A massive first-half display helped the Terps move to 4-0 on the season.
For the first time this season, No. 2 Maryland men’s lacrosse attacker Eric Spanos struggled.
No. 5 Princeton’s Tewaaraton Watch List defender Colin Mulshine shadowed the senior, who was unable to break free for a golden chance for over 40 minutes of lacrosse.
But Spanos wouldn’t be denied forever. With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, freshman Jack Schultz set a pick behind the Princeton cage, giving Spanos half a yard to work with. He danced around the cage, drifting around to the front of the net before cranking a shot to the upper near side that re-established Maryland’s four-goal lead.
With Spanos largely penciled out of the equation, a balanced display from Maryland’s offense made the difference, as the Terps came from behind for a 13-9 victory over Princeton on the road Saturday.
“For us, the biggest thing is just trying to improve and get better,” head coach John Tillman said. “We have not played great on the road, so that was a big challenge.”
Winning the first possession, the Terps took their time and worked Princeton’s defense, getting Zach Whittier isolated for an easy goal. Maryland was off to a dream start — or so it thought.
The Terps suffered three straight faceoff losses, and Princeton took full advantage of every possession. The Tigers carved Maryland’s defense, scoring three goals in 90 seconds to take a commanding 3-1 lead just three minutes into the game.
With time, though, the Terps rallied. The defense earned more possessions for Maryland, and the Terps slowed down their offense, choosing to be more deliberate in the attack.
Braden Erksa first clawed one back with a drive from X. From there, Schultz was offside in a freshman mistake, which gave Princeton an advantage that Coulter Mackesy converted for the Tigers. But Maryland pressed on.
Matthew Keegan let off an underhanded belter to bring the Terps back within a goal, and a Aidan Aitken’s first score leveled the game with three minutes left in the first.
Maryland’s comeback was aided by its defense tightening up. After giving up three goals in three minutes, Maryland did not allow an even-strength goal for the remainder of the half. The Terps sealed the interior, with Princeton unable to take possession close to the net. Its only opportunities came from outside, where McNaney was difficult to beat.
“We kinda started slow on the defensive end, offensive guys held us through that first quarter,” McNaney said. “We knew coming in this was gonna be a good team … the bottom line is you gotta stay true to who you are, stay with the game plan and you’ll dig yourself out of that hole.”
With the defense back to their standard dominance, Maryland’s offense asserted itself on proceedings. The Terps scored four in the second half, doubling up the Tigers before the break.
Daniel Kelly put Maryland ahead with a peculiar goal, as a shot from Bryce Ford was stopped by Princeton goalkeeper Ryan Croddick. The rebound shot flew up in the air, and Kelly seemed to tap it over the head of Croddick, who was clueless as the ball hit the back of the net.
Braden Erksa scored another well-worked goal on a long offensive possession, but lapses from Croddick cost Princeton dearly in the final three minutes of the second quarter.
The junior goalkeeper made his first-career start against Penn State last week, making 21 saves and seeming to assert himself in goal. Maryland successfully moved Croddick around, though, exploiting the spaces left in the goal by a less experienced netminder.
Schultz redeemed himself for the Terps, as a relatively soft bounce shot somehow evaded Croddick on its way into the net. Whittier then scored the Terps’ eighth goal with just under a minute remaining in the half.
Princeton exploded to life coming out of the half, pushing the Maryland defense. Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri scored two for Princeton in five minutes, bypassing the Maryland defense with good movement in transition.
Momentum had fully slid the way of the Tigers, and as Princeton won another faceoff, Maryland faced a pivotal moment in the game. The Tigers kept possession for two and a half minutes, resetting the shot clock and pushing the envelope. But a fortunate bounce off the post, a stellar save from McNaney and all-out work from defenders who put their bodies on the line allowed the Terps to hold strong.
“There were times where we were really challenged,” Tillman said. “All of a sudden, they were feeling really comfortable playing fast. Luckily, we hung in there and got a couple timely goals.”
Having survived that scare, Maryland’s offensive patience returned to great effect. Bryce Ford waited out the shot clock before evading the entire defense and beating Croddick. And with Eric Spanos finally getting on the board, the Terps took a 10-6 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The final frame was a back-and-forth affair, but the Terps were never truly in trouble. Keegan added his second of the game early on, but Princeton responded quickly. From there, Daniel Kelly restored the five-goal advantage and Maryland effectively chewed clock. Late goals from Mackesy — who secured a hat trick — Schultz and Kabiri were moot points, with victory effectively wrapped up for the Terps.
“We definitely need to look at this film and clean some things up,” Tillman said. “But to go on the road and beat a really good team, I’m proud of our guys.”
Three things to know
1. Solid day between the sticks for McNaney. The Terps’ graduate goalkeeper entered the game with a career save percentage of nearly 63% against Princeton. McNaney posted a below-average game Saturday, but still contributed 12 saves on 21 shots on net for a 57% save rate.
2. Faceoff turnaround for the Terps. Princeton faceoff man Andrew McMeekin won just 6-of-20 faceoffs against Penn State, but all have his wins came in the first seven faceoffs Saturday. From there, Shea Keethler and Sean Creter combined to win 15-of-19 for the Terps, helping Maryland take control of the game.
3. Notre Dame up next. Every lacrosse fan — and plenty of nonlacrosse fans — will be glued to their TVs at 1:00 p.m. on March 1. Notre Dame will face Maryland in a matchup of No. 1 versus No. 2 — the 2024 National Championship game rematch.