No. 7 Maryland men’s lacrosse’s improved defense has aided in 3-game win streak

Franklin Zessis
5 days ago
2 min read

Maryland men’s lacrosse sat in a dire situation after its first Big Ten contest.

Part of the Terps’ identity under coach John Tillman was their defensive prowess, and they frequently held opponents to single-digit goals in prior seasons. With four games remaining until the Big Ten tournament, Maryland had done so just once.

But after a 10-6 loss to Penn State, Maryland’s defense saw huge improvements. No. 7 Maryland held each of its next three opponents to single-digit goals, contributing to the Terps’ three-game win streak and leaving them one win away from securing the top seed in the Big Ten tournament.

Part of Maryland’s defensive success has come from defender Peter Laake. When 2025 Big Ten Defender of the Year Will Schaller left Maryland’s game against Virginia, Laake was tasked with defending the opponent’s top player.

“When Will went down, that was heartbreaking for all of us,” Laake said. “He's guarded a lot of these guys… and just being able to pick his brain week to week and just learn from him has been incredible.”

The sophomore showed immediate promise, keeping Virginia’s McCabe Millon scoreless during overtime. Laake’s mirroring skills were displayed again against Rutgers when Maryland hosted the Big Ten’s top point scorer.

Attacker Colin Kurdyla had thrived heading into Saturday’s contest, tallying multi-point games in all but one game this season. But Laake dominated his matchup. The defender followed Kurdyla for most of the game, consistently stick-checking him to limit his dodges.

Kurdyla struggled to create offense and was visibly frustrated at times, tallying as many turnovers as he did shots on goal.

“Our scout team did a great job throughout the week,” Laake said after the game. “They did a great job giving me a look that I could get me ready for the game.”

The injury to Schaller also allowed Riley Reese to see consistent playing time. The senior had primarily served as a rotational player for Maryland’s defense in prior seasons, but made his first four collegiate starts in the weeks following Schaller’s injury.

Reese has thrived with more playing time this season, tallying seven groundballs and eight caused turnovers during his four starts this season.

“His freshman year, he knocked down a ton of passes with the scout team,” Tillman said. “We would go down to Jesse [Bernhardt] and be like, ‘Listen, you probably could play him man down right now.’”

Reese’s defensive play has aided Maryland’s offense, as a caused turnover against Rutgers attacker Greyson Vorgang led to a transition goal for long-stick midfielder AJ Larkin. Reese also netted Maryland’s overtime winner against Ohio State the week prior.

The improved defensive play bodes well for a Maryland team, whose three-game win streak has flipped its season around. The Terps are now one game away from clinching the top seed and a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament, and continued strong defensive play may result in another deep run for Maryland in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.

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