Goal-filled win shows off men's lacrosse's defense

Just minutes into the second quarter of Saturday's game against Detroit Mercy, long pole Jesse Bernhardt forced a turnover inside his own defensive zone during a man-down situation for the Terrapin men's lacrosse team.

After scooping up the ensuing ground ball, Bernhardt streaked down the center of the field, executing a perfect clear from the defensive zone and ending the extra-man opportunity for the Titans.

Though only a small footnote amid the Terps' dominant offensive performance Saturday — 13 players recorded a point in the 16-4 rout — it was nonetheless indicative of the Terps' highly experienced and equally capable defense.

After allowing two early goals to Detroit, both of which came while the Terps were trying to kill off a three-minute, non-releasable penalty, the Terps held the Titans scoreless for a span of 32:13 — more than a full half of action.

Detroit didn't muster an even-strength goal until less than seven minutes remained in the game's third quarter, a testament to the Terps' senior-laden defensive unit that is expected to be one of the team's strong points and among the nation's best this season.

"The guys take a lot of pride in that," first-year coach John Tillman said Saturday. "The defensive guys take personal pride in making sure that we're doing the right things."

Seniors Shane Hall, Ryder Bohlander and Brett Schmidt started at close defense for the Terps on Saturday, while Max Schmidt, who is still not yet 100 percent after suffering an undisclosed preseason injury, came in off the bench in relief.

The four seniors combined to grab nine ground balls and force five turnovers while anchoring the Terps' backline.

The leadership of the group was something goalkeeper Niko Amato took solace in against Detroit. Saturday's game was the 5-foot-8 freshman's first career start.

"I was anxious to get out there," Amato said. "My defense played really well in front of me, and it's really calming to have three seniors out there."

Amato finished the game with three saves, but perhaps even more important was his ability to clear the ball upfield.

Amato led a perfect transition game for the Terps, who, even with their All-American long pole midfielder Brian Farrell sidelined due to a shoulder injury, converted on every clearing chance, finishing 20-for-20.

"Niko was fine. Clearing-wise, when we set up and we did what we wanted to do, I thought the guys executed pretty well," Tillman said. "It was hard to hear, but from what I did hear, I liked Niko's grasp of what we were doing."

In addition to Amato and Bernhardt, fellow long poles David Miller and Michael White and short-stick defenders Landon Carr and Pat Morrison also aided the Terps' clearing effort.

Taken as a whole — from Amato's performance in goal to the seniors' play on the backline and the team's clearing game — the Terps' defensive effort was sound all around. They forced 14 total turnovers, held the Titans to only 17 shots and won the ground-ball battle in dominating fashion, 49-23.

But players realize that they can take only so much from Saturday's game, which featured a less-than-stellar opponent in Detroit.

"A lot of things went well," Amato said. "We need to improve our communication, sliding and recovering. But overall, we did a pretty good job when tested."

jengelke@umdbk.com