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Joe Cinosky's passion for lacrosse was evident to Ray Megill as soon as they became Terrapin teammates three seasons ago.

Whether Cinosky was throwing his 225-pound frame into a hip check or trash-talking opponents, Megill, a three-time All-American who wrapped up his Terp career last season, loved the intensity that Cinosky brought to the defense.

"Joe was fun to play with," Megill said. "There was always once a game where you had to hold him back and calm him down and stuff like that. It brought a different level of excitement to the game."

But after logging time as the third defender on a starting unit that featured Megill and three-time All-American Steve Whittenberg for his first three seasons, Cinosky has had to use that passion to take more of a leadership role as the only returning starter on the Terp defense.

"Knowing that I was going to be the only starter returning, I put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders," the senior from Boonton, N.J., said. "I took it personal and worked hard in the offseason and during the season, and I think it's paying off a little bit."

Cinosky has embraced his role as the Terps' top defender this season, matching up with some of the nation's top attackmen. Cinosky, who had not earned any postseason accolades during his first three seasons, has already earned All-ACC honors this year as the anchor of a Terp defense that has yielded just 7.7 goals per game.

After playing a more individual-based defense for three seasons, the Terps have implemented a team-oriented style of play this year, with Cinosky as the centerpiece.

"When you have guys like [Megill and Whittenberg] up there, it's kind of easy to sit back and let them get all the attention because those guys are great players," Cinosky said. "It's definitely a lot different now because this team is a lot more of a closer unit and we work a little bit better together."

Cinosky has also stepped up as a co-captain and vocal leader on the squad, delivering speeches to the team and firing up his teammates when necessary.

Fellow co-captain Drew Evans said Cinosky's combination of vocal leadership and leading by example have proved to be his greatest assets to the team. Ryne Adolph, a co-captain who has stepped into a starting spot on the defense this season, said Cinosky takes the pressure off the other captains by taking charge of the team.

But Cinosky has not always been the motivator and communicator he is today according to Whittenberg, who now plays for Major League Lacrosse's Chicago Machine.

Cinosky entered the starting lineup in the middle of his freshman season after an injury to then-senior Gavin Webb. Although Cinosky has now logged 53 career starts, Whittenberg said he had a few things to learn.

"His first year or two he was not very vocal," Whittenberg said. "It took a couple kicks in the butt to get him to start talking, but he turned it around."

But his play throughout his career has been more consistent. This season, he's put up the best numbers of his career - 41 groundballs and 27 caused turnovers - while consistently matching up with the opponent's top scoring threat. Against Johns Hopkins on April 12, that meant staying with Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Paul Rabil. Rabil is a midfielder, but coach Dave Cottle said Cinosky was the only Terp he thought had a chance against Rabil.

After three seasons tracking the opponent's third most dangerous option, Cinosky has relished the opportunity to be his team's lockdown defender.

"That's kind of crazy when you think about it," Cinosky said. "It's cool to be able to compete with those guys because they're great players. It's something I definitely enjoy doing."

Cottle called Cinosky the best player on the team this season and said he's deserving of first-team All-American honors. His play has helped the Terp defense find its identity and adjust to its new style. A question mark coming into the season, the defense has emerged as a strength, which may be Cinosky's biggest accomplishment.

"Sometimes when you have three premier defenders, they all want to do it their own way," Cottle said. "The way it's worked this year is that we've had one premier defender and a couple of complementary guys, and I think that's worked out better."

On top of that, Megill is happy to see Cinosky, who plans to take 10 credits next semester to finish a degree in criminology and criminal justice, finally get the recognition he deserves after three years in the background.

"I'm expecting Joey to get some awards this year because I think he's deserving of a bunch of them," Megill said. "After playing with him and seeing a few games this season, he's just a dominant force on the field."

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