Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Freshman attackman Brett Weiss has spent most of his season waiting for a teammate to get fouled.

Running almost exclusively on the Terrapin men's lacrosse team's extra-man unit, Weiss has had to look for his brief opportunities.

He netted a pair of goals in the team's win at North Carolina on March 22. The next weekend, the Terps had no extra-man opportunities while beating Virginia, leaving Weiss limited to playing a little bit in the waning minutes after the game was well in hand.

Such is life for the Terps' fourth attackman.

But when freshman attackman Travis Reed was suspended for Friday's game against Navy as a result of being charged April 3 with driving under the influence and marijuana possession, Weiss suddenly found himself practicing with the starting unit.

Early Friday, Weiss got a call from coach Dave Cottle saying he would be in the starting lineup that night.

Although the result was the Terps' worst offensive output since 2005 as the Terps fell 5-4 to the Midshipmen, Weiss showed he can could adapt to a changing role.

"That's a tough position to be thrown in, no matter if you're a freshman or a senior," midfielder Max Ritz said.

Weiss logged his most minutes of the season, recording one shot and picking up a key fourth-quarter ground ball, which led to a Terp scoring opportunity that could have tied the game. Cottle said he did not blame his team's offensive struggles on Weiss, acknowledging flaws in his game plan and the team's execution. But he said Weiss looked like a player making his first career start.

Weiss, who spent time before the game going over the plays in his head to make sure he knew them, said he started to feel comfortable once he got into the flow of the game, which is not usually possible when playing short shifts as an extra man.

Cottle knows Weiss has the potential to be a playmaker, but first the freshman needs to find some motivation.

"We've just got to get him to play with that sense of urgency that he lacks in his life," Cottle said. "He kind of hangs out, and we've got to get him to play every play like it's the last one he plays."

Reed will also miss Saturday's game against Johns Hopkins, and Weiss plans to embrace whatever role the team needs him to fill.

"I'm just looking to get better every day and work hard," Weiss said. "Whatever role I can play for the team, I'm happy to do that."

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