No. 6 Maryland men’s lacrosse narrowly tops Ohio State in defensive battle, 8-7

Ohio State’s offense struggled all afternoon — displayed in its 27-minute scoring drought — yet it  managed to tie the game in the fourth quarter. 

Then, Eric Spanos scored back-to-back goals.

The junior struck with four minutes remaining to regain the lead for the Terps. In a game where neither offense could find the net often, No. 6 Maryland men’s lacrosse defeated Ohio State, 8-7 on Saturday at SECU Stadium.

Goalkeeper Logan McNaney and the Maryland (7-3, 2-1 Big Ten) defense held Ohio State (6-6, 1-2) to single-digit goals — the fourth time the Buckeyes’ offense has scored that low this year. McNaney recorded 10 saves, the seventh time the senior recorded double-digit saves this season.

“He’s one of the best goalies in the country for a reason. … We’re able to let him see the ball really well. He did an awesome job for us today,” defender Ajax Zappitello said. “It was really just focusing on the communication aspect that we’ve been practicing all week.”

The Terps saw their lowest-scoring output of the season despite the victory. The last time Maryland scored eight goals in a win was in 2018 against Johns Hopkins.

Maryland’s six fourth-quarter turnovers helped keep the game alive. Jack McKenna scored three of Ohio State’s seven goals, including the game-tying goal with six minutes remaining. A last-minute goal from Blake Eiland gave the Buckeyes some hope, but it wasn’t enough.

Maryland’s defense shut down the Buckeyes early, causing three first quarter turnovers. But the Terps’ offensive efficiency allowed the score for a tied score at the end of the period. Maryland scored just twice on 11 shots, six on goal.

The score remained tied heading into the half despite a 13-minute Maryland scoring drought. Ohio State’s defense constantly forced the Terps to force shots as the clock expired, leading to a plethora of off-balance, far-distance looks. 

Maryland controlled possession in the second quarter despite the lackluster offense. Luke Wierman won six of eight first-half faceoffs, including all three taken in the second. Ohio State’s offense added five turnovers to aid the Terps.

“It’s kind of like a boxing match. Every possession is going to be long, you got to be disciplined, you got to be on point,” coach John Tillman said. “I knew this would be a dog fight. We talked to the guys, we knew it would be a bind and we just had to find a way to win.”

Wierman finished the afternoon winning 13-of-18 faceoffs and picked up a ground ball.

Ohio State goalkeeper Caleb Fyock recorded five saves during Maryland’s three-goal first half. The freshman ended the afternoon with 11 saves, his fourth straight game with ten or more saves.

After three first-half goals, the Terps’ offense met that total within the first ten minutes of the third quarter. Two of Maryland’s third-quarter goals came from long stick midfielders Jack McDonald and Nick Alviti.

Ohio State’s three-goal output in the fourth wasn’t enough, leading to the Maryland win.

The Terps have now won back-to-back games for the first time since late February. They will look to make it three next Saturday against Rutgers in College Park.