The Terps gear up for their home regular-season finale.
No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse trailed Penn State by three in the fourth quarter, in danger of an unprecedented third straight loss. Instead, the Terps rallied for a crucial top-10 victory, which they followed up with a resilient win against Ohio State. Now, they look for a third straight win when they host Rutgers.
Saturday’s game will be the Terps’ final home game of the regular season.
“My gut is that this tempo will be faster, which means more possessions,” head coach John Tillman said.
The game will begin at 7 p.m. and air on Big Ten Network.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-4, 1-2 Big Ten)
Led by 13-year head coach Brian Brecht, Rutgers got off to a sizzling start this season, winning five of its first six games. While conference play hasn’t treated the Scarlet Knights well, they come to College Park riding momentum after an upset victory over then-No. 16 Michigan, 9-7.
The Terps have dominated the Scarlet Knights historically, though, looking Saturday to protect an 18-game winning streak.
Players to watch
Shane Knobloch, senior midfielder, No. 27 – Since his freshman year, Knobloch has been a key cog for the Scarlet Knights. He’s in the midst of his best year this season, having tallied 26 goals and 20 assists.
Ross Scott, graduate attackman, No. 5 – Scott is a balanced attacker, not only a scoring threat but also a great facilitator. With 17 goals and 21 assists this season, he will likely draw Ajax Zappitello.
“[Ross and Knobloch] are guys that I think will be [Premier Lacrosse League] players,” Tillman said.
Cardin Stoller, freshman goalie, No. 92 – A local Maryland product, Stoller was instrumental in the Scarlet Knights’ win over Michigan. He made a career-best 19 saves, holding Michigan to just 7 goals.
“We have got to do a good job understanding who’s in goal,” Tillman said. “[Stoller] is big, so he takes up a lot of goal.”
Strength
Extra-man opportunities. Rutgers’ offense is near the bottom of the Big Ten in most offensive statistics, but have thrived with a player up. It has converted on over 41% of its extra-man opportunities.
Weakness
Even-strength Offense. As stated above, Rutgers’ attack at even strength has been very poor. Over its last five games – all of which have been against competitive opponents – the Scarlet Knights have averaged under nine goals a game.
Three things to watch
1. Faceoffs. Luke Wierman has returned to his usual form of late, winning 64.4% of faceoffs in his last two games. Rutgers has also performed well at the X, though, platooning Cole Brams and Matt Soutar to the tune of a 54% win rate.
2. Maryland’s offense looks to bounce back. Against Ohio State’s stingy defense, the Terps’ attack fell short, scoring just six of the team’s eight goals.
3. A chance to build momentum. If Maryland is able to down Rutgers, it will twke a three-game wining streak into its highly anticipated regular-season finale against Johns Hopkins.