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Terps shake off slow start, rip Detroit in lacrosse opener

Maryland lacrosse coach John Tillman sat down Saturday after two wind-swept hours at Byrd Stadium.

He had just completed his first game with the Terrapins and the second-largest rout of his four-year head coaching career.

And yet ...

"It's weird to kind of be disappointed at 16-4," Tillman said of the Terps' demolition of Detroit.

No, it's not weird. It's called being a coach.

But he's also right. As cozy as the final margin looks, as impressive as the 20-for-20 clearing day would seem, as dominant as the 49-23 groundball margin suggests, there was still the first quarter.

Maryland spent four of the first 10 minutes a man down. It had a goal wiped out by an illegal stick penalty. It trailed 2-1 after a quarter.

All this against a Titans outfit still finding its way in their third years as a program.

So was it perfect? Not remotely. But Tillman tried to offer a calming voice after 15 minutes, pointing out the Terps hadn't played well and still trailed by just a goal.

Until, that is, Ryan Young produced a natural hat trick. Then Travis Reed scored twice. The Terps rattled off nine goals in 16 minutes, and all was normal again in the world.

Still, Tillman couldn't shake the thought of how Maryland might fare if it commits 17 turnovers next weekend against Georgetown. Or gives up a couple extra-man goals down the road to Duke.

Or ... well, you get the idea.

"I think it shows how much he thinks we can do this year," Reed said. "I think he has a lot of respect for us."

And the Terps respect themselves. There is an unspoken sense of just what this season means for Maryland, which fell short of Memorial Day weekend for the last four years. Last year's senior class was the first to leave College Park without a final four trip since 2002. Those are the only two groups to leave Maryland without that experience since the establishment of the NCAA tournament in 1971.

So the Terps aren't about to shrug at the need for a little more precision, even in a season opener against a team that was undermanned (though schematically intriguing).

"The highest standard there is," midfielder John Haus said. "We want to be playing in that last game of the year. There's no question about that."

Tillman was the man hired to get Maryland there after producing a 20-19 record in three years at Harvard. But he knows a bit about high standards after a dozen seasons as a Navy assistant.

So what was there to be gleaned from a predictable rout? Only the most predictable coaching assessment: There's a lot more to be done for Maryland to get to where it wants to be.

"It's hard to get coaches really happy," Reed said, prompting a few laughs. "Even after a win, you can find improve on every game. I think this was a good start."

Early season lacrosse look-in: Maryland

Maryland's lacrosse team opens its season Saturday against Detroit, with the annual date with Georgetown looming in another week.

It's also the first season under coach John Tillman, the former Navy assistant who spent the last three seasons at Harvard.

As for what to expect? Here's a guide to the Terrapins as they seek their first final four appearance since 2006 and try to end a 35-year national title drought.

ATTACK

It's about what you'd expect from a team that brings back the bulk of a unit. Grant Catalino and Ryan Young are the two most known quantities, and Travis Reed is back as well (minus, Tillman said, 20 pounds; Reed must have gone really light on the Chipotle this offseason).

Perhaps that will provide Reed, whose greatest strength during his first three seasons was as a lethal stationary shooter, a little more agility and versatility in the offense. Catalino is the big scorer, but Young will play a large role in Maryland's offensive success.

MIDFIELD

Maryland ran four midfields a season ago, a statement not only about the depth in the program (which was good) but also about divide between the best and fourth-best midfields (which wasn't all that wide).

Tillman doesn't have much interest in revisiting that setup, but isn't quite ready to commit long term to many combinations.

One guy who figures to be a crucial asset to the first midfield is Joe Cummings, who has played both attack and midfield for Maryland. One theme throughout his career is figuring out ways to get teammates to play better while he's on the field.

"I think Joe Cummings is a guy who's a really, really smart player," Tillman said. "Every day he does something that makes you step back and say 'Whoa, that was really smart.'"

Other holdovers certain to factor in are Jake Bernhardt and John Haus.

Tillman said sophomore Kevin Cooper, a tall, lanky occasional fourth midfielder last season, is a bit of a pleasant surprise. He might get more work early on as a bunch of nicked up players (Scott LaRue, Warren Hansen, Eric Boyle and Dan Burns) get healthy.

CLOSE DEFENSE

Tillman, like predecessor Dave Cottle, possesses an offensive background. But there's no doubt the pieces are in place for his first team to be defined by defense.

Three senior starters --- Brett Schmidt, Max Schmidt and Ryder Bohlander --- return, as does fifth-year long pole Brian Farrell. Tillman is impressed with senior Shane Hall as well. Toss is Jesse Bernhardt, who like Farrell is a dangerous commodity in transition, and the Terps should be in solid shape.

The question here is how much Maryland opts to tinker with a group that played well last year --- and how much those guys welcome change.

"They’ve been great, been very receptive and worked very hard at it," Tillman said. "We tried to figure out what they were very good at and what they were suited for for and what they needed to learn. We didn't want to turn those guys into freshmen again. We constantly had to communicate with them: 'Does this make sense, do you guys feel comfortable and understand why we're using these schemes?'"

FACEOFFS

Ah, the old Maryland bugaboo. The Terps have enjoyed seasons when they were solid at the faceoff X, but only in spurts has Maryland dominated possession over the course of several games.

It could be a cast-of-thousands approach this year, with Jake Bernhardt, Curtis Holmes, Dan Burns and Mike Shakespeare all possibilities to have their turn on faceoffs.

The guy to keep an eye on, though, might be freshman Dan Noskin.

"He's a guy who helps us in practice, a guy who is very different," Tillman said. "He's very dedicated and that makes everybody better. Danny is so focused, and he's a faceoff guy. That's what his craft is and he's always analyzing film. It's what he does."

GOALIE

With veteran Brian Phipps graduated, Maryland has hyped redshirt freshman Niko Amato and junior Mark White (he of 48 career minutes) as options in the cage.

Amato is expected to start the opener, but Tillman isn't willing to commit to a goalie as his long-term option just yet.

"Niko is ahead but we haven't said 'He's our guy for the next four years,'" Tillman said. "Mark has been a pleasant surprise. He came back this year and he hasn’t laid down."

OVERALL

Tillman is in an interesting spot. His predecessor got fired, essentially, for not reaching Memorial Day weekend for four years running, and now he inherits a veteran team that probably should be playing deep into May (though it's tough to float Maryland as a title favorite with Virginia and Syracuse still lurking).

There will be an inevitable adjustment period, and that's not always ideal with Maryland playing Georgetown and Duke in the opening weeks of the season. Still, if the faceoff situation can prove adequate and Amato or White settles in at goalie, it should be a solid season for the Terps.

Maryland-Virginia lacrosse moved to Scott Stadium

Well, this should be a treat: For the first time in 16 years, Virginia will play a lacrosse game at Scott Stadium.

And it will be against Maryland.

And it will be played just before the annual spring football game (a neat move, even if several hundred miles away, Ohio State fans roll their eyes at the creativity involved with this decision).

So that should be a fun day in Charlottesville. It might be safe to begin planning a return trip to Boylan Heights that weekend, too.

While Virginia hasn't played a lacrosse game in Scott Stadium since 1995 --- basically, before a natural grass surface replaced the old turf --- there was a lightly attended NCAA quarterfinal doubleheader there in 2004.

Five Terps lead Mid-Atlantic contingent in MLL Draft

Major League Lacrosse switched its draft from after the NCAA tournament to before the college season even starts this year.

As a result, the college game's top seniors will head into their final year on campus knowing where they'll be playing in another five months.

The 48-man draft included 11 players from Mid-Atlantic schools, including five from Maryland in the first 23 picks. Virginia had three players picked, Georgetown had two and Towson had one.

The rundown ... while keeping in mind the Division I college lacrosse season gets underway on Feb. 5.

4. Boston: M Shamel Bratton, Virginia

12. Boston: LSM Brian Farrell, Maryland
15. Denver: D Brett Schmidt, Maryland
17. Long Island: M Rhamel Bratton, Virginia
19. Hamilton: M Dan Burns, Maryland

21. Denver: A Grant Catalino, Maryland
23. Long Island: A Ryan Young, Maryland
24. Chesapeake: D Barney Ehrmann, Georgetown

41. Long Island: M Peter Mezzanotte, Towson
42. Chesapeake: M Dan Hostetler, Georgetown
45. Denver: G Adam Ghitelman, Virginia

Virginia-Syracuse lacrosse moved to March 4

Little lacrosse tidbit on a Wednesday afternoon ...

Virginia's game at Syracuse was shifted from March 6 at 1 p.m. to March 4 at 6 p.m. The reason? Pretty safe to say that it's Tee-Vee. Indeed, the game will be on ESPNU.

In this case, moving that game so a national audience can see it is a very good thing. No lacrosse series is quite as much fun as Cavaliers-Orange, particularly early in the season when teams are likely to respond to offense with more offense rather than a greater commitment to defense.

Here's Virginia's updated regular season schedule:

Feb. 19: Drexel, 5
Feb. 22: Mount St. Mary's, 4
Feb. 26: at Stony Brook, Noon
Feb. 28: VMI, 7

March 4: at Syracuse, 6 (ESPNU)
March 8: Vermont, 7
March 12: vs. Cornell at M&T Bank Stadium, 1:30 (ESPNU)
March 19: Ohio State, 3
March 26: at Johns Hopkins, 2 (ESPNU)

April 2: Maryland, Noon (ESPNU)
April 9: North Carolina, Noon (ESPN)
April 16: at Duke, 5:30 (ESPNU)
April 22/24: ACC tournament in Durham, N.C.
April 30: Penn, 3

Maryland, Virginia release lacrosse schedules

Catching up on some details ... here's lacrosse schedules for Maryland and Virginia for next spring.

MARYLAND

Feb. 19: Detroit, 1
Feb. 26: Georgetown, 3 (ESPNU)

March 5: at Duke, 1 (ESPN3.com)
March 7: Bellarmine, 3
March 12: at Towson, 11 a.m. (ESPN3.com)
March 18: UMBC, 7 (ESPN3.com)
March 20: Saint Joseph's, 1
March 26: North Carolina, Noon (ESPNU)

April 2: at Virginia, Noon (ESPNU)
April 8: at Navy, 7 (CBS College Sports)
April 16: Johns Hopkins, 8 (ESPNU)
April 22-24: ACC tournament in Durham, N.C.

May 7: Colgate, 1

VIRGINIA

Feb. 19: Drexel, 5
Feb. 22: Mount St. Mary's, 4
Feb. 26: at Stony Brook, Noon
Feb. 28: VMI, 7

March 6: at Syracuse, 1
March 8: Vermont, 7
March 12: vs. Cornell at M&T Bank Stadium, 1:30 (ESPNU)
March 19: Ohio State, 3
March 26: at Johns Hopkins, 2 (ESPNU)

April 2: Maryland, Noon (ESPNU)
April 9: North Carolina, Noon (ESPN)
April 16: at Duke, 5:30 (ESPNU)
April 22/24: ACC tournament in Durham, N.C.
April 30: Penn, 3

Georgetown lacrosse schedule posted

As the great @hokieguru pointed out on Twitter this evening, Georgetown's lacrosse schedule is posted.

And here it is, straight for the Hoyas' website:

Feb. 20: at Jacksonville, noon
Feb. 26: at Maryland, 1

March 5: at St. John's, 1
March 8: at Harvard, 4
March 12: vs. Syracuse at M&T Bank Stadium, 11 a.m.
March 19: Providence, 1
March 26: at Duke, 1 

April 1: Navy, 7
April 5: at Mount St. Mary's, 7
April 10: at Notre Dame, noon
April 16: Loyola, 7
April 23: Yale, 1
April 30: at Rutgers, 7

May 7: Villanova, 7

There's a Friday night game against Navy, two more home night games and a season-opening trip to Florida.

It's also home-heavy toward the end, with three of the last four games scheduled for the Multi-Sport Field.

Navy releases 2011 lacrosse schedule

After dealing with such cold weather the last few days, it's a nice respite to look to something that evokes nicer, longer days.

That would be lacrosse. At least the end of lacrosse season. The start of it is just as brutally frigid as this week.

Navy's out with its schedule, with surprises generally absent. The Army game is back on campus, as previously reported, and it is wedged in the Midshipmen's usual difficult stretch in April.

An interesting tweak --- the Georgetown, Maryland and Johns Hopkins games will all be in prime time this year.

The rundown:

Feb. 12: VMI, Noon
Feb. 19: at Loyola, 3
Feb. 25: at North Carolina, 7:30

March 1: at Lehigh, 7
March 5: at Bucknell, 7:30
March 12: Lafayette, noon
March 15: Towson, 7
March 19: at Holy Cross, Noon
March 26: Colgate, Noon

April 1: at Georgetown, 7
April 8: Maryland, 7
April 16: Army, Noon
April 23: at Johns Hopkins, 8
April 29/May 1: Patriot League tournament at regular season champ

Johns Hopkins releases 2011 lacrosse schedule

In this afternoon from Johns Hopkins, the Blue Jays' 2011 lacrosse schedule. Army's new to the schedule, while Hofstra is no longer on there.

Just think ... it's barely two months to lacrosse season.

Feb. 19: at Towson, Noon (ESPN3.com)
Feb. 22: at Delaware, 6
Feb. 26: Siena, 1 (ESPNU)

March 5: Princeton, 1 (ESPNU)
March 9: Manhattan, 7 (ESPNU)
March 12: vs. UMBC at M&T Bank Stadium, 4 (ESPN3.com)
March 19: at Syracuse, 6 (ESPNU)
March 26: Virginia, 2 (ESPNU)

April 3: vs. North Carolina in East Rutherford, N.J., 4 (ESPNU)
April 8: Albany, 7:30 (ESPNU)
April 16: at Maryland, 8 (ESPNU)
April 23: Navy, 8 (ESPNU)
April 30: Loyola, 2 (ESPNU)

May 6: at Army, 7

(EDIT: Albany game moved from April 9 to April 8; corrected to reflect new date and time).

Yeatman says lacrosse future still "up in the air"

Will Yeatman is among the most media-savvy college athletes you'll come across, in equal parts because (a) he's a sharp guy and (b) he's withstood a very public glare from his time at Notre Dame.

So he was naturally well-prepared to handle (and maybe mildly amused to hear) a throw-away question at the end of our football-related discussion about his chances of playing lacrosse at Maryland next spring.

"It's up in the air still," Yeatman said. "We'll see. I'm focusing on football right now."

Yeatman played lacrosse during the regular season at Notre Dame in 2007 under coach Kevin Corrigan and at Maryland in 2009 and 2010 under coach Dave Cottle. Maryland fired Cottle in May and hired John Tillman to take over the next month.

"I've definitely been in touch with the coaches," Yeatman said. "Absolutely. I like Coach Tillman a lot. It's a good coaching staff, but that's still up in the air."