After a three-goal Virginia run put Maryland down five, the Terps responded with their own three-goal flurry to cut the deficit down to two with 11 minutes left. But instead of completing the comeback, the Terps faltered the rest of the way.
The Cavaliers halted the Maryland run, holding the Terps’ offense scoreless. No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse ultimately couldn’t keep up with No. 3 Virginia, falling at SECU Stadium on Saturday, 14-10.
“I just felt like we had some breakdowns and made some mistakes,” coach John Tillman said. “Certainly I’ve got to do a better job of getting the guys ready.”
The Terps are now 1-2 against top ten opponents. They also beat then-No. 7 Syracuse and lost to then-No. 6 Notre Dame earlier in the season.
Virginia’s offense took advantage of a slowly reacting Maryland defense in the game’s early stages.
The Terps, up 2-1, focused on four-time All-American Connor Shellenberger and left Griffin Schutz free. The junior fired a shot past goalkeeper Logan McNaney into the back of the cage.
Junior midfielder Anthony Ghobriel — reacting faster than the Maryland defenders — pounced on a loose rebound and scored soon after to give Virginia (6-1) its first lead of the day.
[Maryland men’s lacrosse faces an uncertain future with Luke Wierman’s impending departure]
Schutz and Gabriel were two of three Virginia’s first-quarter scorers, a departure from the Cavaliers’ usual stars. The Cavaliers’ goal-scoring leaders — Shellenberger, Payton Cormier and McCabe Millon — were scoreless in the opening period and attempted just two shots.
Shellenberger, the Cavaliers’ program assist record holder, was the lone member of the trio to record a point with his first-quarter assist to Schutz.
The graduate student got on the scoresheet less than a minute into the second quarter. Millon capitalized off a McNaney turnover late in the frame for the last score before halftime. The trio, which accounted for 58.3 percent of the Cavaliers’ goals entering Saturday, scored just two of their seven first-half goals.
Instead, Schutz led Virginia’s offense with three goals over the first two quarters. He added another score in the opening minute of the second half, breaking his single-game high this season to pace the Cavaliers’ scoring.
McNaney struggled once again. The graduate student saved just 41.7 percent of the shots he faced — his third straight outing under 50 percent.
Instead, Schutz led Virginia’s offense with three goals over the first two quarters. He added another score in the opening minute of the second half, breaking his single-game high this season to pace the Cavaliers’ scoring.
Maryland also needed depth scoring to make up for poor performances from stars.
[Maryland men’s lacrosse has democratized its offensive approach]
Eric Spanos excelled early on. Spanos, facing a short-stick defensive midfielder, wrapped around the back of the cage to fire an off-balance goal twice in the game’s first seven minutes.
But the Terps had little first-quarter offense beyond him. They continuously struggled to penetrate the interior of the Cavaliers’ defense. Braden Erksa and Daniel Maltz — Maryland’s only double-digit goal scorers — registered only two combined shots in the frame.
Their quiet outings continued in a shotless second quarter.
Eric Malever, Daniel Kelly and Ryan Siracusa stepped up instead to lead a three-goal run midway through the frame. But Maryland’s offense remained lackluster — the unit shot just 29.4 percent in the first half — and kept it down two at the half.
Malever, Kelly and Siracusa each added a second goal after halftime. Maltz and Erksa also scored. But the Terps shot 30.3 percent and committed 16 turnovers, keeping them from a comeback.
“At times I think we just needed to settle in and not let them force us out of our game plan,” Spanos said.
The loss is Maryland’s first against Virginia since 2021. The Terps will look to bounce back next Saturday as they begin Big Ten play at No. 18 Michigan.
“Playing against teams like that, it’s only gonna get you better,” Tillman said. “I’m hopeful with some of the games we’ve played, that will get us ready for a really tough league.”
