Brian Ruppel shines in opener, set to start for Maryland men's lacrosse vs. Syracuse

Franklin Zessis
2 minutes ago
2 min read

Heading into Maryland men’s lacrosse season opener, one of the biggest questions facing the team was in goal.

Logan McNaney left as the program’s leader in saves and victories. But in No. 1 Maryland’s Saturday game against Loyola, the Terps saw little drop off as goalie Brian Ruppel stopped 10 of the 18 shots on goal.

“I thought he not only saved the ball well, [but] he stole a couple possessions,” coach John Tillman said. “The nice thing about him is he's such a good athlete that he can do a lot for us.”

Tillman was busy in the offseason, recruiting the No. 1 transfer class in the nation to bolster a roster that lost in the NCAA Championship game for the second consecutive year last season.

Maryland’s head coach brought in transfers at every position except one: goalie. Tillan emphasized on Wednesday that Ruppel was capable of playing goal for the Terps for the past two seasons.

Ruppel did not enter Maryland’s season opener inexperienced. The senior played for 13 games for Maryland during the 2023 season and boasted a .484 save percentage while McNaney recovered from an injury.

That experience showed up against early Loyola. On the Greyhounds' first offensive possession, freshman Will Musgrove found a crease by the left goalpost in Maryland’s zone defense. The midfielder tried to beat Ruppel on a five-hole shot, but Maryland’s goalkeeper made the save and secured the groundball.

Instead of passing to one of his defenders to break out in transition, Ruppel saw a wide-open lane from where Musgrove had previously shot from and took the transition upon himself. Maryland’s goalie sprinted upfield, eventually creating a shot for senior defender Will Schaller.

Throughout much of the first half, Maryland struggled to maintain possession of the ball. The Terps committed 15 turnovers, with nine coming in the first half.

But Maryland still carried a two-goal lead heading into halftime. A big reason for that was Ruppel's play. Ruppel made six of his 10 saves in the first half, with four coming directly after Maryland turnovers.

“I just thought we were a little sloppy, just some silly turnovers,” Tillman said after the game. “But I think as guys kind of relaxed and got into a flow, the guys were able to get some rhythm.”

Out of the halftime break, Maryland’s offense took over. The Terps dominated possession, winning all nine faceoffs while committing just three turnovers. The combination resulted in eight third-quarter goals for the Terps and just two shots on goal for the Greyhounds.

The big lead allowed Tillman to give younger players playing time, including sophomore goalie Tyler Coryea, who played the final 2:39 of the game.

“I think we responded well,” Ruppel said on Saturday. “I wish we finished a little better. I think there is a lot of room for improvement, which is always good.”

Maryland’s goaltending will face a significant boost in competition, traveling to No. 2 Syracuse for its first road contest this season.

Related Links