A stellar defensive performance sees the Terps book their 30th all-time ticket to lacrosse’s final weekend.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — College lacrosse had more than its fair share of drama during quarterfinal weekend.
Richmond lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to No. 1-seed Cornell after collapsing in the final minutes. No. 3-seed Princeton and No. 6-seed Syracuse had a showdown for the ages, with the Orange prevailing 19-18. Earlier today, No. 5-seed Penn State came back from a six-goal hole to beat the defending national champions Notre Dame 14-12.
Goals flowed in the first three quarterfinal matches, but No. 2-seed Maryland played a low-scoring grinder. And that’s just how they wanted it.
“We knew we were going to play a lot of defense, but we love it,” long stick midfielder Jack McDonald said.
After three high-octane games, the Terps and the Hoyas rounded out the weekend with an intense defensive affair. Maryland prevailed 9-6 at Navy-Air Force Memorial Stadium to book a spot in the Final Four.
“Just a gritty performance,” head coach John Tillman said. “Not our best, but when we needed to make some plays, we did. So again, a lot to work on, but just happy we have another week together.”
Georgetown looked to play extremely aggressive defense against the Terps, spending much of the early game in a zone that would sporadically burst open. Right away, it cost them: an overcommitment in the transition ride from goalkeeper Anderson Moore was punished by Daniel Kelly, who rattled in the opening goal off a feed from Eric Spanos.
Maryland defended with physicality. All of Georgetown’s starting six on attack were listed between 5-foot-9 and six feet, with nobody heavier than 200 pounds. Georgetown felt it right away — Maryland’s Eric Kolar came in on Kade Goldberg with a bruising hit on the Hoyas’ second possesion, sending both the player and ball flying.
That was one of six combined turnovers through just over eight minutes of play — nerves were frayed on both sides.
But the Terps continued to impose themselves, and reaped the reward. Down a man late in the first quarter, Maryland defender Colin Burlace walloped the stick of Georgetown’s Henry Caponiti out of his hands. AJ Larkin profited from the yard sale and found Geordy Holmes streaking down the field. The senior defensive midfielder had daylight around him and bounced in his first-ever goal, sending the Maryland sideline into raptures.
“Maryland’s always been a team that prides itself on being physical,” Tillman said. “We got some big dudes that like to throw their body around.”
Georgetown cut Maryland’s lead in half early in the second quarter as Fulton Bayman rounded the cage and rifled a far-side shot past McNaney’s head. A goal from Braden Erksa looked to keep the Terps in front, but two goals in 69 seconds from star attacker Aidan Carroll leveled the game. Carroll, who entered the game averaging 4.62 points per game, finished with two goals and an assist.
The teams traded goals before Bryce Ford put Maryland ahead 5-4 before the break. That four-goal tally was the lowest in a half for Georgetown in over a month.
“We’ve played this game. It is a Big Ten game,” Tillman said. “Don’t change anything. It’s going to be a grind. Don’t flinch.”
Maryland got the ball moving to open the second half, with Zach Whittier converting a well-worked possession. But from there, the Terps struggled. In the following four possessions, its shots were saved by Moore.
Georgetown clawed one goal back on a power play following an illegal hit from Will Schaller, but four consecutive possessions for Maryland then ended in turnovers.
The Terps had solidly fallen into one of the droughts that had plagued their three losses on the season. With the clock ticking past 17 minutes since the last Maryland goal, Terps fans would have been forgiven for having flashbacks.
But Erksa was able to figuratively and literally push through. With his defender pinning and holding him back, the attacker finished through contact to put the Terps back up by two.
The Terps had two golden opportunities to score, with shots by Ford and AJ Larkin saved at point-blank range. As Georgetown went down the other end and scored, it appeared that could have been a pivotal moment in the game.
But Erksa leveled his defender behind the net on a lethal — but legal — pick. With the Hoya down behind the net in pain, Erksa was free, and wrapped around the net to put away his 30th goal of the season. It was a hat trick for Erksa, and it was the breathing room Maryland needed.
Kelly scored another goal after a concerted time-wasting effort from Maryland to give the Terps their largest lead of the day. The Hoyas attempted a late-game salvo, but Logan McNaney stood tall in goal, recording his 11th save and multiple crucial ground ball pickups to close out the victory.
“We were here, we were in the same spot last year, and we didn’t get the job done,” Kelly said. “This is a hungry group that’s going to Boston for a reason. That is to bring that [trophy] back.”
Three things to know
1. Rivalry renewed. Tillman has avoided playing Georgetown in-season, instead opting to play the Hoyas in preseason scrimmages. This is the first competitive meeting between the teams since 2013, and the win moves Maryland to 11-2 all-time against Georgetown.
The local matchup might’ve played a part in Sunday’s crowd size — 17,721 fans came to Annapolis to watch this matchup and Notre Dame vs. No. 5-seed Penn State, the highest attendance at a predetermined quarterfinal site ever.
2. Carrier day on faceoffs. Freshman faceoff specialist Jonah Carrier’s poor game (4 for 10) against Air Force was offset by senior Shea Keethler going 8-of-9 against the Falcons.
On Sunday, it was Carrier’s turn to shine. Keethler won none of his six faceoffs, but the freshman found his groove, winning 9-of-12 and buying the Terps valuable extra possessions.
3. Semifinal set. The Terps will play Syracuse at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Saturday, May 24 for a spot in the national championship.