Bernhardt brings scoring punch
Senior attackman records career-high 6 goals for No. 3 Terps in battle of ranked foes
Senior attackman Jared Bernhardt scored a career-high six goals and No. 3 Maryland wore down No. 4 Rutgers in the fourth period as the Terps defeated the Scarlet Knights, 19-12, at Maryland Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Berhardt’s career high had been five goals but he scored his sixth with 4 minutes and 42 seconds left in the game to put Maryland ahead, 19-11.
His last goal finished a seven-goal spurt in the fourth period as the Terps (4-0), inverting a lot behind the cage with their midfielders, outscored Rutgers 7-1 following a Maryland 11-10 lead at the end of the third period.
After Bernhardt’s last goal Rutgers coach Brian Brecht pulled his goalie to play defense in an attempt to rally, but it was too late for the Scarlet Knight (3-1), who wilted under Maryland’s offensive pressure.
While Bernhardt got most of the notoriety, the Terps had several other unsung heroes, particularly senior faceoff specialist Justin Shockey.
He won 6 of 11 faceoffs in the fourth period, four to open the quarter. That not only allowed Maryland to control the ball but rest its defensive midfielders.
Rutgers didn’t take its first shot of the fourth period until there was 7:05 left. By then, the Terps had a 17-11 lead and their defense was well rested.
“He was huge,” said Bernhardt of Shockey, who won 18 of 35 faceoffs for the game. “He was able to get us some possessions and that allowed our defense to rest.
“Even when things are not going his way he keeps going back to the X. He is good for us because he knows our defense and offense are relentless, and so is he.”
Maryland also outplayed Rutgers in the midfield in the fourth period, especially junior Kyle Long and senior Anthony DeMaio. Long finished with three goals and an assist and DeMaio had one goal and assist, but one of Long’s goals came in the closing seconds of the third quarter, and another came midway in the fourth. Both helped changed the momentum of the game.
DeMaio beat Rutgers midfielder Brennan
Kamish for a goal which put the Terps ahead, 15-11, with 11:33 remaining.
“You guys don’t see it every day, but I do,” said Bernhardt. “I see how hard these guys are working every day and it’s nice to see it on the field.”
The game appeared that it might do down to the last shot. It was fast paced, and Rutgers got outstanding offense from attackman Adam Charalambides (four goals) and Kieran Mullins (three goals).
But Bernhardt was spectacular, at one time turning defenseman Jaryd Jean-Felix in a circle two times before scoring from the left of the goal early in the fourth period. It was highlight material.
“I am biased, but I think he is the best player in the country,” said Terps coach John Tillman. “He does everything well whether it’s dodging off ball, ground balls, finishing, feeding. Right now, he seems to be getting double-teamed, and if you don’t he is going to get to good spots.
“If you do double-team he is selfless enough to find the right guy and keep it hot,”
Tillman said.
Senior attackman Daniel Maltz scored the last goal, underhanded, with three second remaining to tie the game at 9 at the half. Both offenses were overwhelming.
The Scarlet Knights couldn’t contain Bernhardt, who had four goals in the first two period, and the Terps had trouble trying to match up with the Rutgers midfield, particularly David Sprock. Maryland also had problems with Mullins and Charalambides.
At one point the Terps had a 4-1 lead in the opening quarter, thanks largely to Bernhardt, whose third goal of the opening quarter pushed the Maryland advantage to 4-1 with 7:13 left in the period.
But the Scarlet Knights pulled within 4-3 at the end of the quarter, scoring two goals in the final six minutes, the last by Sprock on a low bouncer with 4:56 left.
Rutgers scored the first three goals to open the second period and went ahead, 6-5, for the first time in the game on an extra-man goal by Mullins with 9:11 remaining.
The praise from ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is appreciated, but maybe not so far-fetched to running back Jake Funk after a fiveyear career at Maryland that was tested by patience and adversity.
Funk received limited touches in his first two seasons in College Park as he played behind several future pros. ACL tears in his left knee in both his junior and senior years sent him down the path of arduous rehabilitation with his brother Josh, a physical therapist.
To make it to the stage Funk currently stands on takes an extreme level of confidence, and maybe even more self-assurance for a player who has taken his path.
Funk’s journey brought him to Cole Field House on Wednesday, where he, along with former teammates Shaq Smith, Isaiah Davis and Taivon Jacobs, conducted workouts at Maryland’s pro day in front of representatives from 20 NFL teams.
“It was something that I’ve been waiting [on] for a long time,” Funk said on a virtual conference call. “You go through every single year and you see all your friends doing this, specifically like other running backs like Ty [Johnson] and seeing [Anthony McFarland Jr.] and Javon [Leake] and stuff like that.
“It’s just something that I’ve been waiting for, waiting for the opportunity. And obviously the results are something that I was very happy with, something that I was not surprised about and something that everybody in this building knew but I just needed the opportunity to show.”
Funk made the most of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in his fifth year of eligibility. In four games — he missed a November game against Indiana after testing positive for COVID-19 — he was the Terps’ lead back, rushing for 516 yards and three touchdowns, including a 221-yard rushing performance against Minnesota. He led the Big Ten in yards per carry (8.6) and ranked second in yards per game (129).
And after his pro day, which was closed to the media because of COVID-19 protocols, Funk shared testing numbers he hopes will answer any questions about his athleticism on the next level. Funk was told he ran as fast as a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash and “anything from a 4.43 to a 4.48.” He bench-pressed 22 reps of 225 pounds and leaped 122 inches
and 38 inches in the broad jump and vertical jump, respectively.
Based on those unofficial numbers, Funk has plenty of which to be proud. According to Kent Lee Platte of the Pro Football Network, Funk’s “Relative Athletic Score,” which aims to quantify an athlete’s size, speed and athleticism on a 0-to-10 scale, ranked 78th out of 1,436 running backs from 1987 to 2021.
Despite limited film and possible injury concerns, Kiper sees value in Funk as a lateround pick or undrafted free agent.
“I think he’s going to fight his way onto a roster,” Kiper said Monday on a conference call. “He’s a competitive runner. He’s a battler. He just puts his nose in there and just fights, and he’s quick to the hole.
“He’s shown home run-hitting ability, where he can outrace the cornerback [and] safeties to the end zone, to paydirt. He’ll catch the ball, he’ll block. He’s just a guy that gives you everything he has.
“When you’re talking late round or an undrafted priority free agent, Jake Funk is
one of those guys I want on my team. He’s going to do nothing but help your team as a backup running back [or] special teamer.”
When the season ended in December, Funk headed to Aventura, Florida, where he trained for two months at Bommarito Performance System.
“It was just being a full-time athlete, from the time I woke till the time I went to bed,” he said.
In January, he participated in the College Gridiron Showcase, an all-star event featuring the country’s top seniors. The coming weeks leading up to the three-day NFL draft beginning April 29 will be full of “just interviews, workouts, medical exams.”
During the pre-draft process, Funk has leaned on the experiences of several former Maryland running backs who have made the jump to the NFL, such as McFarland, Leake and Johnson, the latter of whom Funk called his best friend.
Funk estimated he spoke to 13 teams at the College Gridiron Showcase and said he had an upcoming call with the Los Angeles
Rams. When asked if he’s thought about being picked by a local team such as the Ravens or the Washington Football Team, the Gaithersburg native said he didn’t grow up a “die-hard fan” of either team but would welcome the chance to stay home.
For Funk, just being drafted or given the opportunity to make a team as a rookie free agent would be a testament to his perseverance. And it’d be a bit of vindication for Funk, who revealed he still has news articles posted in his room from years ago slighting a player who set state records at Damascus High School and was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, only to be regarded as a three-star prospect.
“[NFL teams are] going to get a hardworking kid,” he said. “They’re going to get somebody who’s going to give it everything he has at all times, somebody who understands how to compete and what it’s like to take advantage of every single opportunity they get.”