Elijah Stobaugh received a pass on the right wing with plenty of time remaining on the shot clock. Then-No. 2 Maryland men’s lacrosse led by two over then-No. 12 Princeton midway through the first quarter and had an opportunity to add onto its run — the Terps had scored three unanswered goals.
Stobaugh circled back up top and attempted to flip a simple pass to Eric Spanos. But the ball sailed over Spanos’ head and out of bounds.
One possession later, a big hit on Trey Brown jarred the ball loose right
in front of the cage. The Tigers scooped it up and flipped the field. Maryland’s next three possessions consisted of a shot clock violation and a pair of unforced miscues.
That stretch of five straight turnovers to close out the first quarter was part of a 19-minute scoring drought on Saturday. Princeton scored five times in the stretch — one that encapsulates issues that have led Maryland to its first 1-2 start in a decade.
“We have to realize in those games where you’re not going to get as many possessions, each possession becomes that much more important,” head coach John Tillman said. “Whether it’s a ground ball, a faceoff, a clear or a silly turnover, those things are magnified just because it’s not as up tempo.”
Maryland’s attack had five 10-minute stretches without a goal over its last two games. And they’ve been costly. The Terps went silent for 15 minutes during the third and fourth quarters on Saturday, allowing Princeton to build a four-goal lead.
“We at certain moments could have just done some different things and changed it up a little bit, just to try to give them a different look,” Spanos said.
Turnovers have hindered an offense filled with an abundance of attacking weapons. Maryland has 43 giveaways in the first three games, including 13 in the last contest.
It’s not just the quantity of turnovers that’s been backbreaking, but the manner in which they’ve happened. Dropped balls, sloppy turnovers in transition and shot clock violations have plagued the Terps.
Maryland has displayed flashes of its attacking potential, with several players showcasing moments of brilliance. But with slow starts in every game, some of those efforts haven’t been enough to overcome substantial deficits.
The Terps trailed by four goals just twice last season and dropped both contests. They’ve already matched that number in 2026.
Tillman’s squad outscored their opponents by 37 goals in first halves last season. That allowed him to implement his preferred tactics: stringing together long possessions to wear down opposing defenses and keep the game low-scoring.
Halftime deficits in two of the three games this season have left Maryland with an uphill battle over the final 30 minutes.
Maryland’s faceoff unit has won 23 of 25 third-quarter faceoffs this season, but they haven’t been able to capitalize. Instead of relying on ball movement to tire out opposing defenses, it has typically resorted to isolation offense — which hasn’t been effective.
“When we’re playing good offense, the ball’s moving, everybody’s involved. We’re using the whole field,” Tillman said. “When the ball dies, like one guy has it for a long time or it stays on one side of the field, it gets very easy for the defense to be successful.”
But even when the Terps break through, they haven’t gotten the timely stops needed to shrink their deficit.
Maryland had one of the best defenses in the nation last season, holding all but four opponents under double-digit goals. That unit has turned into a weakness this year. Maryland has conceded at least 10 goals in each of its first three games.
Opponents have gameplanned around Will Schaller, practically taking him out of the possession with pick-and-rolls or leaving him stranded at the top of the attacking zone. And the Terps aren’t the same without the nation’s top defender.
The Terps’ short-stick midfielders and other starting defenders have been getting exposed. Ball-watching and slow defensive help allowed Syracuse and Princeton to find open looks on the doorstep.
While there have been questions if Brian Ruppel is the right man for the starting goalie spot, Maryland’s defense has put the senior in some difficult positions.
“We haven’t helped him as much as we should. Like any position, you like to get into a rhythm as a player,” Tillman said. “You get a few [shots] on top of you, and that obviously doesn’t help. We all have a lot of faith in Brian.”
The Terps will need to shore up to avoid the program’s worst four-game start since 1993. But with No. 2 Notre Dame coming to town and six ranked opponents in their final eight regular season games, that adjustment will need to be prompt.
