Maryland Men’s Lacrosse: after falling short in Big Ten Tournament, Terps prepare for NCAA Tournament

henrylilienfeld
May 5
3 min read

The Maryland men’s lacrosse team came within one win of capturing another Big Ten Tournament crown, but a slow start in Saturday’s title game doomed the No. 3-ranked Terps in a 14-10 loss to No. 5-ranked Ohio State. Despite the setback, Maryland earned the No. 2 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, marking its 22nd consecutive postseason appearance and reinforcing its status as a blue blood in college lacrosse.

The Terps (11-3) advanced to the Big Ten championship after defeating No. 7 Penn State, 10-8, in a hard-fought semifinal that saw Daniel Kelly explode for a career-high five goals. Maryland never trailed, relying on its veteran leadership and defensive identity to withstand a late Nittany Lions rally. Goalie Logan McNaney recorded 10 saves, while Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Will Schaller led the effort in limiting star midfielder Matt Traynor to just one goal.

“[Daniel Kelly] had a great game,” head coach John Tillman said following the win. “All those goals were critical, but man, especially in the fourth when he got his hands free, those were huge for us.”

Yet Maryland couldn’t replicate its composed, suffocating style in the championship bout against Ohio State. The Buckeyes stormed out to a 7-1 lead and scored nine times in the first half – the most McNaney has allowed all season. Maryland was frequently caught out of position defensively and couldn’t recover despite outscoring Ohio State after the opening quarter.

“They came out in the first few possessions and attacked super early,” Tillman said. “We were almost there [on defense], but it wasn’t quite good enough coverage.”

The Terps showed signs of life in the second half behind strong performances from Eric Spanos (2 goals, 1 assist), Braden Erksa (2 goals), Elijah Stobaugh (2 goals), and Bryce Ford (2 goals). But Ohio State’s Caleb Fyock – named Big Ten Specialist of the Year – stymied Maryland with 19 saves, including several from point-blank range. The Terps finished with 44 shots to the Buckeyes’ 31 but struggled to finish quality looks early.

Fifth-year attackman Daniel Kelly, coming off his explosive semifinal showing, was held to just one goal. Ohio State’s defense effectively denied him clean off-ball cuts, with Cullen Brown neutralizing Maryland’s top scorer for most of the night.

Despite the loss, the Terps remain one of the top national contenders heading into the NCAA Tournament. On Sunday, the NCAA selection committee awarded Maryland the No. 2 overall seed. The team will host the winner of the play-in game between Robert Morris and Air Force on May 11 at SECU Stadium. The first-round matchup will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

This marks Maryland’s 47th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth time receiving the No. 2 seed. Under Tillman, the Terps have reached 10 Final Fours in 12 full seasons, winning two national titles and establishing themselves as perennial contenders.

Maryland is 4-3 all-time as the No. 2 seed, most recently advancing to the semifinals in 2006. The Terps are 6-0 all-time against Air Force and 3-0 against Robert Morris, having defeated both programs in prior NCAA tournament games.

Veteran leadership and postseason experience remain the Terps’ greatest assets. McNaney, the program’s all-time leader in wins and saves, enters his sixth NCAA Tournament. Erksa has scored in every game this season. Spanos and Stobaugh have found their rhythm at the right time. And despite Saturday’s lapse, Maryland still owns the No. 3-ranked defense in the country.

Now, with the nation’s top RPI and a renewed chance at championship glory, the Terps aim to regroup and chase their third NCAA title under Tillman – this time with a trip to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on the line.

By: Henry Lilienfeld

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