Plenty of college teams are looking ahead to their freshman recruits and how that group of new players will help their teams, but the University of Maryland may well be the team most heavily-anticipating the arrival of one player.

 

It’s not that Ben Cima can win games all on his own, but the High School All American and USA U20 flyhalf out of Gonzaga brings with him a rare skill set. An excellent reader of the game and a game-changer as a goal kicker, Cima's ability to get points means any team he plays with is in with a shot.

 

As a result of Cima’s decision to enroll at Maryland, his brother, Matias, the captain of the team and an honorable mention All American, has decided to stay for a 5th year with the Terrapins, And John Davis, like the Cima brothers a Gonzaga HS alum, is also staying. 

 

“With Ben slotting in and with the guys coming back our backline will be loaded for bear,” enthused Head Coach Jeff Soecken. 

 

Up front they miss prop Guy Lopresti, another Gonzaga product, out for the year after he hurt his knee at the CRC, but props Steve Tegrar, and Dylan McGowan do come back, and their experience will be invaluable. Meanwhile, the Terps have picked up rangy lock/flanker Joe Whalen, who transferred from St. Joseph’s and has been spending his summer player men’s club 7s.

 

For Whalen, the decision to transfer wasn’t anything against St. Joe’s.

 

“I had a great time at St. Joe’s - it wasn’t anything bad about St. Joe’s,” Whalen told Goff Rugby Report. “But it’s in-state tuition for me, and I thought Maryland would be a better fit.”

 

But now that he’s with Maryland, Whalen is excited about the team’s possibilities.

 

“I am really excited and Ben’s a good friend and I think he can help with the team,” said Whalen. “I played with Ben in high school - he’s a great guy and a great player. Everyone’s really excited.”

 

“We have lots of returning players,” added Soecken. “And a lot of big guys, which is new for us because we’re known usually as a small team.”

 

Maryland fell short of the ACRL title as they were pipped by Clemson, and the film of that game is required viewing for the Terps as they look to the fall of 2014. In that game, said Soecken, Clemson’s back row were dominant. The addition of Whalen will help there.

 

“We want to win the ACRL,” said Soecken. “And we’ve got a bunch o tough games on our schedule, including Towson, Navy, and Kutztown. We want to be challenged early.”

 

That will be key for young Cima, who has often met such challenges with confidence and success. His addition to Maryland, along with an experience Whalen helping in the pack, makes them a much more formidable team. We may be talking about just a couple of players, but they are important additions to the Terps.