DJ Death
02-24-2007, 03:33 PM
Max Ritz certainly hasn't forgotten last year's game against Georgetown. In a hard-fought game that culminated with a pile-on brawl, Ritz and his teammates have built up some animosity toward the Hoyas.
The two teams are similar in many ways, both relying heavily on defense and toughness. But Ritz, who was at the bottom of the pile during the brawl, doesn't believe in the comparisons.
"The problem with them is that they're not physical like our defense," Ritz said. "Our defense is physical in the right way. [Georgetown's defense] always seems to play a little cheap."
Saturday, the two teams face off for the first time since the brawl. And if the intensity of their last meeting wasn't enough, the Terps have extra motivation this time.
For the first time since 2001, the No. 5 Terps are ranked below the No. 4 Hoyas at the time the teams have met. The rankings are based largely on questions about the Terps' inexperienced offense and Georgetown's touted recruiting class. However, several Terps are not buying into the hype.
"I feel a little angry that we're not ranked ahead of them because the past three years we have been, and we've beaten them easily," senior midfielder Ryan Clarke said.
Confidence is high for the Terps, as Clarke and his fellow seniors have never lost to the Hoyas. In fact, in the six times the teams have played, the Terps haven't lost.
While the series has not yet turned into a big-time rivalry, the hostility between the two teams is intense. Last season's 10-4 victory proved to be easier than expected for the Terps, despite the physicality of the game. The brawl that broke out was because of the aggressive play of both teams.
The Terps have the reputation of being a tough team, and they look at Georgetown as a program striving to catch up. But the players say the Hoyas have been unsuccessful in doing so.
"We're always more physical than everybody else," senior defenseman Ray Megill said. "Georgetown right now, they always try to match our physicalness, but they can't because we're better."
The desire to win and the intensity of the game are only increased by the close relationships some of the players have. With the schools separated by less than 10 miles, many Terp players have known Georgetown players since high school or earlier.
Because of these hometown relationships, the players on both sides don't want to get back home over the summer to have a loss rubbed in their face.
"There's definitely some extra motivation," Ritz said. "You don't want to go back home saying, 'I lost to those wimps from Georgetown.'"
Saturday, Ritz and the Terps will try to keep Georgetown winless in the rivalry and to prevent any hometown embarrassment. Moreover, they will try to win a lacrosse game between two of the nation's top five teams and prove that their feelings of being shafted in the polls are warranted.
The Terps certainly have faith in themselves.
"It's going to feel good to knock [Georgetown] off," Megill said. "They say they've got a lot of big-name recruits, and that's why they're up there, but I don't think come Saturday they'll be on top of us anymore."
http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2007/02/23/Sports/Intensity.Building.For.TerpsHoyas.Game-2738391.shtml
Gonna be an intense game :clap: .
The two teams are similar in many ways, both relying heavily on defense and toughness. But Ritz, who was at the bottom of the pile during the brawl, doesn't believe in the comparisons.
"The problem with them is that they're not physical like our defense," Ritz said. "Our defense is physical in the right way. [Georgetown's defense] always seems to play a little cheap."
Saturday, the two teams face off for the first time since the brawl. And if the intensity of their last meeting wasn't enough, the Terps have extra motivation this time.
For the first time since 2001, the No. 5 Terps are ranked below the No. 4 Hoyas at the time the teams have met. The rankings are based largely on questions about the Terps' inexperienced offense and Georgetown's touted recruiting class. However, several Terps are not buying into the hype.
"I feel a little angry that we're not ranked ahead of them because the past three years we have been, and we've beaten them easily," senior midfielder Ryan Clarke said.
Confidence is high for the Terps, as Clarke and his fellow seniors have never lost to the Hoyas. In fact, in the six times the teams have played, the Terps haven't lost.
While the series has not yet turned into a big-time rivalry, the hostility between the two teams is intense. Last season's 10-4 victory proved to be easier than expected for the Terps, despite the physicality of the game. The brawl that broke out was because of the aggressive play of both teams.
The Terps have the reputation of being a tough team, and they look at Georgetown as a program striving to catch up. But the players say the Hoyas have been unsuccessful in doing so.
"We're always more physical than everybody else," senior defenseman Ray Megill said. "Georgetown right now, they always try to match our physicalness, but they can't because we're better."
The desire to win and the intensity of the game are only increased by the close relationships some of the players have. With the schools separated by less than 10 miles, many Terp players have known Georgetown players since high school or earlier.
Because of these hometown relationships, the players on both sides don't want to get back home over the summer to have a loss rubbed in their face.
"There's definitely some extra motivation," Ritz said. "You don't want to go back home saying, 'I lost to those wimps from Georgetown.'"
Saturday, Ritz and the Terps will try to keep Georgetown winless in the rivalry and to prevent any hometown embarrassment. Moreover, they will try to win a lacrosse game between two of the nation's top five teams and prove that their feelings of being shafted in the polls are warranted.
The Terps certainly have faith in themselves.
"It's going to feel good to knock [Georgetown] off," Megill said. "They say they've got a lot of big-name recruits, and that's why they're up there, but I don't think come Saturday they'll be on top of us anymore."
http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2007/02/23/Sports/Intensity.Building.For.TerpsHoyas.Game-2738391.shtml
Gonna be an intense game :clap: .