Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/30/16
From Press Release
The No. 1 overall seed Maryland men’s lacrosse team (17-2) is set to face unseeded and Cinderella North Carolina (11-6) today at 1 pm in the NCAA National Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
EVENT INFORMATION
Watch: ESPN2; Eamon McAnaney (PxP), Quint Kessenich (Analyst), Paul Carcaterra (Sideline)
Listen: Westwood One/NCAA.com/TuneIn Radio App
Best friends Matt Rambo (left, Maryland) and Austin Pifani (UNC) will square off in the NCAA Championship today (Photos by Rene Schleicher)
Get your 2016 NCAA Men’s Championship tickets for Philly’s Lincoln Financial Field here
FACING OFF
• Today’s meeting marks the fourth postseason matchup in history between Maryland and North Carolina, with the Terps most recently defeating the Heels last season in the QF’s, 14-7. Maryland has won three straight meetings and leads the all-time series, 42-24, including an 11-8 victory March 6.
• Maryland is making its 13th appearance in the NCAA Finals as it looks to claim its first National Championship since 1975. It is also head coach John Tillman’s fourth appearance in the championship in six seasons at Maryland.
• Maryland won its 17th game of the season against Brown, 15-14, in overtime on Saturday to extend its program single-season record for victories. The Terps have also won a single season program record 16 straight games, scoring 12 goals per game during the streak.
*The Tar Heels come into the game with an 11-6 record and a 3-1 mark in the ACC. The last time out Carolina defeated seventh-seeded Loyola 18-13 in the NCAA Tournament semifinals in Philadelphia, Pa. on May 28.
• Junior Second-Team All-American Matt Rambo (La Salle, Duke’s L.C.) is one of the hottest players in college lacrosse, totaling 28 points over his last five games. He has posted 14 goals and 14 assists during that span. Rambo has totaled 17 points in the NCAA Tournament, just one point shy of the Maryland single-Tournament record of 18 points set by Andrew Whipple in 1998.
• Junior Matt Rambo recorded six points (five assists, including the feed to Colin Heacock for the game winner) against Brown to reach 69 points for the season – the most for a Maryland player since Mark Douglas posted 74 in 1991. Rambo is on the verge of becoming just the seventh player in Maryland history to record 70 points in a single-season.
* Junior Matt Rambo will possible go head-to-head against his best friend, Third-Team All-American defenseman Austin Pifani (Abington, Duke’s LC). The two played youth and club lacrosse together and one year at Abington High before Rambo transferred to La Salle. They also coach together with the Duke’s L.C.
*UNC senior attackman Steve Pontrello (All-ACC, St. Augustine Prep) has 47 goals and 20 assists and had two goals and three assists in Saturday’s win over Loyola.
^With the win over the Greyhounds, the Tar Heels return to the NCAA championship game for the first time since 1993 when it finished as national runner-up, losing to Syracuse 13-12. This will mark Carolina’s sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA championship game – 1981, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1993, 2016.
CAROLINA VERSUS MARYLAND THE SERIES: North Carolina and Maryland will be meeting for the 67th time in history on Monday. The Terrapins lead the all-time series 43-24.
Maryland has won three games in a row in the series against the Tar Heels, including an 11-8 regular-season victory in College Park, Md. on March 26 of this year.
Philly players competing in NCAA title game today
Maryland
#1, Matt Rambo, A, Jr., Glenside, Pa./LaSalle – Second Team All-American – 40 goals, 29 assists, 63 pts.
#10, Tyler Brooks, A, Sr., Berwyn Pa./Conestoga
#12, Jon Garino, Jr, FO, Jr., Newtown Square, Pa./Episcopal
#13, Ryan Lehman, D, Sr., Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley
#42, Curtis Corley, D, Fr., Medford Lakes, N.J./Shawnee
UNC
#0, Steve Pontrello, A/M, Sr., Marlton, N.J./St. Augustine Prep – All-ACC – 47 goals, 20 assists, 62 points
#17, Austin Pifani, D, Jr., Roslyn, Pa./Abington – All-ACC, Third Team All-American – 21 GB, 13 CT
#26, Charles Kelly, M, Fr., Allentown, Pa/Malvern Prep
#29, Jake Peden, D, Fr., Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East
#32, Colin Reder, G, Fr., Bryn Mawr, Pa./Episcopal
Jon Garino on the experience of the Championship weekend: “This has been an awesome atmosphere. I am really excited we got to spend another couple days with the team. Winning a championship would be a dream come true, personally. We have a lot of work to do and we need to put a complete game together to get this done.
“Growing up from my roots with Ashbee, that gave me the fundamentals it takes to be a complete lacrosse player and at EA I was able to develop those skills further. The Dukes really helped me get some exposure and I am grateful to be a part of that program. I can’t thank all these people enough. This has been a tremendous experience and I am hoping we can end it on a good note.”
Tyler Brooke on the experience of the Championship weekend: “It’s obviously awesome being back here the second year in a row. Unfortunately we weren’t able to finish the job last year. The whole team has had this goal of winning the championship,. We were happy to have the win Saturday and we enjoyed it for a half hour and then we had to start preparing for Monday.”