Blye, Cooper and Gribbin

The Terrapins men’s lacrosse team knew it had a big void to fill coming into the season. The Terps had eight of 10 starters returning from a group that reached last year’s national championship, but it wasn’t going to be easy replacing Joe Cummings.

After all, the All-American attackman led the team with 31 goals and 50 points last season. His 55 shots on goal paced the Terps, and his 19 assists — good for second on the squad — illustrated his playmaking abilities.

Two games into the season, though, the Terps don’t seem like they’re missing their former offensive catalyst. In fact, they’re flourishing without him.

The No. 2 Terps reached the program’s highest single-game goal total since 1995 in a 23-6 season-opening victory over Mount St. Mary’s a week ago. They continued the torrid pace at Hartford on Saturday, notching a 16-4 win.

The key to those offensive outbursts, coach John Tillman said, has been the experience of his attack group. Seniors Kevin Cooper, Owen Blye and Billy Gribbin each played in last year’s national title game, and, collectively, they’re doing more than enough to replace Cummings.

“Kevin and Owen are really playing great up top now. And you can add Billy into that group,” Tillman said Saturday. “They’re all playing like seniors. They’re comfortable and they’re confident.”

Cooper’s success has been the most surprising. Tillman moved the former midfielder to attack this season to fill the void left by Cummings, and the transition has been seamless.

The Crofton native has notched a hat trick in each of the first two games and leads the team with 11 total points. His 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame has been a hassle for opponents to deal with all season.

“Kevin creates a lot of problems for the other teams,” Blye said. “He’s a tall, big, strong kid, and I think him and I together create some matchup problems.”

The blowout win at Hartford served as a prime example. Blye said the Hawks were keying on Cooper after his three-goal, three-assist performance in the opener. So the former midfielder slid into a facilitating role and Blye took advantage, recording a career-high five goals.

Led by Blye (67 percent) and Cooper (60 percent), the Terps as a whole have found the back of the net on 40 percent of their shot attempts. Tillman said that efficiency comes from the unselfishness of his three starting attackmen.

“They’re not afraid to take their own shot, but they’re more than willing to create a shot,” the third-year coach said. “All those guys are willing to give up maybe a good look for a great look for a teammate.”

As a result, the Terps are nicely accommodating for Cummings’ absence with 39 goals in just two games. A critical factor in that success has been midfielder Jake Bernhardt’s return to the field after redshirting last season with a shoulder injury.

Bernhardt adds to the offense himself, tallying five goals in two contests. But just as importantly, the redshirt senior’s versatility has allowed Cooper to move up to play on the attack and create a lethal grouping up front.

“Having Jake back has been great for us,” midfielder John Haus said. “He can play offense, defense, everything. So having him back has really added a dimension to our game.”

With Bernhardt and the Terps’ three attackmen all in their senior seasons, the offense seems to be in capable hands. That group’s selflessness has allowed 17 different players to find the back of the net through two games, a balance that has been key in an eye-opening start to the season.

Thus far, the team has adequately made up for Cummings’ departure. But with a national title game rematch against No. 1 Loyola looming next Saturday and a bout with No. 13 Duke coming up the following week, things aren’t getting any easier.

That’s why the veteran-laden offense isn’t getting caught up in its early season success. The Terps seem more concerned with ensuring that their scorching scoring pace doesn’t slow down.

“We’ve gotten off to a good start, but to be completely honest, it doesn’t mean a lot. We put our focus on the key games at the end of the year,” Blye said. “So we have to make sure we stay focused and stay humble.”

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