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NCAA MEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP

May 28, 2017

Boston, Massachusetts

Q. Tim, this being the third time you guys are facing Ohio State, what is the sentiment that you have towards those guys? Is there any sense of dislike or anything like that having seen them again for the third time?
TIM MULLER: No, we have great respect for them, obviously. They've had a great year. They're obviously here for a reason, so we have a ton of respect for them, a ton. So we're just going to look at it the same as every other game. We can't really look at them with dislike or anything. Just kind of respect.

Q. It seems like for most of the season, especially the postseason, you guys have taken, a lot like them, kind of a very businesslike approach to how you go about each game, each week, et cetera. Just how do you guys kind of instill that, and how important is that, do you feel like, to your identity as a team?
CONNOR KELLY: Yeah, I think, obviously, we've got a lot of experience, a lot of mature seniors, and they're leading the way, paving the way for us, so we're following them. Obviously over the last two years and coming into championship weekend we have a lot of experience that's helped us. So it's definitely going throughout the season. We go on a game-to-game basis, and we just try to focus on that game. Once that happens, it's on to the next one. But for Ohio State, we have a lot of respect for them.

TIM MULLER: I kind of repeat what Connor said. We've been here before. So it's not really -- we're not too excited yet. Obviously we'll be more excited after Monday, hopefully. Like Connor said, we're just coming here, and we've got to come in like it's every other game and approach it the same way. You can't look at it like it's the biggest game of the year. You've got to just look at it like it's another game on the schedule and they're the next team up. So we're excited.

Q. You guys are focused year to year, but obviously with all the talk going on around the program about how long it's been since you've had a National Championship, has it been an active effort by your team just to have to block that out and kind of conserve energy and to not think about that history and just what you're trying to do here?
TIM MULLER: Yeah, I think that's something we kind of talked about, kind of blocking out for the year. We've kind of come together and said we can't look at it as if we're in a drought or anything like that because that kind of puts you in a different mindset. We kind of go out there just looking at it like it's just another game on the schedule and looking like it's just another season for us. So play as if we won last year. Play as if we lost last year, it doesn't really affect us. We're just going out and doing our best every day and trying to get better and hopefully get the ultimate goal in the end.

CONNOR KELLY: I think after these past few years, obviously, it's built a mental toughness and physical toughness through those losses. Obviously, we're a team that tries to battle adversity at all costs. So having these failures, we're trying to turn these negatives into positives throughout the season.

We've just been following the lead of the seniors. They've been unbelievable, just predicated around mental toughness, hard work.

Q. Patrick mentioned that your game yesterday only had 50 possessions total. Little slower than the semifinals you've played the past few years. Do you anticipate feeling pressure tomorrow because the game's not a track meet?
CONNOR KELLY: I thought, honestly, it was just a hard-fought battle. I think it was like any other game. Obviously, it was up-and-down. The emotions were high. Obviously the field was a little different dealing with that.

But honestly, it's sort of like another game for us. So you're going through that, you're feeling a little sore, but you've got to battle that and you've got to be ready for Monday.

TIM MULLER: Like Connor said, it was just another game. I mean, we've been here before. We've played two games in three days in the Big Ten tournament. We've played three games in nine days when we played that Penn State-Albany-Rutgers schedule. So I think we'll be ready. Right now we've just got to rest up and get ready for the next team on our schedule. That's our plan right now, and hopefully everything will work out.

Q. Not that it's an advantage, but the fact that you guys have gone through this turnaround for Ohio State three weeks ago, does that kind of accelerate the prep a little bit? Are you guys maybe further ahead you feel like now than you would have been in the last couple years when it was a team that you just played a few weeks back?
TIM MULLER: Yeah, you definitely have a little bit of -- I couldn't say advantage because they're in the same situation as us. They've played us three weeks ago also, so they're looking at the same film we're looking at. But it's definitely nicer to play a team that we've played. It would be different if we had to play a team and get all new film. So just going back and watching our Big Ten game, it gives you a little bit of accelerated prep, like you said. So definitely more beneficial. But like I said, they're going to have the same looks at us also.

CONNOR KELLY: Yeah, I think that's helped us throughout the year. Obviously, Coach Tillman has tried to put us in the best situation possible going throughout the year to try to be as prepared as possible. He's created these contingency plans. Like when we went through the three-game stretch during the season when we played Penn State, Albany and Rutgers, those were all three great teams, three potential Final Four teams, and that sort of helped us going forward.

You've got to get your body right, get your mind right, so it's helped us throughout in the Big Ten tournament. So that's a testament to Coach Tillman just helping us out and preparing us.

COACH TILLMAN: Yeah, I think the thing that -- just kind of to add to that, I think getting ready for Denver this year the kids noted it was a lot easier this year to get ready for Denver with a week versus a two-day turnaround. So I think for both teams it takes a little pressure off. You'd love to play that first game because it gives you a little bit more time to watch the second game knowing you're definitely moving on. You're not kind of half in, half out when you're scouting the first game, and then it gets you about three hours. It's such a quick turnaround from yesterday until now that you don't have a lot of time.

So the fact that we played them not only once but twice I think does help both teams and the kids to kind of be a little more focused on getting your rest, things like that, and you don't have to cram for the exam.

Q. I know Hopkins is your rival, but is this starting to feel like this is a developing rivalry with Ohio State?
COACH TILLMAN: I mean, given that we've played them three times now, you could definitely make a case for that. I think once you start getting in the conference and start playing more and more, it seems like it's starting to have the makings of that. Certainly we have a lot of respect for them. Nick's done such a good job with his program, and I think they're going to be around for a long time. Obviously you go from one conference to the other, and it seems like some rivalries are naturally going to prosper in that. It seems like this is probably going to be one of them. Again, that's a credit to Nick and Ohio State and those kids. That is a really good team, and they look like they're going to be around for the long haul.

CONNOR KELLY: Yeah, Ohio State's an unbelievable team, a complete team that we face. I think it's an honor to be in the Big Ten right now. Honestly, one of the preeminent programs, preeminent conferences in the country, so that's prepared us throughout the year. Obviously, you like to think it's a rivalry. I think obviously over the years it might turn out so, but honestly, we're excited about this match-up. They're an unbelievable team. We're excited.

TIM MULLER: We've had some pretty close games with them, obviously over the past three years that we've been playing in conference with them. It's never been one-sided. All games have been pretty tough, pretty close in goals and results. So I would imagine that's how it's going to be for a few years from now on too. So I can't really say rivalry yet, but I think it's going to start being one in the future.

Q. Denver's attack was 5'8", 5'9", the Ohio State attack is a little more physical. Is that accurate? What do you remember most about the attack, and are they pretty physical?
TIM MULLER: Yeah, they're definitely a different dynamic than the Denver team. Denver was maybe a little bit smaller, quicker guys. But Ohio State, they've got two big guys in 14 and 20, so it doesn't really change what we do, though. We're going to play our fundamental Maryland defense, and hopefully everything will work out for us.

Q. It's (indiscernible) birthday today. Are you guys doing anything special today? I saw there was a video in the locker room a couple hours ago.
COACH TILLMAN: We sang him Happy Birthday yesterday, and then he's coming back up tomorrow. So today he's having a party at home. I got a great picture from his dad, Connor. He zonked out pretty early last night. So just sent him a happy birthday greeting today, letting him do his thing, and he'll be fired up tomorrow.

Q. It seems like every game face-offs are important. Can you talk about the challenge going up against Jake Withers for guys like Austin and Jon?
COACH TILLMAN: Yeah, it seems like we've come down murder's row. We start with T.D. who is awesome, and then Trevor who is awesome, and Jake's really, really good too. He's awesome. So it's been challenging. I think our group collectively has done a good job of preparing all year. I don't think our numbers are awesome, but they've done enough to help us win. All four of those guys work incredibly hard all week long. Then Chris Mattes has done a great job kind of getting us prepared.

I think much like yesterday, beyond those four guys, the wing play is going to be critical. And then the ten on tens, I think, are going to be important. There will be times where the ball was scored out, and I thought Matt Neufeldt had one of his better games and really helped us yesterday. Bryce Young has been great, Nick Brozowski has been great too. But there were a few that scored out, and it got into your attack or defensive zone, and those are ones that you hope you can corral. I thought the first game we really struggled, and I thought they beat us up pretty good in the middle of the field and face-off facts and they really hurt us in the second half, especially. In the second game I thought Austin and Chris and the wing guys did a better job of at least giving us a chance. I don't think our numbers were phenomenal, but we were closer to 50-50, and it didn't swing time of possession so much in their favor. It really hurt us the first time we played them. We play a lot of defense.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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NCAA MEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP

May 28, 2017

Connor Kelly

Tim Muller

John Tillman