Archive for April, 2008

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April 26th, 2008 | 04:50 pm

The Spring Game! Woo Hoo!

It’s halftime at the Red-White football game at Byrd stadium, the culmination of both the spring practice season and Maryland Day.

The top three quarterbacks on the depth chart have all looked fairly average so far, with Chris Turner and Josh Portis alternating drives leading the red team, and Jordan Steffy taking all the snaps so far for the white.

Turner’s best play was a 30-yard catch and run by Danny Oquendo that set up a field goal to open the scoring, and Steffy threw a few nice balls on the white team’s second scoring drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Steve Pfister.

The white team currently leads 13-3.

The star of the first half was running back Da’Rel Scott, playing for the white team, who rushed eight times for 75 yards and a touchdown. Another 75-yard touchdown run was called back for an illegal motion penalty.

The goat of the first half was kicker Obi Egekeze, who hooked an extra point attempt after Pfister’s touchdown in the second quarter, and doinked a short field goal attempt off the left upright a few minutes later.

The second half is about to begin.

The excitement is off the charts.

schimmeldbk@gmail.com

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April 25th, 2008 | 08:24 pm

The Great Escape

Charolettesville, VA – The Terrapin women’s lacrosse team had been in this position before. The Terps were on the verge of squandering a sizeable lead in the ACC tournament, but unlike last season, they came out on top.

The Terps raced out to 6-1 lead and controlled the game. But North Carolina scored four unanswered goals in the second half to make it a close game. But, unlike last season, the Terps played stifling defense and held on, 6-4, to advance to the ACC championship game.

“The best thing that you can take out of this game is that we won,” senior midfielder Dana Dobbie said. “We scored more goals than they did so we are super excited about that. For us seniors this is our first time going for an ACC championship.”

For the Terps this win was more than just a ticket to the ACC championship game. It was redemption for last season’s collapse in the ACC semifinals.

“Its like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders,” senior attacker Casey Magor said. “We made it past that hump and we are ready to go. We are so excited.”

The Terps raced out to a quick 6-0 lead. But that would be the extent of the Terps offensive fire power. The Terps offense stalled in the second half, and the Tar Heels offense reeled off four goals to cut the lead down to 6-4 with 23:22 to go.

But with Tar Heels within striking distance, the Terps defense held off the comeback to advance.

“They came out hard after [halftime], and they wanted to get back into it. It took us a while but we controlled the ball when we needed to and stopped it when we needed to. We did what we had to do and came out with a win. It may not have been pretty but it worked.”

bkapurdbk@gmail.com

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April 24th, 2008 | 09:44 pm

Handing out Hardware

At the ACC awards banquet tonight, several Terps took home honors.

Coach Dave Cottle was selected as Coach of the Year in voting by the league’s four coaches. Cottle also took home the award in 2004, making him the only ACC coach to win the award twice in the past five seasons.

Senior defender Joe Cinosky and junior midfielder Jeff Reynolds earned All-ACC honors. Cinosky has anchored the defense for the Terps, who won a pair of ACC games after being picked in the preseason to finish last in the conference. Reynolds helped his cause with a pair of hat tricks in ACC play just a season after suffering a torn ACL.

Duke’s Matt Danowski won conference player of the year for the third time, while fellow Blue Devil Mike Manly was named Rookie of the Year.

The banquet was held in conjunction with the ACC tournament, which kicks off tomorrow at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.

edetweilerdbk@gmail.com

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April 24th, 2008 | 03:52 pm

The Young and the Possibly Restless

One thing the Terp men’s lacrosse team does not have going for it heading into this weekend’s ACC tournament is their experience.

With a roster featuring 18 freshman making their first appearance in the tournament, it will be up to the older players to show the younger guys the ropes. Five Terps played in the 2005 ACC championship game win against Duke. Two players, defenders Ryne Adolph and Jacob Baxter, were even around the 2004 championship team as freshmen who were redshirting.

“I just gotta try to keep the guys focused,” Adolph said. “The [awards] banquet tonight is pretty cool for all the young guys, but we just have to maintain that it’s just a business trip, and we’re going down there to take care of business.”

Coach Dave Cottle said he will individually meet with each freshman in the hotel tonight to talk about how he can help them the rest of the season. He will learn a lot about his team by its performance this weekend.

“This is a training ground for the NCAA playoffs,” Cottle said. “It’s a big game on the road at a different site. I’ve seen some guys that have hit the wall and gone through it. I’ve see some of the younger guys who are getting close. I just think we’re learning how to be a better team right now.”

Freshman attackman Grant Catalino said he doesn’t really know what to expect from the tournament, but after playing big, rivalry games throughout the season, he is feeling confident.

“I still don’t feel like a veteran when I play in these big games, but it’s not like it was going into the (season-opening) Georgetown game. I’m not nervous and stuff like that,” Catalino said.

The worst part of the trip could be the travel. The Terps left on the bus for Charlottesville at 11 a.m. When the Terps arrive, they will practice, go to the awards banquet later tonight and then wait until 7:30 tomorrow night for their game to start.

“It’s going to be fun and difficult at the same time,” junior midfielder Jeff Reynolds said. “A lot of guys are going to be anxious because we’ve got a lot of down time. Once again, we’ve got to focus on what we’ve got to do and can’t mess around too much.”

edetweilerdbk@gmail.com

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April 20th, 2008 | 03:00 am

Spring slumbers

Maybe it was the 80-degree temperature turning Byrd Stadium into an oven. Maybe 10 a.m. is just too early to wake up on a Saturday. Maybe it was just me.

But whatever it was, I sensed a serious lack of energy at the football team’s final spring scrimmage today. Most of the onlookers sprinkling the bleachers looked bored. People mainly talked among themselves or stared blankly out to the field, with only a handful of cheers for particularly exciting plays.

But these plays came few and far between. You can’t really blame the fans for a lack of energy when the team fell flat.

Oh, coaches yelled and players played. But there was no electricity, no spark behind the performance.

Part of the problem was the play – the team is still rough. There were miscues galore; the offense failed repeatedly to get first downs, and defensive players watched big passing plays fly over their heads.

Every once in a while, though, there were the flashes of excitement, such as Morgan Green’s touchdown run, that elicited cheers from the players and stands. You could almost feel the exhilaration of the regular season that spring football fails to replicate.

But why do we expect spring football to match the regular season? Why should spring football be exciting?

It’s not, not really. Don’t get mad, it’s true. Yes, it helps players develop; it helps coaches cement the rosters; it helps the team build chemistry. But it’s still practice.

If the players are not jumping up and down after every play, it’s because they know the truth. Scrimmages are not real games – they don’t even closely resemble them.

And if the fans are not particularly enthused, it’s because deep down, they know the truth too. No matter how much importance is placed on these games, they do not really affect the regular season.

But we still cling to spring football. It fills the void left in our hearts when the Terps’ basketball season ends with the first real football six months away. It gives us something to hold on to.

kyanchulisdbk@gmail.com

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April 19th, 2008 | 09:00 pm

Spring wreaking havoc

While spring time brings forth great weather and greenery, it also brings bees and pollen.

The media box was full of both and the women’s lacrosse sports information director Matt Lynch was being abused by the pollen with bad eye allergy symptoms. Thankfully my eyes were not affected, considering my cornea is already bleeding from a previous spring perk- wind blowing small tree parts into my eye, it was a good thing.

But the bees were bugging, which was not pleasant because I am allergic. While I did not run away screaming from the booth came close.

While the media box wasn’t the place to be, it was a good day for lacrosse and the Terps women’s lacrosse team took care of their business. They put together an emotional win to clinch the top seed in the ACC tournament.

The Terps and Virginia are now the top two seeds and have a first round bye. Duke is the third seed and will play sixth seed Virginia Tech and fifth seed North Carolina will play fourth seed Boston College.

Hopefully when I head down to Charlottesville, Va., for the tournament I will remember the Benadryl and the Bug off-spray so I can fully enjoy the game.

bkapurdbk@gmail.com

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April 19th, 2008 | 01:02 pm

Reflections from Ludwig Field

My preview for today’s men’s lacrosse game against Penn talked about the importance of this game to the Terps.

Apparently, the news media doesn’t think so. Generally, there are four or five other writers joining me in the press box for any given game. Today it is just me. I guess they all think the Johns Hopkins-Navy match-up going on in Annapolis right now makes for a better story.

On the other hand, the game is being broadcast on CN8, meaning it will be broadcast to roughly 9 million households in the Mid-Atlantic, Southern and New England areas of the country.

So while I’m still having trouble gauging the magnitude of the game, at least I’ll get plenty of elbow room in the air conditioned press box and some quality one-on-one time with the Terp players and coaches post-game.

Some Notes: Freshman attackman Travis Reed is listed in today’s starting lineup. Reed was suspended for the previous two games after being charged with driving under the influence and possession of marijuana on April 2. As expected, sophomore goalie Brian Phipps gets the start today, despite only playing one of the past six halves. It will be important for him to have a good showing today to avoid losing ground to Jason Carter, who has played the whole game in two of the past three games. Senior Drew Evans will start on the first midfield this afternoon as junior Jeremy Sieverts drops down to the second midfield line.

edetweilerdbk@gmail.com

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April 18th, 2008 | 05:37 pm

It’s never too early for ACC tournament talk

If you’ve been following the Terrapin baseball team at all in the pages of The Diamondback this season you probably have noticed one recurring theme. The Terps have one goal: making the ACC tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., in May.

With 12 ACC games left, starting with tonight’s against No.21 Georgia Tech, it’s a good time to take a look at their chances. Coach Terry Rupp and the players say they are taking things one play at a time, but that doesn’t mean I have to.

Both division winners (most likely Florida State and Miami) plus the next six best teams, regardless of division, based on conference winning percentage make it to Jacksonville:

  1. Florida State 17-1 .944
  2. Miami 15-1 938
  3. North Carolina 13-4 .765
  4. Virginia 11-7 .611
  5. NC State 10-7 .588
  6. Georgia Tech 9-9 .500
  7. Wake Forest 6-11 .353
  8. Clemson 6-12 .333

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9. Duke 5-12 .294

10. Maryland 5-13 .278

11. Boston College 5-13 .278

12. Virginia Tech 3-15 .167

Whew, so there you have it. Right now the Terps are on the outside looking in. But if they can win two games from the Yellow Jackets this weekend, they are going to be in prime position.

The Terps still have trips to Duke and Boston College before finishing up with N.C. State at home. This weekend’s key matchups include Clemson at Duke, Boston College at North Carolina and Wake Forest at Virginia.

More updates as the season wears on, especially before the Terps head to Durham for what could be an ACC tournament elimination series next weekend.

akrautdbk@gmail.com

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April 13th, 2008 | 06:30 pm

Capital Classic?

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but as I sit and watch a group of eight-year-old boys and girls “crank dat soulja boy” and “walk it out” as part of the halftime festivities at today’s Capital Classic, something just doesn’t seem right.

The event has provided plenty of entertainment, and very little basketball. Those Terp fans looking to get a glimpse at top recruit Sean Mosley may be satisfied with his performance. Or they may not have even noticed the game in front of them.

The coordinators decided it would be a good idea to play music throughout the game, albeit mostly just instrumentals. The serenaded us with some dance moves by G-Wiz, the Washington Wizards’ mascot, between the first and second periods. Now we’re getting a halftime spectactular, with “the best dunker in the country” G-Man, another Wizards gimic based around Gilbert Arenas jumping off trampolines and the kids dancing to songs about things far too mature for them to know about.

At halftime, the players attempted to completely ignore G-Wiz’s shenanigans. They genuinely looked pissed that their playing was being outshadowed by a man in a blue suit.

I’m with them. Maybe this second half will provide a little more basketball.

ajosephdbk@gmail.com

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April 12th, 2008 | 08:01 pm

A new view

BALTIMORE  – In joining beat writer Eric Detweiler and photographer Adam Fried on an expedition down to Johns Hopkins for today’s reenactment of “The Game,” the 104th time the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team has taken on their esteemed rivals, I got to experience something I really haven’t seen anything quite like.

Because The Diamondback was requesting two press credentials and Homewood Field has a too-cramped-to-move-in press box, I was told there were no seats for me and given the options of watching the game from the stands, where I would be joined by 8,626 screaming fan, or watching from the field.

So I made my way down with Adam onto the turf, and I experienced lacrosse from a completely new angle. From the press box, you can really watch plays develop. You can see the open cutters. You can tell who’s just standing around doing nothing. You get a balanced, wide screen view of the game.

From the field, the game becomes so much more real. The players become life-sized. The roar of the fans can really grip you.

I heard fans some members of “The Nest” – Hopkins’ revered student section – jeering the Terp attackmen. I watched closely while senior Max Ritz returned to his attack position looking a little less comfortable than last year. I experienced the roar of the Terrapin faithful when sophomore Brian Farrell took his long pole down field in a hurry for a transition goal that finally put the Terps on the board.

In the end, it’s not an ideal situation for a writer. I ended up caught up in the action a little too much, and sometimes confused by what was going on, especially on the opposite end of the field. I was certainly satisfied with taking an open seat for the second half.

But it’s quite the experience – one that everyone should get at least once. And it was even better that it happened at Homewood, during the greatest rivalry game in men’s lacrosse.

ajosephdbk@gmail.com

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