REVIEW

The good: Although the Terps advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s NCAA Tournament, the team limped in with 10-6 record, and the loss to eventual national champion Syracuse saddled the program with the most losses in a single season under coach Dave Cottle. A renewed focus and an influx of youth and talent helped Maryland compile an 11-3 mark in the regular season and earn the No. 3 seed in the tournament. "What was great to see was the chemistry between the coaches and the players, how everyone was involved, how everyone participated, everybody had a role, and everybody fulfilled that role," Cottle said. "We worked hard, we competed, we followed the rules, we were good sports." … While the attack lived up to its reputation, the defense emerged as a tough out on the field. A year after then-sophomore defenseman Max Schmidt was named a third-team All American, junior defenseman Brett Schmidt transformed himself into the unit’s top defender (36 groundballs and 28 caused turnovers), earning third-team status. Max Schmidt (39 groundballs and 21 caused turnovers) was his usual reliable self, and junior defenseman and first-year starter Ryder Bohlander (30 groundballs and 19 caused turnovers) proved his worth. Cottle also noted the play of the team’s bevy of long-stick and short-stick midfielders. "Having [redshirt junior] Brian Farrell come back with [fifth-year senior] Danny Halayko and [freshman] Jesse Bernhardt, we were pretty strong in the pole position," Cottle said. "So that was a big improvement over the year before. And we had good shorties in [seniors Dean Hart and Bryn Holmes and junior Dan Burns]. I think that really helped us, too. So I think defensively, we got better as the season went on." … A non-descript group of midfielders underwent personnel changes and endured questions to provide support to the attack. Cottle said the midfield could be further bolstered by the return of junor Bob Kercher and sophomores David Miller and Joe Fontanesi from red-shirt seasons. "A lot of young players are waiting for their opportunities," Cottle said. "I think the midfield is going to be an area that has a lot of returning players."

The bad: It’s difficult to nitpick a 12-4 season, but the offense failed to reach double digits in goals three times – all of which ended in losses. The attack was particularly suspect in the team’s four setbacks. In those losses, juniors Grant Catalino, Ryan Young and Travis Reed combined for seven goals on 42 shots and nine assists, and they were stymied in the NCAA Tournament loss to Notre Dame, shooting 1-of-10 and recording two assists. "When you lose, there’s 100 different reasons why you lose versus why you win," Cottle said. "… I thought Ryan Young and Grant Catalino were All-American players, and I think if you added the goals we got from that left-handed position between Travis and [senior] Will [Yeatman], that’s a good amount. So I’m not going to say that our attack disappeared. Disappeared is probably a harsh word. I would probably say that we weren’t as productive." … The Terps were marginally better on face-offs this season (.520) than last year (.508), but could have used a few more possessions. They won just 5-of-15 face-offs in the loss to the Fighting Irish. The graduation of Holmes (149-of-275 for .542) saps the team of its only player who finished with a face-off percentage above .500.

PREVIEW

Personnel changes: Maryland’s first priority (aside from finding a head coach) should be to discovering whether redshirt sophomore Mark White, redshirt freshman MJ Leonard or freshman Niko Amato can replace goalkeeper Brian Phipps. Phipps (8.20 goals-against average and .556 save percentage) was a calming influence on defense – which will be another hole to fill. "That’s obviously for the next guy," Cottle said. "I would say Mark White and Niko, those two are probably ahead of M.J. Leonard now. I would say Mark makes some unbelievable saves and Niko might be a little more consistent. So it’s going to be a battle." … Yeatman has exhausted his eligibility, which likely opens the door for sophomore Joe Cummings to return to his natural position after playing on the first midfield this past spring. Or Cummings could stay in the midfield and redshirt freshman Owen Blye could be the fourth attackman. … As mentioned above, the team must find a successor to Holmes. Sophomore midfielder Jake Bernhardt (30-of-62 for .484) and freshman Curtis Holmes (11-of-24 for .458) have the most experience. With Bernhardt anchoring the first midfield, Holmes, who is the younger brother of Bryn Holmes, might be the heir apparent. "He was close," Cottle said of Curtis Holmes. "He was winning face-offs at the end of the year. The one guy that surprised me and maybe could get some more time facing off was Jake Bernhardt. I think he can get better at it. He’s there, and they’re going to have to develop somebody else, too. [Sophomore midfielder] Michael Shakespeare faces off, and Ryder Bohlander can face off with a pole." … Six members of the Terps’ incoming freshmen class will play in the Under Armour All-American game, which should be encouraging for the program. "I think there are going to be some guys that are going to supply some help," Cottle said. "I think you’re going to see something like what you saw this past year. You’ll see four or five get some time, and I think it’s a real positive because when you return 20 seniors, that’s a team that – if they could get a little impact from their freshmen – they’re going to be pretty daggone good."

Forecast for 2011: Partly sunny. Many of the pieces are in place for Maryland to improve on this past season’s accomplishments, especially on defense and in the attack. The inexperience in the net is a significant concern, and the face-offs must be addressed. But perhaps more than anything else, hiring a head coach who can connect with the players the way Cottle did should be priority No. 1. That transition could determine how the Terps fare in 2011 and in the Atlantic Coast Conference, where 2010 national champion Duke, Virginia and North Carolina eagerly await.