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Alphabetical 2014 NCAA D1 Preview: Maryland

We’re back with the Alphabetical 2014 NCAA D1 Previews! Like last year, we’ll go through all of the D1 men’s teams for 2014 (there are 67 this year!) and we are now moving on to the Maryland Terrapins, located in College Park, MD.

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan

Maryland has really been knocking on the door the last couple of years, so could 2014 be the year the Terps take home the hardware? 2011 saw the Terps go 13-5, 2012 saw Maryland go 12-6 with a loss to Loyola in the title game. In 2013, the Terps went 10-4, and got knocked off by Cornell to end their year. They lost some talent to graduation but have shown a strong ability to reload year after year. What does 2014 hold for Maryland?

The 2014 game slate features ACC games, and that means adding Cuse and ND to the schedule. The Terps will play Hopkins again, but dropped Yale and Loyola. The challenge during the regular season is there. No doubt about it! The OOC games are tests, but should be winnable. It’s the ACC that could give Maryland fits.

On attack, Jay Carlson returns after notching 22 points, with 20 of those being goals. Ian Robertson is also on the roster after making the CAA all-rookie team for Delaware. Dave Goodwin could see an increased role, and Kevin Forster should be back after a year off with an injury. Tommy Forsberg could see time on man up, or see more time, and the Terps have some talented freshmen in guys like Matt Rambo, Tim Rotanz, and Connor Cannizzarro. With 14 pure attackmen on the roster, expect a lot of competition and some new faces.

The Terps midfield has to start with Mike Chanechuck. He’s a dodger, shooter, feeder, and more. Great player who gives UMD a great first option with every run he takes. Guys like Bobby Gribbin, Joe LoCasio, and Charlie Raffa provide more experienced options. I like the younger guys on the team too, and can see them stepping in over some of the juniors and seniors in the midfield not mentioned above. Raffa will continue to win face offs, and guys like Andrew Walsh could help in that area. The LSM position looks pretty open, but a number of guys could step into that role. Brian Cooper should be an excellent SSDM again, or could pick up a pole.

Defensively, Maryland looks pretty solid. Niko Amato returns for his senior year in cage, and he has been a game changer at times. Amato provides a great spark and leadership, while making big saves. Last year’s back up, Kyle Bernlohr, is also back on the roster along with two other keepers. When it comes to long poles, the Terps are pretty loaded. Gorran Murray is back and could play some LSM. Matt Dunn started a game and returns. Michael Ehrhardt is a preseason first team AA. He’s back. Casey Ikeda started all 14 games in 2013. He’s also back. Emmett Cahill and Eric Parnon both return (Cahill from injury) after seeing time in the past. Add in some good freshman and this is an incredibly strong group, with lots of experience. They have the ability to match up with anyone, and the D is the strength of the Terps.

Maryland has some young guns on offense, as well as some returning talent. Their depth and strength at D is astounding, and when you couple that with Amato in cage, the Terps are looking really solid for 2014. This year may be a little lower scoring than in the past, but you can expect Maryland to be very good this year, potentially competing for a title.

For more NCAA D1 Lacrosse coverage, check out Alphabetical 2013 NCAA D1 Preview: Air ForceAlbanyArmyBellarmineBinghamtonBostonBrownBryantBucknellCanisius,
Colgate,  CornellDartmouthDelawareDetroitDrexelDukeFairfieldFurman,
GeorgetownHartfordHarvardHigh PointHobartHofstraHoly CrossJacksonvilleJohns HopkinsLafayetteLehighLoyolaManhattanMarist, and Marquette.