The Terps keep adding a few new wrinkles as the team progresses through spring practice.
Maryland opened its second week of spring workouts Tuesday evening as the defense begin installing its blitz packages and the team closed out the two-hour session with a goal-line scrimmage.
No one said this season was going to be easy. The North
Carolina game is in the rearview mirror and with No. 1 Virginia coming up on
Saturday there is no time to dwell on the past. However, we will take a look
back at the Terps' trip to Chapel Hill, get into some news and notes and finish
with a preview of the Wahoos.
Maryland capped off its third spring practice, and first in pads, Saturday morning with a spirited 10-minute version of the Oklahoma drill which pits the same number of blockers and tacklers, along with a running back.
The end of the two-hour workout featured three Terp defenders engaging three offensive players with the goal to get 10 yards in a confined space in three rush attempts.
The noise level was a little higher Saturday morning at Maryland's on-campus football practice facility as the Terps donned pads for the first time this spring, their third of 15 workouts.
While head coach Ralph Friedgen thought the first two practices were fairly crisp, he was a little more subdued after Saturday's workout.
As expected, fullback Taylor Watson will miss the remainder of the spring.
Watson injured his right knee during a non-contact drill at the beginning of Thursday's practice, the second of the spring. An MRI on Friday indicated a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
He is expected to be out of action for six months.
I was really pleased with our team's progress and effort
last week during spring break. I think we made some improvement as a team and
we had an opportunity to work on some areas of concern.
To win three games in eight days, two versus in-state rivals
and one beating a much-improved Penn team, shows we made outstanding progress.
This week's challenge is North Carolina and it is our goal
as coaches to put our team in a good position to be able to play the best
lacrosse that it can play. We must put our players in a position to be
aggressive, be positive and play with good effort, toughness and execution.
That has to be the focus of what we need to do. We cannot focus on the result,
but our focus must be on the progress of things that will allow us to play the
best lacrosse both individually and collectively.
This game is about the players. There are a lot of good
players on both teams. North Carolina is very well coached and plays with good
effort and toughness. In my opinion they have three first team All-Americans.
They are an outstanding team. However, we have All-Americans, great leadership
and play with great effort and toughness too.
We are improving each week and we must continue to get
better. We must prepare with great concentration and focus so that we can play
our best game of the season.
The team that plays the best will win this Saturday's game.
Hopefully, that team will be ours.
And so it begins - the annual four-week stretch (which is
actually five weeks this year thanks to the ACC tournament not moving with the
NCAA tournament) that can define Maryland's season.
But before we look ahead, lets look back on last week's game
vs. UMBC and get into some news and notes.
Fourth-seeded Maryland rallied from a 16-point deficit in Sunday's second-round NCAA Tournament game, but that only led to heartbreak when
Korie Lucious hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give No. 5 seed Michigan State an 85-83 victory and send them to the Sweet Sixteen.
It was the final game for three seniors who have meant so much to head coach Gary Williams and the Terps program.
Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne played their final game for Maryland, but left an indelible mark on the basketball program. They led the team to an 89-47 record over the last four seasons, three NCAA Tournament appearances and countless memorable wins.
Despite the loss of the team's top three scorers, the Terps should be in good shape next season with five players back who averaged at least 14 minutes of action and the addition of another top-ranked recruiting class.
Raymar Morgan scored 13 points and Durrell Summers added 12 for Michigan State which leads the Terps 48-39 in the first half of today's NCAA second-round game in Spokane.
The Spartans have controlled the glass and been on fire from the field.
Michigan State outrebounded the Terps, 25-11, and shot 56 percent from the floor.
The Terrapins did force nine Spartan turnovers, but have only outscored MSU 8-6 on miscues.
Eric Hayes, who scored a team-high 10 points, gave the Terps their only lead of the half (7-6) on a 3-pointer a little over two minutes into the game.
Michigan State has led by as many as 12, though Maryland closed to within 32-29 on a Greivis Vasquez layup with 6:20 to go.
But Michigan State scored eight of the final 12 points of the half.
Vasquez is halfway to a double-double with 9 points and 5 assists.
Jordan Williams, who had a first-round best 17 rebounds, posted 7 points and 4 rebounds.
Michigan State may have lost its best player as guard Kalin Lucas left the game late in the first half with an apparent foot injury.
The Terps got a hearty sendoff from the Davenport Hotel Sunday morning.
About 100 fans, along with the band and cheerleaders, created quite a buzz outside the hotel around 9 a.m. local time as the Terps boarded the buzz for the short trip to Spokane Arena.
After winning its 10th straight NCAA first-round game, Maryland looks to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the 14th time in school history, including the eighth appearance under head coach Gary William, in Sunday's matchup with Michigan State.
Sunday's second-round game between Maryland, the No. 4 seed, and fifth-seeded Michigan State will tip-off at 2:30 p.m. ET from Veterans Memorial Arena (Note: Tip time was originally set for 2:40 p.m. but adjusted this afternoon).
The Terps (24-8) and Spartans (25-8) have faced each other four times, including once in the NCAA Tournament.
Maryland has won the last two meetings, downing the fifth-ranked Spartans, 80-62, in last season's Old Spice Classic in Orlando (11-27-08). The Terps also defeated Michigan State, 62-60, on Nov. 17, 2006 in the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo.
The Spartans did, however, win the only meeting in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 7 seed Michigan State upended sixth-seeded Maryland, 60-58, in a 2003 South Regional semifinal game (March 28).
The Terps will practice on Saturday at the arena and visit with the media.
Selected players will visit with the media at 3:55 p.m. PT, with Gary Williams to follow at 4:15 p.m.
Maryland is scheduled to have a closed practice following the interviews.
Tip time for Sunday's second-round NCAA game in Spokane has been announced. Should the fourth-seeded Terrapins defeat 13th-seeded Houston tonight, they will face No. 5 Michigan State at 11:40 a.m. PT.
The Purdue-Texas A&M game will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
After trailing by as many as five, the Terps used a late 13-4 run in the first to take a 39-37 halftime lead over Houston.
Adrian Bowie started the flurry with a 3-pointer and Jordan Williams, who has been force inside (10 points/10 rebounds), added a pair of buckets.
The Cougars did score eight of the final 10 points of the half to cut into Maryland's 37-29 lead, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Adam Brown.
Jordan Williams has already posted his seventh double-double of the season.
Aubrey Coleman showed why is the leading scorer in the NCAA (25.6 ppg). He had 16 points
in the first half and could have had more had the senior not missed 3 of 6
free throws.
After not reaching double figures in six straight games, Landon Milbourne has hit twin figures in each of the last two contests. He had 10 in the first half on 4 of 9 shooting.The senior also chipped in five rebounds.
The Terps have dominated on the glass, holding a 26-16 rebound advantage. But Houston has yet to turn the ball over. Maryland registered four turnovers in the first 4:00 of the half, but just one the rest of the way.
Maryland hit 8 of its last 11 shots and is shooting 48.6 percent at the break.
Maryland is 19-0 this season when leading at the half.
The Terps will officially have the final contest of the first round.
The Maryland-Houston game was scheduled to start at 9:40 p.m. ET, but with the Michigan State-New Mexico State game still in progress, we're looking at roughly a 10:30 p.m. tip on the East Coast.
The Terps-Cougars will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the current game.
The first-round NCAA game between the fourth-seeded Terps and 13th-seeded Houston Cougars is scheduled to get underway at 6:40 p.m. PT Friday, though actual tip time depends on the conclusion of the Michigan State-New Mexico State game.
The team is scheduled to leave the Davenport Hotel at 4:45 p.m. local time for Veterans Memorial Arena.
The band and cheerleaders will be outside the hotel beginning at 4:15 p.m. to send the team off.
Any Terp fans in town are encouraged to join the festivities. The hotel is located on the corner of Sprague Ave. and Post St.
It was a busy day for the Terrapin basketball team.
As it did Wednesday, Maryland practiced at Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center which is located just 10 minutes from the team hotel.
The team went through about a 90-minute workout before it traveled to Veterans Memorial Arena for Thursday's media availability.
Seniors Eric Hayes, Landon Milbourne and Greivis Vasquez were on the dais first followed by Gary Williams. All the players were available in the locker room for about 30 minutes.
Head coach Gary Williams and the players will visit with the media this afternoon.
All eight teams at the Spokane site are available for interviews on Thursday. Siena was the first team available to the media, with the session beginning at 11:20 a.m. PT.
Three Maryland players will be available at 4:30 p.m. PT in the interview room at Veterans Memorial Arena. Williams follows at 4:45 p.m.
Houston is the final team of the day, with head coach Tom Penders available at 6:15 p.m.
Unfortunately, the news conferences are not available over the internet, but ESPNEWS and ESPNU have been showing a number of them live over the last two days.
An
annual report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central
Florida measured graduation rates of the 65 teams in this year's NCAA Men's
Basketball Tournament. The figures used are graduation success rate numbers and
are based on freshmen who entered college between 1999-2000 and 2002-03.
Despite
the GSR in men's basketball of eight percent, the recent profile at Maryland is
significantly improved over the outdated graduation rates. Eleven of the 12
freshmen and transfers measurable by the GSR in that window left the University
prior to graduating to pursue professional basketball careers. One of the
players who left early to play professionally returned to graduate from
Maryland, but outside the NCAA's six-year window.
Eight
of our last 10 seniors have earned their degrees, and all four seniors in this year's
class are expected to graduate this spring.
The
significant resources that the Athletics Department have placed in academic
support are paying dividends and are a great investment in the future of our
student-athletes.
The Maryland men's basketball team left campus at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday for Spokane, Wash., where the Terrapins will open play in the 2010 NCAA Tournament beginning Friday.
Maryland fans back on the East Coast will need to rest up Thursday night as the Terps will play in one of the last first-round games. Tip time vs. Houston is not until 9:40 p.m. ET.
There are approximately 75 people in the travel party, which includes players, coaches, administrative staff, cheerleaders and the band.
Travel went relatively smoothly. The Miami Air charter took off at 6:40 p.m. ET from BWI and landed around 8:15 p.m. local time at Spokane International Airport.
The team is staying at the Davenport Hotel which is located downtown and close to the Veterans Memorial Arena. Upon arrival the team and travel party had dinner and relaxed.
The team will try to get over the jetlag with a spirited practice Wednesday afternoon.
That practice is closed, but the team will have an open practice at 5:10 p.m. PT Thursday in Veterans Memorial Arena. That comes after right head coach Gary Williams and the players visit with the media.
Check back on the blog for entries over the next few days.
Two down,
one to go. Maryland's three-games-in-eight-days grind is in the home stretch. Towson
and Penn are in the rearview mirror and UMBC is straight ahead. Let's take a
quick look at the two games, which were as different as they were similar, and
then get to some news and notes.
It's getting to be a bit redundant, but what a game last Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. The Terps and the Blue Devils put on a show even casual sports fans could appreciate. Overall it was a great day for lacrosse. Let's take a look at some of the things that stood out.
Coach Dave Cottle announed the weekly award winners for the Duke game.
The Captains' Awards go to senior goalie Brian Phipps and junior attackman Grant Catalino. Phipps made 15 saves vs. the No. 9 Blue Devils, including one in overtime, to go along with three groundballs. Catalino had a career-day in the Face-Off Classic with a career-best five goals, including the game winner, and one assist.
The Coaches' Award was also split with senior short-stick defensive middies Dean Hart and Bryn Holmes being selected. Hart and Holmes were terrific on the defensive end, helping hold Duke's midfielders to just two goals and two assists. Both guys also played key roles in the game-ending sequence. Holmes made the big hit on Blue Devil midfielder Will McKee that caused a weak shot that Phipps was able to keep out of the goal. Once redshirt junior Brian Farrell scooped up the groundball, Hart hustled down the field running from defense to offense to keep Duke on its heels. Hart ended up getting the assist on Catalino's game-winner by taking a feed from Farrell and making a smart "one-more" pass to Catalino on the left wing.
Maryland junior attackman Grant Catalino and Virginia junior
midfielder Rhamel Bratton were named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's
Lacrosse Co-Players of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, March 7.
Catalino had a career-best five goals, including the
game-winner, one assist, and four groundballs in the seventh-ranked Terrapins'
11-10 overtime victory over No. 9 Duke at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic
at M&T Bank Stadium. The Webster, N.Y., native tallied his first career overtime
goal at the 1:50 mark in the extra period, while Maryland possessed the ball
for only eight seconds of the overtime period. Catalino had two goals in
the first quarter, one in the second and third and his final goal of the day in
overtime. With his second goal of the game, Catalino reached the 100-point mark
for his career and now has 104 points on 62 goals and 42 assists. Catalino was
also a key component in Maryland's defensive presence with his four groundballs
and a caused turnover.
Maryland is now 56-17 all-time against Duke. The 56 wins are
the most for the Terrapins against any one opponent, and the overtime win
marked Maryland's first since defeating Navy 8-7 in two OTs in 2007.
Bratton tallied a career-high four goals in No. 2 Virginia's
11-10 victory in front of 7,501 fans at Klöckner Stadium over top-ranked
Syracuse. The Huntington Station, N.Y, native's goal at 5:46 in the second
quarter helped erase an early 5-2 Orange lead and gave UVa the lead for good,
6-5. Bratton scored three of his goals unassisted on All-American goalie
John Galloway and added two groundballs for the winning effort.
The last four meetings between Syracuse and Virginia in the
series each have been determined by one goal, with UVa holding the 3-1
advantage during the span. The victory is also UVa's second consecutive over
Syracuse when the Orange are ranked No. 1 in the nation and the Cavaliers are
No. 2.
Obviously, there were a lot of good things in the Duke game
after watching the film.
Our guys played hard and competed throughout the game. When
negative things happened, our leaders stood up to the task. We kept playing the
whole game at an intense level. We stayed together as a team and never lost
focus.
While we did a lot of good things against Duke, we also have
a lot of things to work on. We did not clear the ball as well as we should and
we must improve our effort on riding, particularly with our attack. We didn't
win the groundball battle at times and that caused us to play a lot more
defense than we should have had to play. We lost a lot of 50-50 groundballs on
the face-off that we could have had. We also didn't do a good job handling the
ball on the offensive end in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter. We
got several stops and turned the ball back over to Duke. Moving forward we must
get better organized and our attack must work harder to get the ball, sprint
with it when they have it, and make better decisions.
We were happy to win the game, but must continue to focus on
the areas we need to improve on. A famous coach once said it is no different
than when you start to get a cold; if you do nothing about it, the odds are it
is going to get worse. However, if you take care of yourself, you will minimize
your chances of getting sick.
Certainly, we want to maximize our potential, to get better
and continue to improve not only through knowledge and understanding, but to
get the right people on the field that have the ability to execute what we need
to do and have the right motivation and discipline to carry it our when they
are in the game.
Towson is our next opponent and we have a lot of respect for
its coaches, players and program. They have a Hall of Fame coach who will have
his players very well prepared, organized and motivated. Towson is a team that
always plays hard. This game has always meant a lot to their coaches and
players and we will have to match their intensity and enthusiasm.
This will be our first game on grass and we must be able to
make the adjustment to a new surface.
Monday will be a day to fix some mistakes and improve our
team. Tuesday, our players will start preparing for the Tigers.
Saturday will be our first home game in Capital One Field at
Byrd Stadium since 2008 and we are very excited to play our first game at home.
Head coach Sasho Cirovski's 2010 signing class was released Tuesday the group is already catching some national attention from the media.
The class, which features five student-athletes with a vast array of experience, is Cirovski's 19th at Maryland.
Gordon Murie, the New Zealand U-17 captain, and Patrick Mullins, the 2008 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year, are already on campus after enrolling a semester early this spring.
For the Soccer America article detailing Maryland's latest signing additions, please click on the link below.
Fans can catch a glimpse of Maryland's new pair and the rest of the Terrapin men's soccer team when the squad begins spring action with a match against Crystal Palace USA this Saturday. The match is slated to start at 11 a.m. at Ludwig Field and is free of charge.
For a look at the complete spring schedule, please click on the link below.
New this year for the Maryland men's lacrosse team are weekly award given by the team captains and the coaching staff.
For the Bellarmine game, junior close defenseman Ryder Bohlander was selected for the Coaches' Award, while sophomore midfielder Jake Bernhardt was the pick for the Captains' Award. Bohlander made his second career start in the season opener at Bellarmine and led the defense with a career-best two caused turnovers and a groundball. Bernhardt made his first career start vs. the Knights and set career-bests with three points and two goals.
Senior midfielder Will Yeatman was a double winner following the Terps' 15-13 come-from-behind win at Georgetown. Yeatman was chosen for the Captains' Award and was co-recipient of the Coaches' Award with redshirt junior Brian Farrell. Yeatman had his first hat trick as a Terp vs. the Hoyas, scoring all three goals during Maryland's decisive 7-0 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters. Farrell was easily the best defensive player on the field vs. the Hoyas. The long pole, who missed nearly all of 2009 with a rib and internal injuries, returned to his All-America form and set career-bests with 10 groundballs and six caused turnovers. He also contributed to the offense with an assist on Scott LaRue's second quarter goal.
A message from Coach Cottle on the Georgetown victory and
the upcoming game against Duke:
Well, first I want to give a brief summary of the Georgetown
game.
I think the key was playing hard, not just for part of the
game, but for all 60 minutes and winning the fourth quarter. Scoring 15 goals
was enjoyable to see and the offense picked up the slack for the rest of the
team.
I think we responded to adversity in that game - even if
some of the adversity was self-inflicted. We need to learn how to play our game
as a team. We made some mistakes in the game that are correctable, but we have
to reduce those mistakes.
We have to put the team first in terms of making personal
choices and decisions, whether it is technique or discipline. We must, as a
group, be collectively responsible in order to continue to improve. It is our
responsibility as coaches to ensure this happens.
As good of a win last week's game was, we have to put it
behind us and prepare for our next challenge.
Duke is a great team with a great coaching staff. They are
well coached in every area and present a great challenge. Our team must
continue to improve this week and prepare with great concentration. We must
play this game with great emotion, toughness and effort. This will be a great
test for our team.
Playing in M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore is a great
opportunity that we are looking forward to.
Lastly, we need to learn to get off to a fast start and
finish strong. I think we need to emphasize this to our players so we can play
with consistency over a 60-minute period. The season is an on-going process and
we need to focus on every player getting better, which in turn will make our
team better.
Inside Lacrosse caught up with sophomore sensation Karri Ellen Johnson recently and the Annapolis-native answered a slew of fan questions from the growth of lacrosse out west to what kind of stick she prefers (she uses the Xen these days!).
Click on the link below for the Fast Break Q & A in its entirety!
It didn't take long for the accolades to start pouring in for rookie sensation Katie Schwarzmann. The midfielder was tabbed WomensLax.com Rookie of the Week after helping lead the Terps to a win of historic proportions Saturday against fifth-ranked Duke. Maryland dropped the Blue Devils in Durham by 13 goals, the largest margin of victory against Duke in program history. The freshman from Century High School tacked an assist, two draw controls, five ground balls and three caused turnovers onto her career-high three-goal performance.
Maryland welcomes another conference-rival Friday for a rare evening match with Virginia at 7 p.m. at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
Wow! What a game. What a comeback! What a week ahead.
