Since 2004, it has been the unofficial kickoff of the local college lacrosse season. But when Maryland travels to Georgetown on Friday night, it could be the final lacrosse game between the schools for a while.
Terrapins athletic director Kevin Anderson broke off diplomatic relations with the Hoyas, showing his displeasure with Georgetown’s reluctance to schedule Maryland in men’s basketball.
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“Our hope is maybe it’s on hold right now and then things get worked out,” Maryland coach John Tillman said. “We have to be respectful of the bigger picture here and what our administration and our people need to do.”
Friday’s game will be a test for young Maryland (1-0), which reached the NCAA final last year but graduated four standouts on close defense and its top long-stick midfielder.
Moving into starting roles are freshman Goran Murray; sophomore Michael Ehrhardt, who played in six games last year; and sophomore Brian Cooper, a defensive midfielder who was moved to close defense to fill a desperate need.
“Going from short stick to long stick is definitely an adjustment,” Tillman said. “Losing your top four defensemen in close and one of your top two long sticks, I’ve never seen that in 20 years. I’ve never seen that many defensemen disappear.”
Helping ease the transition are junior faceoff star Curtis Holmes, who won 19 of 20 in a 12-6 win Saturday over Hartford, and sophomore goalie Niko Amato.
“It’s a possession game,” Tillman said. “When [Holmes] plays well and Niko plays well, it makes up for some mistakes.”
– Kevin Dunleavy
