The Terps travel south for a storied rivalry.
No. 1 Maryland men’s lacrosse has a significant milestone coming up.
With their comprehensive 14-3 victory over Delaware, the Terps earned the 899th win in program history. One more, and Maryland moves into rarefied air — the Terps would become just the third team ever to reach the milestone of 900, behind Johns Hopkins and Syracuse.
In their way, however, stands a familiar foe. The No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers are the second-most faced opponent all time for Maryland; familiarity breeds contempt, and this rivalry is no exception.
After Maryland’s 2014 departure from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the matchup went on a bit of a hiatus. In recent years, though, the teams booked a regular-season slot to renew the rivalry. The Cavaliers have begun their season uncharacteristically poorly; Maryland will pose their most significant test so far, but Virginia will relish the challenge.
The game will kick-off at 4:00 p.m. in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the Cavaliers haven’t beaten the Terps in 15 years. The game will be available to stream on ACC Network.
No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers (3-3, 0-0 ACC)
2024 record: 12-6, 1-3 ACC
Head coach Lars Tiffany took over the Cavaliers in 2016, bringing his own flavor of success to an already historic program. Virginia has played in the final weekend in four of Tiffany’s eight years in charge, culminating in a pair of championships bookending the lost 2020 season.
This season, Virginia has hit some road bumps. The Cavaliers lost three of their first six games for the first time in a decade and are 0-2 in ranked matchups. The Hoos will hope their 11-6 victory over Towson last week meaningfully snaps the skid, but nothing would quite give the program momentum like stunning their longtime rivals from College Park.
“[There’s] a lot of talent down there,” Maryland head coach John Tillman said. “I’m sure they’ll be fired up, and we got to be ready to roll too.”
Players to know
Ben Wayer, senior long stick midfielder, No. 44 — Wayer is one of the best two-way players in college lacrosse. The preseason second-team All-American and Tewaaraton Watch List member plays with effort and intensity in all phases. Wayer led Division I nonfaceoff players in ground balls last season and has 18 points in his last 24 games. One of the few long poles who garners significant offensive minutes, Wayer will be a unique challenge for the Maryland defense.
Truitt Sunderland, junior attacker, No. 3 — Sunderland is a do-it-all figure for the Virginia offense that’s exploded onto the scene this year, making good on his promise as the class of 2022’s No. 2 recruit. The Baltimore native has accrued 16 goals and 14 assists so far this season, more than doubling his career points total in the process.
Ryan Colsey, junior attacker, No. 13 — Last year, Colsey was a solid starting midfielder for the Cavaliers — good for a goal a game, but not much more than that. Over the offseason, though, the junior reinvented himself. A summer spent playing junior A box lacrosse in Canada sharpened his skills, and Colsey has 23 points through six games playing attack — already tying his figure from last year.
Strength
Groundballs. Virginia plays a fast-paced game with a flurry of turnovers — the Hoos average 18 a game, while their opponents average just under 20. This puts a lot of balls on the ground; Virginia makes a special effort to pick them up. The Cavaliers are fourth in the country with 37.5 groundball recoveries per game.
Weakness
Goaltending. Matthew Nunes was Virginia’s starting netminder for the last three seasons but lost the job to junior Kyle Morris entering the season; Virginia’s issue is that Morris has not play particularly well. In his last two games — against No. 9 Ohio State and No. 11 Johns Hopkins — Morris allowed 27 goals from 41 shots on goal.
Three things to know
1. The Terps green on grass? The Terps will play on a grass field for the first time this season when they travel to Charlottesville. Tillman’s team has prepared in practice, but the relative unfamiliarity combined with potentially adverse weather conditions could create problems for Maryland.
2. Clears could be key. Maryland has the best clear percentage in Division I, successfully transitioning from defense to attack on 93.5% of their possessions. By contrast, Virginia has only succeeded on 80.1% of their clears — Maryland will gain extra possessions, and they must be efficient in converting them.
3. Meeting number 99. The Terps hold the all-time advantage over Virginia, winning 51 of 98 matchups. If Maryland wins, it will be their fifth victory in the last six games between the two teams, their best six-game run against the Hoos since a 5-1 record from 1976-1980.