Maryland offers M. Lax one final glimmer of hope

Their final game isn't for two weeks, but for the Quakers, tomorrow's matchup might as well be the last one.

No. 8 Maryland visits Franklin Field tomorrow in a game that may be the Penn men's lacrosse team's last hope for a playoff bid.

While the regular-season finale is on May 5 against Denver, a win against the ACC powerhouse could put Penn (6-5, 3-3 Ivy) squarely on the bubble.

"It gives the committee something to look at," said senior midfielder David Cornbrooks.

But first things first: Maryland is not an easy team to beat, and their 8-4 record is deceiving. All four of their losses have come at the hands of teams currently ranked No. 7 or above, and their most recent loss, at Johns Hopkins, was in overtime.

The Terps are led by a squad of high-powered offensive players who combine for a total of 10.5 points per game. Senior attacker Michael Phipps has 39 points, and has scored 21 goals on 49 shots. Junior attacker Max Ritz is shooting a significantly lower .283, but has amassed 35 points. Sophomore midfielder Dan Groot comes in third with 20.

In comparison, Penn sophomore attacker Craig Andrzejewski leads the Quakers with 45 points, but the next closest is senior attacker Alex Salihi with less than half of that, at 21.

But above all, the Quakers will have to contend with the Terps' rock-solid defense, which has allowed only 29.5 shots per game.

Cornbrooks believes that the defense can be overcome.

"They can be a little bit overaggressive, so once we handle that initial pressure, I think we can exploit that a little bit."

The defense is anchored by freshman goalie Brian Phipps (Michael's brother). The younger Phipps has started all of the Terps' games in his first year, and has amassed 134 saves. His goals-against average of 7.74 compares well to the Quakers, who on average allow 9.4 per game.

The key to winning for Penn will be keeping control of the ball, and therefore keeping it out of the hands of Maryland's offense. And if the Terps have one weakness, it's on faceoffs.

"I don't think they've faced off great all year," said coach Brian Voelker. "It's something we have to step up and do really well."

Regardless, it appears to be an uphill battle for Penn. But it's one that they're motivated to win.

"It's going to be a tough chore for us, but the bottom line is that we have a chance [to make the postseason]," said Voelker.

This game holds significance for this year's seniors, especially since their careers have included three losses to the Terps by a combined score of 46-15.

As vindicating as a win would be, the real benefit would be a shot at a Tournament berth. Even with one game left, that would be the perfect way to end this season.

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