In the aftermath of Maryland's 9-7 loss to Virginia, it was clearly evident that Cavaliers' coach Dom Starsia outcoached Terps coach John Tillman. That's not to say that Tillman is a bad coach, but he is young and he went against a veteran like Starsia, who has won four titles at Virginia. Tillman will become a good coach some day, but he has to grow more as far as X's and O's.

The Terps had struggled against zone defenses this season, and they couldn't overcome Virginia's zone as the game went on. Maryland had its chances with numerous layups, especially in the first quarter, but once Virginia adjusted, the Terps had no counter. Starsia also did a good job of taking extra attackmen and inserting them at midfield. He couldn't beat the Terps down the middle of the field, but he chose to isolate their defenders on the outside of the goal, and consistently beat them.

Maryland has tremendous size and is very physical, but it's hard for those big defensemen to bounce back with only a day's rest, and then play in 90-plus temperatures. Maryland was slow sliding from the crease most of the afternoon.

In perspective, it was a strong season for Maryland after struggling during the regular season. The Terps got excellent leadership from their seniors in the postseason. But in the big game, Virginia prevailed partly because Starsia is one of the best in the business, and Tillman is still in the learning stages.

He'll get better.