At season's start, water polo has high expectations amid murky backdrop

The Terrapins water polo team will find itself in new territory when it opens play tomorrow, in more ways than one.

The Terps finished the 2011 season with their best-ever ranking, and they're poised to make a run at their first-ever Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Championship. But with the November announcement that the program is on the chopping block amid athletics department cuts, the Terps enter the 2012 season with an additional sense of urgency.

"We're going to have, as a result of that added onto what we normally have in the season, probably some lower lows and higher highs than we would otherwise," coach Carl Salyer said. "But I think they're committed."

The Terps, ranked No. 20 in the preseason, return leading scorer Allison Campbell from a squad that won seven of its final eight matches in 2011 en route to a Southern Division title and a third-place finish at the CWPA Eastern Championship. The Terps have since moved to the Western Division, joining No. 9 Indiana, No. 12 Hartwick, No. 13 Michigan, No. 13 Hartwick and No. 18 Princeton.

"It's going to be tougher," Salyer said. "I would love to say something different, but the fact is it's going to be tougher because when we do hit some lows … we're going to need to really make sure that we focus on what we can do in the pool and focus on that and just work through it."

The Terps' challenges begin this weekend with a four-game slate in the Terrapin Invitational that includes dates with No. 8 San Diego State and No. 14 UC-San Diego, plus Marist and Wagner.

The Terrapin Invitational marks the first time in Salyer's eight-year tenure that the Terps will open the season at home. They traditionally start play in San Diego, where many of the sport's top collegiate tournaments take place.

Right away, the Terps will see where they stand against some of the nation's elite programs.

"I feel like our level of play is a lot higher now," defender and co-captain Christine Goetsch said. "We have a lot more plays we've been working on, and just our general skill level is a lot higher."

Goalie and co-captain Shelby Reyes said after the shock of learning the team could be cut had worn off, its status became a motivating factor in the Terps' preparation. The team, Salyer said, is now more prepared than it ever has been entering a season.

"Every team we play will give us a taste of where it's at, but this weekend will really give us a sense of how far we've come, what we need to work on and what we're doing well," Salyer said. "We'll see. Win or lose, we're going to learn a lot from this weekend."

But a level of uncertainty remains about how the Terps will respond to the myriad of challenges facing them this season.

"If I knew that, I'd be making a lot more money telling other coaches how to coach their teams," Salyer said. "It's going to depend on what they do when they play games. It's easy to project and all, but the truth is going to be when we get in the pool and go against somebody other than ourselves. Time will tell."

dgallen@umdbk.com