Local rivalry renewed — in more ways than one

UM’s Dunn, JHU’s Brown meet for what could be last time

When Big Ten rivals No. 3 Maryland and No. 8 Johns Hopkins clash today in one of the longest-running series in men’s lacrosse, it seems fitting that one of the individual matchups could involve players who have known each other since they were rising sophomores in high school.

Seniors Matt Dunn and Ryan Brown met during the summer of 2009 in a club league in which they were on opposing sides and later on the same team. Dunn, a defenseman at Loyola Blakefield, and Brown, an attackman who transferred from Mount Saint Joseph to Calvert Hall, tangled several times in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association with Brown and the Cardinals getting the last laugh in a 17-3 pasting of the Dons in the MIAA title game in 2012.

Despite having played for teams with a pronounced dislike for each other, the Terps’ Dunn and the Blue Jays’ Brown have monitored each other’s careers and devel- oped mutual respect.

“I don’t think I’ve played against a player that can shoot the ball like he can and move like he can,” said Dunn, a Towson resident. “I’ve played against big-time shooters before, but I can’t think of [another] guy that’s been able to have that kind of an

impact and do so with two hands. That’s pretty rare.”

Brown, a Sykesville resident, said of Dunn: “He’s a great defender. He takes great angles. He’s not going to over-commit himself and make dumb plays. He’s very technically sound.”

The Terps (11-2, 4-0 Big Ten Conference) and Blue Jays (8-4, 3-1) will lean heavily on their respective captains. Dunn, along with redshirt senior goalkeeper Kyle Bernlohr, anchors a Maryland defense ranked eighth in Division I in fewest goals allowed per game (7.8). Brown, who leads Johns Hopkins with 33 goals, paces an offense ranked ninth in the nation in scoring (13.1).

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Dunn doesn’t have the number of ground balls or caused turnovers that teammates Tim Muller and Greg Danseglio have, but Terps coach John Tillman said the defenseman’s value is evident in other areas.

“Matt does so many things for us,” Tillman said. “His versatility is huge. He can play on the perimeter, but he’s also our top communicator. What’s great about him is if he gets caught outside, we’re comfortable with him covering the ball. If he’s inside, he can get everybody on the same page. ... Matt’s experience is something that helps our defense.”

Blue Jays offensive coordinator Bobby Benson said Brown, who at 5 feet 10, 190 pounds, is among the country’s best shooters, has the lacrosse IQ to adjust to opposing defenses.

“At the beginning of the year, [sophomore attackman] Shack [Stanwick] was still coming along and Ryan was kind of the marquee guy, and we saw probably more of the quote-unquote No. 1 defender on him, teams not leaving him as much, teams focusing on him, teams shutting him off on man-up,” Benson said. “And now it’s kind of spread around to include Shack. So maybe the attention has come off of him a little bit compared to earlier in the year. But we tend to see a handful of different things, and the guys do a good job of adjusting.”

Dunn and Tillman were vague about whether Dunn would be shadowing Brown. But ESPN analyst Mark Dixon said he expects a Brown- Dunn matchup.

“Matt Dunn will probably take him,” Dixon said. “He will probably be slow to slide and know where Brown is at all times. They could entertain faceguarding or defending him with a short-stick, but I doubt Maryland does that. They will give Dunn the assignment in all likelihood. Maryland also has to defend Hopkins’ pick game well. They have to watch Brown off-ball and make sure that they don’t over-rotate.”

Brown has 11 goals and two assists in four career meetings with the Terps, including an eight-goal outburst in the Blue Jays’ 15-12 victory on April 25, 2015.

“We have to understand that he is a very special and gifted player,” Dunn said. “You have to know where he is on the field because if you leave him open for that split second, there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to make you pay.”

In what could be the last meeting of their college careers, Dunn and Brown are eagerly anticipating today’s game.

“For us, it means a lot to beat them just as I’m sure it means a lot for them to beat us,” Brown said. “I think this game, it matters a lot to not just both teams but both programs. The alumni care a lot about it, the coaches care a lot, we care a lot. It’s a great storied rivalry in lacrosse.”