Holmes’ struggles hurt Terps in recent games Few faceoff men have had as dominating a start to a lacrosse season as Maryland junior Curtis Holmes. In winning 30 of 33 draws against solid competition, Holmes made games early this season look easy for the ball-hogging Terrapins.
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But after his strong start, Holmes has struggled mightily at the faceoff X, capturing only 31 of 91 (34.1 percent). As a result, Maryland has lost two of its last four games, again resembling the squad that entered this season with modest expectations after graduating three starting attackmen and five standout defenders.
| Up next |
| No. 2 Virginia at No. 9 Maryland |
| When » Saturday, noon |
| Where » Byrd Stadium |
| TV » ESPNU |
When No. 9 Maryland (5-2) plays No. 2 Virginia (8-1) on Saturday at Byrd Stadium in a rematch of last year’s NCAA title game won by the Cavaliers 9-7, the Terps will try to recapture their edge at the X.
“I think unfortunately we haven’t been getting those 50-50 balls that we usually get,” Holmes said. “Most of that’s probably my fault, probably not putting the ball in the right spots to make our guys successful.”
Facing off is not a one-man job. To have consistent success, help is needed from the midfield wings, who race in to pick up loose balls. Maryland unquestionably misses graduated midfielders Brian Farrell and Dan Burns, though juniors Jesse Bernhardt and Landon Carr have comparable skills and athletic ability.
“It’s not one guy. Faceoffs are a three-on-three matchup, then 10-on-10,” said Bernhardt, who has a team-high 29 ground balls. “Anytime someone does well, you pay a little more attention. I think teams are spending a little more time preparing for it.”
Holmes’ quick start this season was hardly a fluke. Last year he won 62.9 percent, ranking seventh in the nation and rising in the Terps’ biggest games. In the NCAA tournament, Holmes secured 49 of 73 (67.1 percent), including 12 of 19 in the title game loss to Virginia.
The Cavaliers will bring two strong faceoff men with different styles to College Park. Senior Ryan Benincasa (6-foot-2, 215) has won 71 of 117 (60.7 percent) and is spelled by quicker freshman Mick Parks (5-11, 175), who has won 50 of 91 (54.9 percent).
While many teams rotate two or even three players for the grinding duty, Maryland has used Holmes (5-9, 170) almost exclusively since he took over at the start of last year. With his success, there has been little reason to change.
But the toll on Holmes has become evident. The Terps have won at least 50 percent of their faceoffs in every period except the fourth, in which they have a 40 percent success rate. As a result, coach John Tillman has started to work other faceoff specialists into the lineup. The most promising work has come from freshman Charlie Raffa (6-0, 195), who has won eight of 16.
“We have to look at other options,” Tillman said. “We’re certainly glad we’ve got Curtis. He’s got a great track record, so we’re not going to get away from him totally. We do need to start working on Plan B, C and D just in case.”
