Feb. 26, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The seventh-ranked Maryland men's lacrosse team will take on long-time ACC rival No. 12 Duke at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The game is the ACC-opener for both teams. The Terps and the Blue Devils are the second game of a double-header that has No. 3 Johns Hopkins taking on No. 11 Princeton in the opening contest. Both games will be televised live on ESPNU.

• The game will be the season debut of Maryland men's lacrosse on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network. The game can be heard on TSRN's flagship station, ESPN Radio 1300 AM (WJFK) in Baltimore and surrounding areas.

• Maryland enters the game with a 2-1 mark, following last week's 13-10 loss to then-No. 8 Georgetown. The Terps' first midfield of Dan Groot, Jeff Reynolds and Jeremy Sieverts combined for seven goals and two assists vs the Hoyas.

• The Blue Devils are also 2-1 on the young 2009 season after suffering a 9-6 loss at home to Harvard on Sunday, Feb. 23. Senior attackman Ned Crotty leads Duke in scoring with 12 points on four goals and a team-best eight assists. Duke's leading goal-scorer is senior attackman Brad Ross with six goals. Senior Rob Schroeder has played every minute in goal and has a 8.00 goals-against average with a .478 save percentage.

Ticket Information
Ticket prices for the 2009 Face-Off Classic will be $10 each for groups of 10 or more, $20 each for Lower Level reserved seats and $30 each for Club Level seats. All seats for the event are reserved and lacrosse fans are urged to make their plans early to reserve the best seats in the house.

Inside Lacrosse will be providing more information regarding event ticket sales in the coming weeks. Lacrosse fans interested in ticket information can also call the Baltimore Ravens box office at 410-261-RAVE or go online to www.ticketmaster.com.

Fans can also go online to www.faceoffclassic.com to download a ticket order form and find out the latest information regarding the 2009 Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic.

Coaching Match-up
• Now in his 27th season as a head coach, Dave Cottle enters today's game with a 260-105 career record for a 71.2 win percentage, sixth-highest among active coaches with at least 100 career wins. His win total is fourth among active coaches. He is 79-35 (69.3) in his eight seasons at Maryland. • Duke's John Danowski is in his 27th season as a head coach and is sixth among active Division I head coaches with 255 coaching victories. Danowski holds an all-time record of 255-144 (.639). He is in his third season at Duke and has a 37-6 (.860) record with the Blue Devils. • Cottle has an 9-11 career record against Duke while coaching at Loyola and Maryland. He was 4-4 vs. Duke while at Loyola. He is 5-7 vs. the Blue Devils as the coach at Maryland. • Cottle has a 7-3 lifetime record against Danowski. Prior to losses in 2008 and 2007 to Duke, the previous eight games came while he was at Loyola and Danowski was at Hofstra. Danowski's Pride won the first game 13-12 in 1993 before Cottle's Greyhounds won the next seven meetings in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Series History vs. Duke
• Maryland and Duke battle for the 72nd time on Saturday evening. The Terps hold a 54-17 edge (.760) in the series that dates back to 1940. Maryland's 54 wins against the Blue Devils are the most against any opponent.

• Last season, the Blue Devils defeated the Terps, 15-7, in Durham, N.C. Travis Reed totaled three goals for the Terps in the defeat.

• The 2007 meeting was the first road game for the Blue Devils since their 2006 season was cancelled. Duke responded with a 14-7 victory behind a six-goal, seven-point effort from Matt Danowski. Max Ritz led the Terps in the game with a three-point effort on two goals and an assist.

• The 2006 season saw the rivalry escalate even more as the teams entered the game ranked first and second in the nation. The game more than lived up to the hype as the two squads battled and needed overtime to decide the victor. In that overtime, Xander Ritz sent the Terps home with the 8-7 win after scoring his fifth goal of the game with 1:14 remaining in the first extra period.

• In 2005 the two teams played three times with the Blue Devils winning two of the three games. It was the second time in the series the two squads played three times in a season. In 1992 the two teams played in early March, again in the ACC Tournament and in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Maryland won all three games that season.

• In the 2005 NCAA Semifinals, Duke ended Maryland's season with a 18-9 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill McGlone gave the Terps a 1-0 lead, but the Blue Devils responded with nine unanswered goals and took a 10-3 lead into halftime. Joe Walters scored three times in the third quarter, but Maryland could not close the deficit.

• In 2005's ACC Final, Maryland turned in its finest defensive effort of the year. The Terps held Duke, the nation's highest scoring offense, scoreless for more than 40 minutes en route to a 9-5 victory at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on May 1. ACC Tournament MVP Harry Alford made 15 saves on the afternoon, while freshman Will Dalton helped the Terps control the ball on face-offs, winning 7-of-10 draws. Offensively Maryland was led by All-American Joe Walters who scored his second straight hat trick vs. the Blue Devils, while adding an assist. Freshman attackman Max Ritz also chipped in a pair for goals in the victory.

• The 2005 regular season game saw Maryland dominate Duke at the Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex, but the Blue Devils found a way to get out of College Park with a 10-8 victory. All-American Joe Walters scored a hat trick for the Terps, but Duke outscored Maryland 6-3 in the second half to secure the win. Michael Phipps scored two goals and added an assist for his second career three-point game.

• The Terps dominated the series from 1955 through 1988, winning all 27 meetings.

• The teams have met three times in the NCAA Tournament with Maryland winning 13-11 in 1992, Duke retaliating 14-9 in 1994, and the Blue Devils taking the 2005 match-up 18-9.

Individual Terps vs. Duke
• Six Teprs have scored goals on the Blue Devils during their careers. Leading the was is Travis Reed, who scored three on Duke in 2008 as a freshman.

• Dan Groot is the only Terp to score in more than one game vs. the Blue Devils, including a tally in the 2006 8-7 overtime victory in Durham.

• Jeremy Sieverts had two goals in the 2008 game, while Ryan Young had a pair of assists.

Opponent Connections
• Maryland and Duke have several former high school teammates suiting up for Saturday's match-up. (See list to the right.)

• Notably, former Landon School products will square off as the Terps' Mike Griswold and Rob Morrison will face a trio of Duke players in Gibbs Fogarty, Chris Tkac and Joe Tkac. All five were coached by Rob Bordley, father of former Terp J.R. Bordley.

• The familial connections don't stop there. Two Maryland sophomores have brothers on the Blue Devils' roster. Grant Catalino's older brother, Mike, is a senior midfielder and Ryan Young's brother, Kevin, is a sophomore midfielder.

Terps in Pro Stadiums
• This will be Maryland's ninth game in an NFL stadium. All-time the Terps are 4-4 in professional stadiums.

• In 2005, Maryland was 3-1 in NFL stadiums - 1-1 at Lincoln Financial Field and 2-0 at M&T Bank Stadium.

• In 2006, the Terps were 1-1 at M&T Bank Stadium, defeating North Carolina, 10-9, in the ACC semis at M&T Bank Stadium before dropping an 11-5 decision to Virginia in the finals. Maryland then lost to UMass, 8-5, at Lincoln Financial Field in the NCAA Semifinals.

• Maryland lost to Virginia in the 2003 NCAA Semifinals in M&T Bank Stadium.

Where's the Beef? Check the "D"
• How big is Maryland's defense this season? Take a look at the starting close defensemen for the Terps in 2009 - the average for the group is 6-foot-4, 230 pounds.

37 • Brian Farrell: 6-5, 240
14 • Mike Griswold: 6-4, 230
19 • Max Schmidt: 6-4, 220

Beef: It's Not Just For Defense Anymore
• Maryland defenders have long been known for their size, but what about the offense. That's where the smaller, quick, athletic types are supposed to be, but don't tell that to the Terps.

• Junior Will Yeatman and sophomore Grant Catalino are huge bookends at attack for the Terps. Yeatman checks in at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, while Catalino is an inch shorter and 20 pounds lighter.

• The Terps also boast some beef in the midfield. The first line has a trio that averages nearly 6-foot-2, 197 pounds in seniors Dan Groot (6-1, 190), Jeremy Sieverts (6-3, 210) and Jeff Reynolds (6-1, 190).

Offensive Defenders
• Through three games Terrapin defensive players have been surprisingly offensive. So far in 2009, four Maryland defenders (close, long poles and short-stick d-middies) have scored goals or tallied assists. In total, Terrapin defenders have six goals and three assists for nine points. The Terps have totaled 56 points as a team, which means that 13 percent of Maryland's offense has come from a defensive player.

• Leading the way, of course, is Brian Farrell. The junior was moved to close defense this season, but that hasn't stopped him from charging up the field to create offense. He leads the defense with two goals and an assists and is actually tied for fifth on the squad in points. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Baltimore native, has 15 goals and eight assists for 23 career points. Easily the highest-scoring defender in school history, Farrell's 23 points ranks 25th since 2002 at Maryland (the Cottle Era).

• Sophomore long pole Brett Schmidt seems to be taking a page out of Farrell's playbook. He scored a goal in the 2008 finale against Virginia and has picked up right where he left off. This season Schmidt scored a goal in the opener vs. Presbyterian and added an assist vs. Air Force.

• Sophomore short-stick Danny Burns scored two goals vs. Air Force, while his running mate Dean Hart put in a goal vs. Presbyterian.

Defense Ready To Meet Expectations
• On paper this year's Maryland defense may appear to have some holes, but the 2009 Terrapin defense is looking to uphold the Terps' tradition of great defenses. Sure, the unit lost second team All-American Joe Cinosky, as well as 2008 starters Ryne Adolph and Jacob Baxter, but one look at the talent this year's "D" and you'll see it's more than capable. Sophomore Max Schmidt returns for his second season after starting 10 games as a freshman in 2008. Junior Brian Farrell was moved down low, but don't expect him to curtail his offensive ways. Senior Mike Griswold has secured the third spot and has played well. Sophomore Brett Schmidt and junior Dan Halayko are the team's top two long poles. Senior Chris Rhine can play both long pole and short-stick. The Terps' top shorties will be sophomore Dan Burns and junior Dean Hart, along with several offensive middies who are capable of locking down on the defensive side of the field.

• During the last five 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. The 2006 season saw the Terrapin defense do it 10 times in 17 games. In 2007 Terp "D" had 11 20+ minute scoring droughts to its credit in 16 contests. Last season, the Terp defense had six 20+-minute scoring droughts. Already this year, the Terps have put up two 20+-minute scoreless stretches.

• The defense turned in its first shutout quarter of the season in the first quarter of the 18-3 win over Presbyterian. The Terps held the Blue Hose scoreless in the first quarter, allowing the offense to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Overall, Presbyterian was held off the board for the first 25:14 of the game. Maryland also shutout the Blue Hose in the third quarter. Defenders Brian Farrell (1-1=2), Dean Hart (1-0=1) and Brett Schmidt (1-0=1) contributed on the offensive end as well.

• The Maryland "D" was just as stingy against Air Force in the Terps' 15-4 victory. The Terps held the Falcons scoreless for a stretch of 23:42, spanning the second, third and fourth quarters. Maryland also shutout Air Force in the third for its third scoreless quarter of the season. Brian Farrell scored a goal to extend his scoring streak to five games, dating back to last season. Danny Burns scored his first career goal and tacked on another for multiple-point game for a Terp defender. After scoring a goal in the opener, Brett Schmidt showed he can dish too, picking up his first-career assist.

Streaking Terps
• Entering the 2009 season there are several scoring streaks that carry over from 2008 and they have continued in '09.

• Grant Catalino is currently on a 16-game point streak dating back to last year's Providence game. In those 16 games, he has had multiple points in 14 with a current multiple-point streak of nine, dating back to the Hopkins game.

• Jeremy Sieverts has the next-longest point-scoring streak for the Terps, which is now at seven games.

• Two streaks came to an end in the Georgetown game. Will Yeatman had his point-scoring streak stopped at 17, while Brian Farrell's ended at five.

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 42-15 (.737) when playing on the Maryland campus. At Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium Maryland is 27-11 (.711) under Cottle, while the Terps have gone 8-3 (.727) at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex and 7-1 (.875) at Ludwig Field.

Terps' 84th Season Of Lacrosse
• The Terps boast an all-time record of 695-232-4 (.749), 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 83 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 10-6. 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 103-43 for a .705 win percentage. In the decade of the 1990s, Maryland posted 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.

First-Time Opponents
• Maryland has played 7 different opponents in its 83 previous seasons. The 2009 season will add Presbyterian, Bryant and Binghamton to that list. Adding the 18-3 Presbyterian win in, the Terps' are 68-4 in first-ever meetings. Adelphi (12-13, 1982), Army (0-3, 1923), Syracuse (3-10, 1927) and Yale (3-5, 1925) are the only schools to beat the Terps the first time the schools met on a lacrosse field.

Maryland In Season Openers
• Maryland has a 80-3-1 (.958) lifetime record in season openers dating back to the 1924 season. The Terps have won their last 16 openers and 23 of the last 24, with the only loss coming to Duke in 1993, when they fell to Duke 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.)

16 Straight in Season Openers
• After beating No. 4 Georgetown to open the 2008 season the Terps have a 15-game winning streak in 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 (four times), Bellarmine and Presbyterian. Over the 16-year stretch, Maryland outscored its foes 222-81 (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 16 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.

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 nine sets of brothers don the red and black together for at least one season.

Harry & Harry: 2004-05-06-07
Justin & Owen Blye: 2009
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
Mark & Michael White: 2008-09

• Maryland's family tradition doesn't end with brothers. Fathers and sons are also part of the Terps' tradition and that's never been more evident than this season. This year's Maryland men's lacrosse roster features three players whose father's not only played at Maryland, but won a nation title together. Mike Farrell, father of Brian, Wilson Phipps, father of Brian, and Jake Reed, father of Travis, were all members of the Terps' 1975 NCAA championship squad.

• The Terrapin family tree doesn't stop there for Brian. He is the fourth in a line of Phipps that donned the red and black for Maryland. The Phipps-family legacy started in the 1940's with Louis Phipps, who was an honorable mention All-American in 1949. His son, Wilson, was a member of the 1975 Terrapin National Championship squad. Brian is the second of Wilson's sons to play for the Terps. Michael Phipps played for Maryland from 2004-07 and was an honorable mention All-American as a senior after leading the squad in scoring with 50 points.

Home Away From Home
• Due to the renovations currently underway at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium, the Terps will play their five scheduled home games at Ludwig Field. It is anticipated that the Terrapins will return to Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium in 2010.

2009 Captains: Carter, Griswold, Groot, Rhine, Sieverts
• Five players have been named team captains for the 2009 season. The quintet, which was voted on by the team during the preseason, consists of seniors Jason Carter, Mike Griswold, Dan Groot, Chris Rhine and Jeremy Sieverts.

Maryland Men's Lacrosse on Facebook
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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 2009 on your computer with GameTracker. Links for all games that will be available can be found at www.umterps.com.