No. 4 Maryland Men’s Lacrosse Releases out 8-7 Overtime Thriller against Loyola (Md.)

In three quarters, Maryland Men’s Lacrosse did not look like himself.

“It’s hard to put balls in goal when you turn it around and their goalkeeper plays well,” said head coach John Tillman. “But (getting back into it) was a question that we got some kind of rhythm.”

With his back against the wall, Maryland found the resilience needed for Tillman’s team to go far this season.

Spark of four goals from Eric Spanos and 10 savings from Logan McNaney, Matthew Keegan’s overtime goal ultimately spared No. 4 Terps’ blush in a come-from bag, 8-7 overtime victory against Loyola.

Lacrosse weather in the early season was in full view today. With winds pushing temperatures during freezing, the ugly conditions mirrored the opening quarter of the game.

Thanks to an intense defense from Terps, Loyola had only four shots of six belongings in the first quarter. However, Maryland fought to translate his dominance on site into the scoreboard.

The Terps enjoyed long stretches of offensive possession early, but they lacked the final, sharp ball to create a golden opportunity. Most shots came from deep, which made things relatively easy for Loyola goalkeeper Max Watkinson, who ended the period of seven savings.

Finally, Daniel Kelly broke the dead water with three and a half minutes back in the opening quarter. But even this goal came from 10 meters out and was unintentionally screened by a greyhound defender – Terps still struggled to plan to open a golden look.

Maryland’s inability to convert looked like it would cost them tremendously. On the first two belongings in the 2nd quarter, Matthew Keegan threw a poorly elected ball over the target, and Braden Erksa fell uncharacteristically a simple care.

These two revenue led directly to Loyola goals that turned the game upside down. A Fadeaway shot from Kenan Everhardt beat McNaney High, and a heroic dive over the goal of Matthew Minicus gave Loyola the advantage. Another greyhound goal of their next possession left Terps looks stunned.

Halfway through the quarter, Maryland finally found their look. Daniel Kelly slipped into a room pocket in Watkinson’s face. But in an appropriate encapsulation of the Terps’ inability to make the simple things work offensively, the shot went wide.

Maryland went into the second half down 4-2 thanks to another Loyola goal scored in the diminishing seconds of the second frame. After two more empty Maryland property, Greyhound’s almost another scored only by the position.

Loyola eventually got their fifth goal, with the third quarter proving a well -known story for Maryland. Terps’ violation hoped to reset and find speed that came out of the break, but ended the third quarter with five revenue and four shots-all were off-target.

It seemed that everyone saw that Terps replicated their visit in 2023 in Baltimore, when the then No. 1 Terps scored only seven goals of 42 shots and was stunned by the non -ranked, unhidged gray dogs.

But as the game turned to the fourth quarter, Spano’s Maryland violation revived. The senior found a crack in the Loyola defense, which had proved difficult to penetrate, with cuts from x to Watkinson’s leftists, which appears potent.

Spanos scored Maryland’s first of the fourth quarter two minutes with the exact movement. From a spectacle from the same corner, Maryland pulled a minute long unnecessary roughness. Spanos scored again, this time pumping falsified his defender and crashing the net from deep.

Maryland won Faceoff and stormed down the field. With Momentum on their side, everything flowed more easily for the Terps. Braden Erksa was able to convert another possession. Exactly five minutes into the fourth quarter the game was tied.

Not even a minute later, Spanos once again got the ball behind the net, ran right and released a shot beating Watkinson High. It was a six-minute hat trick and four-goal games for Spanos that was held without a goal last week.

“Eric is an incredible player and an incredible person,” said Matthew Keegan. “We needed a steady strength like it. Things didn’t go our way and Eric took us all under his wing and made some great plays for us. “

The terps were pushing to expand their advantage and looked to capitalize, but Loyola defender Remi Reynolds was able to bind the Terps back. Reynolds knocked the ball loose from Noah Armitage and drove the coast to the coast and beat McNaney with a fantastic shot to smooth out the game.

For the first time on Saturday, however, Maryland’s violation was in a groove and Terps was able to respond quickly. Kelly took a long range shot and the ripening on the back of the net compensated for his former Miss and pushed Maryland back in front with three minutes left.

The Terps had the opportunity to end the game with 90 seconds on the clock, but a tame shot gave Loyola an opportunity to equalize. And with 2.2 on the shot wall, Everhardt swung behind the net and Snow somehow a shot past McNaney on his closest post.

In overtime it was simple for the Terps. A FACEOFF -SEM OF SHEA KEETHLER gave Maryland the chance to convert, and after watching a shot go wide, Keegan games for Terps from X. Binghamton transfer drive against midfield before turning and sending a low shot in Loyola – The web that triggered parties among a team that knew it should have won far more comfortably.

“There are certainly some growing pain that we go through, but I’m proud of the guys,” Tillman said. “It didn’t go well, the crowd came into it, they had a lot of momentum, and we just continued to grind and grind and grind.”

Ultimately, Sland was successful against Loyola. But the Terps need more to conquer No. 2 Syracuse next weekend and go as far as they hope to go.

Three things to know

1. Six hundred savings for McNaney. A little over six minutes into the game, McNaney turned off a shot from Loyolas Kyle McCarthy for his 600. Career rescue. He is the fourth Terp that achieves the brag all the time.

2. Turnover tells the story. Maryland ended the game with 18 revenue. The Terps had 12 revenue for Loyola’s five over the second and third quarter, several of which stopped offensive momentum.

3. Terps dominant in the circle. Shea Keethler went 8-for-10, and Sean Creter went 5-for-9 on Faceoffs-Inclusive a combined row of five equal wins in the fourth quarter-to help burn the comeback.