MARYLAND
2012 RECORD: 12-6 (1-2 ACC) COACH: JOHN TILLMAN (3RD YEAR)
TERRAPINS 2
Back-to-back national championship game losses have left Maryland coach John Tillman confl icted — happy to reach the title game, upset the season fell short of expectations.
“When you get there and don’t get
it done, you feel like, ‘Gosh, we got that close.’” he said. “You’re going to go back and ask, ‘Where can we get better?’” Tillman found Maryland lacked the depth it needed to win two games in three days over Memorial Day weekend. “We have to be deeper,” he said. “In some games last year, when it was later in the game — regardless of the score — if we made some substitutions, it didn’t go very well. That made us very nervous.” Losing 22 players from the previous season didn’t help. Neither did injuries, like the broken collarbone that knocked out senior captain and midfi elder Jake Bernhardt for the season. Depth aside, the Terps’ workmanlike formula isn’t broken. They’ll still play smart, possession-oriented offense and slide- and-recover defense.
Feb 12 Mount St. Mary’s Feb 16 at Hartford Feb 23 at Loyola Mar 1 at Duke Mar 6 UMBC Mar 9 Stony Brook Mar 16 at Villanova Mar 23 North Carolina Mar 30 at Virginia Apr 5 at Navy Apr 13 Johns Hopkins Apr 20 Yale May 4 Colgate
The graduations of attackman Joe Cummings and midfi elders Drew Snider and Michael Shakespeare left holes in the Terps’ offense. Maryland was scrutinized for nursing possessions and running repeated inverts or two-man sets behind the cage. The new rules may create a sense of urgency. “We’re always in attacking mode, but we want to be smart,” Tillman said. “We never, ever told guys to stall the ball.”
Perhaps lost in the criticism of the Terps’ ball-control offense: It took pressure off its young, green defense, especially when they struggled to win faceoffs. Tillman even considered implementing a zone defense. “We had a rough beginning to the year, and we really took our lumps,” junior defenseman Mike Ehrhardt said. “As the season wore on, our chemistry just kept getting better. But we could’ve been a lot better.” Tillman pointed out that Maryland surrendered double-digit goals to each of its ACC foes at some point last year. “Maryland has always been about a physical, stingy defense,”
Tillman said. “Giving up more than 10 goals a game to our conference opponents is not acceptable.” Former defensive coordinator Kevin Warne, the ringleader of the Maryland moshpit, left to become Georgetown’s head coach in August. Tillman brought in well-regarded Fairfi eld assistant Kevin Conry. “Coaches come and go, just like talented players come and go, but the system will work. It’s just a matter of how you emphasize it,” Tillman said, “how you teach it.” — M.F
. A Publication of US Lacrosse
John Haus
RIVAL COACHES SAY “Conry has to be himself and gain the trust of a talented group of defenders... How do the new rules affect how they play offense? Who can draw slides and feed the ball?... Jesse Bernhardt has to be in heaven with the new rules. Put him on a short list of the very best lacrosse players out there.”
TOP RETURNER LSM Jesse Bernhardt (Sr.) A second-team All-American in 2012, Bernhardt can do everything. “He does so many things for us that it’s hard to put it into words,” Tillman said. Bernhardt is an elite 1-on-1 defender, a terror between the lines and a threat in transition. Look for him to be more involved on the offensive end.
X-FACTOR M Jake Bernhardt (Sr.) Jesse’s older brother missed 2012 with a broken collarbone, but Tillman called Jake “the ultimate leader.” With NCAA rules changes putting more emphasis on two- way middies, Bernhardt’s role could expand.
PROJECTED STARTERS
A Owen Blye (Sr.)* G: 30 A: 20
A Billy Gribbin (Sr.)* G: 22 A: 4
A Jay Carlson (So.) G: 12 A: 2
M John Haus (Sr.)* G: 16 A: 17
M Mike Chanenchuk (Jr.)* G: 18 A: 7
M Jake Bernhardt (Sr.) G: 15 A: 3 (from 2011)
FO Curtis Holmes (Sr.)* FO%: 51.4 Pts: 2
LSM Jesse Bernhardt (Sr.)* GB: 60 CT: 33
D Brian Cooper (Jr.)* GB: 36 CT: 20
D Mike Ehrhardt (Jr.)* GB: 44 CT: 22
D Goran Murray (So.)* GB: 9 CT: 3
G Niko Amato (Jr.)* GAA: 7.50 SV%: 54.0 *returning starters
TELLING NUMBER
Sophomore Goran Murray is Maryland’s top shutdown defender. Just don’t expect him to have an ego about it.
11.83
fewest in the country. The Terps’ possession-oriented offense values responsibility with the ball. February 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 31
Turnovers per game in 2012,
©BILL DANIELEWSKI (JH, GM); ©JOHN STROHSACKER (JB)
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100