Dec. 15, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Junior defender/long-stick midfielder Brian Farrell headlines a group of seven Maryland men's lacrosse players that were named to the annual Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook preseason All-America teams.
Farrell was a second team honoree, while fellow juniors Bryn Holmes and Brian Phipps earned third team nods. Sophomore attackmen Grant Catalino and Ryan Young, senior midfielder Jeff Reynolds and sophomore defender Max Schmidt were honorable mention selections.
Last season, Farrell, a native of Towson, Md., was selected for his first USILA All-America honor after leading all ACC defenders in scoring with eight goals and three assists for 11 points. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound long pole was also fourth on the team with 40 groundballs and second with 23 caused turnovers. In just two seasons Farrell has 20 points on 13 goals and seven assists.
Holmes, a native of Marriottsville, Md., is widely regarded as one of the game's biggest hitters and among the nation's top short-stick defensive midfielders. Last season, he led the team with 52 groundballs and was third with 20 caused turnovers. Holmes is also one of the best face-off men in the country, winning more than 56 percent of his face-offs last year.
Phipps, a native of Annapolis, Md., was a preseason honorable mention selection last year after being named the 2007 ACC Freshman of the Year. Last season, Phipps split time in the cage with Jason Carter and racked up a 6-1 record. Phipps posted a team-best 6.06 goals-against average with a .636 save percentage in 2008. His season was highlighted by a spectacular 17-save performance in Maryland's 9-4 win over Penn.
Catalino, a Webster Springs, N.Y., native, is coming off of a sensational freshman campaign that saw him become the first freshman to lead the team in scoring (with 42 points) since Joe Walters had 46 in 2003. His 42 points was the eighth-best season ever for a Terrapin freshman. His 29 goals scored was the third-best output for a Maryland freshman.
Young, a native of Manhassett, N.Y., is coming off of a solid freshman campaign that saw him lead the team with 18 assists, which ranks eighth on the all-time freshman chart. He also scored nine goals to finish third on the team in scoring with 27 points. This past summer, Young helped lead the U.S. Under-19 National Team to a gold medal at the ILF U-19 World Championships in Coquitlam, British Columbia.
Reynolds, a native of Bel Air, Md., was a USILA All-American last year after leading all Terrapin midfielders with 19 goals, which ranked third on the team. An all-around midfielder, Reynolds also finished the year among the team's top 10 in groundballs (36) and caused turnovers (10). Reynolds returned to the Maryland line-up this in 2008 after missing nearly the entire 2007 season after suffering a torn ACL in the Terps' second game of the year.
Schmidt, a native of Columbus, Ohio, was a solid contributor at close defense as a freshman last season. He played in all 16 games and made 10 starts. He finished the season with 11 caused turnovers, which ranked fifth on the squad. Schmidt was also a member of the U.S. Under-19 National Team that won the gold medal at the ILF U-19 World Championships in Coquitlam, British Columbia.
The Terps are set to open their 2009 season on Friday, February 13, in Jacksonville, Fla., against Presbyterian.
