March 5, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The sixth-ranked Maryland men's lacrosse team plays its first road game of the season at Towson on Saturday, March 7. The Terps and the Tigers are slated for a 2 p.m. face-off at Unitas Stadium.

• The game will be broadcast live locally on WMAR Channel 2 in Baltimore as well as nationally on ESPNU. Handling the play-by-play will be Scott Garceau, while Mark Dixon will provide the analysis. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.wmucsports.com - the website of Maryland's student-run radio station WMUC.

• Maryland is 3-1 on the season and is coming off an impressive 11-8 victory over ACC rival Duke at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic last Saturday. The Terps starting attack of Grant Catalino, Will Yeatman and Ryan Young combined for seven goals and six assists vs. the Blue Devils. The trio has combined for 38 points (a 9.5 ppg average) on the season.

• Towson is 1-2 on the season. The Tigers opened the season with an 11-8 loss at Loyola before heading out west to play Denver and Air Force. The Tigers defeated Air Force, 11-9, but fell to the Pioneers 9-4.

Coaching Match-up
• Now in his 27th season as a head coach, Dave Cottle enters today's game with a 261-105 career record for a 71.3 win percentage, sixth-highest among active coaches with at least 100 career wins. His win total is fourth among active coaches. He is 80-35 (69.6) in his eight seasons at Maryland.

• Coach Dave Cottle has a 18-9 career record against Towson while coaching at Loyola and Maryland. He was 11-9 vs. the Tigers while at Loyola. He is 7-0 vs. Towson as the coach at Maryland.

• Towson's Tony Seaman is in his 11th year Towson with a 247-140 (.638) record in 28 years at Towson, Johns Hopkins, Penn and C.W. Post. He is 83-67 (.553) in 11 years with the Tigers starting in 1999.

Series History vs. Duke
• In games against Towson, Maryland holds a 25-5 (.833) all-time record in the series that dates to 1971. The Terps have won the last 14 regular-season meetings, including last season's 12-7 win in College Park.

• Last season, Ryan Young had four assists to lead the Terps to a 12-7 victory at a rain soaked Ludwig Field. Dan Groot had a hat trick for Maryland, while Grant Catalino, Brian Farrell and Jeff Reynolds each had two goals. Brian Phipps and Jason Carter were solid in the cage of the Terrapins, combining to stop 13 Tiger shots.

• The Terps jumped out to a 4-1 lead at the half in 2007, thanks in large part to three first-half goals by Max Ritz. The Tigers staged a comeback, pulling to within two goals with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and had an extra-man opportunity to trim the lead to one. But Maryland's Brian Farrell turned the tables on Towson, scoring a man-down goal that proved to be the game winner in the 8-7 Terrapin victory.

• The 2006 meeting saw All-American Brendan Healy score a hat trick, including the game-winning goal to lead the No. 1-ranked Terrapins to a 9-6 victory over the Tigers. Maryland got a dominating performance out of its defense, which held Towson scoreless in the first half. Steve Whittenberg led the defensive charge for the Terps, causing five Tiger turnovers and picking up four groundballs.

• The 2005 meeting saw the sixth-ranked Terps take a 9-5 decision over the No. 9 Tigers at Unitas Stadium on March 12. Xander Ritz (2-2=4) and Michael Phipps (1-3=4) each totaled four points for Maryland and Bill McGlone netted a hat trick, but it was Andrew Schwartzman who tallied the game-winner by converting on an extra-man opportunity.

• Maryland led 8-1 through three quarters, but Towson rallied for five fourth-quarter goals at Byrd Stadium in College Park on March 13, 2004. The Terps held on for an 8-6 victory largely on the performance of goalie Tim McGinnis, who made 15 saves.

• In the 2003 game at Towson, the Terps got a dynamic performance from then-freshman Joe Walters, who scored the first four goals of his career and added an assist for his first five-point game as a Terp to lead Maryland to a 12-8 victory.

• The two schools first played in 1971, a 22-6 Maryland win on April 3. The teams did not meet again until 1981 and have met at least once per season since.

• The Tigers have never beaten Maryland in Towson. The Terps are a perfect 11-0 at Towson, although Towson has won three times in the regular season in College Park: Towson, 14-7 (4/12/94), Towson, 13-9 (3/14/92) and Towson, 8-7 (3/17/90).

• Towson has won the only two meetings between the two schools in the postseason. The Tigers beat the Terps 15-11, in the NCAA Semifinals at Syracuse on May 25, 1991. Towson also upset Maryland in College Park in the 2001 NCAA Quarterfinals 12-11.

Individual Terps vs. Towson
• Senior Dan Groot leads 11 players on the current Maryland roster have recorded points against Towson. Groot has had at least one goal vs. the Tigers in each of the three games he's played against them.

• The game-winner in the '07 clash came from Terrapin long pole Brian Farrell, who banged-home the decisive score in transition while the Terps were a man-down. Farrell continued to haunt Towson in 2008, scoring two more goals.

• The 2008 freshmen attackmen came to play against the Tigers. Ryan Young handed out a career-high four assists. Grant Catalino scored twice, while Travis Reed added a goal.

• Goalie Brian Phipps had arguably his best game of his freshman campain against Towson in 2007. The ACC Freshman of the Year turned away a career-best 16 Tiger shots and scooped up four groundballs. He continued his hot-hand against Towson in 2008, making seven stops with just three goals allowed in 30:00.

Opponent Connections
• Of course when two schools are located less than an hour away from each other there are many connections with the teams. Here are a few:

• Former Maryland coach Dick Edell, who retired from the school on Sept. 3, 2001, is a 1968 Towson graduate and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1980.

• Jeff Reynolds will be on opposing sidelines from fellow Calvert Hall grads Phil Blevins, Michael Brashears.

• St. Mary's high school will be represented by Jason Carter on the Maryland side and John and Matt Lamon and Justin Schneider from Towson.

• McDonogh alums Bryn Holmes and Jeremy Sieverts could challenge Tiger freshman defender KC Woods.

• Senior Kevin Slafkosky will meet fellow Mt. St. Joseph's grads Tommy Beach, Shane Casey and Matt Hanzsche.

• Shane Hall and Scott LaRue will see former River Hill teammate Chauncey Whiting.

• The Buckeye state will be represented by Dublin Jerome graduates Chris Ready for the Terps and Scott Ruhl for the Tigers.

• Eric Boyle transferred to Maryland from Towson prior to the 2009 season. He played two seasons for the Tigers and scored 33 points on 23 goals and 10 groundballs. He is redshirting the 2009 season.

• A pair of former Terps are key contributors for the Tigers. Junior goalie Rob Wheeler has started all three games for Towson, while junior midfielder Will Harrington has three goals. Harrington and Wheeler were part of the Maryland program in 2006 as freshmen. Harrington saw action in three games for the Terps in 2006, while Wheeler redshirted the season.

Where's the Beef? Check the "D"
• How big is Maryland's defense this season? Take a look at the starting close defensemen for the Terps in 2009 - the average for the group is 6-foot-4, 230 pounds.

37 • Brian Farrell: 6-5, 240
14 • Mike Griswold: 6-4, 230
19 • Max Schmidt: 6-4, 220

Beef: It's Not Just For Defense Anymore
• Maryland defenders have long been known for their size, but what about the offense. That's where the smaller, quick, athletic types are supposed to be, but don't tell that to the Terps.

• Junior Will Yeatman and sophomore Grant Catalino are huge bookends at attack for the Terps. Yeatman checks in at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, while Catalino is an inch shorter and 20 pounds lighter.

• The Terps also boast some beef in the midfield. The first line has a trio that averages nearly 6-foot-2, 197 pounds in seniors Dan Groot (6-1, 190), Jeremy Sieverts (6-3, 210) and Jeff Reynolds (6-1, 190).

Offensive Defenders
• Through four games Terrapin defensive players have been surprisingly offensive. So far in 2009, four Maryland defenders (close, long poles and short-stick d-middies) have scored goals or tallied assists. In total, Terrapin defenders have six goals and three assists for nine points. The Terps have totaled 56 points as a team, which means that 10 percent of Maryland's offense has come from a defensive player.

• Leading the way, of course, is Brian Farrell. The junior was moved to close defense this season, but that hasn't stopped him from charging up the field to create offense. He leads the defense with two goals and an assists and is actually tied for fifth on the squad in points. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Baltimore native, has 15 goals and eight assists for 23 career points. Easily the highest-scoring defender in school history, Farrell's 23 points ranks 25th since 2002 at Maryland (the Cottle Era).

• Sophomore long pole Brett Schmidt seems to be taking a page out of Farrell's playbook. He scored a goal in the 2008 finale against Virginia and has picked up right where he left off. This season Schmidt scored a goal in the opener vs. Presbyterian and added an assist vs. Air Force.

• Sophomore short-stick Danny Burns scored two goals vs. Air Force, while his running mate Dean Hart put in a goal vs. Presbyterian.

Defense Ready To Meet Expectations
• On paper this year's Maryland defense may appear to have some holes, but the 2009 Terrapin defense is looking to uphold the Terps' tradition of great defenses. Sure, the unit lost second team All-American Joe Cinosky, as well as 2008 starters Ryne Adolph and Jacob Baxter, but one look at the talent this year's "D" and you'll see it's more than capable. Sophomore Max Schmidt returns for his second season after starting 10 games as a freshman in 2008. Junior Brian Farrell was moved down low, but don't expect him to curtail his offensive ways. Senior Mike Griswold has secured the third spot and has played well. Sophomore Brett Schmidt and junior Dan Halayko are the team's top two long poles. Senior Chris Rhine can play both long pole and short-stick. The Terps' top shorties will be sophomore Dan Burns and junior Dean Hart, along with several offensive middies who are capable of locking down on the defensive side of the field.

• During the last five seasons, Maryland held its' opponents scoreless for long stretches of game time. The 2004 Terps kept opponents scoreless for stretches of 20 or more minutes eight times. In 2005 Maryland did it on seven occasions, and was just seconds away from keeping the high-powered Duke (1st meeting) and Navy offenses off the board for more than 20 minutes. The 2006 season saw the Terrapin defense do it 10 times in 17 games. In 2007 Terp "D" had 11 20+ minute scoring droughts to its credit in 16 contests. Last season, the Terp defense had six 20+-minute scoring droughts. Already this year, the Terps have put up two 20+-minute scoreless stretches.

• The defense turned in its first shutout quarter of the season in the first quarter of the 18-3 win over Presbyterian. The Terps held the Blue Hose scoreless in the first quarter, allowing the offense to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Overall, Presbyterian was held off the board for the first 25:14 of the game. Maryland also shutout the Blue Hose in the third quarter. Defenders Brian Farrell (1-1=2), Dean Hart (1-0=1) and Brett Schmidt (1-0=1) contributed on the offensive end as well.

• The Maryland "D" was just as stingy against Air Force in the Terps' 15-4 victory. The Terps held the Falcons scoreless for a stretch of 23:42, spanning the second, third and fourth quarters. Maryland also shutout Air Force in the third for its third scoreless quarter of the season. Brian Farrell scored a goal to extend his scoring streak to five games, dating back to last season. Danny Burns scored his first career goal and tacked on another for multiple-point game for a Terp defender. After scoring a goal in the opener, Brett Schmidt showed he can dish too, picking up his first-career assist.

Fast Starts
• Since Coach Cottle arrived in College Park in 2002 only 10 players (for a total of 15 times) have totaled 12 points or more in the first four games of a season. Two of those are had done so in 2009. Grant Catalino is tied for second with 16 points in the Terps' first four games. He also has the most assists of any Terp in the first four games with nine. Will Yeatman has 12 points on five goals and seven assists.

Streaking Terps
• Entering the 2009 season there are several scoring streaks that carry over from 2008 and they have continued in '09.

• Grant Catalino is currently on a 17-game point streak dating back to last year's Providence game. In those 17 games, he has had multiple points in 15 with a current multiple-point streak of 10, dating back to the Hopkins game.

• Jeremy Sieverts has the next-longest point-scoring streak for the Terps, which is now at eight games.

Yeatman among Tryout Pool For Team USA
• Junior attackman Will Yeatman is one of 84 players selected to try out for the 2010 U.S. men's national team that will compete FIL World Championships in Manchester, England. Yeatman is among 11 current college players selected from more than 200 applications.

• Joining Yeatman in the tryout pool are six former Terrapins: Joe Walters (attack), Bill McGlone (midfield), Joe Cinosky (defense), Chris Passavia (defense), Lee Zink (defense) and Brian Dougherty (goalie).

• The tryouts will be held from June 7-10, 2009 at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. Following the tryout weekend, the group will be trimmed to approximately 40 players that will compete in three training weekends during the fall of 2009. After those three weekends, the roster will be cut to the FIL-mandated size of 23 players.

Home Cooking
• A lot is made in sports about the home-field advantage, and for the Maryland men's lacrosse team that advantage has held true since Coach Cottle arrived in College Park. Since 2002, the Terps are 42-15 (.737) when playing on the Maryland campus. At Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium Maryland is 27-11 (.711) under Cottle, while the Terps have gone 8-3 (.727) at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex and 7-1 (.875) at Ludwig Field.

Terps' 84th Season Of Lacrosse
• The Terps boast an all-time record of 696-232-4 (.749), dating back to the first varsity team in 1924 (a team was not fielded in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II). Maryland has finished every one of its previous 83 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 10-6. The program reached the 650-win milestone with a 16-12 win over Army in the first round of the 2004 NCAA tournament at Byrd Stadium.

• Since 2000, Maryland is 104-43 for a .707 win percentage. In the decade of the 1990s, Maryland posted a 95-47 record. The .669 winning percentage matched Maryland's win percentage of the 1980s when the Terps went 83-41 and also compiled a .669 win percentage.

Terps in Pro Stadiums
• Maryland has played nine games in an NFL stadium. All-time the Terps are 5-4 in professional stadiums. Earlier this season Maryland topped Duke, 11-8, at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium.

• In 2005, Maryland was 3-1 in NFL stadiums - 1-1 at Lincoln Financial Field and 2-0 at M&T Bank Stadium.

• In 2006, the Terps were 1-1 at M&T Bank Stadium, defeating North Carolina, 10-9, in the ACC semis at M&T Bank Stadium before dropping an 11-5 decision to Virginia in the finals. Maryland then lost to UMass, 8-5, at Lincoln Financial Field in the NCAA Semifinals.

• Maryland lost to Virginia in the 2003 NCAA Semifinals in M&T Bank Stadium.

First-Time Opponents
• Maryland has played 72 different opponents in its 83 previous seasons. The 2009 season will add Presbyterian, Bryant and Binghamton to that list. Adding the 18-3 Presbyterian win in, the Terps' are 68-4 in first-ever meetings. Adelphi (12-13, 1982), Army (0-3, 1923), Syracuse (3-10, 1927) and Yale (3-5, 1925) are the only schools to beat the Terps the first time the schools met on a lacrosse field.

Maryland In Season Openers
• Maryland has a 80-3-1 (.958) lifetime record in season openers dating back to the 1924 season. The Terps have won their last 16 openers and 23 of the last 24, with the only loss coming to Duke in 1993, when they fell to Duke 9-5 on March 6.

• After losing their 1925 opener to Yale, 5-3, the Terps went on to win 40 consecutive season openers from 1926 through 1967. The streak was broken when Maryland tied Princeton, 6-6, in the 1968 opener. Following the deadlock, Maryland went on to win its next 14 openers, giving the Terps a 54-0-1 record over a 57-year span (Maryland did not field a team in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II.)

16 Straight in Season Openers
• After beating No. 4 Georgetown to open the 2008 season the Terps have a 15-game winning streak in season openers. Five of those wins came against Villanova (1994-98) and the last nine over Denver, Mount St. Mary's, Air Force, Hobart, Duke, Georgetown (four times), Bellarmine and Presbyterian. Over the 16-year stretch, Maryland outscored its foes 222-81 (an average score of 13.8-5.1) in those games.

• The Terps have not allowed more than seven goals to any opponent in a season opener over the last 16 years. Maryland has not allowed an opponent to score 10 or more goals in a season opener since Syracuse beat the Terps, 16-13 on March 9, 1983.

A Family Affair
• Many school's refer to their sports programs as families, but under Coach Cottle the Maryland men's lacrosse program has really become a family affair. Since arriving in College Park in 2002, Cottle has had nine sets of brothers don the red and black together for at least one season.

Harry & Thomas Alford: 2004-05-06-07
Justin & Owen Blye: 2009
Brendan & Ian Healy: 2003-04-05
Bryn & Travis Holmes: 2007
Dan & Mike LaMonica: 2002
Chris & Willy Passavia: 2002-03
Brian & Michael Phipps: 2007
Max & Xander Ritz: 2005-06
Mark & Michael White: 2008-09

• Maryland's family tradition doesn't end with brothers. Fathers and sons are also part of the Terps' tradition and that's never been more evident than this season. This year's Maryland men's lacrosse roster features three players whose father's not only played at Maryland, but won a nation title together. Mike Farrell, father of Brian, Wilson Phipps, father of Brian, and Jake Reed, father of Travis, were all members of the Terps' 1975 NCAA championship squad.

• The Terrapin family tree doesn't stop there for Brian Phipps. He is the fourth in a line of Phipps that donned the red and black for Maryland. The Phipps-family legacy started in the 1940's with Louis Phipps, who was an honorable mention All-American in 1949. His son, Wilson, was a member of the 1975 Terrapin National Championship squad. Brian is the second of Wilson's sons to play for the Terps. Michael Phipps played for Maryland from 2004-07 and was an honorable mention All-American as a senior after leading the squad in scoring with 50 points.

Home Away From Home
• Due to the renovations currently underway at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium, the Terps will play their five scheduled home games at Ludwig Field. It is anticipated that the Terrapins will return to Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium in 2010.

2009 Captains: Carter, Griswold, Groot, Rhine, Sieverts
• Five players have been named team captains for the 2009 season. The quintet, which was voted on by the team during the preseason, consists of seniors Jason Carter, Mike Griswold, Dan Groot, Chris Rhine and Jeremy Sieverts.

Maryland Men's Lacrosse on Facebook
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Media Information
• Email Straight To You: If you would like the latest Maryland men's lacrosse news emailed directly to you as soon as it breaks, email men's lacrosse contact Patrick Fischer with "Men's Lacrosse E-Mail" as the subject and you will receive every update.

• Terps on the Web: For up-to-date game stories, statistics, schedules and results, and other Maryland athletic department information, please log-on to www.umterps.com on the Internet.

• GameTracker: Follow Terps games live in 2009 on your computer with GameTracker. Links for all games that will be available can be found at www.umterps.com.