BALTIMORE (Map, News) - For the first time in a month, the Terrapins finally played like a team worthy of making the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season.

Eighth-ranked Maryland jumped out to an 11-4 halftime lead and cruised to a 16-10 win over Yale in front of 1,309 fans at Byrd Stadium. The Terrapins (9-5) had been slumping, as they had gone four games without scoring in double digits, losing three of those games. The 16 goals was their highest  since a 16-4 win over Air Force on March 16.

“We feel good as a team, we feel together,” redshirt junior midfielder Jeff Reynolds said. “We’re playing well I think, and this is the kind of game we really needed to get some momentum.”

After a strong first half, the defense let up a little in the second half, something it cannot afford to do if the Terrapins want to contend for their first NCAA title since 1975.

“I think we’ve got to get better,” Maryland coach Dave Cottle said. “We’re going to have to play a little better defense on the ball, we’re going to have to play a little better team defense and offensively we’re going to have to score against a good defense.”

The Terrapins start three freshman attackers, so the NCAA Tournament will be a new experience for many of Maryland’s key contributors.

“I don’t really know what to expect,” said freshman attacker Grant Catalino, who scored four times against the Bulldogs (4-10) to increase his team-best total to 25 goals. “We’re probably just going to play like every other game, just like the other big games we’ve played this season, just play as hard as we can and hope we come out with a victory.”

The Terrapins likely will earn one of eight seeds in the NCAA Tournament, enabling them to host a first-round game at Byrd Stadium, where they are 6-1 this season. Maryland has proven that it can beat the best this year, with wins over North Carolina, Georgetown and Virginia.

But senior midfielder Will Dalton believes the team has yet to play its best game.

“Going into the tournament, I think we’re really mentally prepared,” said Dalton, who scored twice against the Bulldogs. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do, and our best lacrosse is to come.”

avitelli@baltimoreexaminer.com