Back home, men's lacrosse gets back on track

It didn't take long for the Terrapin men's lacrosse team to move on from Saturday's loss to Duke.

Just 13 seconds into yesterday afternoon's contest against Bellarmine, long pole Brian Farrell ran the ball upfield in transition and found attackman Grant Catalino in his most comfortable position: wide open on the right wing.

After snagging the feed, Catalino ripped a shot past Bellarmine goalkeeper Dillon Ward, giving the Terps an advantage with almost all of regulation left to play.

The onslaught didn't stop there, and the Terps' offense, once again paced by its senior attacking trio, continued to pour it on in a 12-8 victory over the Knights (2-3). The afternoon tilt gave the No. 8 Terps (3-1) a bounce-back victory just two days after suffering their first loss of the season in Durham, N.C.

"It helps us move on," coach John Tillman said. "We talked about it after the game down in Durham. The best thing that could happen was to play. We got an opportunity to move forward and a chance to play another team."

"Today came at a perfect time," attackman Travis Reed added. "Everyone was so down, and we really needed a win to get us on the right track. We're not going to forget the Duke game, but now we can put it in the past."

Reed was a pivotal piece of yesterday's four-goal victory. The senior scored three goals, all of which came during a 6-0 Terp run that put Bellarmine out of striking distance heading into the third quarter.

Reed's third goal, which gave the Terps a 9-2 lead at halftime, came as time expired in the second frame of action. After a Terp shot bounced off of Ward's stick, Reed scooped up the ensuing ground ball and instinctively put the rebound in the back of Bellarmine's net with just one second remaining in the half.

After starting the season with just two goals in three games, Reed had his most effective outing of the season against the Knights, totaling four points and picking up seven ground balls.

"I had a slow start to the season. It's been really frustrating," Reed said. "My shot just started to fall a little more. I'm still not making all the shots I want to make, but hopefully those will come. This will really help my confidence."

Reed's counterparts on attack — Catalino and Ryan Young — continued their strong seasons with multi-point outings yesterday, recording three and four points, respectively.

The Terps' starting defense also held strong, limiting Bellarmine to just three goals before subbing out for the team's backups. Brett Schmidt was especially impressive, grabbing seven ground balls and forcing four turnovers.

Farrell again was key for the Terps in transition, helping the team go 21-for-21 on clearing attempts and continuing to be a spark both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The senior totaled two points, five ground balls and caused a turnover.

"Transition just really sparks everything. It's a big part of every game," Farrell said. "It gets the game going and gets everybody fired up and in a good mood. I love to do that. It's a game-changer type of thing."

A Young goal with 13:48 remaining in the third quarter put the Terps up 10-3 and sent the team's starters to the bench, giving reserves nearly two full quarters to gain meaningful in-game experience and grab some personal firsts.

Attackman Sean McGuire and midfielder Bob Kercher scored their first career goals, while attackman Brendan Saylor dished out his first career assist and third-string goalkeeper M.J. Leonard saw his first action of the season.

"Our goal of the game was to get everyone in because we couldn't bring everyone down to Duke," Reed said. "We did that and got the win."

Even after Bellarmine, a Louisville, Ky., school just seven years into its history as a Division I lacrosse program, managed a 5-1 run to end the game in the fourth quarter, the Knights never seriously threatened the Terps' lead.

jengelke@umdbk.com