This year’s rendition of “The Rivalry” has some extra fuel with championship implications.
The 127th edition of “The Rivalry” will feature some added motivation — not that either team needs it.
When No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse (8-3, 3-1 Big Ten) makes the short trip north to Homewood Field to take on No. 3 Johns Hopkins, the No. 1 seed in the impending Big Ten Tournament will be up for grabs. The Terps can clinch a share of the conference regular-season title with a victory. If the Blue Jays win, they’ll take the title outright.
“This is why you go to Maryland,” graduate defender Jackson Canfield, who transferred from Vermont in the offseason, said. “To play in games like this — to play Hopkins … it’s probably the biggest rivalry in college lacrosse.”
Last year, the Terps and Blue Jays split their season series, with Johns Hopkins winning in the regular season and Maryland returning the favor in the Big Ten Tournament.
Saturday’s game is set for 4 p.m. and will air on ESPNU.
Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (9-3, 4-0 Big Ten)
Fourth-year head coach Peter Milliman’s club clinched a share of the Big Ten regular-season title for the second straight year last week when it took down Ohio State in overtime, 11-10.
After an up and down nonconference slate, which began with an overtime loss to Denver and ended with consecutive defeats to Syracuse and Navy, the Blue Jays responded to the tune of four straight Big Ten victories.
“They’re playing as well as anybody this year,” Maryland head coach John Tillman said.
Players to watch
Chayse Ierlan, graduate goalie, No. 22 — Ierlan, one of four goalies nominated for the Tewaaraton Award this season, has been a brick wall in the Blue Jays’ goal. He has allowed just under 10 goals per game while posting a .553 save percentage.
Ierlan spent his first four years at Cornell, starting opposite Logan McNaney in the 2022 national championship game.
Garrett Degnon, graduate attackman, No. 40 — Degnon is one of the best shooters in the Big Ten with 37 goals on the year. He currently holds the longest active goal streak in college lacrosse, having scored in 42 straight games.
Degnon uses elite off-ball movement to find weak spots in the defense where he can then get his hands free for a shot.
Jacob Angelus, graduate attackman, No. 23 — Angelus is the Blue Jays’ leading scorer this year with 20 goals and 32 assists. A shifty attackman that can dodge from anywhere on the field, most offense is directed through him.
Strength
Defense. In front of an elite goalie in Ierlan, the Blue Jays boast one of the best defensive units in the country. Their trio of close defensemen includes two proven veterans in Scott Smith and Beaudan Szuluk, as well as five-star freshman Quintan Kilrain.
Up top, their first defensive midfield group has combined to cause 30 turnovers.
Weakness
Discipline. Hopkins is the most penalized team in the conference this season by a wide margin, getting whistled 40 times. Meanwhile, the Terps, also by a wide margin, are the least penalized squad in the conference.
Three things to watch
1. Maryland holds an advantage at the “X.” Logan Callahan and Tyler Dunn have split faceoff duties for Johns Hopkins this year with less than optimal results. As a team, the Blue Jays have won under 48% of faceoffs.
Luke Wierman, who received a Tewaaraton nomination Thursday, is sitting at 59% for the year.
2. Maltz’s status. Maryland has missed Daniel Maltz the past two weeks, and Tillman has kept his attackman’s status quiet.
“I don’t think I can talk about what his status is, whether it’s physical or mental or any of that,” Tillman said. “… I don’t think we’ve seen the end of him, I don’t.”
3. The Terps carry series momentum. Since the creation of Maryland’s varsity program, the Terps are 49-68-1 against the Blue Jays. However, Maryland is 10-4 in the series since 2015.