Inconsistent offense has plagued Maryland men’s lacrosse in early season

Franklin Zessis
23 minutes ago
2 min read

No. 9 Maryland men’s lacrosse’s offense looked dominant in its season opener.

The Terps scored 19 goals — its most since the 2022 season — and got multi-goal contributions from five different players. During that game, Maryland’s offense used decisive passing to keep Loyola’s defense moving and create a plethora of opportunities.

But Maryland’s offense has gotten away from that at times over the past two games, leading to prolonged goalless stretches and putting more strain on its defense.

“I think at times the ball died a little bit,” coach John Tillman said. “The ball got sticky, and it's not from selfishness or anything like that, but I felt like the ball just kind of died.”

Tillman has emphasized that the Terps' offense is at its best when the ball is moving, and multiple people are involved. Maryland's offense has frequently started that way, scoring on two of its first three possessions in its two prior contests.

But Maryland’s offense has stalled afterward, seeing scoring droughts of at least 13 minutes of game time following the early scores.

Tillman contributes some of that problem to when Maryland’s six-on-six offense sets up and begins running plays — something he calls the “settled offense." Tillman added that during goalless stretches, the ball has “died” at times, meaning it stays with one person or in one area for an extended period.

“It gets very easy for the defense to be successful,” Tillman said. “If the ball stays behind, you kind of know where the ball is, and you can slow down and move into an area where you know you can help.”

Maryland’s turnovers only exacerbate its problems. While Maryland committed a season-low 13 turnovers in its previous game, over half came during a nearly 19-minute scoring drought between the first and second quarters.

Tillman says the solution is for Maryland to continue making quick passes on offense and moving the ball through the X position. That way, the opposition’s defense has to continuously rotate and reposition themself, allowing Maryland’s players to find openings.

The prolonged goalless stretches have also put additional pressure on Maryland's defense to produce stops and turnovers. The Terps’ latest game against then-No. 12 Princeton exemplifies the issue, as the extended scoreless period between the first and second quarters helped the Tigers flip an early 4-2 deficit into a 7-4 halftime advantage.

While the Terps’ offense performed better in the second half, it still suffered from inconsistent stretches. That play was highlighted in the third quarter as Maryland produced more turnovers than shots on goal despite winning seven of eight faceoffs.

Maryland’s schedule will not get easier as it hosts No. 1 Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Terps have overcome early-season struggles before under Tillman.

Maryland was in a similar situation ten years ago, as its season opener was postponed and the Terps dropped two of their first three games. But Maryland overcame those woes and won the Big Ten tournament later that season.

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