Men's lax prepares for the Terrapins
Twenty-four game April win streak on the line against UM
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The 102nd match-up between the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays and the University of Maryland Terrapins is bound to be as special as every game has been before it. Arguably the biggest rivalry in college lacrosse, the Jays will host this year's game against the Terps at Homewood Field on Saturday at approximately 8 p.m.
These two storied programs have both struggled this year, with No. 6 Maryland's record standing at 6-3 after losing two straight, and No. 8 Hopkins improving to 5-3 following a pair of much-needed wins last week.
With similar records and comparative poll rankings, the battle between the two should make for a competitive evening. However, if one were to ask any Hopkins player, including sophomore attacker Kevin Huntley, you'd find that rankings and records won't exactly mean much by the time this game rolls around.
"You might as well throw all those things out the window, because the only thing that matters when playing a team like Maryland is getting the W," he said.
Because the match-up is widely accepted as the biggest game of the season for Hopkins, the University and local radio station 98 ROCK will be hosting a tailgate event four hours prior to face-off in order to get students excited for the much-anticipated game.
The event is expected to attract over 1,500 students and locals to the Beach.
With the expansion of television coverage, large annual increases in attendance, and the continued fast growth of the sport, there are rumors that a new venue will be needed to accommodate the game's most heated rivalry.
"People have been talking about moving the game to Ravens Stadium [M&T Bank Stadium]," assistant coach Seth Tierney said. "Of course, there are negatives aspects to this idea because the game is so great for both the schools' campuses, but a place like that would allow for crowds close to 20,000."
Although all the media and hoopla surrounding the event does make for quite a distraction, head coach Dave Pietramala knows what really makes this game special.
Since his playing days, Pietramala has always appreciated the sound of the band, the cheer of the crowd, and most of all, the Maryland game's rich history.
"I think that because Maryland and JHU have such fine traditions in lacrosse and because they have helped in so many ways to make the sport what it is today, that we are constantly reminded every year that this great rivalry will continue to go on forever."
Pietramala also added that not only are the schools connected through their lacrosse programs and a highway interstate, but they are also competitively linked through the players they recruit.
"Some of our extra preparation and additional drive as coaches and as a staff comes from the fact that we are trying to attract the same guys and get commitments from some of the same players."
For the men's lacrosse team, there are many important games on a schedule that is listed as second overall in strength in the nation. But no matter how tough or how tiring that schedule is, the game that will always matter the most will be the game against the Terrapins from Maryland.