No. 1 Virginia @ Maryland

[jdturtle02]

When Duke got clipped by Georgetown last week, it seems Lax Nation turned its focus on Virginia as the next "greatest team" out there. High scoring, powerful midfield and opportunistic attack, great potential in cage with freshman Adam Ghitelman improving game by game, and one of the best coaching staffs in the nation hands-down. Can't argue with any of that. I've seen Virginia beat No. 2 Syracuse and No. 6 Hopkins, and the Cavaliers should already be booking their rooms in Foxboro. The Wahoos are so impressive, in fact, they're a prohibitive favorite in today's skirmish with Maryland at Byrd Stadium.

I can argue with that.

Looked for a clue I was terribly misguided in Geoff Shannon's game preview, but I didn't see it. Those Virginia wins over the Orange and Blue Jays were classics, but the Cavaliers came within two goals of losing both. On the win side, Virginia beat VMI at Charlottesville 24-5 and Mt. St. Mary's 20-2. Take those two scores out of the mix -- neither opponent was really in the game -- and Virginia's gaudy stats look a lot more mortal … 14 to 10.3 … a scoring differential of +3.7 goals per game.

Can't do it to one without doing it to the other. Maryland also played Mt. St. Mary's and won 17-7. Drop that one, and the Terps have posted a similar scoring profile … 11.4 to 7.7 … for an identical scoring differential of +3.7 goals per game. This looks more telling to me because the Terps have faced three teams ranked in the top five on game day -- Georgetown, Duke and Carolina -- and all on the road. Virginia played then-No. 8 Syracuse in Baltimore and No. 4 Hopkins at Klockner Stadium. The computers may disagree, but I'd say the Terps' strength of schedule tips the comparison in their favor.

This will be Maryland's first marquee match-up at home this season, and the young Terps will be stoked. It's also their only ACC home game this year, the ACC Tournament is being held in Charlottesville. It's hard to say with any confidence how the freshmen attacks are going to respond, but it's reasonable to expect a big outing from the Terps' deep and talented midfield and defense. Both will be tested by Rubeor, Billings, Glading, Carroll, Gill, the Bratton Brothers, Riley … stop me, please!

But Virginia will be tested as well … again. With a strong effort from its offense, and better connection between the mids and attack on the invert -- this seems to be happening -- Maryland should be able to hold Virginia below its 45 shots per game average, and that should take some of the pressure off the Terps' goalie duo of Brian Phipps and Jason Carter. Nineteen Terps have punched in goals this season, and they all pressure the ball when the "other guy" has it. Throw in some inspired performances from a solid defense -- only Duke has scored in double digits against the Terps -- and this game could become the next "classic" in a season full of them.

Perhaps the best aspect of this match-up is location. No offense to anyone else, but in the spaciousness of the old concrete horseshoe that is Byrd Stadium, you can bring the whole family and a few carloads of friends and still not have to worry about dipping your elbows in someone else's nachos. It doesn't get any better than that for a big … really big … game.

Virginia 13-12

[MiddieMan05]

jd, you are an analyzing machine. I agree with you in that the game will be closer than expected, but Virginia will pull it out in the end. I'm gonna say Virginia 12-10

[valax16]

Maryland's goalie is looking good and their defense is eating up groundballs. Possible upset? :(

[sjesuitlax]

im seeing an upset today. maryland is dominating the face-off and groundball war. uva defence isn't playing like the used to. maryland attack is getting hot... travis reed again at 9:36. travis reed is going to have a big day. by the looks of this and if it stays this way, uva is going down

[Native]

im seeing an upset today. maryland is dominating the face-off and groundball war. uva defence isn't playing like the used to. maryland attack is getting hot... travis reed again at 9:36. travis reed is going to have a big day. by the looks of this and if it stays this way, uva is going down

Totally agree. It's 8-2 Maryland, and Travis Reed already has a hat trick before halftime. Maryland's winning the faceoffs, ground balls, and they're being more prolific on offense. Virginia just looks tired after their exhausting win versus JHU; they're not moving off-ball on offense.

[stegmakk]

UVA's defense has been suspect...
As JD pointed out Cuse and Hop were one goal wins...they also let Princeton score 10, and Stony brook score 13! UVA has been winning because of their offense being more potent...
In MDs win over UNC, while their stellar attack was thwarted, their midfield scored 9 goals...with 7 players...that shows to me that MD has enough scoring threats...
I hope the turtles keep up this pace and pull this one off...
although it is going to make the polls on Monday as clear as piss

[stegmakk]

cattalino scores top shelf
...where momma hides tha cookies (don cherry anyone?)
sorry to interrupt...continue with the updates please...

[HdGLaxWarrior]

great win for Maryland. was a great game, saw it on TV.

[Terpsrunlax]

i believe my name says it all...

[DJ Death]

awesome game.

[OPlax31]

wow uva got spanked. i heard the terps put up 3 in 17 seconds

[MiddieMan05]

definately didn't see this coming. UMD controlled the game with their face offs and just blitzed Adam Ghitelman.

[MaKiMaKi13]

Game was awesome Carter was a monster, MD's offense started rolling early

and Travis Reed= BEAST

[asift94]

JASON Carter was Amazing. 15 saves i beleive, i know now why they didnt put phipps after half. lol amazing game

[valax16]

As big of a UVA fan I am, I'm not gonna lie Maryland's goalie, face-offs, and ground balls looked amazing today. They deserved to win. I have no idea what happened to UVA.

[HdGLaxWarrior]

great game by UMD. carter was great. UMD dominated every aspect of this game.

[jdturtle02]

Maryland 13-7
I don't know which game surprised me more today, No. 4 Maryland knocking off No. 1 Virginia 13-7 in College Park, or No. 10 North Carolina taking it to No. 6 Johns Hopkins 13-8 at Homewood Field. Neither game was expected to turn out that way -- upsets happen, but the margin of victory in both was a shock to me. Looks like the Terrapins and Tar Heels have added their names to the list of teams with a legitimate shot at making the trip to Foxboro for Memorial Day weekend.

I agree with Jonathan Brand's pick of Jason Carter as the Player of the Game, and his post-game analysis was on the money. I don't remember ever scratching the arrows in Maryland's favor on face-offs in my notebook as often as I did today. That surely kept Virginia off balance. Carter spent the whole game in cage, the first time for a Maryland keeper this season, and he played like an All America candidate throughout.

The intimidation of Maryland's attack and midfield out of the starting gate seemed just as damaging, however. You expect speed and lightening strikes from the Virginia offense, but the score was Maryland 3-0 four and a half minutes into the game, and the Terps kept the pressure at a fever pitch on both ends of the field until well into the fourth quarter.

Virginia, which usually fuels its offense with quick cross-field and cross-crease passes, didn't appear comfortable trying that today. The Terps changed from man-to-man D to zone often enough to disrupt their rhythm, and though the Cavs pulled the trigger 42 times -- close to their 45 shots per game average -- their shots on goal mark slipped to 52% for the day. Rubeor, Glading, Billings and Carroll combined for 3 goals and 4 assists.

A hat trick by defensive midfielder Jeff Reynolds and six goals by the Terps' freshmen attacks (Reed 3, Catalino 2, and Young) kept the crowd pumped, but it was sophomore long pole Brian Farrell's fifth goal of the season with about 2:30 left in the game that brought the loudest roar and started the celebration.

Maryland has now clinched at least a tie for second place in the ACC regular season standings and the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament. But first they’ll have to face Navy and Johns Hopkins the next two weeks. Not much time to savor Cottle's biggest win in the last two seasons. And I'll already call it, next Saturday's Virginia-North Carolina clash will be the game of the week for me.

[laxer6]

The three big teams with young goalies (Syracuse,Virginia and Hopkins) are at a huge disadvantage. If you can come out of the gate on all cylinders, like we saw in both Hopkins and Virginia's games you have these teams on the ropes. Ghitleman and Gvozden don't have that swagger yet that top notch goalies should have. Galloway remains to me the best under pressure but I would like to see him down 5-1 early. Virginia this year really reminds me of those old Syracuse teams that would have to put up 15 just to win it.

[Charles Mwalimu]

I saw this game. Maryland's goalie was on point, but faceoffs and groundballs were the x-factor.

[TheCoolGoalie1]

As a Ghitelaman fan, I was very dissapointed by his play today and i hope he doesnt get pulled, even though he should after letting in like anything thrown at him

[vves1ey]

go VA! Personally, i believe that UVA is the best lax team right now

[FitzGoalie]

JASON Carter was Amazing. 15 saves i beleive, i know now why they didnt put phipps after half. lol amazing game

Phipps is a MUCH better goalie than Carter. i was really surprised by how well carter played today, considering the other time i've seen him play, he's just looked straight up amateur; giving up easy saves, botching clears and failing to control the defense. When cottle started Phipps against UNC, i was sure he had finally relegated Carter to his rightful spot on the bench. but nope, Carter came in at halftime and gave up four goals, making only one save.

honestly, today was a fluke. Brian Phipps is the better goalie, and should be playing full games, not Jason Carter

[DJ Death]

Phipps is a MUCH better goalie than Carter. i was really surprised by how well carter played today, considering the other time i've seen him play, he's just looked straight up amateur; giving up easy saves, botching clears and failing to control the defense. When cottle started Phipps against UNC, i was sure he had finally relegated Carter to his rightful spot on the bench. but nope, Carter came in at halftime and gave up four goals, making only one save.

honestly, today was a fluke. Brian Phipps is the better goalie, and should be playing full games, not Jason Carter
coaches play whoever is feelin' it at the time, and it was jason carter today. lacrosse is a meritocracy.

[jdturtle02]

Re-read this thread this morning, and it definitely reflects how special this game was. Good stuff ... I think vves1ey may be right, Virginia is still Virginia and this may have just been one of those bumps in the road ... okay, maybe more of a bridge wash-out, but that Wahoo lineup is as fearsome today as it was yesterday. Laxer6 makes a huge point ... young goalies have got to get burned while learning how to play with fire. I think Gvozden, Ghitelman and Galloway are going to be headliners for a long time coming -- hey, we could just call them the 3Gs. Galloway has been my player of the game a couple of times; Ghitelman was a hero against Hopkins and Gvozden had 17 saves in the same game; and Gvozden didn't get much help against Carolina. These guys are game changers. Just one thought, Galloway and Syracuse were trailing Hopkins at Homewood 10-7 late, so the Orange pup has seen the dark side.

And BLUEJAYSFAN9 ... I know just how you feel. Still laughing about your post. For the love of lacrosse, sometimes you have to "root for the enemy" ... just between you and me :-), I was pulling for Hopkins in the NCAA Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium last year ... had to take a brown bag lunch to the confessional the following week.

[PSU5duece]

go VA! Personally, i believe that UVA is the best lax team right now

This post was a little bit strange considering UVA just got smoked at College Park and their flaws were taken advantage of by the Terps. UVA does have a ton of talent on the offensive end of the field, but the attack was pretty much missing throughout the game.
If you are going to make such a statement at this time, let's hear why you still think they are the BEST team.

[laxer6]

There is too much going on in lacrosse right now to determine who is the best. Maryland smokes Georgetown then gets crushed by Duke, Duke drops one to Georgetown by 4 and the next week Maryland beats Virginia. There is too much parity to say who is the best and who isn't. The only clear cut top notch team to me is Duke after that it's basically a crap shoot.

[valax16]

As a Ghitelaman fan, I was very dissapointed by his play today and i hope he doesnt get pulled, even though he should after letting in like anything thrown at him

I think that Starsia should allow Pettite to get some playing time. Especially after this game. Because starting a freshman over a senior who has been waiting in line his whole college career? That just isn't right!

[DJ Death]

I think that Starsia should allow Pettite to get some playing time. Especially after this game. Because starting a freshman over a senior who has been waiting in line his whole college career? That just isn't right!
as i've said before, lacrosse is a meritocracy. you want playing time, you gotta earn it. if ghitelman redeems himself in practice this week, there is no reason why he shouldn't start.

[HoosUrDaddy]

A crap shoot? You've got to be kidding me... The point is that we no longer have college lacrosse seasons where there are 3-4 powerhouse teams that dominate everyone else. Teams have gotten better. It's no longer a one team dominates. It's a sport where any team at any time can make anything happen. Instead of having 3-4 good teams we have 15 teams all fighting back and forth. And to be honest, you never know who is going to win the NCAA Championship until that final second of that game turns to 0.

In my opinion, not even Duke deserves to be considered the one powerhouse team to dominate everyone...

[Tool]

A crap shoot? You've got to be kidding me... The point is that we no longer have college lacrosse seasons where there are 3-4 powerhouse teams that dominate everyone else. Teams have gotten better. It's no longer a one team dominates. It's a sport where any team at any time can make anything happen. Instead of having 3-4 good teams we have 15 teams all fighting back and forth. And to be honest, you never know who is going to win the NCAA Championship until that final second of that game turns to 0.

In my opinion, not even Duke deserves to be considered the one powerhouse team to dominate everyone...

It's starting to play out sort of like basketball, not many undefeated teams come around these days, there are the powerhouses but there are teams that can still take them down.

[laxer6]

Hoosurdaddy as you said in your post anyone can lose at anytime, making that a crap shoot. If you look at the top teams this season there isn't much change from the last few seasons. This past top 10 poll the only surprising team traditionally wise was Notre Dame. Every year teams come out and have great seasons like Duke but in the end only 4 teams have wont the past 15(?) national titles. All we have is a bunch of teams copying each other.

[WinnersLacrosse]

looks like its gonna be a very interesting season this year

[Prof. Mushroom]

looks like its gonna be a very interesting season this year

Correction: It already is an interesting season this year.
The Prof.

[laxplaya13]

all i can say about that game is... wow

[laxfreak8065]

the game was so awesome, i was there