No. 4 Maryland men’s lacrosse cruises past No. 11 Princeton, 13-7

Winning faceoffs and outshooting No. 11 Princeton was the difference maker for No. 4 Maryland men’s lacrosse on Saturday. The Terps excelled in both areas, cruising to a 13-7 win over the Tigers.

Luke Wierman dominated on the faceoff all afternoon, winning 20 of 23 faceoffs taken. Maryland controlled possession for a majority of the first half with Wierman taking a whopping 11 of 12 faceoffs, allowing the team to jump out to and control an early lead. 

Princeton used all three of its faceoff specialists but still couldn’t find an answer for Wierman, who won at least 20 faceoffs for the ninth time in his career.

While Tigers goalkeeper Michael Gianforcaro allowed 13 goals, he collected 20 saves to finish with a .606 save rate. The Terps’ ability to outshoot Princeton, 45-29, ultimately keyed Maryland’s offense and the result.

“[Gianforcaro] played really well and that helped counter how well Luke [Wierman] and the wing guys did today,” coach John Tillman said. “[We] certainly gotta shoot better, gotta do a better job there. But we have a lot of respect for Gianforcaro … he was terrific on film and was terrific today.”

The Terps’ offense was balanced as four players scored multiple goals. Senior attacker Daniel Maltz put together a hat trick and junior midfielder Eric Spanos notched four goals, a career-high.

Logan McNaney put together another stellar performance for Maryland’s defense, coming off being named Big Ten Specialist of the Week. McNaney collected 10 saves, allowing seven goals, resulting in a .588 save percentage — against a Tigers offense that averaged 15 goals per game entering the matchup.

Freshman attacker Nate Kabiri carried the load offensively for Princeton, scoring four of its seven goals. Kabiri’s two fourth-quarter goals gave the Tigers late hope but the Terps found an answer for both. Spanos’ goal with five minutes left shut the door on Princeton’s hopes of a comeback.

Braden Erksa opened the scoring for the Terps, fresh off a four-goal game against Syracuse, when Eric Malever found him right in front of the net for the score. Then Spanos took over, scoring two straight unassisted goals to push the lead to 3-0.

Kabiri fired a shot past McNaney in the final minutes of the first quarter to finally get Princeton on the board, conquering Maryland’s stifling defense. McNaney recorded three saves and held the Tigers to 1-6 shooting in the opening period.

Maryland’s offensive barrage to begin the second quarter killed any momentum Princeton had. Malever kicked it off with back-to-back goals less than a minute apart, and Maltz contributed another goal to extend the lead to 6-1.

Later in the frame, Spanos ran past his defender and scored on a diving shot in front of the net, securing a hat trick. Spanos’ speed was on display all afternoon as many of his goals came from beating a defender and getting in close.

The Tigers put pressure on the Terps, scoring in the final seconds of the first half and again to open the second. But with the score at 8-4, Erksa scored to stop the run and re-ignite the Maryland crowd.

“It felt like we were getting so many extra possessions from Luke [Wierman] but then we were just kind of giving them back so quickly,” Tillman said. “You know you’re gonna give a few back… it felt like it was getting away from us in terms of making them have to get stops.”

Braedon Saris quickly answered following an off-sides penalty that gave Princeton an extra-man opportunity. But senior attacker Daniel Kelly brought the lead back to five with a goal that glided past the feet of Gianforcaro, and Maryland held on in the final quarter for the win.

The Terps hit the road again next week to face Notre Dame, the top-ranked team in the nation. Maryland will look to redeem a 13-12 triple overtime loss a year ago.