Defenseman Matt Dunn looks to pass during Maryland’s 11-4 win over Princeton at Byrd Stadium on March 7, 2015.
After two months of games in six different cities, the Terrapins men’s lacrosse team’s 10-game winning streak was in serious danger late in its contest against Ohio State on Saturday.
The Buckeyes held a three-goal lead with five minutes remaining and were closing in on a win that would give them a share of the Big Ten regular-season title.
But when the Terps huddled on the sideline during a media timeout, defender Matt Dunn refocused his team.
“[Dunn] looked at me with a really serious face and said, ‘All right, this isn’t over,’” goalkeeper Kyle Bernlohr said. “When a guy like him speaks, it really sends a message to everybody.”
The Terps responded with three goals to force overtime, and though attackman Jay Carlson’s goal secured the victory, it was Dunn’s leadership amid adversity that ignited the Terps’ furious comeback.
“When he said, ‘We’re coming back and winning this game,’ all around, everyone thought, ‘Yeah, we are going to win this game,’” Bernlohr said.
Along with defenders Casey Ikeda and Mac Pons, Dunn serves on a starting backline that has helped the Terps post the best goals-against average in the country. And Saturday, Dunn began the sequence that led to Carlson’s game-clinching goal.
On the first overtime possession, defensive midfielder Isaiah Davis-Allen stripped Buckeyes midfielder David Planning before Dunn recovered the ground ball and carried it into open space. Later in the possession, Carlson ended the contest with his third goal of the game.
Plays like that make Dunn a force on defense and allow his on-field play to mirror the impact he makes on the sideline and in the locker room.
Dunn missed four games in late March and early April with an injury, but that didn’t stop him from “directing traffic” from the sideline, Bernlohr said.
“Being injured, it’s tough because you can’t do much physically in the game, so I’m just trying to contribute everything I can to help our team be successful,” Dunn said. “I know what it’s like to be on the field and hearing people from the sideline, from the crowd, supporting you. It makes a big difference.”
When the Terps hold player-only meetings, Dunn is one of several players capable of grabbing his teammates’ attention, Bernlohr said.
“Our team, the way it works, is there’s more than one leader,” Dunn said. “I try to be, but there are many guys who also fill that role.”
Throughout the season, Terps coach John Tillman has lauded his squad’s depth on defense, attributing its success to the system rather than one individual player.
After All-American defender Goran Murray was ruled ineligible before the season, Dunn and Ikeda were tasked with mentoring Pons, a sophomore, while stabilizing the Terps’ backline. Next year, Ikeda will graduate, leaving Dunn with even more responsibility.
But that shouldn’t be an issue for the junior, who has shown the ability to take charge and has earned the respect of his teammates.
“When Dunn, with his presence, starts to talk in the room, you just lock in,” long pole Matt Neufeldt said. “He just has such a connecting voice and presence. … I could see him being the president.”
