He may be short in stature, but not too many freshmen have come up bigger this season than University of Maryland-Baltimore County attackman Cayle Ratcliffe.
The 5-foot-8, 230-pound native of Victoria, British Columbia leads the Retrievers (10-5) with 37 goals going into Sunday’s game at Maryland (10-5) in the first round of the NCAA Division I men’s tournament. Ratcliffe, along with seniors Drew Westervelt (31 goals, 33 assists) and Andy Gallagher (32, 14), account for 100 of UMBC’s 172 goals, and their combined 154 points are fourth in the nation among attack trios.
All of Ratcliffe’s goals came in the last 13 games. His production really picked up after being inserted into the starting lineup four games into the season. He has scored goals in nine straight games and has converted 55.2 percent of his shots this season.
“I think the timing was right and Cayle has filled that last spot on theattack nicely,” UMBC coach Don Zimmerman said. “Having two great seniors like Drew and Andy has also made it easier for Cayle since there’s not as much pressure on him out there. I don’t know if he would have been as successful on another team with less-experienced players on attack.”
Ratcliffe appears to be just what Zimmerman needed to get the offense going after the team fell to 3-3 following a lackluster 11-7 loss to Maryland on March 17. At that point, Zimmerman decided to shift the focus of his offense from his midfield to the attack.
UMBC responded by going 7-2 while Ratcliffe became more confident each week. His greatest strength might be the power in his stocky frame, which makes him nearly impossible to move away from the crease. Performances like that earned Ratcliffe the nickname “Tugboat” in high school.
“I’ve just learned so much about the game this season,” he said. “The pace of the game is so fast at this level, and every player was the superstar on their high school team.”
Ratcliffe also credits Westervelt and Gallagher with helping him this year, along with Zimmerman giving him a chance to prove himself on the field.
“Coach Zimmerman had the confidence in me to get the job done,” Ratcliffe said. “But I’m still going out there every day to prove myself because I know your spot is never secure when you’re a freshman.”
THE RATCLIFFE FILE
» Age: 19
» Height/Weight: 5-foot-8, 230 pounds
» Did you know? Cayle Ratcliffe earned four America East Conference rookie of the week awards during the regular season ? His 37 goals rank eighth on UMBC?s single-season scoring list ? He scored six goals in an 11-10 double-overtime victory over Penn March 10, including the game-winner.
