Maryland men’s bounce back vs. No. 7 Penn State, look ahead to Rutgers clash

henrylilienfeld
Apr 5
4 min read

With a trip to Rutgers on deck, No. 2 Maryland men’s lacrosse got exactly the reset it needed.

Coming off a crushing triple-overtime loss to Michigan, the Terps re-established their identity on both ends of the field with a commanding 13-8 win over No. 7 Penn State at SECU Stadium. The victory not only improved Maryland to 8-1 (1-1 Big Ten), but also marked its sixth win over a ranked opponent and fourth against a top-10 team this season.

From the start, Maryland was locked in. After conceding the first goal, the Terps went on a 7-1 run and held Penn State scoreless for over 22 minutes spanning the first and third quarters. They led 7-2 at halftime — the first time they’ve held a Big Ten opponent to two or fewer goals at the break since 2018.

Logan McNaney was central to that defensive effort, tallying 10 saves in his ninth straight double-digit performance of the season. Now just seven saves shy of tying Kevin O’Leary’s program record (705), McNaney continues to be a rock in net — stifling the Big Ten’s highest-scoring offense with poise and precision.

“When the ball is down on the defensive end, we have so much trust in them,” said midfielder Matthew Keegan. “Even if they do make a mistake, Logan is a really good goalie. He steals possessions.”

Offensively, the Terps were equally sharp. Eric Spanos and Braden Erksa both notched hat tricks, with Spanos doing all his damage in the first half. Daniel Kelly added two goals and two assists, and Keegan chipped in two goals and an assist in one of Maryland’s most complete offensive showings of the season.

After struggling with poor decisions and rushed transition play against Michigan, Maryland struck a more measured balance versus the Nittany Lions. Defensive midfielders like George Stamos (two assists) and long pole AJ Larkin — who scored his second goal of the year — helped drive clean, efficient transition opportunities without sacrificing possession.

“We wanted to pick our spots in transition,” said long pole Jack McDonald. “Playing in the Big Ten is really hard. You don’t want to give up short possessions.”

Maryland’s defense forced 12 turnovers, with career-best performances from Will Schaller (three caused turnovers, four ground balls) and Larkin (three caused turnovers, three ground balls). The Terps dominated in almost every phase of the game, never letting Penn State trim the deficit to fewer than four goals after taking an 8-2 lead early in the third.

The win moves Maryland to 42-2 all-time against Penn State and gives the team renewed momentum ahead of a road matchup at Rutgers on April 5. After an uncharacteristic stumble in College Park, the Terps once again look like a national title contender — especially when they respond to adversity the way they did on Saturday.

“If you had told me with our schedule, you’d win eight out of nine games, I’d take it,” said head coach John Tillman. “I wouldn’t say we couldn’t win them all, but that would be a tall task.”

Now, the Terps shift their attention to a conference clash under the lights, traveling to SHI Stadium to face Rutgers in the Scarlet Knights’ annual Blackout Game.

Despite holding a 5-6 record, Rutgers has remained competitive in Big Ten play, including an 11-8 win over then-No. 11 Johns Hopkins and a hard-fought battle at No. 3 Ohio State last weekend. The Scarlet Knights trailed by just one early in the fourth quarter before the Buckeyes pulled away late. It marked the third straight ranked opponent for Rutgers — a gauntlet that continues with the Terps.

Defensively, Rutgers has been sound, allowing just 8.82 goals per game — good for third in the Big Ten and 15th nationally. Led by standout goalie Cardin Stoller, who’s on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List, and All-American SSDM Joe Juengerkes, the Scarlet Knights have kept opponents in single digits six times this season. Faceoff specialist Matthew Paolatto has also been a force, ranking 12th nationally with a 61.2% win rate.

Offensively, Rutgers is paced by Colin Kurdyla, who leads the team in goals (16), assists (9), and total points (25), while Colin Kelly — just one point shy of 100 for his career — remains a key finisher.

Maryland, meanwhile, enters with one of the nation’s best defensive units and a 19-game winning streak over Rutgers dating back to their first Big Ten matchup in 2015. Goalie Logan McNaney, third in the country in both save percentage (62.8%) and goals-against average (7.41), has consistently frustrated the Scarlet Knights, allowing just 39 goals over five career starts against them.

A win in Piscataway would not only extend Maryland’s dominance in the all-time series but also keep the Terps firmly in the hunt for the Big Ten regular season crown. With just three conference games remaining, every performance matters more than ever.

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