Young's goal keys men's lacrosse's 8-4 win at Towson

TOWSON – With the Terrapin men's lacrosse team mired in its longest scoring drought this season, midfielder Scott LaRue broke into the open field at Towson on Saturday.

Considering the circumstances, perhaps it was appropriate that a long run helped end a similarly extended offensive rut. LaRue sprinted almost 50 yards before dumping the ball off to attackman Ryan Young, who promptly scored his only goal of the day at the 3:45 mark of the fourth quarter.

The goal ended the No. 8 Terps' scoreless streak at 31:55 and helped secure an 8-4 win over their in-state rival.

"We knew that if we got stops, our offense would step up and do its part," said goalkeeper Niko Amato, who recorded a season-high nine saves Saturday. "We have a ton of confidence in them, so we knew it was just a matter of time."

The Terps (4-1) began their season's first intra-state matchup with a dominant performance from their offense, which entered Saturday's game ranked No. 3 nationally.

Attackman Grant Catalino set the tone early, scoring on an assist from attackman Travis Reed only 80 seconds into regulation, and the Terps hardly let up. After netting nearly 55 percent of their shot attempts through the first two quarters, the Terps held a 6-2 lead at halftime.

"We felt like things were clicking well for us in the first half," midfielder John Haus said. "We got a few quick shots to go in, which gave us confidence going forward."

And as the Terps' offense hummed, a young Towson attack struggled to find the net. Although the Tigers (1-3) shot 27 times in the first half, Amato needed to save only five of their attempts.

"I can't tell who had more saves today: the pipes or Maryland?" Towson coach Tony Seaman said. "If our shots had hit the net the way they were hitting the crossbar, we would've had a chance."

But as Terp coach John Tillman noted, the crossbar wasn't the only factor in Towson's first-half struggles. A new defensive scheme helped weaken the Tigers' chances on goal.

"We tweaked the defense a little this week," Tillman said. "It was subtle, but I think it definitely helped us out there today."

Rebounding from its early miscues, Towson tested the Terps' new defense in the second half. Buoyed by goals from attackman Matt Lamon and midfielder Pat Britton, the Tigers narrowed the deficit to 6-4 with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Terps, plagued by six third-quarter turnovers, struggled to answer Towson's sudden offensive emergence. Although they posted a game-high eight shots on goal, they finished the period scoreless.

Those struggles, which began after Haus scored at the 5:40 mark of the second quarter, continued until Young's goal in the final period.

"Even though we may have shut them down for awhile, it doesn't mean anything now," Towson goalkeeper Travis Love said. "Apparently, we needed to hold them longer than that."

For a Terp team still feeling the effects of last week's 9-8 overtime loss at Duke, Saturday's win did more than even its road record. It extended history.

The Terps now boast a 14-0 all-time record at Towson — a mark not lost on the team's first-year coach.

"Our players know the legacy that comes with the name on the front of their jerseys," Tillman said. "We take pride in it, and we embrace it. So being able to add to that legacy means a lot."

letourneau@umdbk.com