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Terps' Tillman not tempering expectations upon arrival

The tough part for John Tillman wasn't agreeing to come to Maryland.

It was knowing things weren't entirely wrapped up at Harvard.

He'd spent 32 months at the Ivy League school, a blink of an eye in the span of most careers. He came, he recruited (well), he went 20-19.

And now he's off to College Park.

It's a good deal for him. Tillman gets probably more job security than anyone would have anticipated (a seven-year deal), a chance to return to an area where he worked for a dozen years as an assistant at Navy and the opportunity to move from a program with three all-time NCAA quarterfinal appearances to a school where three straight quarterfinal appearances isn't enough for some fans.

Oh, yeah. About that ... Tillman doesn't seem to mind.

"No one's going to put bigger expectations than I am," Tillman said on a conference call with reporters this afternoon. "I know everybody has high expectations at every program, and mine are always higher. I want to win every game. I don't go into any game thinking 'We can't win this' or 'we didn't do everything possible put our focus and energy into winning."

Chances are, that will ingratiate him rather well with Maryland fans who remain puzzled the Terrapins have not collected a national title in 35 years (more on that in a later post).

The greater question is, what are the expectations of Tillman's superiors? In other words, how exactly is the bar defined when Tillman's predecessor, Dave Cottle, was 99-45 in nine years but had a four-year final four drought.

"It hasn't changed," said Michael Lipitz, the senior associate athletic director who was in charge of the coaching search. "It hasn't changed from the last several years and it's not going to change. We want to be routinely in the mix and be able to compete for championships, whether at the conference or national level. This has never been about national championships. Everyone wants to win national championships. In order to do that you have to do all the right things day in and day out and out yourself in position to compete for a title. We believe John Tillman is the right guy."

This particular deal came together in less than two weeks. Any damage done with the absence of a head coach for nearly four weeks will likely be mitigated by the arrival of someone most in lacrosse circles would acknowledge as someone heavily invested in recruiting.

Tillman brought in significant classes to Harvard, a program often derisively dubbed "The Lost Cause" (a characterization Tillman was always sure to bring up at least once in every conversation with reporters). Chances are, that end of things won't be a problem at Maryland.

And as for what others think he should be doing? It would seem Tillman is probably thinking bigger than anyone. He brushed off concerns about a disadvantage in facilities, pointing out plans were in place and asserting the importance of focusing on what exists rather than what doesn't.

That attitude could win friends now --- and it could also be used as a self-imposed measuring stick later.

"I think a school, when they put their resources behind it and get the right people in here [they] can accomplish anything," Tillman said. "If you don't dream big, you're not going to achieve your goals. With the resources they have and the commitment, why not Maryland? Why not?"

Expect no significant changes to Navy's lacrosse schedule

Today's conversation with Navy coach Richie Meade about new Maryland coach John Tillman eventually led to a brief discussion about the Midshipmen's 2011 schedule.

In short, don't expect much different.

The Mids play six conference games. Local games against Loyola and Towson remain on the schedule. So do more traditional rivalries like North Carolina, Georgetown, Maryland and Johns Hopkins.

Navy wants to play a 13-game regular season. That last paragraph accounts for 12 of them.

"We could try to move the Towson game, but no matter where you put it, it's a midweek game," Meade said. "Our schedule is very tight early. We have Loyola, Carolina early, then got Bucknell, Lehigh, Towson. I don't think we have any flexibility. I think we'll keep it where it is."

One thing that will be different --- as noted this week by the Baltimore Sun --- is the return of the Army-Navy game to campus. Next spring's game will be in Annapolis, and is the second half of the Day of Rivals to return to a normal home-and-home setup. Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala said last week his school's game with Maryland will be played next year in College Park.

"Our seniors have never played at home against Army," Meade said. "I'm sure Army feels the same way. The Day of Rivals was nice but I feel like playing home-and-home is a better situation for us to go with."

Navy's Meade finds the real winner in Tillman hire

There will be time to hear from new Maryland lacrosse coach John Tillman (he has a teleconference at 4 p.m.), analyze the hire (a solid one given the lack of interest from accomplished coaches) and assess the decision to give him a seven-year contract (which was probably part of the price of doing business after ousting a guy with a .688 winning percentage).

But there is an unexpected winner in all of this that can be declared for certain.

"The benefit is my daughters are going to get Kit Kat bars at Halloween," said Navy coach Richie Meade, who had Tillman on his staff for 12 years before Tillman's three-year stint at Harvard. "Every year he's been at Harvard, he's sent Kit Kat bars to my kids. We have moved, but when he was an assistant here, he gave them Kit Kat bars at Halloween when they were very small. He lived around the block from us. We would get there, and all the kids would get little Kit Kat bars, and my girls got big Kit Kat bars."

How big?

"What we in the Navy call Nimitz-class Kit Kat bars," Meade said. "The girls will look forward to that."

Something else that could be interesting to see in the next year: Tillman coach a game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium after spending so much time on the Midshipmen sideline.

"Obviously, I'm excited for John to get the opportunity at the University of Maryland," Meade said. "I think we'll do an outstanding job and be an outstanding representative of the university and the lacrosse program."

New CAA member prompts Towson lacrosse schedule shuffle

The full season rewind and lookahead for Towson is coming tomorrow, but it should be noted the Tigers will be playing a heavily tweaked early-season schedule.

Tony Seaman, whose three-year extension was finalized this week, said Mount St. Mary's and Saint Joseph's will be added to the Towson's schedule, with both Bucknell and Virginia getting swapped out.

Saint Joseph's is joining the CAA as an associate member in men's lacrosse next season.

"Our league makes the schedule and uses up six Saturdays," Seaman said. "That greatly affected my preleague schedule. It's tough to move those games around. That's two pretty good teams off our schedule. We were able to keep Stony Brook, and that opened up March 5, but neither Bucknell nor Virginia had that open."

Toss in the annual date with Johns Hopkins moving to mid-February --- the season-opener for both teams --- and Towson's tentative schedule looks a whole lot different.

In fact, it's probably more sensible just to do this in chart form rather than attempt to write it out:

Date	2010	2011
FEBRUARY
Third weekend	---	Johns Hopkins
Fourth weekend	Bucknell	Loyola
MARCH
First weekend	Stony Brook	Mount St. Mary's
Second weekend	Maryland	Maryland
Midweek	Navy	Navy
Third weekend	Virginia	Stony Brook
Fourth weekend	Loyola	Saint Joseph's

Perhaps the niftiest part of this whole thing is the Tigers will play five in-state opponents before the NCAA men's basketball tournament even gets underway. Toss in a date with UMBC in early April, and Towson will have faced the other six Division I programs in Maryland.

Only one other school has done that: Johns Hopkins, which went 23-1 against the rest of the state's programs from 2006 to 2009.

Towson's Seaman finalizes three-year extension

A little bit of anticipated lacrosse news this morning, as Towson coach Tony Seaman confirmed he received and finalized a three-year contract extension.

Seaman, who is 96-83 in 12 seasons at the CAA school, has taken the Tigers to five NCAA tournaments and reached the 2001 final four. He's the only coach in the sport's history to take three schools (Penn, Johns Hopkins, Towson) to the final four.

But he was told before this past season his contract would not be renewed if the Tigers didn't make it to the postseason for the first time since 2007, raising the stakes for 2010.

Towson wound up playing arguably the most arduous nonconference schedule in the country, but lost to Delaware in the CAA final. It added an unusual dynamic to the postgame press conference, since no one was sure whether Seaman would actually be back.

Now it's assured that he is. And, as usual, lacrosse season in the northern Baltimore 'burbs certainly won't be dull as a result.

2010 lacrosse rewind: Virginia

FarUp until May 1, it's difficult to believe things could have gone much better for the Virginia lacrosse team.

Perhaps not necessarily for coach Dom Starsia, whose time was split between work and home, where his father was slowly succumbing to cancer. But the Cavaliers were 14-1 after ripping Robert Morris less than a week after winning the ACC tournament, and they'd handled nearly everything in their path.

All three ACC schools, including Maryland twice. Syracuse, Cornell, Stony Brook and Johns Hopkins in a span of a month. Even Towson and Drexel were capable opponents Virginia turned back.

"I'm not sure we've ever had a better regular season, 2006 included," Starsia said, referencing the Cavaliers' perfect season of four years ago. "We never played as competitive a schedule ... We never played a [schedule] like that in all my years. The fact that we were 14-1 was just astonishing to me. We didn't have any dips. We steadily got better."

May, of course, was supposed to cap it all. Virginia went 9-1 against the eventual NCAA tournament field in the regular season and was expected to easily land the No. 1 seed as a senior class without a championship went searching for a departing flourish.

That blissfully common storyline dissipated May 3 when midfielder George Huguely was arrested and charged with the murder of Yeardley Love, a member of the Cavaliers' women's team. Virginia operated within a searing cauldron for the next 26 days, eventually reaching the NCAA semifinals before losing to Duke on Max Quinzani's goal in the closing seconds.

It was the opposite of last year's flop against Cornell in the semifinals.  Yet in some ways, it was remarkable Virginia functioned as well as it did to fend off Stony Brook in the quarterfinals and then rally to tie Duke in the semifinals.

"I'm really proud of everything we did," Starsia said. "You always wish you could have one or two plays back, but somebody was going to win. It was two teams that played a hell of a game. [We heard all about how] our seniors hadn't won a championship, but how about Duke? How about five years that they'd fallen down during that weekend. I have found that because of everything that was going on at the same time, I found I can live with the final result. It's a little easier than some years. We played our butts off on that day and got beat by a great play by two great players."

What just happened: Put simply, a season unlike any other.

Virginia rarely begins a season with questions on attack, and both Chris Bocklet and Steele Stanwick put those concerns to rest with 60-point seasons.

That was backed up by a midfield with three 20-goal scorers, which doesn't exactly happen every day even for a program as strong as Virginia.

Ken Clausen shared national defenseman of the year honors. Adam Ghitelman matured in his third season in goal, earning MVP honors for a stirring turn in the ACC tournament.

And, of course, there was the Huguely matter, something that made Virginia lacrosse far better known than the exploits of Conor Gill, Chris Rotelli, Tillman Johnson, Matt Ward, Matt Poskay and Kyle Dixon combined ever did for the Cavaliers in a general interest sort of way.

In the end, there was a third straight semifinal loss. As good as that fourth quarter was, for most teams it would have been a defining moment. Alas, Virginia wasn't so fortunate.

If this was a typical season, there might be extreme disappointment at coming so close. In this particular case, reaching the end as a mostly intact unit might be the greatest victory of all.

"Duke beat us by a few and we beat them by a few, and then we play a one-goal game in the national semifinals," Starsia said. "So I would fight anybody to the death that just dismisses what happens from January to May just because you don't win the last game. I fully understand that's how these things are remembered. But I thought overall, it was one of our finest efforts. I was only here half the time, I was in a diminished capacity, and the players stood up and [assistants] Marc [Van Arsdale] and John [Walker] did  a great job. It was an extraordinary regular season."

They'll most remember: For better or for worse, May. The Huguely arrest, the death of Starsia's father, the cathartic blowout of Mount St. Mary's in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the escape at Stony Brook in the quarterfinals a week later and then the semifinal setback to Duke. In the middle of it all was more attention than anyone in the program ever could have anticipated --- and the repercussions of that will linger for years, if not decades.

They'll miss: Clausen is a major loss, as any three-time first-team All-America selection would be. Midfielder Brian Carroll had three straight 20-goal seasons to close out his career, including 25 extra-man scores. Replacing that sort of efficiency will be difficult. Virginia also loses defenseman Ryan Nizolek, so that unit will be a bit green in 2011.

Starters lost: M Brian Carroll (26 G, 14 A), D Ken Clausen (3 A, 56 GB, 37 CT), D Ryan Nizolek (3 A, 31 GB, 7 CT), SSDM Mikey Thompson (3 G, 3 A, 31 GB, 6 CT), FO Brian McDermott* (1 G, 105/180 FO, .583 FO%, 43 GB)

*-McDermott could receive a medical hardship after playing in one game in 2009 and still return

On the spot: Defense. With five of six offensive starters returning, as well as the entire second line from the postseason and a goalie with 2 1/2 seasons of starting experience, it really couldn't be anyone else.

Matt Lovejoy would seem to be the surest bet; he started all 18 games after missing 2009 with an ankle injury. Another possibility is moving long pole Bray Malphrus back to close defense. The senior-to-be had 50 groundballs, 24 caused turnovers and 10 penalties thanks to frequent reliance on an all-or-nothing approach. Rising sophomore Harry Prevas is also an option after starting three games in place of Nizolek this year.

Starsia mentioned freshman Scott McWilliams from Mountain Lakes, N.J., as a possibility to start. Both Clausen (2007-10) and Matt Kelly (2006-09) went wire-to-wire as starters in their career, so there's a history of pushing freshmen into prominent roles on defense.

No matter what, it'll be a new situation for many on Virginia's close unit --- perhaps even also for Lovejoy if he slides into Clausen's role as designated cover guy for an opponent's top attackman.

"I hate to use that excuse --- we're all partially young," Starsia said. "Older guys have to carry the mail. We'll fill in the blanks. Maybe we're going to have to score more. We played good defense while our offense got its feet off the ground, and next year it could be more of the opposite. We may have to be better offensively while a young defense figures things out. I think we're certainly capable of doing that. Having stability on attack is a source of comfort on cold winter nights."

The defensive midfield will also be revamped with Thompson and Max Pomper graduating. The pair combined for five goals, which is fairly low for a free-flowing team like Virginia.

Dominance on offense will help, but generating quick-strike goals from the defensive end could also alleviate pressure on a young unit.

"I do think we could be more dynamic there than we've been," Starsia said. "We just didn't get a lot of offense. We got clearing and good defense, but I think those positions can be difference-making positions. It's not impossible to sell that to guys. You have a great chance to attack in transition, a great opportunity to score. That's exciting for next spring. We could be more dynamic."

If there is a question at the offensive end, it is the third attack spot. Matt White (19 goals, 14 assists) and Connor English (10 goals, one assist) both exploited opportunities playing with a posse of talent, but they're not assured of starting next season.

"I like the boy Nick O'Reilly," Starsia said. "He kind of fell behind White and English, but we really like him. We started to get him going a bit. The third attack spot is still in play. We've got young [Mark] Cockerton coming. There are a bunch of guys that are like to be [in the mix] for that, and O'Reilly is not to be discounted."

Far too premature prognosis: Although the Cavaliers' senior class left without a national title (the first such group at Virginia to do so since 1998), they still went 57-13. A 56-5 record against everybody but Duke certainly isn't anything to be ashamed of.

It's also indicative of plenty of talent still dotting Virginia's roster. The Cavaliers are going nowhere, and a big reason is the possibility of a thoroughly dominant midfield.

The Brothers Bratton (Shamel and Rhamel) will be back for their senior seasons, and Starsia isn't quite sure how the top midfield line will shake out. Senior John Haldy (11 goals, five assists) would be a fine option to pair with Shamel (24 goals, 17 assists) and Rhamel (23 goals, eight assists).

Starsia floated an even more diabolical possibility of using Chris LaPierre on the top line. The possibility of placing the 6-foot-2, 215-pound rising sophomore alongside the Brattons seems borderline unfair.

"The questions you ask are 'Do we have enough to beat Syracuse? Do we have enough to beat Duke?'" Starsia said. "It's unfair when you consider the breadth of the schedule. But at the end of such a small window that defines our success, that's what we have to ask. Can we beat Syracuse in a semifinal? Can we beat Hopkins if we have to to win a semifinal?

"Look at that Duke team. I'm not saying it's unfair in that situation, but that's the game we have to win. Look at Maryland next year. I look and say 'How are we going to hold [Grant] Catalino and [Will] Yeatman and [Ryan] Young down with a freshman and Harry Prevas? That's what it comes down to. We have enough to win a lot of our games. But have we got it when the margin is much slimmer?"

The Brattons, Bocklet and Stanwick will do plenty to help the Cavaliers' case, as will the return of Ghitelman. The senior-to-be gradually improved as the season went along, and Starsia sensed his growth reflected that of the entire team's.

In any case, Virginia will be back, and so will Starsia. On talent alone, it's a top-three bunch. It would be difficult to endure even more turmoil than this spring, and while the ACC remains strong, there's still more to like about the Cavaliers.

North Carolina has lost in its last six NCAA quarterfinal appearances, including four since 2004. Duke just graduated 17 seniors and finally doesn't have a bunch of fifth-year players. Maryland is still seeking a coach.

And Virginia continues to remain among the elite. It could yet be an interesting offseason --- Huguely's court hearing recently was pushed back to October, and his saga figures to have a place in anyone's description of the Cavaliers' program for years to come.

Starsia, though, plans to be around for all of it.

"I get so much from people about taking some time off, I almost think maybe I should," Starsia said. "I just seem to find myself even a little bit surprised how excited I am about the start of things. This is my life. It's all related somehow. Just the fact I'm 58 and it was my 28th season as a head coach, it's almost surprising how much I still look forward to this. I thought I might have become more jaded at this point. Maybe it's a sense that we almost lost this thing. Maybe that helps."