Making their own name

TOWSON - As future Terrapin men's lacrosse midfielder Landon Carr sprinted down the center of the field, future Terp goalie Niko Amato stood poised in net, ready to make the save. Carr split dodged to the right, leaving his defender behind and ripped a shot in the upper corner of the goal past Amato's stick.

At Saturday's Under Armour All-America Lacrosse game at Towson University, it was the perfect sequence to let the trash talking between two future teammates begin.

"It was funny because I actually visited [Terp] coach [Dave] Cottle and [assistant] coach [Ryan] Moran this Thursday," Carr said. "They were telling me, 'Make sure you score on 'Niko' so he doesn't keep talking to you all year.'"

This scene, regardless of who gets to talk trash afterward, will be played out many times next fall and spring on the Terp's practice field.

Three future Terps - Amato, Carr and defender Jesse Bernhardt - played in the all-star game, which featured the top college lacrosse prospects in the nation. All three realized the magnitude of the event, which 2,364 people attended, and the label they'll carry with them during college.

"You see some of the guys - the alumni that have come out of here - playing in college now, and they're the top guys out there," Bernhardt said.

Bernhardt's older brother, Terp midfielder Jake Bernhardt, is one of 15 Terps who played in the Under Armour game.

"All those guys have played in this game and gone on to prove themselves at Maryland," Amato said. "So it kind of just means that we're on the right track on making a name for ourselves in the college ranks."

The game itself, which included seven lead changes, was an offensive explosion. Carr's and Bernhardt's South team was able to beat Amato's North squad 19-16 for the South's first victory in the four-year history of the event. All of the future Terps had a significant impact.

Carr scored three goals and Amato had seven saves. Bernhardt picked up a ground ball and made many impressive clears that led to offensive opportunities.

Members of the Terp class of 2013, which includes three more midfielders and two more defensemen in addition to the three Under Armour All Americans, hope to have an immediate impact this spring.

"We want championships," Carr said. "[Losing is] not fun, so we're going for the National Championship and ACC championship."

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