Even after its 13-12 triple overtime victory over Virginia, No. 11 Maryland men’s lacrosse enters Big Ten play with more questions than answers. The Terps lost their most nonconference games since 2009, adding more pressure to the final five regular season games.
Injuries have hindered Maryland’s success this year. Eric Spanos, the Terps’ leading goalscorer last year, has missed the last three games. Will Schaller suffered a noncontact injury in Saturday’s first overtime period. Those injuries to
Maryland’s top attacker and defender could spell trouble during conference play.
But even before the injuries unfolded, the Terps were hit by the turnover bug. Maryland has had double-digit giveaways in every game this season, including 37 over its last two games — its most since the beginning of Big Ten play last year.
While the Terps blew a three-goal fourth-quarter lead against Virginia, Leo Johnson forced overtime with 39 seconds remaining. That set the stage for Zach Whittier’s game-winning goal in the third extra period. However, Maryland wouldn’t have been in that situation without a season-high 14 saves from Brian Ruppel.
The Terps will need more performances like that going forward, especially as it travels on the road to face No. 9 Penn State on Saturday. The game starts at 3 p.m. and will air on Big Ten Network.
No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions (4-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
2025 Record: 12-5, 3-2 Big Ten
Head coach Jeff Tambroni has built an impressive resume during his 16-year tenure at Penn State. While he lacks a national championship, Tambroni has brought the Nittany Lions to two Final Fours in the last three years. He is also seventh among active Division I coaches in career victories, including three straight winning seasons.
Penn State cruised through nonconference play last season, winning six of its first seven games — the lone loss came to then-No. 8 Princeton. But a pair of defeats to Maryland left the Nittany Lions limping into the NCAA Tournament. Despite Penn State squeaking out two victories, Cornell ultimately got its revenge in the Final Four, ending the Nittany Lions’ season.
After a strong NCAA Tournament run, Penn State’s 2026 campaign has been a rollercoaster. The Nittany Lions suffered early losses to Villanova and Navy. In between, though, Penn State garnered a quality road win over then-No. 3 Princeton. It followed that up with a 19-7 thrashing against then-No. 7 Cornell before dropping a close one to No. 5 North Carolina.
Players to watch
Kyle Lehman, junior attacker, No. 4 — Inside Lacrosse’s No. 7-ranked class of 2023 recruit quickly ascended on the national scene. Following a 14-goal, 10-assist freshman campaign, Lehman netted the team’s third-most goals (26) last season. He did so operating primarily as an off-ball attacker, only notching seven assists.
But that’s changed this season. Penn State’s offense has often run through Lehman, and it’s been quite successful. He has totaled a team-high 15 goals and eight assists. Lehman’s scoring has come in an efficient manner, with only 29 shots on goal.
Reid Gills, sophomore faceoff specialist, No. 32 — Gills dominated at the X as just a freshman, corralling a 60.8% faceoff win rate. While he wasn’t the Nittany Lions’ primary taker last season, the Maryland native has earned a larger share of the workload in 2026. It’s paid off. Gills’ 65.7% faceoff win percentage is the nation’s fourth-highest clip.
Alex Ross, senior defender, No. 6 — In a conference filled with talented defenders, Ross has made his mark. The two-time All-American honorable mention doesn’t have gaudy stats, but his impact is still felt on the field. Ross has slowed down some of the nation’s top attackers while also causing the second-most turnovers (15) in the Big Ten.
Strength
Faceoff success. While Penn State boasts a top-10 offense, that wouldn’t be the case without its faceoff unit. Gills and junior Colby Waldwin have only lost the battle at the X just once this season, leading to the Nittany Lions’ 60.5% win rate — good for the sixth-highest nationally. Those extra possessions have allowed their attackers to thrive and wear out opponents.
Weakness
Net protection. Preston Hawkins hasn’t seen much traffic in front of his cage, only facing 112 shots on goal. But the inexperienced freshman has shown some flaws. Hawkins has the 15th-worst save percentage (46.4%) in the country and only has 7.4 stops per game. Still, Penn State concedes just 10.14 goals.
Three things to watch
1. Status of Spanos and Hunter Aquino. Maryland and Penn State navigated nonconference play with knocks to their top scorers. The pair have combined for 20 goals in their eight appearances this season. While the Nittany Lions still picked up quality wins, the Terps desperately need a return from their All-Big Ten first team attacker.
2. Pressure on Peter Laake. With Schaller’s expected lengthy injury, Laake will be cast into the top defenseman role. The sophomore handled it well in the remaining moments of Saturday’s game, but Big Ten play will be a more difficult task. Riley Reese will likely start in Schaller’s place, marking his first career start.
3. Signature victory. Maryland has faced three ranked teams this year and yet to produce a top-20 win. It hasn’t really been close either. But with five ranked Big Ten squads, the Terps will have chances to improve their resume. They have little margin for error, though. Maryland will need to come away with a winning record in conference play.
