Maryland v. Virginia

[PulpExposure]

Would have never seen this score coming in a million years. I actually expected Virginia to come on top....nope.

I am again just amazed at how much firepower the Terps have. Owen Murphy comes on the second line (thanks for him, Hopkins!), and has...a hat trick today (12 goals on the season). Maltz can't sniff the field (well he does on man-up) and he had 40 goals last year for the Terps at attack. Just comes in waves...

I expect this will serve as a very good wake up call to Virginia, and will be a serious factor if the Terps and Hoos play in the Tournament. Virginia will remember being embarrassed...

[wgdsr]

Total blowout. Even when cut it to four or five, they were no threat to come back because Maryland controlled face-offs. Certainly never looked like number one versu ms number two. Will anyone in the Big 1O give the Terps a game?

my guess is someone will and may win. but that "in the mix for the last 9 on sunday" might not happen more than once.

[johnnyonthegunpowder]

"This game doesn't matter", They said. "It's meaningless" They said.

Energy, aesthetics, testosterone, atmosphere. It all matters. We watch for a reason; they play for a reason.

Fantastic venue and unmatched announcing.

[HopFan16]

"This game doesn't matter", They said. "It's meaningless" They said.

Energy, aesthetics, testosterone, atmosphere. It all matters. We watch for a reason; they play for a reason.

Fantastic venue and unmatched announcing.

Joe B. and Dixon really are the cream of the crop. Blow the ESPN guys out of the water

[joewillie78]

If this ends in the slaughter that it appears to be grade towards, the loser falls behind two Ivies in my poll.

Yup, I'm with you. This was just too much of a blowout for me and the IVY teams that have played MD were much more competitive than this.
My initial top 5 right now is likely to be:
1. Maryland
2. Cornell
3. Princeton
4. Virginia
5. Georgetown
GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

[Essexfenwick]

This game doesn’t mean jack.

Virginia star power could pull it out next time. It’s all about face offs.

I will say though… UMD plays the prettiest brand of lacrosse I’ve ever seen. The quick passing without drops and the open shots they get

[joewillie78]

This game doesn’t mean jack.

Virginia star power could pull it out next time. It’s all about face offs.

I will say though… UMD plays the prettiest brand of lacrosse I’ve ever seen. The quick passing without drops and the open shots they get

I disagree that it doesn't mean "jack". I think come seeding time by the NCAA that this game may be thouroughly discussed in the room.
GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

[CU77]

Scores aren't supposed to matter for NCAA seeding, just Ws and Ls.

Rest of B1G not looking too good this season. Maryland's toughest remaining opponent, OSU, is a home game. Finishing undefeated looks more likely than not.

[joewillie78]

Scores aren't supposed to matter for NCAA seeding, just Ws and Ls.

The keyword in your response was "supposed", right?
GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

[youthathletics]

"This game doesn't matter", They said. "It's meaningless" They said.

Energy, aesthetics, testosterone, atmosphere. It all matters. We watch for a reason; they play for a reason.

Fantastic venue and unmatched announcing.

Joe B. and Dixon really are the cream of the crop. Blow the ESPN guys out of the water

+ a bazillion, sprinkle in Pete Medhurst for the trifecta.

[CU77]

Scores aren't supposed to matter for NCAA seeding, just Ws and Ls.

The keyword in your response was "supposed", right?
GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

Well, I have a rather cynical view of the committee and its process. Not that it's corrupt or shows favoritism (the usual accusations), but that it's a bunch of pretty clueless people given a bunch of confusing stats (NOT incuding scores!) and asked to make some sense of it all. I think that turns out about as well as you might expect. But I do think they make an honest effort to go by the data they're given. Are they subconsciously influenced by knowing (if they do! mostly they're assistant ADs with no specific lax knowledge) that UVa got blown out by UMd? Sure, maybe.

[rolldodge]

If this ends in the slaughter that it appears to be grade towards, the loser falls behind two Ivies in my poll.

Yup, I'm with you. This was just too much of a blowout for me and the IVY teams that have played MD were much more competitive than this.
My initial top 5 right now is likely to be:
1. Maryland
2. Cornell
3. Princeton
4. Virginia
5. Georgetown
GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

Hard to see Virginia over Gtown based on resume so far. Notre Dame next week should give a better picture.

[keno in reno]

I will say though… UMD plays the prettiest brand of lacrosse I’ve ever seen. The quick passing without drops and the open shots they get

Agreed this offense is beautiful to watch. I think the 2005 UVA team was the best I've seen though.

[molo]

The conventional wisdom has this game essentially a pick ‘em. No objective observer who saw this game would come away with the impression that these are two teams at basically the same level. Were face-offs key? Absolutely, but what about what you saw today would make you think face-offs would be much different in a rematch?
At least two goals by poles and two by a dm illustrated Maryland’s scoring depth while UVA got points from the same guys as usual. Maybe this was just a super day for Maryland, but to me it looks like Maryland sits atop of the heap with UVA closer to the rest of the top five or so than to the Terps.

[NYterp09]

I will say though… UMD plays the prettiest brand of lacrosse I’ve ever seen. The quick passing without drops and the open shots they get

Agreed this offense is beautiful to watch. I think the 2005 UVA team was the best I've seen though.

*06 UVA team

[Peter Brown]

While Tiffany in his weekly presser today said that Kastner would match-up with Wisnauskas, I'm going to be really surprised if that happens. Maryland's last 3 opponents have sent their best cover defensemen to Malever and Khan. It seems they figure that if Khan and Malever get going that it makes Maryland nearly impossible to defend, so teams have loaded up the other two, especially on Khan, and let Wisnauskas get his 6 points. Teams have also poled DeMaio instead of Long. Donville rarely draws a pole, as teams don't take him for a dodging threat. DeMaio's doesn't dodge much, but getting a pole on him has disrupted his shooting. He's shooting like 18% of something like that when in his previous years, he's been in the 30s and 40s.

Cuse, ND, and Princeton used this strategy, which led Maryland to go to its invert game with Long. The second midfield line has also regularly inverted (Murphy and Brennan...not so much Koras, who usually heads to the crease).

Maryland's offense works best when a dodger draws a slide. Khan and Malever will need to win their match-ups. If not, UVA is going to force shot clock violation or knock down a lot of passes and get out in transition. When Terp dodgers are drawing slides, Maryland's ball movement is fun to watch. The offense is like Whack-A-Mole for defenses.

Some MD fans have wondered why Daniel Maltz hasn't entered the starting line-up as Khan has struggled over the past 4 games. Look no further than UVA's title game win. When Maltz was in the game, UVA shorted him and bumped a pole up to the midfield. When the Terps began their final run, it happened when Malever (a second line midfielder last year) went into the game at attack. UVA couldn't short him, and it opened up the midfield and outside shooting for the Terps.

This game will be Khan’s game to shine.

Cough cough. And you good folks say I don’t know this game.

[jrn19]

That shocked me, really did.

Just didn't seem like Virginia could ever control the match-ups on the defensive side. Saustad didn't look close to healthy and Khan ran by him all day. Downhill from there for the Hoos. Maryland really owned the transition moments of the game; got a couple transition goals, beat the 10 man with regularity, always felt first to every loose ball. Usually it's UVA speeding up Maryland but here MD was ready for that speed and amped it up even more.

UVA always plays its best ball in May so if there is a repeat game it'll be much closer. But I think a FO deficit like this again would spell doom for them; Maryland is the deeper team and honestly I think too deep for anyone this year. Can't recall the last team who had no dropoff from 1st to 2nd MF like this, maybe one of Danowski's title teams

[Terpslax1991]

Scores aren't supposed to matter for NCAA seeding, just Ws and Ls.

Rest of B1G not looking too good this season. Maryland's toughest remaining opponent, OSU, is a home game. Finishing undefeated looks more likely than not.

Luckily the Terps are also in first in the ACC as well. They are 3-0 w 2 road wins….

[blue angels]

Scores aren't supposed to matter for NCAA seeding, just Ws and Ls.

Rest of B1G not looking too good this season. Maryland's toughest remaining opponent, OSU, is a home game. Finishing undefeated looks more likely than not.

Luckily the Terps are also in first in the ACC as well. They are 3-0 w 2 road wins….

You all won big. No question who #1 is. You can rub it in or say nothing and be gracious. Everyone knows the truth.

[HowieT3]

Today reminds me of the dialog between Generals Sherman and Grant at Shiloh -

Sherman approaches Grant, smoking a cigar in the rain under a tree.
“Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?"
Grant looks up. “Yes.” (Puff.) "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."