N.C.A.A. Preview: Maryland's Bernhardt Isn't on the Field, but He's Still a Presence Drew Snider doesn't like to reflect on games much. The Maryland Terrapins men's lacrosse midfielder prefers to move on quickly, to focus on the next opponent as soon as the final whistle sounds. But moments after the unseeded Terps beat Duke, 16-10, on Saturday to earn a second straight berth in the national championship game, Snider's mind began to wander. He reflected on the past, on the last time the Terps faced Monday's opponent, Loyola (Md.). His memories weren't pleasant. After all, the Terps didn't simply lose a scrimmage when they fell to the Greyhounds in early February. They lost one of their key contributors. I think about Jake Bernhardt. He got injured in that game, and that took a toll on us honestly," said Snider, who has paced the Terps with 10 goals through three N.C.A.A. tournament contests. For the rest of that game, we were thinking about Jake because we knew he was hurt pretty bad. Bernhardt collided into a Loyola player while chasing a groundball, and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. He would ultimately have to take a medical hardship, delaying his final season another year. "Even when Jake went down against Loyola, you know, he got hit and I knew the fact that he didn't get up, something was wrong," coach John Tillman said. I walked over and I looked at our trainer and I knew it was bad because she didn't say anything. It was a significant moment for a young Terps team - one that lost 17 seniors to graduation last May. When healthy, Bernhardt can run on the team's first midfield line, play defensive midfield and offer an alternative faceoff specialist to midfielder Curtis Holmes. The senior captain, a two-year starter with 32 goals and seven assists in his career, is also the team's best option on the faceoff wing. Of course, Bernhardt's absence has forced other Terps to take more responsibility. Midfielder Michael Shakespeare has shouldered much of the load, notching 20 points (18 goals and two assists) this season. That's more than double his point total over the previous three seasons. "Everyone's stepped up," Bernhardt said earlier this month. It's just good to see everyone get past that and play so well this year. And through it all, Bernhardt has maintained a significant presence. He has participated in practices throughout the latter half of the season, often imitating the style of the opposition's top offensive weapons. He has also done his best to motivate - traveling to all road games, advising the younger players and participating in the Terps" now-famed "mosh pit" during goal celebrations. Still, with just 60 minutes separating the Terps from their first national title since 1975, Tillman certainly wouldn't mind a healthy Bernhardt on the field on Monday. "It would be great because he'd help us in so many different ways," Tillman said.