Just 13 months removed from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, redshirt junior midfielder Jeff Reynolds is playing without pain or hesitation, and the results are notable.

The Calvert Hall graduate ranks third on No. 8 Maryland (6-2 overall and 1-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) with 11 goals and sixth in points despite not having an assist. Reynolds' resurgence included his first career hat trick in the Terps' 13-8 victory over then-No. 3 North Carolina on Saturday.

"I don't know if I expected to do this well, but I'm very happy with it," he said yesterday. "A lot of opportunities have been presented to me, and I've tried to take advantage of them."

Reynolds has a passion for lacrosse. Days after undergoing surgery to repair the ACL he tore in a game against Vermont on Feb. 20, 2007, Reynolds was practicing his stickwork. And after years honing his craft as a defensive midfielder, he embraced the coaching staff's suggestion to making him an offensive middie.

"I like playing on offense," Reynolds said. "I like that role. It's another part of my game I want to improve."

Reynolds and the rest of his Maryland teammates will get a crack at knocking off a top-ranked team when No. 1 Virginia visits Byrd Stadium in College Park on Saturday at noon. That only adds to the already-building excitement whenever the Terps and Cavaliers clash.

"It's always a huge game," Reynolds said. "The fact that they're No. 1 really motivates us to practice hard this week and pay attention to detail. ... I think we have a good team here. If we do what we do best, we can come out on top."