Heading into the fourth quarter on Saturday, No. 10 Maryland men’s lacrosse held a three-goal lead at home. Another goal would’ve likely allowed it to cruise to victory.
But the Terps went quiet and Virginia took full advantage, scoring four unanswered goals. Maryland had one final chance to keep the game alive and cashed in. Leo Johnson ripped a shot to the back of the net with 40 seconds remaining. Sudden death overtime was in store. Then a second overtime, and a third.
After a big defensive stop
that ended with a Cavaliers shot that hit the post, Maryland seized offensive possession. Zach Whittier wrapped around and fired a shot to the back of the net to give the Terps a thrilling 13-12 win.
At the end of the first overtime, senior defender Will Schaller pursued a Cavalier around the net. Schaller helped prevent a goal, but he went down with a leg injury. He was able to walk off the field and stood on the bench to watch the remainder of the game.
The Terps won Saturday despite losing their best defender at a pivotal time, but Schaller’s future status could prove to be the most important development of the day. Any future absences for Schaller could make an already uncharacteristic season under head coach John Tillman even worse.
Heading into Saturday’s game, Maryland had won 33 of its last 41 games at SECU Stadium. However, the Terps had lost two in a row at home, raising questions about whether their dominance of previous years had slipped.
Despite winning its game at Delaware last week, Maryland needed a statement home win in its final nonconference game of the season.
It didn’t get a statement, but it got a fistfight.
Virginia was in a similar situation, entering Saturday’s contest with a 3-3 record. And it proved it wouldn’t hold back.
Every time one team scored, the other responded. No team scored more than two goals in a row for three quarters.
Offensively, the Terps peppered 41 shots at Virginia goalie Jake Marek. The attack remained dominant even without one of its key scorers in Eric Spanos.
Saturday was the third consecutive game that team captain Spanos was sidelined by a lower leg injury. Spanos had eight goals in the three games he appeared in this season and scored 36 goals last season.
But after a loss to Notre Dame in his absence, Maryland has begun to find a groove without him.
New contributors have stepped up, with Elijah Stobaugh in particular breaking out. Last season, he scored nine goals on the year; he already has 11 in 2026. In the absence of Spanos, his power in midfield has been critical.
Maryland grabbed a 4-2 lead early in the first quarter before the Cavaliers climbed back to tie the game at five. But back-to-back Stobaugh stingers gave Maryland a halftime advantage.
The Terps had a dominant first half and had the upper hand in every aspect other than turnovers, which allowed the Cavaliers to stay in the game. Maryland had 18 turnovers on Saturday; Leo Johnson was the main perpetrator with five.
Regardless, the Terps continued to fend off the Cavaliers in the second half, despite Virginia keeping close behind.
A major reason for the nature of Saturday’s game was the physicality — chippiness between the two sides caused a slew of penalties. The physicality didn’t give either team a decisive advantage, but it did slow the game down. The Terps benefitted from the slower pace, which allowed them to be more tactical.
Virginia made things tight down the stretch and forced Maryland’s defense to step up late — something it hadn’t done yet this season. Throughout the third quarter, the Terps maintained a consistent three-goal lead. But through the fourth quarter, Virginia confidently retook the lead.
The Terps’ offense had gone quiet. After scoring on the majority of possessions and taking advantage of Marek, it all stopped before Johnson rescued the game.
Despite the late collapse, Maryland’s win might help it course-correct for the remainder of the season. But more questions than answers remain in an already atypical season.
Three things to know
1. Faceoff dominance. The faceoff dot is where Maryland was most tactical in gaining possessions, winning 60% against the Cavaliers. Maryland came into the game with the fourth-best faceoff percentage in the nation, which largely had to do with Henry Dodge. Dodge has the best faceoff percentage in the country and was impressive yet again, going 10-of-15.
2. Erksa was incredibly strong offensively. Braden Erksa only scored one goal on Saturday. However, he was a big reason why Maryland’s offense was as potent as it was; he recorded four assists and orchestrated the offense to success at home.
3. A win, but at what cost? Saturday’s win was a dogfight, and the Terps were never in firm control against an unranked opponent. In addition, Schaller went down with a potential long-term injury. The pantheon of success this program has had in recent years is still in danger, and it may be in even more danger despite the win.
