Before facing then-No. 1 Penn State on April 8, Maryland men’s lacrosse attackman Matt Rambo said it was “just another game.” His statement continued the squad’s season-long tradition of downplaying important contests.

But the Terps have approached their upcoming showdown with Johns Hopkins in a different manner. Instead of acting nonchalant about Saturday night’s matchup with the Blue Jays, the team’s Twitter account repeatedly labeled the season finale “lacrosse’s greatest rivalry.”

No. 5 Maryland and No. 8 Johns Hopkins are two of three programs in NCAA lacrosse with 800 victories, and they’ve played each other 105 times, according to the program’s record book. So, entering this weekend, the Terps did not overlook the significance of earning a win.

“It’s something we look forward to every year,” attackman Louis Dubick said. “It means so much to the alumni, it means so much to the program and obviously it’s a marquee game.”

The postseason implications of this bout add to the intrigue.

By losing to Ohio State in overtime last Saturday, Maryland (9-3, 3-1 Big Ten) reduced its chances of securing an outright Big Ten regular season title. Now, the Terps must beat Johns Hopkins and have Rutgers top the Buckeyes to earn the crown.

If Maryland loses to the Blue Jays (8-4, 3-1), Maryland will drop to the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, which begins May 4.

But future seeding is unimportant to coach John Tillman, who said “whatever happens, happens.” Instead, he placed his attention on beating Johns Hopkins, a historically challenging task. Overall, the Terps are 42-62-1 against the Blue Jays, though they’ve won the past two meetings.

After suffering three straight midseason defeats, Johns Hopkins has taken four of its past five games.

“As always, they’re a terrific team,” Tillman said. “They have a talented offense, they’re facing off very well right now, getting good goalie play, playing good defense, so they seem to be playing their best lacrosse.”

The last time Maryland hosted Johns Hopkins — a 2014 contest the Blue Jays won — more than 9,000 fans attended the game. A similar showing at Maryland Stadium is expected Saturday night, which long pole Nick Brozowski said would create a “playoff type atmosphere.”

The Terps have participated in five top-10 matchups this year, giving them experience in high-energy contests.

“[It’s just about] managing emotions and going into it not psyching ourselves out,” Brozowski said. “I think we’re mentally prepared from the games and experiences we’ve had already.”

As Maryland finishes the regular season against its biggest rival, Tillman emphasized the importance of taking a step back to appreciate his decorated squad, which has made three consecutive Final Fours.

With 12 seniors on the roster, many of whom have made large impacts on the program, he’s cherishing the unit.

“[We need to] make sure we enjoy this because you’re starting to realize that you don’t have much time left with this group,” Tillman said. “You’ve got to enjoy every minute with your guys because you know that the next two or three weeks anything can happen, and this thing could be over.”