No. 6 Maryland men’s lacrosse earns 13-8 bounceback victory over No. 2 Ohio State

Photo courtesy of Allison Mize/Maryland Terrapins

No. 6 Maryland men’s lacrosse looked flatfooted and out of sorts in its last game, resulting in a humiliating road loss. The Terps eliminated any trace of that performance on Saturday against No. 2 Ohio State. 

Nearly two minutes after the Buckeyes trimmed their deficit to one early in the second quarter, Maryland (9-2, 2-2 Big Ten) embarked on its most complete 10 minutes of conference play. 

From behind the net, Whittier flicked the ball back up top to Matthew Keegan. He shuffled closer towards the goal, faked the shot, and pulled the trigger. The ball bounced off the ground and into the top corner of the net. That was just the beginning, as the Terps would add seven unanswered goals.

Behind a second-quarter offensive explosion, Maryland secured a convincing, 13-8, statement victory over Ohio State (11-2, 3-1) in Columbus, Ohio. Saturday’s contest was the Terps’ seventh ranked win of the season. 

Both teams entered the game trending in opposite directions. Maryland was in the midst of its mid-season skid, having lost two of its past three contests. However, the Buckeyes had picked up steam after dropping their season-opener, riding an 11-game winning streak — the best mark in the nation.

You couldn’t tell that from Saturday’s game, though.

After scoring a season-low six goals in its defeat against Rutgers, Maryland’s attack wasted no time generating a quality look. Shea Keethler controlled the opening faceoff, and the Terps made them pay. Whittier delivered a pass to Daniel Kelly in stride, who caught the ball, hesitated for a second and rifled the left-handed shot into the near post.

Despite the Terps’ inconsistencies, Kelly has been a steady presence on the attack. That remained true on Saturday. The fifth-year player fueled Maryland early on, notching a first-quarter brace. Kelly finished with two goals.

However, it was Eric Spanos who capped off the Terps’ strong opening quarter display and handed them a two-goal advantage. On the final possession of the first period, Maryland’s elite ball distribution left Ohio State chasing. Spanos — who was unmarked at the top of the zone — evaded the incoming defender and laced the shot past goalie Caleb Fyock.

And the Terps would only add onto this lead in the second quarter.

Maryland’s balanced attack returned to form and then some, erupting for nine first-half scores. Seven players found the back of the net, including hat-tricks from Brendan Ford and Keegan. 

To make the Terps’ performance even more impressive, they were dealing with one of the top netminders in the country. Fyock has the third-highest save percentage in the nation at 62.6. The sophomore was under heavy fire all game long, marking one of his worst games of the season. He conceded a near-season-high 13 goals and mustered up just 11 saves.

Maryland’s success boiled down to its faceoff unit, and that was a big storyline. Between Keethler and Sean Carrier, the Terps corralled nine of the first 14 draw controls. Maryland converted on the extra possessions. 

Tasked with slowing down Buckeyes’ attacker Alex Marinier, the Terps’ defense embraced the challenge. The senior, fresh off a six-goal performance against No. 19 Johns Hopkins, ranks second in the country with 40 goals. Marinier was held scoreless for the second time all season long, generating just two shot attempts.

When goalie Logan McNaney was called upon, he usually answered the bell. McNaney recorded 10 saves on the 18 shots on goal he faced, while also becoming the program’s leader in career saves.

Despite allowing four straight goals between the third and fourth quarter, Maryland’s relentless attack came up clutch when it was needed. 

The Terps return to College Park on Friday in their season-finale, facing No. 19 Johns Hopkins— the only winless Big Ten team during conference play.