By Eli Davis, Maryland Athletics Student Assistant
The No. 8 Maryland men's lacrosse team is set to take on No. 1 Notre Dame on Saturday in Costa Mesa, Calif. as part of the third annual Pacific Coast Lacrosse Shootout.
With both teams known for their stalwart defensive units, the matchup is set to be a fantastic event for the Southern California spectators. Maryland will be aiming for double-digit goals, as it holds a formidable 51-4 record when hitting that mark under head coach John Tillman.
It will be a tall task, however, to limit the high-powered Irish offense led by 2015 Tewaaraton finalist Matt Kavanagh.
“Notre Dame is a very well-balanced offensive team with very good midfielders and a very good attack,” said redshirt senior defenseman Greg Danseglio. “We are just trying to stick to our game plan, play our game, play tough defense and hopefully we can get a win.”
Danseglio has been fantastic for the Terps in his first season in College Park, collecting six ground balls in each of the first two games. He garnered Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in Maryland's season-opening victory over High Point.
This will be the second year in a row the Terps will participate in the Pacific Coast Lacrosse Shootout. Last year Maryland took down No. 2 North Carolina in front of 6,785 fans. There has already been an announced sellout ahead of Saturday's game.
“The environment and atmosphere was awesome out there,” Danseglio said of last year's game. “We really just welcome the fans. It is great to see the western support out there. Especially for the Terps, it has been really great to see. I know there are a lot of alumni flying out, so we just hope we don't disappoint them out there.”
Last year's trip, during the University's spring break, served as a bonding experience and a chance for the squad to step away from the field. The Terps are taking a business-like approach for Saturday's contest before holding a youth clinic on Sunday for the community.
“I'm just looking forward to going out to California and taking it day by day before Saturday's game,” Danseglio said.
