from umterps.com
The 108th meeting of Lacrosse’s Greatest Rivalry takes place this week at Homewood Field and it promises to be nothing short of an electric atmosphere.
Before I get into anything else here I want to implore fans to GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY! According to the Hopkins website, Homewood seats 8,500, but with terrific weather expected on Saturday and the fact that this is the first time this rivalry will be played at Homewood since 2008 fans should expect a near-sellout. That means if you wait to get to the field there could be long lines and no one likes to wait in a line if you can avoid it. Tickets are on sale online by clicking here. Questions on tickets can be directed to 410-516-7490.
Those that are familiar with Homewood Field know that parking is extremely limited, so get there early (the Space Telescope Garage and the 115 University Parkway Garage open 2 hours prior to face off), tailgate (responsibly, of course), enjoy the weather, proudly display your red and black, and then come into Homewood and and root for the Terps.
This is a very, very good Blue Jay team. There is talent up and down the roster and there are multiple potential All-Americans at every position.
Hopkins is a dangerous team that became even more dangerous with the return of super-senior Chris Boland, who missed seven games with an early-season shoulder injury. Maryland fans are still trying to forget about his five-goal performance, all of which came in the second half, of last season’s 11-10 overtime loss at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Despite playing in just three games this season, Boland still ranks sixth on the squad with 13 points and is fifth on the team with nine goals. How Maryland handles Boland will go a long way in determining the outcome of Saturday’s game.
Hopkins’ first midfield line of John Ranagan, John Greeley and Rob Guida struggled early on this season with its shooting, but have been on point for the Jays lately. The Terps’ Jesse Bernhardt is one of the nation’s top long poles, but he can only cover one guy. Maryland’s short sticks will have to rise to the challenge on Saturday.
On the other side of the field, Jays’ goalie Pierce Bassett was the preseason first team All-American and has lived up to the hype so far this season. He currently ranks fourth in the nation with a 6.70 goals-against average. While Bassett is a superb goalie, his defense in front of him is equally talented. Junior Tucker Durkin, who will likely be matched up with Maryland’s initiator Owen Blye, leads that veteran group.
Not to be overshadowed, Maryland has some talented midfielders of its own and how the first line of Chanenchuk, Haus and Snider plays will be a key for the Terps. Will Hopkins pole up Maryland’s midfield? And if they do, can the Terps make them pay by getting quality opportunities vs. the Blue Jay shorties?
This game has all of the pieces in place to be a classic.
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