April 13, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - • After playing it's oldest rival last Saturday, the 14th-ranked Maryland men's lacrosse team will host its first-ever meeting with the Bearcats of Binghamton. The game, which is slated for a 3 p.m. face-off, will be the final regular season home game of the 2009 season for the Terps. Because the game is a mid-week affair, admission to the event is free.

• Fans will be able to see the Terps and the Bearcats live on the internet on ACC Select, the conference's broadband network featuring live and on-demand webcasts of Atlantic Coast Conference sports.

• Maryland is 6-5 on the season and comes into the game with a three-game losing skid. It's the Terps' first three-game losing streak since 2005. In its 83 previous seasons Maryland has never had a four-game losing streak. Leading the charge for the Terps will be senior All-America midfielder Dan Groot, who had his third hat trick of the season in the 10-9 loss to Johns Hopkins last Saturday.

• Binghamton enters the game with a 2-9 record and snapped its own five-game losing streak with an 8-4 win over Vermont on Saturday.

Parking Information:
General Information: After 4 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends, there is no charge for parking in Lots Z1 or 1b or in Regents Drive Garage. Lots R2 and R3 are limited to vehicles displaying current valid permits for the respective lots at all times. Weekdays Before 4 p.m.: Fans arriving on campus before 4 p.m. on weekdays should park in Union Lane Garage (located between Cole Field House and Stamp Student Union). Rates are $2.00 per hour ($10.00 per day maximum). The garage may only be accessed via Campus Drive and Union Lane, at the top level of the garage. The exit lanes are located at the bottom level of the garage. If the Union Lane Garage is unavailable, fans should park in the Stadium Drive Garage located behind Byrd Stadium. Regulations at the Stadium Drive Garage are similar to those at Union Lane Garage. Rates at Stadium Drive Garage are $2 per hour ($10 per day maximum). Stadium Drive Garage is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to midnight. The Stadium Drive Garage is closed on weekends.

Weekdays After 4 p.m. - Fans arriving on campus after 4 p.m. on weekdays can park free in Lot Z1 or Lot 1b, both of which are located between Cole Field House and Ludwig Field, or in Regents Drive Garage, which is located on Regents Drive between Stadium Drive and Field House Drive. However, due to the construction of the new Biosciences Research Building on Field House Drive between Stamp Student Union and the Bio-Psych Building, fans should note that the walk from Regents to Shipley will be longer than usual because of limited or no pedestrian access in certain construction areas on Field House Drive. Directional signs will be posted.

Coaching Match-up
• Now in his 27th season as a head coach, Dave Cottle enters today's game with a 264-109 career record for a 70.8 win percentage, sixth-highest among active coaches with at least 100 career wins. His win total is fifth among active coaches. He is 83-39 (68.0) in his eight seasons at Maryland. • Binghamton's Ed Stephenson is in his eighth season as a head coach, all with the Bearcats, and has a 36-65 (35.6) record.

First-Time Opponents
• Maryland has played 71 different opponents in its 83 previous seasons. The 2009 season adds Presbyterian, Bryant and Binghamton to that list. In the Terps' 73 first-time meeting, including the 18-3 win over Presbyterian and the 13-6 victory over Bryant, Maryland is 69-4 in those games. 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.

The 700 Club
• In its 84 seasons of men's lacrosse, Maryland has 699 wins. With one more win the Terps will be just the fifth Division I program to reach the 700-win plateau (joining Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Navy and Army).

Top-Seed Terps
• With Duke's 15-10 victory over Virginia on Saturday, Maryland secured the top seed in the ACC Tournament. The Terps, Blue Devils and Cavaliers all finished with a 2-1 conference record. The deciding tiebreaker was goal allowed allowed in ACC games between the tied teams: Maryland (18), Duke (21) and Virginia (24). The Terps will take on host North Carolina, the fourth-seed, in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on April 24 in the 5 p.m. game.

• The last time Maryland was the top seed in the ACC Tournament was 2004. That year the tournament was held in Chapel Hill and the Terps defeated Duke in the semifinals before topping Virginia in the championship game.

• The Terps have been the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament five previous times: 1989 (the first year the ACC held a conference tournament), 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2004. In those five tournaments as the top seed the Maryland has an all-time record of 5-3.

Shooting Tells The Story
• The difference between winning and losing for Maryland this season is simple - when the Terps shoot well they win. Coach Dave Cottle is on record saying that good teams will shoot at least 30%. As it turns out 30% is the magic number for the Terps this season. • In Maryland's six victories this season the Terrapins are shooting nearly 30% (29.8%, 74 goals/248 shots). In their five losses the Terps' shooting percentage is cut to 21.0% (39 goals/186 shots). • Another standout statistic from Terp wins and losses is man-up conversion percentage. Maryland has converted 10-of-18 opportunities (.556) in its six wins, but is 6-of-16 (.375) in five defeats.

Get To 10 And Win
• One of the things Coach Cottle often says is that if the Terps score 10 goals or more the chances of winning are pretty good. Well, a look at the results since Cottle arrived in College Park in 2002 shows that when Maryland scores 10 or more goals there's not just a pretty good chance the Terrapins will win; it's an almost certainty. Since 2002 Maryland has won 59 of the 63 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .937 winning percentage.

• Earlier this season, the Terps lost to Georgetown, 13-10. Prior to that, Maryland had not lost when scoring 10 or more goals since dropping an 11-10 decision to Virginia in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. The Terrapins got to 10 goals in the 100th game against Johns Hopkins, but the Blue Jays took the game 14-10. Virginia is the only team to beat the Terps twice when allowing 10 or more goals. The Wahoos did it first in 2002 with another 11-10 decision.

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 three 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.

• Bryant came into College Park averaging nearly 12 goals per game and had the NCAA's all-time leading goal scorer, Zack Greer, leading its attack. But the Terps were up to the challenge, limiting the Bulldogs to just six goals in a 13-6 Maryland win. Mike Griswold was given the assignment of marking Greer and Griswold was solid, holding him to just a pair of scores and no assists. For the game the Terps harassed the Bulldogs into 32 turnovers, including 16 that were directly caused by a Maryland player. Brett Schmidt was outstanding for the Terps, causing a career-best four turnovers.

• The defense was already short-handed coming into the North Carolina game. Brian Farrell was still out due to the injury sustained in the Air Force game. But it got a lot worse for the Terps during the week leading up to the UNC game. Brian Phipps, Bryn Holmes and Brett Schmidt all were injured during the week and did not play. Sophomore Ryder Bohlander stepped in and replaced Schmidt at close defense, but he went down less than five minutes into the first quarter and was unable to return. That's when senior Anthony Costanzo came into the game and turned in the finest perfomance of his career, holding UNC's Gavin Petracca without a point and causing a career-best three turnovers. As a team, Maryland limited the high-powered Tar Heel offense, which entered the game scoring more than 13 goals per game, to a season-low seven goals.

• It was another stout effort for the defense in the 10-9 loss in seven overtimes at No. 1 Virginia. The Cavaliers came into the game averaging 14.2 points per game, but it wasn't until the 84th minute that the Wahoos scored their 10th goal. Mike Griswold had another tough assignment, covering Garrett Billings (4.0 ppg coming into the game), but he held Virginia's leading scorer to just one assist on the day. Sophomores Brett and Max Schmidt were also impressive. Max was assigned Danny Glading and held the All-American to just one goal. Brett was given the task during the overtimes of covering Shamel Bratton and held him without a shot in the overtimes.

• The defense had some tremendous efforts turned in during the 10-9 loss to Johns Hopkins at the inaugural Smartlink Day of Rivals. Sophomore Max Schmidt was given the task of marking Stephen Boyle and held the Blue Jays' dynamic attackman without a point for the first time in 13 games. Chris Boland was Hopkins' leading scorer entering the game, but senior Mike Griswold held Boland to a goal and an assist.

Offensive Defenders
• Through 11 games Terrapin defensive players have been surprisingly offensive. So far in 2009, five Maryland defenders (close, long poles and short-stick d-middies) have scored goals or tallied assists.

• Brian Farrell was moved to close defense this season, but that didn't stopped him from charging up the field to create offense. He had two goals and an assists in the first three games of the season before being sidelined for the past eight games. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Baltimore native, has 15 goals and eight assists for 23 career points, easily making him the highest-scoring defender in school history.

• 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 assists at Towson and Virginia and against Johns Hopkins, while his running mate Dean Hart put in a goal vs. Presbyterian.

• Junior Bryn Holmes has two goals on the season, but he scored one while a member of the second midfield. The other he tallied at Virginia (off an assist from Burns) when he was switched back to a defensive short-stick.

Fast Starts
• Since Coach Cottle arrived in College Park in 2002 only nine players (for a total of 14 times) have totaled 25 points or more in the first 11 games of a season. Three of those are on the 2009 team.

• Sophomore Grant Catalino is averaging 3.3 points per game with 36 points on 20 goals and 16 assists. The only other sophomore above Catalino on the list is Joe Walters, who had 45 points on 30 goals and 15 assists in 2004. Last season, Catalino had 17 goals and six assists through 11 games.

• Junior Will Yeatman and sophomore Ryan Young are each on the list and that's impressive in itself considering they each missed a game this year, so their 11-game totals were accumulated in only 10 games. Yeatman, who missed the Johns Hopkins game, has 26 points on 13 goals and 13 assists to tie for 12th on the list. Young, who missed the opener vs. Presbyterian, is 14th with 25 points on 17 goals and eight assists.

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 44-16 (.733) 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 9-2 (.818) at Ludwig Field.

Terps in Pro Stadiums
• Maryland has played 10 games in an NFL stadium. All-time the Terps are 5-5 in professional stadiums. Earlier this season Maryland topped Duke, 11-8, at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium and lost a 10-9 decision to Johns Hopkins in the inaugural Smartlink Day of Rivals.

• 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.

Terps vs. No. 1
• Since 1978 (the first year rankings were recorded in the Terp media guide), Maryland has played a No. 1-ranked team on 24 occasions and has pulled off the upset six times.

• The most recent occasion of Maryland knocking off a No. 1 team came just last season on Saturday, March 29. The No. 4 Terps controlled the game from the outset and pulled off a 13-7 win over No. 1 Virginia at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. Redshirt junior goalie Jason Carter had a career-day vs. the Wahoos, stopping 15 shots. Freshman attackman Travis Reed led the Terrapin offense with a career-best five points on three goals and two assists.

• Prior to the victory over Virginia, Maryland last upset the nation's top-ranked team on March 4, 2006 when the Terps pulled out a thrilling 8-7 overtime victory at then-No. 1 Duke. Xander Ritz scored five goals vs. the Blue Devils, including the game-winner for the Terrapins. The last time the Terrapins faced a No. 1-ranked team was on April 1, 2006 against Virginia. The Wahoos, who would storm through an undefeated season en route to a national title, took that game by a 15-5 margin.

• Before that 2006 win over Duke, the last time the Terps defeated the nation's top team was on May 23, 1998 vs. Loyola in the NCAA Semifinals at Piscataway, N.J. Maryland's Matt Hahn scored five goals to help the Terrapins to a dominating 19-8 win over the Greyhounds, who were coached by current Maryland head coach Dave Cottle.

• Prior to last season, the last time the Terps upset the No.1 team at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium was a 13-11 win over Virginia on March 30, 1996.

Terps' 84th Season Of Lacrosse
• The Terps boast an all-time record of 699-236-4 (.747), 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 107-47 for a .695 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.

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 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.