When Maryland men’s lacrosse goalkeeper Dan Morris allowed his sixth goal Saturday against then-No. 1 Penn State, he didn’t put his head down or have an animated reaction.
Instead, the redshirt junior hopped once before standing upright in the crease as his teammates regrouped around him. Though he failed to make a first-half save, his composure helped the Terps stay loose against then-No. 1 Nittany Lions.
Meanwhile, his six second-half stops preserved now-No. 3 Maryland’s lead and guided the Terps to a 15-11 victory.
“That’s kind of Dan,” defensive midfielder Isaiah Davis-Allen said. “Dan’s a quiet guy, real laid back, so I don’t think our team ever gets nervous … We kind of expect him to bounce back like how he did in the second half.”
In the first two quarters, Maryland dominated the faceoff and turnover battles and outshot Penn State, 27-7. However, they led by only four entering the intermission.
That’s because Morris allowed Penn State’s six on-target looks to reach the back of the net, marking the goalkeeper’s worst stretch of the campaign. After making a combined 24 saves in the previous two contests, he struggled early against the Nittany Lions’ patient shooting approach.
Maryland coach John Tillman believed the Terps’ ball control hindered Morris because “if you’re a goalie and you’re not getting a lot of opportunities, it’s really hard to get into a rhythm.”
But Penn State coach Jeff Tambroni credited his attackmen’s assured mindsets for keeping the Nittany Lions within striking distance.
“We have some talented shooters,” Tambroni said. “They shot the ball with conviction and confidence. Every time they shot … they expected it to go in.”
Given the tight halftime score, the Terps anticipated the Nittany Lions would come out of the break with renewed energy. But they kept faith in Morris, who won Big Ten Specialist of the Week on March 28.
In particular, the team’s experience with Morris in practice boosted confidence despite his poor start.
Attackman Matt Rambo, who shoots on the goalkeeper every training session, said Morris’ wide frame and quick instincts make him “tough to score on.” So, the Terps weren’t surprised when he regained his form.
In the third period, with the Terps’ lead cut to three, Morris rattled off three stops in one minute.
The run began with five minutes and 20 seconds left in the third quarter when Morris denied midfielder Ryan Keenan with a block from point-blank range. The Nittany Lions, though, retained possession after an interference call.
Then, Morris deflected a close attempt from attackman Nick Aponte, generating a loud cheer from the Maryland Stadium crowd. When he caught an attempt from midfielder Nick Spillane moments later, the applause grew louder.
After the contest, Tillman pointed that string of third-quarter saves as a key sequence in the game.
“To look at the stats [at halftime] and know you outshot them, 27-7, and you’re only up four, sometimes in the back of your mind you’re like, ‘Man, they’re going to make a run here,'” Tillman said. “So I’m really proud of how Dan bounced back in the second half … I don’t think any of those were cream puffs.”
