NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament
Terrapins Overcome Slow Start in Opener
Maryland 10, Denver 7
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The goal that gave Maryland the lead for good in its 10-7 victory over Denver in an NCAA lacrosse tournament first-round game before 1,360 yesterday at Byrd Stadium came on a shot from junior Dan Groot that went wide, bounced off the chest of sophomore defenseman Dillon Roy and into the goal.
It was the fourth in a stretch of five straight goals in which Maryland (10-5) took advantage of mistakes by the Pioneers (10-7). Denver led 5-2 midway through the second quarter following a goal on a leaping shot by sophomore Ilija Gajic.
But the game was tied at 5 at halftime. The Terrapins ended the half with three extra-man goals, the last of which came from freshman Brett Weiss with 48 seconds left.
The goal off Roy's chest -- it was credited to Groot -- was followed by a goal from freshman Ryan Young seconds after a failed clear attempt by Denver for a 7-5 lead with 3 minutes 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
"In the third quarter we were all over them a little bit and we can't score, and then we get that lucky goal," Maryland Coach Dave Cottle said. "And that kind of took the pressure off of us."
Maryland's two-goal lead was enough, thanks to its defense. The starters -- seniors Joe Cinosky, Jacob Baxter and Ryne Adolph -- held Denver's attackmen to a combined 3-for-16 shooting, with two assists and 13 turnovers.
The defense's mastery was symbolized by a sequence early in the fourth quarter. Denver had an extra-man opportunity. The ball went to Cliff Smith, a junior attack, near the goal. Including two years at Butler, Smith had scored 74 goals in his career.
Yet sophomore goalkeeper Brian Phipps made an acrobatic save, Cinosky got the ball in transition and scored a man-down goal past junior goalie Austin Kunkel for an 8-5 lead with 13:12 to play.
Cinosky finished with one goal, four groundballs and four caused turnovers; Phipps played the second half and finished with six saves and two goals allowed.
"They were playing a tough style of lacrosse, and that's the way we like to play," Cinosky said.
Gajic scored two goals and Kunkel added 13 saves for Denver.
Denver's starting lineup featured players from Colorado, Rhode Island, Texas, British Columbia and New Jersey. Its main faceoff man, sophomore Ben Wahler, originally was a hockey recruit to Hobart College.
