March 13, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The fifth-ranked Maryland men's lacrosse team (4-1) plays back-to-back games this weekend at Ludwig Field. The double-dip starts on Saturday when the Terps play host to intrastate rival No. 10 UMBC (3-2) on March 14 at noon. Maryland will then have a short turn-around when they play Bryant (4-3) for the first time on Sunday, March 15 at 1 p.m.

• The UMBC 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 Mark Dixon will provide the analysis.

• Sunday's game vs. Bryant will be available on ACC Select, the conference's broadband network featuring live and on-demand webcasts of Atlantic Coast Conference sports. Russ Rubin and Chris Chase will call the action.

• The back-to-back games vs. UMBC and Bryant is just the seventh time since 1972 that the Terps will play on consecutive days. The Terps are undefeated in the first game on those six occasions, but are 3-3 in the second games. The 1991 and 1992 back-to-back games came in the ACC Tournament, both times losing in the title game to UNC. This is the second time this season the Terps are playing back-to-back, having already done so on Feb. 13 and 14 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Tickets and Game Promotions
• Click here for ticket information for all 2009 Maryland men's lacrosse home games.

• Click here for a complete list of game promotions for this season.

Coaching Match-up
• Now in his 27th season as a head coach, Dave Cottle enters today's game with a 262-105 career record for a 71.4 win percentage, sixth-highest among active coaches with at least 100 career wins. His win total is fifth among active coaches. He is 81-35 (69.8) in his eight seasons at Maryland.

• Don Zimmerman is in his 23rd season season as a head coach and holds a lifetime record of 189-112 (.628). He has been the head coach at UMBC for 16 years and is 116-96 (.476) with the Retrievers.

• Cottle has recorded an 18-4 career record against UMBC, 12-2 while he served as the head coach at Loyola.

• Mike Pressler is 233-105 (68.9) in 23-plus years as a head coach. His win total is eighth among active coaches. He is in his third year at Bryant with a 29-10 (72.5).

Series History vs. UMBC
• Maryland holds a 24-6 lifetime advantage in 30 meetings with state rival UMBC. Maryland has won eight of the last 10 games, but the Retreivers have taken the last two. Prior to that, UMBC had not defeated the Terps since taking back-to-back games in 1998 and 1999.

• Last season, the two teams hooked up in a Friday night game that saw the Retreivers eek out a 9-8 win in triple-overtime. The Terps used a 3-0 scoring blitz in the fourth quarter to take an 8-7 lead, but UMBC tied the game with just 5.8 seconds to go to send the game into OT. Max Ritz led the Terrapins with two goals and an assist, while Grant Catalino and Drew Evans each had a goal and an assist.

• In the 2007 NCAA Tournament Maryland jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but the Retrievers responded by going on a 9-2 run spanning the second and third quarters to advance to the quarterfinals. Max Ritz and Dan Groot each had four points for the Terps, while Bryn Holmes won 10-of-14 face-offs and picked up a career-high nine groundballs.

• Earlier in 2007, Maryland topped the Retrievers, 11-7, at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. Sophomore midfielder Jeremy Sieverts scored his first hat trick as a Terp, while junior attackman Max Ritz chipped in with two goals and an assist. Senior defender Ray Megill scored the first points of his career with a goal and an assist.

• The Terps entered the 2006 game as the No. 1 team in the nation and the Retrievers were looking for the upset. Maryland only led by one heading into the fourth quarter, but the Terrapin defense shutout UMBC for the final 15 minutes, allowing the offense to score four unanswered goals to take home a 9-4 win. The senior trio of Bill McGlone (2-2=4), Xander Ritz (3-0=3) and Joe Walters (3-0=3) were the main weapons for the Terrapins but it was junior attackman Michael Phipps that scored the game-winning goal.

• In 2005 Joe Walters tied then-career highs with six goals and seven points to lead No. 4 Maryland to a 16-10 win over the Retrievers at Byrd Stadium. First team All-American Bill McGlone also had a career day for the Terps, setting his career high with five goals in the victory. Brendan Healy scored twice and added a pair of assists, while long pole Ryan Clarke set his career high with six groundballs. The Terrapins dominated possession, thanks in large part to winning 20 of 29 face-offs. David Tamberrino won 14 of 18, tying his personal best for wins in a game.

• In 2004 Joe Walters lead the Terps to a hard-fought 9-4 win with a natural hat trick in the second quarter. The Maryland defense was sensational, holding UMBC scoreless for 29:12 bridging the second through the fourth quarters. Terp goalie Tim McGinnis made 13 saves, including eight in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory.

• In the 2003 game in College Park, Mike Mollot and Joe Walters each had three goals while former Retriever Justin Smith had two goals and two assists in his first game vs. his former team.

• This will be just the sixth time the two teams will play in the month of March. The 2003 game on April 25 was the first time since 1977, that Maryland-UMBC game was not be played in May. The UMBC game had been the last contest on Maryland's regular-season schedule for the 13 years, dating 1990 through 2002, with Maryland winning 10 of 13 regular-season finales.

First-Time Opponents
• Maryland has played 72 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.

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.

• The defense was thrown a curve ball just days prior to the Duke game when Maryland learned that Brian Farrell would miss the game after being admitted to Shock Trauma due to complications with a pair of broken ribs. To fill Farrell's void, the Terps moved sophomore Brett Schmidt from his normal long pole spot to close defense, junior Dan Halayko to the top long pole slot and switched junior Dean Hart from short-stick to long pole. The changes worked as the Terps held the Blue Devils in check, allowing just eight goals.

• The defense was stout again against a determined Towson team. After the Tigers took a 1-0 lead, the Terrapin defense held Towson to just one goal over the next 31:56, allowing the offense to take control of the game and build a 6-2 lead. Mike Griswold and Brett Schmidt each had two groundballs and two caused turnovers, while Jeff Reynolds led the team with five GBs to go along with two caused turnovers.

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 four 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 four assists for 10 points. The Terps have totaled 105 points as a team, which means that nearly 10 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 and added an assist at Towson, while his running mate Dean Hart put in a goal vs. Presbyterian.

Fast Starts
• Since Coach Cottle arrived in College Park in 2002 only 12 players (16 times total) have totaled 14 points or more in the first five games of a season. Two of those are sophomore Grant Catalino and junior Will Yeatman. Catalino is tied with Joe Walters for third on the list with 21 points. His 10 assists in the first five games ties him for first with Mike Mollot and Dan LaMonica, who each had 10 in 2002. Ryan Young and Travis Reed are also on the list, making it as freshmen last season.

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 an 18-game point streak dating back to last year's Providence game. In those 18 games, he has had multiple points in 16 with a current multiple-point streak of 11, dating back to the Hopkins game. Catalino's streak is currently the ninth-longest in the nation. • Jeremy Sieverts has the next-longest point-scoring streak for the Terps, which is now at nine games. • Along with Catalino and Sieverts, Dan Groot has registered at least one point in each of Maryland's five games. Ryan Young has scored at least one point in each of the four games he's played in this season.

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 697-232-4 (.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 105-43 for a .709 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.

Yeatman among Tryout Pool For Team USA
• Junior attackman Will Yeatman is one of 84 players selected to try out for the 2010 U.S. men's national team that will compete FIL World Championships in Manchester, England. Yeatman is among 11 current college players selected from more than 200 applications.

• Joining Yeatman in the tryout pool are six former Terrapins: Joe Walters (attack), Bill McGlone (midfield), Joe Cinosky (defense), Chris Passavia (defense), Lee Zink (defense) and Brian Dougherty (goalie).

• The tryouts will be held from June 7-10, 2009 at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. Following the tryout weekend, the group will be trimmed to approximately 40 players that will compete in three training weekends during the fall of 2009. After those three weekends, the roster will be cut to the FIL-mandated size of 23 players.

Terps in Pro Stadiums
• Maryland has played nine games in an NFL stadium. All-time the Terps are 5-4 in professional stadiums. Earlier this season Maryland topped Duke, 11-8, at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium.

• 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.

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
• Join the official Maryland Men's Lacrosse Facebook page here.

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.