The Terps won their season opener for the 32nd straight year.
No. 6 Maryland men’s lacrosse head coach John Tillman was effusive in his praise of No. 18 Richmond Tuesday. Despite aspirations for playing on Memorial Day, the Terps did not want to trip on the first step.
They began their season with full ferocity. An offensive explosion in the second quarter helped power Maryland to a 7-0 halftime lead and a 12-7 win over Richmond Saturday at SECU Stadium.
Every time a question was asked about the long-term aspirations and goals of the team, Daniel Kelly and Colin Burlace responded by reiterating the focus on coming good in their first game of the season. They did just that.
“Right now, we’re focused on week one, and that’s Richmond, and we’re doing everything we can to prepare for them,” Kelly said Tuesday.
In one of the major question marks of the season, Shea Keethler got the Terps started from the X. The senior took Maryland’s first five faceoffs, winning three, before switching in and out across the game with Maryland’s other faceoff players.
Matthew Keegan drew first blood for the Terps. Following a series of shotless possessions to open the game, Maryland found a breakthrough with a run and pass from Ford setting Keegan up for an easy strike.
Richmond posed a threat early on, forcing McNaney to make multiple saves, as the Terps’ new-look midfield lines continued to gel.
With just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Richmond’s Aidan O’Neil found a pocket of space to McNaney’s left. The Spiders’ top returner had a golden opportunity to open his tally for the season, but his shot rattled off the post.
And as time dripped away in the first quarter, Keegan, who took up residence behind the net, found a cutting Zach Whittier for an easy goal with a second on the clock to double Maryland’s lead.
The Terps piled on the goals in the second quarter, stretching the lead to seven at the break. Daniel Kelly and Bryce Ford went back and forth, scoring four straight goals between them, as Maryland pulled apart Richmond’s defense time and again. Keegan scored his second goal to put a bow on a dominant five-goal offensive showing in the frame.
“Obviously, you have those first-game jitters, but once the whistle blows, you’re just playing lacrosse,” Keegan said. The Binghamton transfer finished with three goals and two assists.
Maryland’s dominance was felt on the defensive side as well. A physical second quarter from the Terps proved difficult to handle for Richmond, as the Spiders went more than 10 minutes without recording a shot. Defensemen Eric Kolar and Colin Burlace brought the brutality for Maryland, putting their men on the ground on multiple occasions.
Coming out of halftime, Richmond showed some fire. The Spiders’ intensity on offense led to an excellent cut from O’Neil, who created space for himself to open the scoring for Richmond.
But before the Spiders could blink, Maryland’s lead had been restored. Sophomore Sean Creter won the ensuing faceoff cleanly and took off down the field. Bearing down on goal and seeing his passing options covered, Creter uncorked a shot. It flew past Richmond goalie Zack Vigue and into the net, giving Creter his first-career goal and sparking wild celebrations along the sideline.
“When he put that one to net, I was thrilled, jumping up and down for him” Kelly said. “He’s been waiting some time to get this opportunity, and I think he did a great job today.”
O’Neil potted another goal for Richmond, but the Terps were in their groove. Kelly and Keegan both completed their hat tricks in the third quarter, and Erksa opened his account for the season to stretch the lead to 11-2.
With the game seemingly already decided, Maryland’s concentration slipped in the fourth quarter. After being far and away the better team through three periods, Maryland was outscored, 5-1, in the final frame, something Tillman chalked up to the opportunities given to freshmen and new combinations to experiment.
The Terps’ ceiling certainly appears to be high this season, though. Now, their unwavering focus has transitioned to their game against Loyola (Md.) next weekend. Tillman’s team will not be taking any game for granted.
Three things to know
1. Freshmen finding their spots. Freshmen Jack Schultz, Peter Laake, Jonah Carrier and Carson Whittier all saw the field in their first-ever collegiate games. Schultz and Laake, in particular, appeared to have already secured a spot in the Terps’ primary rotations, seeing valuable minutes before the game got out of hand.
2. Full spread on faceoffs. All four faceoff players on Maryland’s roster got experience today. Sean Creter (5-of-10), Shea Keethler (6-of-8), Jonah Carrier (2-of-2) and Mitchell Lloyd (0-of-1) all saw extended action.
“We have a good stable, and those guys push each other really well,” Tillman said. “Those guys are only going to get better … there’s still a lot to learn, but today getting that experience is only going to help down the road.”
3. Tidy game for the Terps. Maryland committed just seven turnovers through three quarters. After averaging over 16 turnovers per game last season, that figure from the minutes Maryland played at full tilt is a positive sign.