Midfielder Charlie Raffa had been a constant force at the faceoff X for the Terrapins men’s lacrosse team since 2012, his performance garnering him program records and national recognition.
Raffa’s 274 career ground balls rank third in Terps history. His 498 faceoff wins rank fourth. He finished the 2014 season as a USILA second-team All-American and earned an All-American honorable mention last year despite missing time with injuries.
But Raffa graduated after last season and currently suits up for the Chesapeake Bayhawks, leaving coach John Tillman’s team with a void at the X. So the sixth-year coach experimented with four players taking faceoffs in his team’s victory over High Point as the No. 4 Terps search for their next standout specialist.
“Given the early season, you never really know what’s going to happen,” Tillman said. “I thought [volunteer assistant coach Chris] Mattes has done an awesome job with our faceoff guys.”
Faceoff specialist Austin Henningsen started at midfield and took the Terps’ first 10 tries.
Henningsen, Inside Lacrosse‘s 25th-ranked freshman, dueled High Point faceoff specialist Alex Woodall, ranked 10th in the same list. Henningsen finished the game 9-for-12 in the matchup.
But with about five minutes left in the second quarter during the second-to-last faceoff of the frame, the Northport, New York, native stayed down with an injury while Panthers attackman Adam Seal secured possession, and High Point cleared to its attacking third.
Referees whistled the play dead moments later, and trainers helped Henningsen off the field. Tillman didn’t have an update on Henningsen’s condition after the game, though the specialist did return to battle for the first two possessions of the second half.
Midfielder Will Bonaparte filled in for the rookie during the last faceoff before the break, and he took 10 more in the second half. The sophomore finished the day 6-for-11 at the X. Defender Curtis Corley and faceoff specialist Andrew Walsh also saw time late in the contest.
Tillman is also using faceoffs to evaluate which wing players can replace midfielder Matt Neufeldt, who will miss 2016 with a knee injury. As a freshman in 2015, Neufeldt led the Terps with 57 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers.
Midfielder Isaiah Davis-Allen returns to his spot on the wing, and defender Greg Danseglio, in his first game as a Terp after redshirting as a transfer last year, saw extended time on the other side Saturday.
The redshirt senior collected six ground balls, three of which secured possessions on faceoffs, and caused two turnovers.
“When the ball was loose, obviously those wings really busted their butt,” Tillman said. “Greg Danseglio and Isaiah and [midfielder Wesley] Janeck among others were really good.”
The Terps’ 15-12 advantage at the X helped them record 50 shots — 31 of which were on goal — to High Point’s 26.
And playing with an emphasis on a faster attack, the Terps’ 15 goals against the Panthers marked their highest scoring output since the 2014 season opener.
“The coaches have been pushing the team to take a lot of good shots,” attackman Dylan Maltz said after his first career hat trick outing. “We’re going against the No. 1 defense in the country every single day in practice, so I think that really helps.”
The Terps also recorded an assist on eight of their scores — a nod to the “unselfish” nature Tillman sees in this year’s squad.
The depth and teamwork is a welcome sight for the Terps’ leader as competition for playing time at other positions unfolds.
“[Maltz], [attackman Matt] Rambo, — these guys can finish the ball pretty well,” said midfielder Bryan Cole, who paced the Terps with seven points. “It relieves the pressure off some of the other guys.”
