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

Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Sports

Ryan Young remembers the moment he realized what part he would play for the Terrapin men's lacrosse team this season.

In a preseason practice, the freshman attackman ran around the goal and tried to score.

Immediately afterward, offensive coordinator Andrew Copelan pulled the Manhasset, N.Y., native aside and told him to relax and use his teammates rather than force the issue.

"In the beginning, I wasn't really sure what my role would be," Young said. "I thought it would be a mixture of both [scoring and distributing], but then coach Copelan told me what I had to do to help the team, so I just went from there."

Young has flourished in the role of "quarterback" for the Terp offense. He leads the Terps with 24 points on seven goals and 17 assists, the latter of which already ranks eighth among Terp freshmen for an entire season.

"I think it's just like the system we play," Young said of his success. "Whenever they need me to make a play, I'm there for them, and all my teammates are there for me, so I've got to give respect to them."

Young and his fellow starting freshmen attackmen, Grant Catalino and Travis Reed, made their marks right out of the gate, accounting for eight goals in a season-opening win over Georgetown.

Young was especially impressive, scoring his first career goal less than 10 minutes into his first career game on a play where he ran past All-America defender Jerry Lambe for the score - ironically, a play markedly similar to the one that first drew the conference with Copelan.

Young, who was still feeling the effects of an ankle injury that caused him to miss two weeks of the preseason, added another goal and an assist later in the game.

"He showed us what kind of player he was in the fall," senior midfielder Max Ritz said. "That wasn't a surprise to us. That was a surprise to everybody else. That's just how he plays. He's not afraid of opponents."

Young said it was just good to "get the monkey off my back" and show he could make an immediate impact at the collegiate level.

Coach Dave Cottle had no doubt Young would be able to produce after seeing Young record 39 goals and 45 assists in his senior season at Manhasset High School, which he transferred to after three years at Chaminade High School. Cottle recalled watching Young record a goal and eight assists in one high school game.

That was enough to show him that Young could be the distributor for Catalino and Reed, who are pure goal-scorers.

"You were looking for the perfect complement, an athletic kid who could hold the ball," Cottle said. "Very seldom can you put pieces of the puzzle together like that. When we got him, it made a big difference."

But first he had to convince Young to choose the Terps. Young's older brother Michael already played for Duke, and his twin brother Kevin eventually committed to play for the Blue Devils as well.

However, Ryan Young kept an open mind and really connected with the Terp players and coaches on his visit to College Park.

"I thought it was a perfect fit," Young said. "I thought this was the best place, and right now, I totally agree with my choice."

And the Terps are happy with his decision as well.

Ritz, the Terps' assist leader last season as an attackman, said Young's impact on the team goes beyond the points he's generated.

"People really respect him because he works hard, and he's very respectful of the older guys," Ritz said. "He really knows what it means to wear that jersey and play that position."

But it's not that Young hasn't been valuable in the field.

Cottle said he has been amazed at Young's ability to keep producing despite drawing opponent's toughest defenders consistently. Young has recorded a point in each game this season except a 13-8 win at North Carolina on March 22.

Ever since Copelan defined Young's role in the offense, the coordinator has been able to trust Young to maintain his poise on the offensive end and learn from his mistakes.

"He just gets it, and you can't say that about them all," Copelan said. "I know when I'm standing on the sideline and the ball's in Ryan's stick, I feel really confident he's going to make good decisions with the ball."

Cottle appreciates the "quiet toughness" that Young adds to the lineup, as evidenced by his recovery from an ankle injury that occurred the day before spring practice began. Doctors expected Young to miss three weeks of action and to be limited for longer, but he made it back to the field quickly.

And most importantly, Cottle is excited that his star is just a freshman. The 26-year head coach expects Young to eventually become more of a goal scorer as his career progresses.

For now, Young is content to embrace the role that his coaches have selected for him and rack up the points with his fellow freshmen attackmen.

"Sometimes we talk about how much easier it's going to be when we're seniors, but we're all really excited about the years to come," Young said.

edetweilerdbk@gmail.com

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools