Five key games on Maryland men's lacrosse's 2026 schedule

John Gugs
1 day ago
4 min read

After falling in the national championship for the second straight year, John Tillman and his staff got right to work, hitting on multiple key players through the transfer portal and brought in yet another top five high school recruiting class. This past weekend, the Terps announced their 2026 schedule and now, we take a look at five of the most important games for the Terps in their upcoming season as they look to get back over the hump and bring a title to College Park.

#5: January 31st, at Richmond

In the past, Richmond for a most part has been a game the Terps should 100% win every time they have played. However, that is very much different this season. Week one, with a lot of new faces in new roles for the Terps, against a team that returns nearly all of their starters and is coming off their best season in program history. This is the storyline of the first game of the season for both teams. With the talent the Terps have, they have opened up as the betting favorites to win a national championship in 2026. With Richmond looking like a team that could earn an at-large bid in 2026, getting a win against a pesky team like the Spiders in week one could end up being massive for seeding purposes come May and NCAA tournament time. If this game was later on in the season, The confidence in the Terps would be higher, but with all the new faces on the team and players in different roles than before, this being the first game of the season could make things very interesting to start the year off.

#4: February 21st, vs Princeton

In week four of the season, the Terps welcome the Princeton Tigers in what many will believe to be a final four or championship game preview. The Tigers bring back four of their top five scorers from last season in Nate Kabiri, Chad Palumbo, Colin Burns, and Tucker Wade, as well as their goalie Ryan Croddick who had a 57% save percentage last season. The Tigers were ranked in Inside Lacrosse’s too early top 20 in September at the #2 spot just behind the Terps. If both teams stay healthy in 2026, this game early in the season could have massive implications for seeding in the NCAA tournament. Getting a win against a team like the Tigers early in the season could be a massive boost of momentum for a group with a lot of new faces in new spots.

#3: March 21st, at Penn State

Inside Lacrosse has Penn State ranked as the #9 team in their too early top 20 list, the second ranked Big Ten team behind the Terps. The Nittany Lions lose key players like Matt Traynor and Jack Fracyon from last year's team that made it to Memorial Day weekend. However, the Nittany Lions bring back Alex Ross to anchor the defense, and Hunter Aquino to lead the offense in 2026. The timing of this game is also very important as well. This game being the Big Ten opener is massive for both teams. It can set the tone for conference play as well as show the rest of the league who the team to beat in the Big Ten truly is in 2026. Along with the rest of these key games in 2026, this game could be pivotal for the Terps come NCAA tournament time for seeding purposes as well as seeding for the Big Ten tournament.

#2: April 4th, vs. Ohio State

If you were to ask me who the Terps biggest threat in the Big Ten was this season, it would be Ohio State. Ohio State only loses one of their top scorers in Jack McKenna, and they bring back essentially their entire starting defense which was one of the best defenses in the country last season. Add in transfer portal additions like Russell Melendez and Jackson Birtwistle to the offense, and the Buckeyes are a very scary matchup in 2026. The teams that do the best against the Terps are teams that have defenses just as good as the Terps. And in 2026, the Buckeyes will have as good a defense if not even better. This game will mean a lot not only for Big Ten seeding in the tournament but also NCAA tournament seeding. It would not surprise me at all if the Buckeyes and Terps matchup three times in 2026 and winning the regular season matchup could be very important for the Terps in multiple ways.

#1 February 13th, at Syracuse

It is year five of the Gary Gait era and the star freshman class he brought in during his first full off-season is finally in their senior year. Star players like Joey Spallina, Michael Leo, Luke Rhoa, and Finn Thomson are all back leading the Orange’s high powered offense while Billy Dwan III and Jimmy McCool are back leading the defense in 2026. However, Syracuse’s biggest returning player might be Johnny Mullen who was second in the country last season in face-offs won. If Syracuse is able to win the possession battle, it can be a long day for any opponent of theirs including the Terps. This game is an early litmus test for how good the Terps truly can be in 2026. Syracuse, like Princeton is another favorite to make it to Memorial Day weekend and possibly win it all. This game, win or lose, could very well set the tone for the Terps season and become important come May for NCAA tournament seeding purposes.

The Terps will open their season at Richmond on January 31st, looking to make it five trips to Memorial Day weekend in six seasons, and bring a title back to College Park for the first time since 2022.

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