No. 12 Maryland men’s lacrosse handles Michigan 14-8

No. 12 Maryland men’s lacrosse (4-4, 1-1 B1G) felt the loss of captain Eric Spanos in his three game absence earlier this season. 

With the Terps in a position where they need all the wins they can get, Spanos delivered, tallying eight goals in Maryland’s 14-8 win against Michigan (3-7, 0-2 B1G). 

Between star-studded performances from Spanos and Leo Johnson – who led the Terps while the graduate student dealt with his injury– Maryland’s offensive capabilities were on full display. 

The Terps scored at least three goals in every quarter. Head coach John Tillman had the team ready to adjust against a Michigan defensive unit that constantly gave them different looks. 

The constant struggles hanging over Maryland’s head have been transition performance and offensive efficiency. While the Terps did have 13 turnovers, stacking efficient possessions gave them a much needed advantage. 

Even with Maryland’s strong offensive day, the highlight of the afternoon was its defense. 

The Terps are at their best when they hold teams under double digits – this was Maryland’s second time all season accomplishing that feat. 

The Terps had to do so without captain Will Schaller, who was inactive for the second straight week – dealing with an injury suffered against Virginia. 

Riley Reese took Schaller’s place, and the Maryland defense dominated. Reese was comfortable defensively, and even had an assist early in the game to Eric Spanos for Maryland’s first goal of the afternoon. 

The Terps played a much better game in transition, which felt like a necessity given that the Wolverines came into the game leading in clear percentage at the Division One level. 

Maryland was able to force four failed clears against Michigan – a Wolverines squad that’s only failed 22 clears all season. 

The Terps were able to find success this afternoon in all aspects of the game, including face-offs. Maryland won the faceoff battle 15-9, with the bulk of the success coming from Jonah Carrier (8-12). Dodge was close behind (7-12). 

It’s “must-win” time for the Terps, and it showed throughout the game. They’ll look to continue their momentum next week, when they take on No. 6 Ohio State back in College Park on April 4.