Nearly a year ago, Brett Weiss couldn't figure out which college to attend, much less think about playing in one of college's lacrosse's biggest games.
On Saturday, the freshman Weiss and his University of Maryland teammates will make the short trip to Washington to play No. 7 Georgetown in the season opener for both teams.
Weiss, from Boys' Latin, is one of four freshman attackmen who will get plenty of playing time for the No. 5 Terps.
The other three - Travis Reed, Ryan Young and Grant Catalino - might even start, which is highly unusual for a Division I power like Maryland.
"Yeah, I'm excited and definitely a little nervous," Weiss said. "This is my first collegiate game, and Georgetown is a big game for us."
Reed said: "At first, you're in awe of the talent here in college. But so far, it's been a great experience. I've always wanted to play in a big college game like this, and now I get a chance to do it. It's an honor."
It's a challenge not only for the freshman attackmen, but also for the Terps' coaching staff. It's unusual for a team to recruit so many attackmen in one year, and even more unusual to have so many good ones.
Catalino, 6 feet 5, 240 pounds, from Webster, N.Y., was one of the best finishers in high school lacrosse last season.
Young, from Manhasset, N.Y., is quick and agile. Weiss is smart and a good all-around player who'll be on the Terps' extra-man offense.
And then there is Reed, also from Boys' Latin. He has great stick skills and good placement with his shots. Wherever he goes, he wins championships, regardless if it's McDonogh, where he started his high school career, or Boys' Latin, where he finished it.
"I don't think anybody will be crying for me," Maryland coach Dave Cottle said. "These kids are very talented. They have good skills, and they complement each other well. They like each other and will play hard for each other.
"Never in my day have I had such four talented freshman attackmen. We just have to coach them up." To increase their learning curve in a short time, Cottle added more scrimmages during the preseason. He knows these players have talent, but they are freshmen.
In high school, they might have gotten by with one move or trademark shot. That won't work in college.
"The biggest adjustment is the speed of the game," Weiss said. "Everyone is bigger and quicker. In high school, you could take plays off. Here, you have to play with high intensity all the time."
Weiss said the four freshmen have become good friends. They're fighting over playing time, but it's a friendly competition. "We push each other, but at the same time, we pull for each other," he said.
In essence, they are the keys to Maryland's season. If the Terps can manage to get through the early part of the season and gain some experience, they should be fine down the stretch.
"I don't know who is going to play well and in what game," Cottle said. "We'll adjust as the game goes on. We'll have to fight through the early part of the schedule."
It won't be easy. Two of the Terps' first three games are against Georgetown and No. 2 Duke. The first game will be a tough one. Georgetown is always big and physical. The Hoyas don't always scheme well offensively, but they play excellent defense, led by Jerry Lambe, the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year last season.
The Hoyas make you earn every goal, and they punish you after every shot. Last year, Georgetown held 12 opponents to fewer than 10 goals. And those teams didn't start three freshmen.
"I'm more excited than nervous," Reed said. "I'm starting to get really pumped up. The starting lineup will be a game-time decision by the coaches. We [the players] really haven't talked about the game yet, but the coaches have talked to us and given us some tips to help us out."
What was the best one?
"Run at full speed all the time," Reed said. "This ain't the time to be jogging."
mike.preston@baltsun.com