Through the first three games of the season, it’s been evident that Eric Spanos is not fully healthy. No. 9 Maryland men’s lacrosse’s top goalscorer from 2025 has been limping on the field, even amid a four-goal performance against No. 12 Princeton.
While the graduate student has played through a lingering knock, Saturday afternoon against No. 2 Notre Dame was the first time since 2022 that Spanos was held out of action — even after being listed in the starting lineup.
It came at a bad time. The Terps
are off to their worst start in a decade and desperately needed a bounce-back win. And Maryland’s offense felt the effects of its star player’s absence, too. The Terps misfired a number of shots late in the shot clock and committed costly transition turnovers.
Maryland’s lack of offensive firepower was too much to overcome. The Terps suffered a 11-8 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame at SECU Stadium. Maryland’s three-game skid is its longest since 2009 and marks the program’s worst start since 1993.
It is just the second time in program history that the Terps have failed to hold any of its first four opponents under double-digit goals.
Without Spanos’ experienced presence, John Tillman was forced to rely on heavy minutes from his young pieces. Matt Higgins made his first career start, and Elijah Stobaugh was cast into a bigger offensive role.
It showed. The Terps’ offense looked discombobulated without Spanos to facilitate. Dropped passes and stagnated possessions were amplified during Maryland’s 21-minute scoring drought across the second and third quarters.
But early on, the Terps showed some promise.
After Notre Dame capitalized on a man-up opportunity — Will Schaller was called for an unnecessary roughness — Maryland’s defense settled in. Brian Ruppel in particular found comfort. The senior netminder recorded five first-quarter stops and limited Notre Dame to one score. Ruppel finished with a season-high 11 stops.
That allowed Maryland to take a lead. Stobaugh ended the Terps’ near-10 minute scoring drought to put them on the board. Just over a minute later, Leo Johnson netted his team-high 10th goal of the season.
Without many clean offensive possessions, Maryland’s defense was under heavy fire. Ruppel faced 14 shots on frame, and he could only do so much. The Terps allowed five goals in the second quarter to trail at halftime, 6-4, for the third consecutive game.
While Ruppel’s numbers this season are not the most pleasing — he entered the game tied for 53rd in the nation with a 46.7% save percentage and only 9.3 stops — it’s far from fully his fault. Ruppel barely had a second to breathe during Maryland’s lengthy drought.
After Stobaugh’s second goal of the game gave the Terps a 4-3 lead, Notre Dame piled it on. The Fighting Irish scored seven unanswered goals to deal Maryland its largest deficit of the season.
Attackers Brock Behrman and Luke Miller shouldered Notre Dame’s scoring load. The duo each produced a hat trick before the third quarter had even wrapped up. Even without a standout performance from the Fighting Irish’s leading scorer Josh Yago, it didn’t matter.
The lone bright spot was Maryland’s faceoff unit. The Terps entered the game with the 11th-highest win rate at X, securing 60.7% of those bouts. Henry Dodge was exceptional on Saturday, winning 12 of 14 faceoffs.
Maryland didn’t convert those extra opportunities. The Terps fired 40 shots, but only 15 went on frame. Even when Maryland produced a look at the cage, it typically sailed well wide of Notre Dame goalie Thomas Ricciardelli.
Three things to know
1. Notre Dame feasted in transition. While Maryland had a season-low 12 turnovers, they were costly. The Fighting Irish scored four goals off the Terps’ miscues, including three in the second quarter. That 15-minute period alone essentially sealed the game.
2. Maryland’s stars held silent. After scoring 19 goals in its season-opener, Maryland’s offense has looked out of sorts over the last three games. Leo Johnson, Chris Lyons and Braden Erksa failed to make an impact on Saturday. The trio rifled 21 shots, but only four found the back of the net — half of those came with the game practically decided.
3. Time to panic? It’s not just the three-game losing streak that is alarming, but the manner in which the defeats have occurred. Maryland never felt like it stood a chance on Saturday, which has been a common theme. The Terps’ next game, against Delaware, is likely the easiest game remaining on their schedule.
