One constant with the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team this year has been coach Dave Cottle’s willingness to fiddle with his lineup.

Of course, the last game of the season proved to be no exception.

With one final chance to tinker before the NCAA Tournament, Cottle inserted attackman Grant Catalino, the Terps’ leading scorer, on the first midfield line for Saturday’s 10-6 win against Yale.

“We’re trying to change things up,” said Cottle, who gave no indication that the switch would hold for the Terps’ first-round tournament matchup with Notre Dame on Sunday. “We’re trying to find that right combination and get things where they need to be.”

For Catalino, knowing where he needed to be was half the battle Saturday.

He said the transition was aided by his new linemates, senior midfielders Dan Groot and Jeremy Sieverts. The two veterans helped him all week during practice, preparing Catalino for his first career start at midfield.

“I’m new to the whole midfield thing, the substitutions, so I was just looking around at times like, ‘Are we up next?'” Catalino said. “You have to be mentally ready on the sidelines. You can’t get sidetracked.”

On the field, Catalino was just as focused. He was thankful for being able to avoid playing defense, something he said could have

been tricky given his attackman pedigree.

Given the timing of the switch, Cottle was pleased by the results. Though Catalino did not score a goal, he did get chances. His four shots were more than he had taken in each of the previous two games.

The sophomore finished with an assist, which he tallied on a first-half extra man opportunity.

“He had a bunch of opportunities early,” Cottle said. “There were some good shots to be had. He’s just got to put them on cage.”

Of Catalino’s four shots, just one was on goal. Used to playing the whole game, he said his stick skills struggled a bit after prolonged breaks.

Still, Catalino is one of the Terps’ best shooters from the top of the box, a spot from which he finds shots even while playing attack. He said his long-range capabilities were probably one of the reasons he was asked to try the swap.

“The biggest change is, first of all, I’m not always on the field – also just setting picks up top and creating from up top,” Catalino said.

“But even though I’m catagorized as a midfielder, I’m generally doing the same type of things,” Catalino continued. “It’s pretty much the same six guys running the same plays.”

At times this season, designating certain players as attackmen or midfielders has seemed like a futile endeavor.

With a glut of talented attackmen, Cottle has tried to put his best players on the field without worrying about which position is listed next to each name on the roster.

Attackmen Nick Ward and Joe Cummings have each received the majority of their minutes in the midfield this season. And attackman Travis Reed, who started at attack last season, played mainly in the midfield until an ankle injury to attackman Will Yeatman opened a spot up front.

With Yeatman back in action, Catalino’s shift allowed the Terps to keep Reed at attack – a boon for the team given Reed’s sharp shooting and 16 goals.

With Jeff Reynolds bumped down to the second line, Cottle faithfully trotted out three midfield lines Saturday, keeping players fresh.

The reserve midfielders responded with half of the Terps’ 10 goals.

Catalino said he will meet with Cottle early this week to talk about his position for the Terps’ matchup with Notre Dame.

He said he thinks he can be effective in the position going forward.

“I went alright; it was a little different experience,” Catalino said. “[Yale] obviously didn’t know I’d be playing midfield. But I think it can help free up Dan and Jeremy for some chances to dodge, and I’ll just keep doing what I need to do.”

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