No. 6 Maryland men’s lacrosse remains undefeated with win over No. 2 Syracuse

Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Athletics

No. 6 Maryland men’s lacrosse heard all the chatter about No. 2 Syracuse’s dominance in the opening three games. The Orange outscored their opponents by 38 goals and didn’t trail at all, looking like a team capable of winning a national championship. 

And the Terps took this to heart, gunning for an upset that would erase any mention of their early-season struggles. Maryland had the opportunity it desired. After trailing 5-4 at the break, it scored four straight goals, taking a two-goal advantage and one that wouldn’t relinquish.

In a top-10 clash between two heavyweights, the Terps landed the knockout punch. A flawless second-half performance guided Maryland to an 11-7 victory over Syracuse Saturday afternoon at SECU Stadium. The Terps picked up a massive statement win and head coach John Tillman improved to 7-0 against the Orange.

“We know what we have in our locker room, and we know what we’re capable of,” attacker Eric Spanos said. “We can do whatever we want with the guys in our locker room. I think it was definitely a good win but we expected the outcome.”

Just like in its prior two contests, Maryland’s attack took some time to grow into the contest. Syracuse goalie Jimmy McCool handled the first four shots on goal with ease. He held the Terps (3-0) scoreless throughout the opening 12 minutes of play.

Amid the sluggish offensive start, Maryland’s defense kept it in the game. The Orange (3-1) failed to generate a shot attempt in the first five minutes. Two turnovers didn’t help their cause either.

But once the deadlock was broken, both offenses started flowing. A turnover from Braden Erksa midway through the first quarter proved costly. The ensuing possession resulted in the first goal of the game, as the Orange took full advantage of the sloppiness. Syracuse’s sophomore attacker Trey Deere rifled one past goalie Logan McNaney.

“I was frustrated that we had eight turnovers in the first half, and that’s kind of where we were last week,” Tillman said. “When we become that team, we really shoot ourselves in the foot. Part of that is Syracuse, so you have to give them credit.”

Just two minutes later, Elijah Stobaugh returned the favor, scoring Maryland’s first goal and the first of his collegiate career.

The final 75 seconds of the first quarter saw more fireworks, as both teams traded blows. A goal from junior midfielder Luke Rhoa was quickly negated by Matthew Keegan, leaving the game tied at two apiece.

The focal point of Maryland’s game plan revolved around Syracuse’s junior attacker Joey Spallina, and it worked to perfection. Spallina — the nation’s leader with 21 points — was held in check for 58 minutes of the game. 

“Everyone just pulled their weight,” long stick midfielder Jack McDonald said. “When that happens, and when you have six guys able to play off each other, that’s where the magic happens.”

The Terps limited him to just two goals on six shots, both of which came in quick succession. With time winding down in the second quarter, Spallina broke loose. He scored two goals in two minutes to flip the game in the Orange’s favor heading into the locker room, 5-4. Spallina added two assists in the contest.

“I thought Syracuse closed out the half really well,” Tillman said. “[But we were] like, ‘Hey, you got the No. 2 team in the country, it’s a one-goal game and you’re actually in a much better spot than you were in last week, right?’”

Maryland’s offense came out of the break looking like a completely different unit. Its ball movement was untouchable and proved too much for Syracuse’s stout defense to handle. 

After eight turnovers in the opening half, the Terps recorded just four in the latter 30 minutes. Maryland made quick and decisive passes with the rock as its attackers circled the net, looking for the best shot.

“Something we preach a lot, and I work on with the coaches, is just letting the game come to us,” Spanos said. “I think that’s when we’re most effective as a whole offense … when we’re just playing in the flow the game comes to us, and that’s just where we excel the best.”

Without an alpha attacker per se, the Terps have relied heavily on their attacking depth. And that was displayed throughout, with eight Maryland players scoring. The Terps also used three penalties from the Orange to help fuel their offense. The first two man-up situations resulted in goals from Eliot Dubick and Spanos, handing Maryland a 7-5 lead.

Syracuse’s offense was stagnant in the second half and out of sorts. It had six turnovers to just seven shots on goal. However, it trailed by two heading into the final quarter after redshirt senior Owen Hiltz ripped a shot past McNaney with 12 seconds left in the third.

But the Orange’s scoring drought that spanned nearly all 15 minutes of the third quarter returned in the fourth. And the Terps took full advantage, opening up a 10-6 lead on the heels of goals from Bryce Ford and Daniel Kelly.

Hitlz rattled one back for Syracuse, but it served merely as a consolation goal. Ford eliminated any comeback hopes the Orange had and put the game out of reach, scoring his second goal to make the score 11-7.

McNaney had his best game of the season, recording seven of his 12 saves in the opening half to keep it at a one-goal game.

The Terps are back in action on Saturday, as it travels to Princeton, N.J. for a showdown with No. 5 Princeton (1-0).