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Coach Pat Santoro has brought the Terrapin wrestling program back to its winning ways in his five years as head coach.

During his tenure, the team has won the ACC regular season title three times in a row; tied the school's record for wins in a season; had four individual ACC champions; sent five wrestlers to the NCAA tournament and even won three ACC Sportsmanship Awards.

But one prize has been elusive: the ACC tournament championship.

The Terps (16-4, 5-0 ACC) host the ACC tournament Saturday at Comcast Pavilion, and Santoro feels like this might be their year.

"I really believe we have 10 guys who can do well," Santoro said. "They just need to wrestle from within themselves. As long as they believe in what they can do, they'll do well."

The year before Santoro took over as coach, the Terps were 6-7 overall and 0-4 in the ACC, and they had not finished higher than third place in the ACC tournament since 1990.

And though the Terps lead the ACC with 20 conference tournament titles in program history, they have not won it since 1973.

Last year under Santoro, the Terps won second in the tournament, the highest finish in 17 years. This season, they do not want to settle for runner-up; they want to win.

The team hascertainly proved that it can handle ACC opponents, going undefeated in the conference for the second year in a row.

The team also claimed the best-ever program winning percentage, .800, beating out the record .773 set just last year.

But all of this will mean nothing without wins in the tournament.

"This is what we've been training for, been aiming for, all year," Santoro said. "This is what we've spent the season preparing for. We just need to step it up one extra level for the tournament."

The tournament is different than the dual matches that make up the bulk of the season. Rather than compete as teams, each weight class has its own bracket. Wrestlers compete in their weight class for individual championships.

Throughout the tournament, wins by wrestlers rack up points for their team. These points determine which team wins the ACC tournament championship.

It can be hard to prepare both mentally and physically for the tournament. The wrestlers have multiple matches in a very short span of time, and they do not know whom they will have to face in each round.

"We just need to take it one match at a time and one period at a time," Santoro said. "We're ready for anything."

Six wrestlers have participated in the tournament before and know what to expect, but Santoro ensured even the four starters who are new to the tournament are ready to compete.

"Coach Santoro, coach Dillon and coach Beckerman are peaking us at the right time. They know what is best for us because they have been through it so many times and had success," redshirt sophomore Brendan Byrne said.

Rather than hold extra practices to prepare, though, Santoro has taken a more low-key approach during his quest for a championship: He has just continued with his regular strategy because it has worked well so far for the Terps.

"We've just kept up our practices like we have all year," Santoro said. "Actually, we've even backed off a little to be rested for Saturday. We're trying to hit a little peak and be fresh for the ACC tournament."

The tournament title is not all that is at stake. The winners of the weight classes win bids to the NCAA tournament March 20-22 in St. Louis. The coaches then decide on four wild-card spots at the tournament's end.

"Everyone on our team wants to make it to the national championships and be All-Americans," Santoro said. "And I really believe in all 10 guys. This is what we've been trainging for. This is the time to prove they can do it."

On their home mats, the Terps and Santoro are confident and ready to compete for the first ACC tournament championship in 25 years.

"We're at home, we don't have to travel, and the crowd will be with us," Santoro said. "We are ready for the weekend."

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