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Maryland Lacrosse: Maryland imposes will against top-ranked Penn State

By Chris Bengel

May 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins midfielder Connor Kelly (40) drives against North Carolina Tar Heels midfielder Brett Bedard (3) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins midfielder Connor Kelly (40) drives against North Carolina Tar Heels midfielder Brett Bedard (3) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Maryland lacrosse team had a few gut checks early in the season.

However, the Terrapins look to be hitting their stride at the right time. Most recently, Maryland topped No. 1 Penn State in their Big Ten tilt on Saturday.

The storyline of the contest was Maryland’s prolific offense running circles around the Penn State defense. Four Terps registered at least three points in the 15-11 victory.

Attackman Matt Rambo was absolutely sensation as he scored four goals and registered two assists. Rambo scored three of his four goals on unassisted tallies in the opening quarter.

As impressive as Rambo’s numbers were, that’s something that the lacrosse world has come to expect from the senior attackman. He is one of the most talented players in the country and should be playing professionally this coming summer.

Midfielder Connor Kelly really stepped up and had a monster afternoon.

Kelly registered four goals and an assist in one of his best showings as a Terp. He was extremely aggressive and managed to get nearly any shot he wanted on cage.

Just 43 seconds into the game, Kelly had the ball behind the cage. He was able to ride his defender and use his power to get in front and put the ball past goalie Colby Kneese.

The midfield position was one of the biggest question marks coming into the season. Replacing talent like Bryan Cole would be incredibly tough, but Kelly has really been up to the task.

Freshman Jared Bernhardt has also helped matters. The former Under Armour All-American has 13 goals and six assists, but was scoreless for the first time in Saturday’s contest.

Finally, goalie Dan Morris really stepped to the forefront and had a much better second half.

Morris had struggled through the first two quarters and was beaten on countless occasions. Penn State’s attackmen trio of Grant Ament, Nick Aponte, and Mac O’Keefe were able to thwart the defense and get just about any shot they wanted.

However, Morris stood tall when the game was falling in the balance. He was fortunate in the fact that the Terps had a multiple-goal lead for the bulk of the contest.

Morris displayed extremely quick stick work and didn’t flinch much in the second half. Throughout the season, the Dallas native has displayed terrific composure and the fact that he is somebody that the Terps can depend on in net, much like Niko Amato and Kyle Bernlohr in years past.

Next: Jaylen Brantley proves to be serviceable guard

Maryland is really peaking at the right time and will be tested once again when they travel to Albany on Wednesday. If the Terps can keep trending with their winning ways, this could be another group that is playing on Memorial Day.