Maryland at Virginia: Three things to watch
Both Maryland and Virginia enter this Atlantic Coast Conference showdown looking to bounce back from disappointing setbacks. The No. 9 Terps (6-2) dropped an 11-6 decision to No. 5 North Carolina despite owning a 4-1 lead after the first quarter. The No. 7 Cavaliers (7-2) overcame a four-goal deficit in the third quarter before losing, 12-11, to No. 6 Johns Hopkins. Here are a few factors that could influence the outcome at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.
1) Patrol the “paint.” The area in front of the cage is called the “paint” by Maryland coaches and players, and that patch of territory was exposed by the Tar Heels, who frequently converted easy goals from there. It was quite a surprise considering that the Terps’ starting three defensemen and long-stick midfielder are seniors. Maryland coach John Tillman said the team went back to stressing fundamentals this week. “We always want to protect the paint,” he said. “Sometimes when you try to focus on the better players, there are some other opportunities that presented themselves. It was a good, teachable moment for us, just to remember that we want to make sure that we take away some of the better players, but we can’t compromise the integrity of our defense. We’ve got to play our team defense regardless of the people out there. With a lot of the talented players that Virginia has, we’ve got to use that lesson and use it wisely.”
2) Run with a purpose. Virginia’s reputation as a team that likes to run and gun is well-deserved, but the Cavaliers showed that they are just as vulnerable in unsettled situations. Johns Hopkins scored at least once off of transition and another off of a faceoff in Saturday’s outcome. That would seem to be an invitation for Maryland, which can fly, but Tillman applied the brakes to that train of thoughts. “I think we want to pick our spots,” he said. “If there’s a really good opportunity, we certainly want to take advantage of it. If we feel like it’s not a great opportunity, we have to recognize which are the best opportunities and don’t get caught up in being rushed or hurried into making a bad decision. We’ve got to maintain our poise within the flow of the game. So even if it’s a chaotic game and maybe there’s an odd-man rush, if they defend it well, then we’ve got to be very judicious and pull it out if there’s nothing there and play our regular, settled offense. But we’ve got to be opportunistic and efficient and not get caught up in the flow.”
3) Withstand the pressure. Virginia ranks ninth in Division I in caused turnovers per game (9.8) courtesy of a defense that is young but aggressive. If the Terps can turn back that pressure, they might be able to find opportunities in the interior or behind the net. Tillman said the key is counter-attacking at the right time. “If you attack it, it can look great, and other times, it can look not so good,” he said. “But pressure usually creates opportunities, and we’ve got to maximize those opportunities. … It’s like a blitz. You may have to take a sack, but if you can withstand it, you might be able to find a real big opening. So we’ve got to do a real good job of moving our feet, protecting our sticks, staying spread and sensing when’s the right time to go and when is not the right time to go.”
Categories: Maryland, Three things to watch
