Maryland 2024

[joewillie78]

Great game. Zap wont win it, but he is the Tewaaraton defender of truth. #22 is out.


I agree. He right now is the best shut down Dman in D1 Lax. He is so sound with his fundamentals. I know it's unfair to compare anyone to Adler from Cornell, but he has many of the same instincts that Adler had. And yes, he won't win, like Adler couldn't win it but both deserve consideration.
Gobigred
Joewillie78

All things lead back to Cornell for joewillie

He is the quintessential Homer, isn't he?
Gobigred
Joewillie78

[AreaLax]

its unreal that is two minutes unreleasable. Its a foul, but thats a lacrosse play. Ridiculous.

Don't recall seeing Schaller after that. Did they sit him?

I think they did

No he was back in the game

[jrn19]

What an amazing game. That was - and the women's game earlier being 2OT as well - everything you want as a showcase for lacrosse. Standalone power game, national TV spotlight, back and forth drama, incredible crowd in the Dome. It was fantastic. A total win and obviously stoked the Terps gritted their way through and got that W. Still +1 on the year and this team is showing some really promising signs while racking up some potential big wins for down the line

Pros
- There have been so many great #1 cover defenders and elite goalies in this program under Tillman; but for my money Zaps and McNaney are the best of them all. Saw all the reasons why tonight. McNaney was just incredible, dialed in from minute 1, Cuse got frustrated and forced shots in that first half and with the offense going quiet for the entire middle of that game, it was his presence as always that kept them in it. Zaps faced another stud and kept him in check. Cuse made the adjustments and it got their offense going, but they had to change their gameplan because he dictated the terms first, as he always does. So good.
- The close defense and poles are just tremendous. The communication, footwork, fundamentals are so strong. Owen Hiltz was a ghost. Schaller had him in jail. And Burlace had Mule locked up as well. One thing to take down Spallina; but to hold the #2/#3 attackmen on a team to 1 goal/1 assist is incredible
- Erksa started to emerge late there. The most confident and authoritative he's been all season, he wanted the ball and the offense got moving again because Cuse had to adjust to the fact he was winning his match-up. That's what we want to see from him. Hope it's a sign of things to come.
- The offense obviously has a fantastic opening "script" if you will; they have great 1Q's. Whatever Phipps/Tills ID on tape that they attack early, it's awesome. When the game develops though, things break down. Not enough shooting, the best athletes/dodgers are younger guys and older guys are great decision makers and role players but not the party starters. Leads to what we saw 2Q/3Q. But that 4Q was so encouraging. What we've been wanting to see last two years, them break through that wall and have a big offensive push late in the game. It happened with Erksa stepping up (assisted 7th goal, scored 8th and 9th) but also got basically the games only transition tallies through some big plays by Koras for the 10th and then obviously Stamos' winner
- It felt like Kohn was getting the better of Wierman and in the end Wierman went 16-29 and won some big ones in the 4Q. He always wins the big ones

Cons
- The shortie depth is going to be an issue. Hopefully Kolar comes back. I think Stamos will get better; he's clearly an amazing athlete and you can work with that. I think it's time to maybe try Brennan taking some shifts there and plug his offensive reps with Stobaugh who got some run later in the 2H. Cuse just targeted the shorties over and over in the 2H and outside of Redd I'm not sure there's anyone on the team I'm feeling 100% confident in. Wicks looked great and if you had Kolar there too you had 3 guys you felt good about which was a solid position. It's a long season, guys can come along, but it's an issue and with how many offensive middies they have, I'd try some of the better athletes they have on offense there.
- Basically everything in the 2Q/3Q on offense. They gotta figure out ways to make quicker adjustments. They have a great initial gameplan, and it's clear that until Erksa really pops or Malever feels 100% from the injury the offense is sort of going to be where it's at, but they have to sustain a higher floor throughout. Hopefully the end of 4Q is a building block for that
- Is Spanos hurt? Or was he hurt? He doesn't look right to me. He's got some type of deal on his knee and he just is not getting separation at all laterally. He just looks...gimpy.
- Malever doesn't look hurt, but he does look like a guy who's coming off a long layoff. Just a little gunshy. Hopefully he has a game here where it comes together and he gets the confidence back

Overall, a lot to feel good about. The offense had a big late 4Q push to get the win. Defense held an amazing Cuse offense to 12 goals. Kept battling and kept battling on the road and got the win. Great game. Onto Princeton

[Matnum PI]

Daniel Kelly's been pretty quiet thus far this season. Early in the season and... Any guesses why?

[jrn19]

He's playing 2nd line midfield and not getting as many minutes as he did last year

[AreaLax]

Spanos Had a knee injury in high school and since then he wears a knee wrap. He had last year

[masondixonlax]

Daniel Kelly's been pretty quiet thus far this season. Early in the season and... Any guesses why?

Was wondering the same thing? He was leader in points I think last year so not sure why he isn’t getting more time

[jrn19]

Last year Kelly started at attack. This year with Malever's return, he obviously was going to take one of the 3 spots along with Erksa. That means it's down to either Maltz or Kelly for that spot. Personally think Maltz gives you a little more versatility than Kelly does.

Spanos was going to get one of the midfield spots. Koras is a great off ball guy and cutter. One thing Koras also has going for him is that he's the team's only natural midfielder. The other 5 guys who are getting runs are all converted attackmen. Now this isn't a problem in theory or on paper; the team had majority converted attackmen at midfield in 21/22 as well. When it works, it's great. Guys who have speed, great passers, great vision; able to invert naturally. When it doesn't work though....you have guys who tend to lack outside shooting and are comparatively smaller dodging on the perimeter.

Anyhow, if you added up all the midfield shifts I'd venture to guess they're honestly probably pretty close to 50-50 between the Spanos-Koras-Siracusa group last two games and Brennan-Kelly-Murphy. So whether he started or stays off the bench it's probably the same. The big difference is he doesn't start at attack anymore and that's due to Malever coming back and they chose Maltz as the 3rd attackman instead. Maltz is 2nd in the team on goals, so not a bad call so far

[MoralTerpitude]

Great game. Zap wont win it, but he is the Tewaaraton defender of truth. #22 is out.


I agree. He right now is the best shut down Dman in D1 Lax. He is so sound with his fundamentals. I know it's unfair to compare anyone to Adler from Cornell, but he has many of the same instincts that Adler had. And yes, he won't win, like Adler couldn't win it but both deserve consideration.
Gobigred
Joewillie78

All things lead back to Cornell for joewillie

He is the quintessential Homer, isn't he?
Gobigred
Joewillie78

Who would ever say something like that?

[Wheels]

What an amazing game. That was - and the women's game earlier being 2OT as well - everything you want as a showcase for lacrosse. Standalone power game, national TV spotlight, back and forth drama, incredible crowd in the Dome. It was fantastic. A total win and obviously stoked the Terps gritted their way through and got that W. Still +1 on the year and this team is showing some really promising signs while racking up some potential big wins for down the line

Pros
- There have been so many great #1 cover defenders and elite goalies in this program under Tillman; but for my money Zaps and McNaney are the best of them all. Saw all the reasons why tonight. McNaney was just incredible, dialed in from minute 1, Cuse got frustrated and forced shots in that first half and with the offense going quiet for the entire middle of that game, it was his presence as always that kept them in it. Zaps faced another stud and kept him in check. Cuse made the adjustments and it got their offense going, but they had to change their gameplan because he dictated the terms first, as he always does. So good.
- The close defense and poles are just tremendous. The communication, footwork, fundamentals are so strong. Owen Hiltz was a ghost. Schaller had him in jail. And Burlace had Mule locked up as well. One thing to take down Spallina; but to hold the #2/#3 attackmen on a team to 1 goal/1 assist is incredible
- Erksa started to emerge late there. The most confident and authoritative he's been all season, he wanted the ball and the offense got moving again because Cuse had to adjust to the fact he was winning his match-up. That's what we want to see from him. Hope it's a sign of things to come.
- The offense obviously has a fantastic opening "script" if you will; they have great 1Q's. Whatever Phipps/Tills ID on tape that they attack early, it's awesome. When the game develops though, things break down. Not enough shooting, the best athletes/dodgers are younger guys and older guys are great decision makers and role players but not the party starters. Leads to what we saw 2Q/3Q. But that 4Q was so encouraging. What we've been wanting to see last two years, them break through that wall and have a big offensive push late in the game. It happened with Erksa stepping up (assisted 7th goal, scored 8th and 9th) but also got basically the games only transition tallies through some big plays by Koras for the 10th and then obviously Stamos' winner
- It felt like Kohn was getting the better of Wierman and in the end Wierman went 16-29 and won some big ones in the 4Q. He always wins the big ones

Cons
- The shortie depth is going to be an issue. Hopefully Kolar comes back. I think Stamos will get better; he's clearly an amazing athlete and you can work with that. I think it's time to maybe try Brennan taking some shifts there and plug his offensive reps with Stobaugh who got some run later in the 2H. Cuse just targeted the shorties over and over in the 2H and outside of Redd I'm not sure there's anyone on the team I'm feeling 100% confident in. Wicks looked great and if you had Kolar there too you had 3 guys you felt good about which was a solid position. It's a long season, guys can come along, but it's an issue and with how many offensive middies they have, I'd try some of the better athletes they have on offense there.
- Basically everything in the 2Q/3Q on offense. They gotta figure out ways to make quicker adjustments. They have a great initial gameplan, and it's clear that until Erksa really pops or Malever feels 100% from the injury the offense is sort of going to be where it's at, but they have to sustain a higher floor throughout. Hopefully the end of 4Q is a building block for that
- Is Spanos hurt? Or was he hurt? He doesn't look right to me. He's got some type of deal on his knee and he just is not getting separation at all laterally. He just looks...gimpy.
- Malever doesn't look hurt, but he does look like a guy who's coming off a long layoff. Just a little gunshy. Hopefully he has a game here where it comes together and he gets the confidence back

Overall, a lot to feel good about. The offense had a big late 4Q push to get the win. Defense held an amazing Cuse offense to 12 goals. Kept battling and kept battling on the road and got the win. Great game. Onto Princeton

The defensive game plan the past 2 weeks have been stellar. Syracuse came into the game with its attack unit averaging 16 combined points per game. They were held to 5 tonight. 5. And 2 of those were five came from the Hiltz to Mule goal to tie the game at 12. Jesse forced Syracuse to win with its midfield. Spallina makes up for his average athleticism with elite stick skills, creativity, and body leveraging ability. But against an elite defender, his athleticism limits him. Mule and Hiltz are small-ish guys, and the big, athletic Terrapin defenders just erased them. So, yeah, Case's midfield put up 10 goals today and they almost won; but Maryland forced Syracuse to play in a way they don't like playing. Cuse had 4 assists on the game. So the trade off today was Maryland's rope unit looked worse than it did against Loyola. I do think Kolar is close to returning.

I'm sure we're going to hear Quint et al. blather about the "Terps not having THE GUY" on offense, but after seeing what Maryland did to Syracuse tonight, why can't the same be said about them? Because Spallina will put up 10 points against a MAAC team?

The stats on the game are kinda wonky. The Terps shot over 40% but only had 28 shots. So you think they must have turned the ball over a bunch. LaxRef had them at 11 turnovers. So what was happening on offense? Just grinding the shot clock and getting a late possession shot? Must have been.

Erksa is also interesting. His overall efficiency is low because of his turnover rate. They're just going to have to live with it. Malever got robbed on a goal by Mark, and then Mark robbed 2 Terps' shooters on great passes from Malever. So what can you do about that? A lesser goalie doesn't make those saves, and all the sudden, Malever has a goal and 3 assists. But that's lacrosse. Mark is a good goalie.

I really want to see Whittier get more run. He adds a different dynamic to the midfield. Siracusa gives the midfield explosiveness. Whitter gives it some scoot.

As AreaLax said, Spanos isn't injured. He's just not forcing things. He often draws the pole. If I'm a Cuse fan, I'm worried about their rope unit. Maryland unmercifully attacked them today and it wasn't even close.

Tonight was a big win. This team has some onions.

Can we also talk about Cuse's schedule? 8 straight home games to open the season? Kudos for playing Maryland and JHU but not leaving the Dome until mid March? Is that the best way to prepare them for a deep tournament run? If they stumble during their ACC schedule, their hot start will look like a mirage.

[laxfan1313]

I told you Terps fans about George Stamos last year when he was a true freshman. Now, as a redshirt freshman, he's getting some playing time and was last night's hero! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-hKM-DpdP4

[masondixonlax]

Gait has some interesting post game comments… maybe I’m misinterpreting but it was almost like he was calling the cuse crease goal review bs.

[Laxitup21]

Gait has some interesting post game comments… maybe I’m misinterpreting but it was almost like he was calling the cuse crease goal review bs.

Because he’s always going to defend his team. The call was clearly the right one. What’s painful is hearing the homer fans like Casey Powell chime in who damn well know the game too.

[Essexfenwick]

Terps look to be in the beginning stages of being a monster. So much upside.

[Matnum PI]

Last year Kelly started at attack... that's due to Malever coming back and they chose Maltz as the 3rd attackman instead. Maltz is 2nd in the team on goals, so not a bad call so far

Not a novel statement but... UMD is loaded. jrn, thank you.

[keno in reno]

Last year Kelly started at attack... that's due to Malever coming back and they chose Maltz as the 3rd attackman instead. Maltz is 2nd in the team on goals, so not a bad call so far

Not a novel statement but... UMD is loaded. jrn, thank you.

this offense is built on ball movement and individual mobility. Kelly is an excellent, generally stand-still shooter. Murphy struggled last year adapting the that new offensive system, and this year it appears to be Kelly. He'll find a spot that utilizes his shooting ability at some point this season. Spanos is playing smart and within the system. I bet he'll find or create a ton of opportunities as the offense becomes more efficient. That dry spell was painful to watch, but they are getting great looks at the goal on some excellent passing; just need to eliminate the silly turnovers.

[Wheels]

Gait has some interesting post game comments… maybe I’m misinterpreting but it was almost like he was calling the cuse crease goal review bs.

He says the refs throughout the season come to him (tears in their eyes, maybe?) to say they can't review whether or not a player has been pushed into the crease.

Nope. That's what they absolutely were reviewing.

He and Tills have developed a bit of a frosty relationship due to Tills's lead on the rules committee. They banned that Gait Lacrosse stick for defensemen before last season. If you watch his comments last night, he's clearly referring to that again when he talks about having to do a lot business with Tills...with the "we're great friends" cover at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEYg5wZh-YI

Maybe...just maybe...he should have been getting his players set up on their ride so that they didn't leave a defensive midfield completely alone at your restraining line with a minute left in OT.

[bearlaxfan]

Great game. Zap wont win it, but he is the Tewaaraton defender of truth. #22 is out.


I agree. He right now is the best shut down Dman in D1 Lax. He is so sound with his fundamentals. I know it's unfair to compare anyone to Adler from Cornell, but he has many of the same instincts that Adler had. And yes, he won't win, like Adler couldn't win it but both deserve consideration.
Gobigred
Joewillie78

All things lead back to Cornell for joewillie

He is the quintessential Homer, isn't he?
Gobigred
Joewillie78

Maybe a homer, but as a Jets fan, not a front-runner! Sorry to non-sequitur the thread, but I couldn't resist.

[youthathletics]

UMD looks sharp. My reservation about them is what can Phipps further develop. He seems to thrive when his already talented players do the hard work and what comes natural to them early season. When it comes to scouting an opponents defensive weaknesses and implementing adjustments to combat them in mid to late May...I see a flaw.

[The Orfling]

Great lacrosse game, nice win for the Terps, and clearly the correct call on the crease dive in OT. What a pleasure watching the nation's best defender (Zap) and McNaney as one of the country's best goalies (if not the best -- maybe Entenmann still has #1 spot by a millimeter?) doing their thing. Enjoying the good postgame analysis on this thread as well.