Maryland men’s lacrosse has stood on the doorstep of a fifth national championship in each of the past two seasons. But collisions with offensive juggernauts Notre Dame and Cornell have left the Terps empty-handed.
Led by Tewaaraton Award winner CJ Kirst’s six-goal performance, Cornell totaled 13 goals — nearly matching the combined output of the Terps’ quarterfinal and semifinal opponents. Maryland’s stout defense couldn’t slow down his elite talent.
Still, the Terps’ defensive formula has been successful
under head coach John Tillman. In his 15-year tenure, Maryland has reached the NCAA Tournament every season and produced nine national title game appearances.
Despite collecting only two championships, the Terps’ run of four title game berths in the past five years has been impressive. Tillman has cemented Maryland as one of the most consistent programs in the country.
After coming up just short in consecutive years, the Terps will be hoping to get over the hump in 2026. In theory, they’ve got the attacking pieces to do just that — two of Maryland’s top three goalscorers from last year return.
But the continuity across the starting lineup nearly ends there. The Terps bring back four of their 10 starters from last year and have big shoes to fill on defense. Even with the arrival of several talented transfers, Maryland’s grueling schedule leaves little time for the chemistry to build.
However, expectations are still there for this year’s squad. The Terps are Inside Lacrosse’s preseason No. 1 team. They’ve got a target on their back.
Key losses
Maryland was one of the more veteran squads last year, with 19 of its 24 key players being upperclassmen. That has led to an extensive roster turnover. 16 players depart from last season’s team, including the majority of the starting lineup.
Goalie Logan McNaney headlines that graduated group. The USILA All-American second-teamer was a vital piece in the nation’s second-best defense. McNaney finished fourth in the country with a 59% save rate and conceded just under eight goals per game.
While McNaney was a valuable piece between the pipes, he didn’t face that many shots. The defensive pairing of Colin Burlace and Jackson Canfield was a big reason why. Outside of their intense one-on-one defense, the duo corralled 33 ground balls and caused 21 turnovers.
The Terps’ midfield unit was no slouch, either. Bryce Ford and Matthew Keegan were big contributors on the offensive end, combining for 44 goals and 22 assists. Ford and Keegan were driving forces behind Maryland’s balanced attack.
Even with the Terps’ faceoff struggles last season, Shea Keethler was a steadying force in the circle. Keethler split time at the role, but he still finished fifth in the Big Ten with 100 faceoffs secured and posted a team-high 55.6% faceoff success rate.
Amid Maryland’s plethora of attacking weapons last year, Daniel Kelly shouldered the scoring load at various points. Kelly totaled 35 goals — the second-most on the team and the fourth-highest mark in the Big Ten. He also dished out 10 assists.
Top returners
While the Terps don’t have many returners from their starting lineup, the talent is still off the charts. Maryland has four players in Inside Lacrosse’s preseason All-American list alongside a trio of honorable mentions.
That starts with Will Schaller — the 2025 Big Ten Defender of the Year and first-team All-American. After being forced to replace the nation’s top player two seasons ago, Ajax Zappitello, Schaller has stamped his name on the list of talented defenders in College Park. Schaller’s physicality and quick stickwork allowed him to force 23 turnovers last season.
Long-stick midfielder AJ Larkin and short-stick defensive midfielder Eric Kolar are expected to remain dominant figures in the Terps’ rotation. Larkin corralled 39 ground balls and Kolar finished tied for third with 13 caused turnovers.
Maryland scored 200 goals last year — good for third-most in the Big Ten. Eric Spanos and Braden Erksa combined for nearly 35 percent of the Terps’ production. The conference’s third and fifth-highest goal scorers will form a dynamic one-two punch.
Brian Ruppel will likely start this season in goal without McNaney. Ruppel was called into action back in 2023, when McNaney went down with a season-ending injury. The senior made 13 rock-solid starts then, and he boasts a 49% career save rate and has allowed just 11.3 goals per game. However, he has logged just over 20 minutes of game time since his freshman year.
New additions
With several key departures, Tillman was active over the offseason. It paid off. Maryland hauled in 12 talented freshman recruits and five transfers, culminating in one of the best incoming classes in the country.
Yale transfers Mikey Alexander, Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons are the prized additions. Alexander logged 55 starts and was one of the Ivy League’s top defenders across his four seasons in New Haven. Johnson and Lyons combined for 229 goals and 106 assists in three seasons at Yale. The trio could immediately crack Maryland’s starting lineup.
The Terps addressed their biggest weakness from last season: faceoffs. Henry Dodge led the nation in faceoff percentage (71.3) and finished fourth in ground balls per game (8.5) at Vermont. He joins Jonah Carrier and Sean Creter to form a strong faceoff unit.
Trey Fleece is an interesting short-stick defensive midfield addition. In his last two seasons at UMBC, Fleece corralled 79 ground balls and caused 15 turnovers.
Maryland’s 2025 recruiting class is just as good, filled with tons of young pieces that could make an immediate impact. Goalkeeper Aidan Seibel and attacker Matthew Higgins are the Terps’ lone five-star recruits. Seibel could challenge Ruppel for the starting job, while Higgins faces an uphill battle for playing time with tons of experienced attacking talent.
Looking ahead
Tillman consistently builds one of the hardest schedules in the nation, and it typically pays off in the postseason. Nine of Maryland’s 11 opponents feature in Inside Lacrosse’s preseason top-20 poll, including every team in the Big Ten.
While the Terps’ season opener doesn’t come against a ranked foe, Loyola can’t be overlooked. Maryland dug out of a three-goal deficit late and needed overtime to win last season’s meeting. But this time around, the game will be played in College Park.
The Terps’ toughest three-game stretch comes just after that. Maryland travels to No. 3 Syracuse before hosting No. 2 Princeton and No. 8 Notre Dame. Those contests should prepare Maryland for the gauntlet of Big Ten play.
If the Terps hope to get back to Championship Weekend, there will be no time to ease off the gas pedal. But a mixture of veteran returners, impact transfers and promising freshmen leaves a fifth national championship a distinct possibility.
