have been named team captains for the 2007 season. The quartet, which was voted on by the team during the preseason, consists of seniors Travis Holmes and Ray Megill.

The Week Ahead
• Maryland has two home games scheduled for next week. On Tuesday, March 13 the Terps host Lafayette at 3 p.m. at Ludwig Field. That game will be broadcast on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network. Maryland then hosts UMBC on Saturday, March 17 at 1 p.m. at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. In addition to being broadcast by TSRN, that game will also be televised on WMAR in Baltimore and nationally on ESPNU.

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 Patrick Fischer with "Men's Lacrosse E-Mail" as the subject and you will receive every update.

• Terps on the Web: For up-to-date game stories, statistics, schedules and results, and other Maryland athletic department information, please log-on to www.umterps.com on the Internet.

• GameTracker: Follow Terps games live in 2007 on your computer with GameTracker. Links for all games that will be available can be found at www.umterps.com.