The Terps travel to Jersey for their first top-five matchup of the season.
Maryland lacrosse’s humongous win against Syracuse was even more impactful for the general public than it was for the Terps.
Inside Lacrosse poll voters were big fans of Maryland’s dominant 11-7 victory. Maryland rocketed up to claim the Orange’s No. 2 spot in its rankings, passing Princeton, Cornell and in-state rival Johns Hopkins to sit alone behind Notre Dame.
The Big Ten was fans of two key performances. Eric Spanos, who had a second consecutive four-goal game, won Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week while Logan McNaney, who made 12 saves and allowed just seven goals, won Big Ten Specialist of the Week.
But lacrosse never stops, and even head coach John Tillman claims he moved onto the next game even before time ran out against Syracuse. Next up for the Terps comes No. 5 Princeton Saturday, one of the teams Maryland leapfrogged.
The Terps and Tigers face off at 12 p.m. at Princeton’s Sherrerd Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
No. 5 Princeton (1-0, 0-0 Ivy League)
2024 record: 11-5, 4-2 Ivy League
Head coach Matt Madalon has been the architect of the Tigers’ revival over the last several seasons. Having taken over as interim coach midway through the 2016 season, Madalon secured his spot and has gone on to bring Princeton back towards its heights from a quarter-century ago.
Princeton made it to the NCAA tournament semifinals in 2022 for the first time in two decades, having the unfortunate fate of meeting the undefeated Terps there. Princeton has been bounced in the first round both years since then — including by Maryland in 2024 — but the Tigers have won consecutive Ivy League championships.
Princeton opened their season with a successful visit to Happy Valley, where they beat Penn State, 11-10, in overtime. The Tigers blew a three-goal lead in the fourth quarter, but were spared their blushes in the additional period.
Players to know
Colin Burns, sophomore attacker, No. 0 — Burns will be a crucial cog in the Princeton attack, as evidenced by his game-winner against Penn State. The Maryland native already has four goals this season after scoring 26 as a freshman — fifth-most ever by a Princeton freshman — on an impressive 41% conversion rate.
Coulter Mackesy, senior attacker, No. 91 — Not to be outdone by Burns, Mackesy scored five times and added an assist in the Tigers’ season opener. Mackesy led his team in goals (40) and points (64) last season.
Colin Mulshine, senior defender, No. 43 — Mulshine was named to the Tewaaraton Watch List after a stellar junior season for the Tigers. He earned first-team All-Ivy honors for his efforts defending opponents’ primary threats. Mulshine caused 13 turnovers and won 23 ground balls, and was not whistled for a penalty all year.
Strength
Turnover creation. Princeton forced more than 9.5 turnovers per game in 2024, a figure that ranked 11th in the country. The Tigers are fierce in defense and will look to cause trouble for Maryland’s attack.
Weakness
Man-down defense. The Tigers gave up 11 extra-man goals off of 26 penalties committed, a defensive success rate of 57% — 61st in the nation. But Penn State did not score on either of their two extra man opportunities, signaling the Tigers may have turned that corner.
Three things to know
1. Princeton’s goalkeeper questions answered? The Tigers graduated goaltender Michael Gianforcaro this past season; it appeared that there would be a 205-save, Tewaaraton Watchlist-sized hole at the base of their defense this season. However, junior goalkeeper Ryan Croddick burst onto the scene against Penn State. He made 21 saves in his first career start, the most ever by a Princeton goalkeeper in their debut.
2. Eight straight for Maryland. Maryland looks to tie its longest-ever win streak against Princeton in their quest for a ninth consecutive victory on Saturday. The Terps have not lost to the Tigers since 2004, and would tie a streak set in 1962.
3. Spanos set for further success. Eric Spanos has back-to-back four-goal games for the Terps, and the Tiger killer looks as though he is in line for further success. The Terps played Princeton twice last year — Spanos had four goals in each of those games.