BLOG: Terp Men, Women Ready for NCAAs
5/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse
By Eli Davis, Maryland Athletics Communications
The Maryland men and women's lacrosse programs enter their respective NCAA Tournaments as the top seed, becoming the first school in NCAA lacrosse history to accomplish the feat.
Their current standing is the same, but each team differs in how they got there.
While both are riding extensive winning streaks, Cathy Reese's squad has gone wire-to-wire as the nations' number one team while compiling 23 consecutive wins dating back to last seasons' national championship run, earning their fourth straight number one seed in the process.
The men, winners of 13 straight, have flirted with the top rank all season, but did not crack the threshold until the tournament committee tabbed the Terps number one on selection Sunday – the program's first one seed since 1987.
For both sides, the seeding is simply a number, not the end goal or point of focus in preparation for their first round games.
“We are not looking at the number one seed as something high and mighty,” redshirt senior defenseman Greg Danseglio said. “Every team in the tournament is good. We have seen throughout the year that anyone can beat anyone on any given game day. We are just really trying to play our style of lacrosse.”
A similar theme is being echoed before the men take on Quinnipiac and the women prepare for Johns Hopkins. Their accomplishments of the regular season – Big Ten regular season and tournament championships – are behind them and each team is starting with a clean slate ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
At the same time, they are shaking off the notion of any added pressure as the top seed.
“Pressure is what you choose to make of it. The regular season is behind us. We are going out to win on Sunday. That's it,” Reese said. “You only feel pressure when you allow yourself to. We are trying to address that as a group and just make sure we are in the right mindset.”
“I think we can still get better and that is one thing that the kids have embraced,” head coach John Tillman added. “Being happy that you won, but not completely satisfied and really trying to maximize this group's performance.”
The Maryland alum Reese has the utmost confidence in Tillman and the men's side and she is excited for what lies ahead.
“The men are just fine. I could not be more proud of the men and their staff and the boys out there that are playing,” Reese said. “They are ready. I am no help to them. They got it. Just say, 'go get 'em, boys.'”
