The Terrapin men’s lacrosse team came into this season with an almost ready-made lineup, with established attackmen, veteran defenders and a set starting goalie for the first time in three years.
Yet despite the experience underpinning the rest of the roster, the midfield situation remains murky.
After losing the three senior anchors in the midfield from last year, the preseason No. 8 Terps were left with a plethora of options, but no easy decision. And when a snow-shortened preseason limited their chances to test-drive their choices before Saturday’s season opener, Coach Dave Cottle decided to field a nine-player, three-unit rotation against Bellarmine.
Though the offense started slow in the 12-7 win in Louisville, Ky., the midfield served as the catalyst against the unranked Knights (2-1). Sophomore Jake Bernhardt scored the first Terp goal, one of three for the first midfield group. The second group put in three as well, and the third contributed one.
“I think we took the team on our shoulders a little bit,” Bernhardt said. “I think the midfield — all the midfields — really stepped up for the first game of the year.”
Cottle liked the production he saw from the midfield, and he also noticed the relatively even play from one unit to the next. That was especially evident between the first unit of Bernhardt and seniors Will Yeatman and Adam Sear, and the second, which includes sophomores Drew Snider and Michael Shakespeare as well as freshman John Haus. As a result, Cottle has decided to continue the system, extending the tryouts into the season indefinitely.
“I think, being limited with the amount of scrimmages, it’s going to take a while to figure out the rotation,” Cottle said. “We’re going to keep playing different guys to see who will stand out. Right now, I’m going to try to play three midfields because I think we play better when a lot of guys play.”
He believes the deep store of midfielders played a critical role in the victory against Bellarmine, and not just because of the scoring. While the Knights relied heavily on their six starting midfielders and attackmen, the Terps kept moving fresh players onto the field to re-energize the team throughout the game.
The competition for time on the field also keeps players alert and working hard in practice, setting the tone for the rest of the team.
“A lot of people questioned whether we would step up this year,” Bernhardt said. “But it’s only the first game of the year, and we’ve still got a lot more games, and I think we’ll exceed people’s views for our midfield this year.”
kyanchulis@umdbk.com
