LAX-ETOLOGY

The Terps moved up to fourth in both the IWLCA/Under Armour and Inside Lacrosse/deBeer polls this week after topping Georgetown on Senior Night and also racking up their fourth straight ACC title with a big win against North Carolina last Monday.

Here is a breakdown of the latest RPI rankings (released April 25, 2012):

1.  Northwestern            

2.  Syracuse       

3.  Maryland      

4.  Florida            

5.  North Carolina            

6.  Massachusetts           

7.  Notre Dame

8.  Duke               

9.  Towson         

10.  Virginia        

11.  Penn State 

12.  Loyola (MD)              

13.  Cornell         

14.  Penn            

15.  Navy             

16.  Dartmouth 

Maryland has earned a highly-coveted, top-four seed in each of the last four seasons and has advanced to the final four three consecutive years.   Ironically, if the bracket was released today and went strictly by RPI rankings (which it seldom ever does), the Terps would face Penn, a team they dropped in the quarterfinals in 2010 en route to the national championship.

Fans can watch the selection show at 9 p.m. Sunday night on NCAA.com. First round action kicks off Saturday, May 12.

SHOWING THEIR PRIDE

Maryland unveiled its PRIDE uniforms in a 19-5 rout of Virginia Tech April 14 at Ludwig Field  The Terps also sported the new uniforms in a statement victory against Georgetown last Wednesday.

Here are a few stats on the Terps, who appear to be peaking at just the right time heading into the upcoming NCAA tournament, since revealing the PRIDE uniforms.

-          Maryland is 5-0 since the unveiling of the PRIDE uniforms

-          The Terps are outscoring opponents 79-35 in that span

-          The offense is boasting 15.8 goals per game

-          Katie Schwarzmann has tallied 16 goals

-          Alex Aust has posted 19 assists

-          Brittany Dipper has allowed only 30 goals

-          The Terrapin defense has allowed only 11 goals in the first half

-          Maryland has defeated three opponents ranked in the top 15 nationally

-          Oh yeah, and the Terps tallied their unprecedented fourth straight ACC championship

For anyone who's confused about the layout of the new uniforms, check out some notes from Under Armour on the detail and design:

-          Inspired by characteristics specific to the Maryland state flag and the University of Maryland... the jersey numbers, and cleats all feature a custom Maryland flag print on the women's uniforms.

-          The PRIDE uniform pays homage to the special Terrapin lacrosse heritage and to those who have taken the field as a TERP since the beginning of the lacrosse program.

-          The PRIDE uniforms represent a mix of old school pride and new school innovation

-          Made with Under Armour's signature HeatGear fabric, this jersey wicks moisture, has strategically placed ventilation, and a customized fit so athletes have zero distractions on the field.

A special thanks to Inside Lacrosse for featuring the PRIDE uniforms and gear in this week's Gear Zone.