Champion Challenge

Reigning national champion Maryland will face the U.S. National Team at this year's Champion Challenge - A U.S. Lacrosse Event - on Jan. 30, 2011 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.  The Terps will face the U.S. women's senior team (white) at 11 a.m. and the U.S. women's senior team (blue) at 1:30 p.m. in a pair of exhibition matches. 

Can't make it to Florida for all the action? You're in luck!  Maryland's first contest against Team USA will be broadcast on tape delay on ESPNU Sunday, Jan. 30, with the men's game pinning Notre Dame against the U.S. at 10 p.m. and the women's contest immediately following.  UMTerps.com will also be on-hand with an interactive live blog from the first match. Stay logged onto this site for a link to the blog.

For more information on all the festivities at this year's Champion Challenge, please click here.

Puddy Power

Congrats to junior Karri Ellen Johnson, who was tabbed Lacrosse Magazine's NCAA Division I Preseason Player of the Year in late December.

All signs point for this to be Johnson's year in the spotlight - not to say her first two seasons in College Park have been lackluster. The attacker from Annapolis has amassed 143 goals, including three in last season's NCAA Championship bout with five-time defending champion Northwestern.  She has scored in 45 consecutive games, every single one that she has suited up for as a Terp.  She needs a mere six goals to land on Maryland's top ten career goals list.

The publication also chose Maryland as its top candidate to win the whole show this season.

Inspiration - Terp Style

By now, most Maryland women's lacrosse fans have heard of redshirt senior Katie Gallagher's incredibly touching story concerning her battle with Crohn's disease.

After a tumultuous 2010 season which found Gallagher fighting like crazy to get well - and get back on the field for Maryland's run to the national title - she returns in 2011 as a team captain and an integral part of a young defense.

Click here for the Inside Lacrosse story on Katie's clash with Crohn's and how her courage has inspired everyone around her.

Welcome Rookies

Rumor has it this year's freshman class is already turning heads.  Maryland has added a large, talented group of players to its already stellar returning class with the addition of nine freshmen and two transfers. Below is a quick breakdown of the Terps' newbies:

#2 Brooke Griffin - Freshman - Midfield - Edgewater, Md./South River

•        All-Tewaarton team and Under Armour All-American...named Athlete of the Year by the Annapolis Capital and the Baltimore Sun in 2010

#3 Annie Farrell - Freshman - Defense - Baltimore, Md./Towson

•       named to Under Armour All-American Underclassmen Team in 2008 and 2009

#16 Bria Philips - Junior - Attack/Midfield - Davidsonville, Md./Coronado/UMBC

•       tabbed Second Team All-America East Conference in 2010 while at UMBC

#20 Beth Glaros - Freshman - Midfield - Ellicott City, Md./Wilde Lake

•       three-sport standout in lacrosse, soccer and indoor track at Wilde Lake, finishing with 12 letters

#23 Amalie Trentzsch -Freshman - Midfield - Westminster, Md./Winters Mill

•       selected twice to the Under Armour Underclassmen Team and three-times to the National High School Girls Team

#25 Jen Mendez - Freshman - Midfield/Defense - Catonsville, Md./Seton Keough

•       three-sport star in basketball, soccer and lacrosse at Seton Keough

#26 Kelsey Horton - Freshman - Attack - Vienna, Va./Stephens and St. Agnes' School

•      Alexandria Sportsman of the Yea and Northern Virginia All-Area All-Stars Player of the Year

#31 Mary Angstadt - Freshman  - Midfield - Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford

•      honorable mention all-county accolades in soccer as a senior and lacrosse as a junior

#33 Meris Walsh - Freshman - Attack - Easton, Md./Easton

•     honorable mention All-American junior and senior years

#35 Camilla Hayes - Sophomore - Midfield - Linton, Kent, England/ Benenden/Cal-Berkley

•      played for England in the 2008 European Championship, in which England claimed silver

#40 Abbey Clipp - Freshman - Goalie - Ellicott City, Md./Marriotts Ridge

•      as a junior, was first team all-county...holds the school record for most saves (114) and best save percentage (56.4%)