No. 6 Maryland Men’s Lacrosse Face Crucial Turning Point After Stumble at Rutgers, Eye Redemption at Ohio State

henrylilienfeld
Apr 12
3 min read

The then-No. 2 Maryland men’s lacrosse team suffered a setback last Saturday, falling 8-6 to Rutgers in what was easily their most frustrating offensive performance of the season. The Terps, who dropped to 8-2 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play, will now turn their focus to Saturday’s massive showdown at No. 2 Ohio State – a game that could define the trajectory of their season.

Maryland entered its matchup at SHI Stadium with history on its side, boasting a 19-game win streak against Rutgers. But the Scarlet Knights flipped the script behind a dominant first quarter and 14 saves from standout goalie Cardin Stoller, including several momentum-stifling stops late in the game.

“We’ve got to figure out if we need to tweak some things,” head coach John Tillman said after the game. “Our stickwork has to be better. We’ve got to use our picks, have better spacing, and play faster.”

Maryland's offense never found its rhythm, enduring goal droughts of 17:14, 20:02, and 14:06 across the four quarters. Despite cutting Rutgers’ lead to 6-5 in the third, Maryland’s scoring stalled again in the final frame, while Rutgers netted two late goals – including a stunning full-field strike by Stoller – to ice the game.

Offensively, the Terps were led by Braden Erksa and Eric Spanos, each tallying two goals. Zach Whittier added a goal and an assist, while Daniel Kelly opened the scoring but was silenced for the remainder. Meanwhile, Maryland’s defense continued its season-long excellence, holding an opponent under 10 goals for the eighth time this season. Logan McNaney, who made seven saves, tied Maryland’s all-time record with 705 career stops – one shy of becoming the sole leader.

Showdown in Columbus

Maryland won’t have much time to dwell on the loss. On Saturday, they’ll travel to Columbus to face No. 2 Ohio State, who currently rides an 11-game win streak and sits atop the Big Ten standings at 3-0.

For Maryland, the challenge is enormous – but so is the opportunity. A win on the road would not only keep the Terps in the mix for the conference title but also provide a crucial confidence boost heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Ohio State, led by veteran head coach Nick Myers, has built a lethal attack anchored by senior Alex Marinier, who has 40 goals on the season – second-most in the nation. The Buckeyes boast one of the country’s most efficient offenses, converting on 32.9% of their shots, while also fielding one of the game’s most dominant goalkeepers in Caleb Fyock, who owns a .626 save percentage.

But Maryland’s defense, anchored by Will Schaller, Jackson Canfield, and Colin Burlace, may be up to the task. The Terps have allowed opponents to shoot just 21.5% on the season – a jaw-dropping number – and McNaney, wearing the program’s iconic No. 1 jersey, will be eager to rebound and claim the program saves record outright.

One key area to watch is faceoffs. Ohio State has struggled in Big Ten play, winning just 45% of draws. Maryland’s Shea Keethler, a 58% faceoff specialist and Upper Arlington native, could give the Terps a crucial edge at the X.

High Stakes Ahead

As the regular season winds down, every game now carries postseason weight. For Ohio State, Saturday presents a chance to clinch its first-ever regular season Big Ten title and defeat Maryland for the first time in Columbus. For the Terps, it’s a chance to prove that last week’s stumble was just that – a stumble.

“We’ve got to make the most of the chances that we have,” Tillman said.

If they can do that on Saturday, they just might leave Columbus with a season-defining win.

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