‘Trap game,’ no sweat for the Terps, 13-7
CATONSVILLE, Md. – Any apprehensions about Maryland looking ahead to its highly-anticipated game next weekend against undefeated North Carolina, were erased early in Saturday’s game at UMBC.
Racing to a quick lead that was never seriously challenged, the Terrapins took advantage of their opportunities, got stingy play in goal from senior Brian Phipps, and shut down the Retrievers’ top two threats in a factory-produced 13-7 victory before 2,670 sun-splashed fans.
Maryland (6-0) scoffed at the notion this was a trap game. The Terps were anxious to atone for losses each of the last three years to the Retrievers.
“No way we were overlooking them,” said Phipps (12 saves). “I don’t want to say revenge. But it was a game we definitely felt we had to have.”
Helping get it were attackmen Grant Catalino (4 goals, 3 assists) and Travis Reed (2 goals, 2 assists), while Adam Sear (2 goals) and Jake Bernhardt (2 goals) lifted a struggling first-line midfield that produced five goals.
UMBC midfielders Kyle Wimer and Bobby Stockton entered with a combined 15 goals and 13 assists, but neither scored a point until Wimer got an extra-man tally with 2 minutes, 11 seconds to go. Wimer and Stockton missed a combined 15 shots.
“We wanted to extend their offense and make them run,” said Terps junior long stick Brian Farrell. “They’re on the field a lot. This was a warm day and you could see with some of their shots that they got frustrated.”
While Farrell kept tabs on Wimer, close defender Ryan Bohlander locked on Stockton. Junior defender Max Schmidt (3 caused turnovers) also excelled as the Terps held the Retrievers scoreless on five of six extra-man chances.
The lone spark from UMBC (1-5) came late in the third period when sophomore Shane Ryznar (four goals) and senior Maxx Davis scored the Retrievers’ lone back-to-back goals, 33 seconds apart, to make it 11-6.
But in the fourth period, Maryland attack Ryan Young (3 assists) fed Catalino, who scored on a laser, and 6-foot-6 midfielder Will Yeatman followed with a slam-dunk over the head of UMBC’s 5-8 goalie Kevin Kohri (9 saves).
“We weren’t thinking about North Carolina at all,” said Farrell. “This was all about UMBC and what they did to us the last three years.”
