The frustration in head coach John Tillman’s voice was palpable when he gave his closing remarks after Maryland men’s lacrosse’s Big Ten Tournament exit.
“We just have to deal with the consequences because we didn’t do enough to determine our own fate,” Tillman said.
For the first time under Tillman, the Terps’ nation-leading streak of 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances was in jeopardy. Maryland posted its most regular season losses since 2009 and needed help to avoid a premature end to its disastrous
season.
While other conference tournaments went the Terps’ way — Yale and Harvard lost during the Ivy League Tournament, Virginia cruised through the ACC Tournament and all potential bid stealers were eliminated — the results still weren’t enough.
After being the top-ranked preseason team, Maryland failed to secure one of eight at-large selections and was left entirely out of the tournament.
It wasn’t a complete surprise given the Terps’ resume; they lacked a signature top-5 victory that Duke and Yale boasted. Maryland ranked 14th in RPI, the third-best mark of the four bubble teams.
But the Terps’ fight back into the postseason conversation after early-season adversity was remarkable. Eric Spanos missed the final three nonconference games, and top defenseman Will Schaller suffered a season-ending injury prior to Big Ten play.
Senior Riley Reese — who’d never started a game — was thrust into the lineup with Schaller sidelined. The Terps’ defense flipped a switch. Maryland held five of its final seven opponents to single-digit goals, finishing with the 11th-best scoring defense nationally.
Despite their significant defensive improvements, the Terps’ offense couldn’t deliver. Leo Johnson and Spanos shouldered the attacking production, combining for 81 points and finishing as Maryland’s only 20-goal performers.
While Maryland had several balanced performances — it had nine different goalscorers in both meetings against Rutgers — offensive inconsistencies hindered it.
The Terps posted a season-low six goals in each clash against Penn State and suffered three scoreless quarters across their final five games. Lengthy droughts, highlighted by a 29-minute goalless span in its conference tournament exit, allowed teams to string together runs.
“Inconsistent is probably a good word, whether it’s quarter-to-quarter, half-to-half, game-to-game, we’ve just been inconsistent,” Tillman said. “I think at times we might have settled for some low-angle shots.”
Although Maryland committed the 10th-fewest turnovers per game nationally, its sloppiness came at critical moments, often in its defensive half, and directly led to multiple goals. This proved particularly costly against Penn State, as Maryland failed four clears against the Nittany Lions’ 10-man ride.
The Terps’ faceoff unit was easily the most consistent throughout the season. Led by Henry Dodge’s second-highest faceoff percentage in the country, Maryland remained top-5 nationally all year. It lost the faceoff battle just twice — in its two losses to Penn State.
In his first season as the full-time starter, Brian Ruppel had some shaky moments between the pipes. The senior goalkeeper conceded double-digit goals in five of the first seven games, leading to four defeats. While Ruppel remained steady during Big Ten play, he posted a career-low five saves in his final game as a Terp.
Even with Maryland’s talented transfer class largely living up to the billing, its returning pieces were mostly underwhelming.
Braden Erksa committed the team’s second-most turnovers despite dishing out 16 assists. Elijah Stobaugh netted just three goals in the last seven games after posting four multi-goal outings during nonconference play.
Despite its 1-3 start, the Terps played their best lacrosse to close out the regular season. Maryland’s three-game winning streak propelled it into the tournament seeding and hosting conversation.
But three fourth-quarter shots bounced off the post, including Chris Lyons’ potential game-tying shot, in the Terps’ 9-8 defeat at Johns Hopkins. Ultimately, that loss was emblematic of Maryland’s season; it came close against ranked opposition but consistently fell short. The Terps got within a goal in the final quarter of all but one of their losses.
With 78.8% of its scoring production departing, Maryland is set to embark on its most important offseason in recent memory.
Matt Higgins, the Terps’ lone All-Big Ten freshman team selection, and Stobaugh look poised for larger attacking roles. The duo combined for 17 goals and 10 assists this season and are Maryland’s top offensive returners. Former five-star attacker Spencer Ford is the likeliest breakout candidate, having totaled seven goals as a redshirt freshman this season.
Sophomore Jonah Carrier is expected to replace Dodge as the top faceoff specialist in 2027. Carrier was one of the best second options at the X this season, ranking 32nd nationally with a career-high 54.9% faceoff win percentage.
While its experienced stars deservedly got most of the recognition this season, Peter Laake was instrumental in Maryland’s defensive turnaround. The sophomore slowed down some prolific attackers and anchored the Terps’ lead defenseman role. Laake is primed to be Maryland’s most important player next year and will be the lone familiar defensive face.
The starting goalkeeper position is arguably the biggest question mark heading into 2027. Tillman could opt to bring in an experienced portal addition, but if not, Aidan Seibel could assume that role. The class of 2025’s top-ranked goalie and No. 8 overall prospect was redshirted this season.
The Terps have hauled in the second-best 2026 recruiting class, headlined by long-stick midfielder Ethan Bramoff and attacker Brady Mollot. Maryland has 14 incoming freshmen, leaving it with four open roster spots.
After an unprecedented season, the Terps will hope to return to the NCAA tournament and avoid going consecutive years without a berth for the first time since 1984-85. With 18 players graduating, including seven starters, Tillman has his work cut out to return Maryland to the postseason.
