In-state foe Towson will test men’s lacrosse's history, attack

When the Terrapin men's lacrosse team travels to Towson tomorrow for its first intra-state matchup of the season, more than just bragging rights will be at stake.

With a 13-0 all-time road record against the Tigers, the No. 8 Terps (3-1) have the unique opportunity to extend perfection.

But for a team trying to forget its last road test, a heartbreaking 9-8 overtime loss at Duke last Saturday, it'll need more than history to overcome Towson's stringent defense.

With goalie Travis Love saving 67 percent of opponents' shots on goal, the Tigers (1-2) are allowing just 5.3 goals per game this season. The Terps, in contrast, have given up 7 goals per game.

"They like to sit back on defense and play really tight on the goal," said attackman Grant Catalino, who leads all active Terps with six career goals against Towson. "It's going to be really important for us to push the tempo and force them to spread out."

Despite its strong defensive play, Towson has struggled to score this season. Its 6.3 goals per game are less than one-half of the Terps' average, 14.

Towson showed the potential of its attack last week, however, when it came to life in an 11-3 blowout win over Mount St. Mary's — a squad that finished last season ranked No. 16 nationally.

If the Terps hope to prevent another outburst this weekend, they'll need to shut down attackman Matt Hughes.

The Tigers' fourth-leading scorer as a freshman, Hughes has developed into one of the Colonial Athletic Association's most efficient scorers this season and leads his team with six points.

"If we're going to stop [Hughes], we need to be opportunistic," coach John Tillman said. "We need to make good decisions that'll take away easy shots."

Tomorrow's matchup will present the ultimate contrast in styles. While Towson prides itself on patience, often holding the ball for minutes before taking a shot on goal, the Terps are known for their frantic pacing. They use quickness to disorient opponents into surrendering easy shot attempts.

Because of this, Tillman said controlling the game's tempo is key to securing the Terps' first road win of the season.

"If we're going to win, it's going to be with our fast-paced style of play," Tillman said. "But we've also got to stay poised and handle the ball well."

And although they likely won't need it, his team will have some extra motivation this weekend. Five Terps hail from Towson, making tomorrow's game a reunion of sorts.

"I can literally throw a lacrosse ball from my parents' house to Towson's field," junior attackman Joe Cummings said. "Obviously, we always want to beat whoever we're playing, but there'll definitely be some extra incentive this weekend. So many of us know guys on their team, and you always want to beat guys you grew up playing with."

letourneau@umdbk.com