Maryland
Maryland men’s lacrosse decimated by Penn State in Big Ten Tournament semifinals, 19-9
The first time Maryland faced Penn State this year, the Nittany Lions captured a big lead early, but took their foot off the gas in the second half, allowing the Terps to rally back and complete one of their best wins of the season.
Penn State was sure not to make that same mistake again in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. On Thursday night, it throttled the Terps, 19-9, handing them one of their worst losses under head coach John Tillman and sending them into the 2024 NCAA Tournament in poor form.
It was deja vu to open the match for Maryland. Penn State jumped down its throat, dictating the physicality of the game from the get-go.
The Terps’ offense went scoreless for the first 11 minutes. As for the opposition, Matt Traynor, Mac Costin and TJ Malone got themselves free and helped Penn State get out to a 3-0 lead.
But Luke Wierman spurred Maryland to a quick response with a lightning fast clamp and feed to Daniel Maltz.
The score was an attempt to seize the game’s momentum, but the Terps failed to keep the offense churning. In fact, Maltz’s goal would be one of just three the Terps would pot the entire half.
In the meantime, Penn State poured on eight more. Maryland’s defense, which has been the significantly better of the team’s two main units in 2024, was outmatched on all fronts.
The Nittany Lions found advantages on their dodges in what seemed to be every matchup. Maryland’s defensive midfielders, who have been largely solid this season, were consistently exploited, and their poles, outside of Ajax Zappitello, were not faring much better.
The Terps also suffered a blow to their offense when leading goal-scorer Braden Erksa suffered a scary injury. Erksa absorbed a big hit and his head snapped hard against the turf. He was stretchered off the field, but gave a thumbs up on the way off.
Ultimately, Costin recorded a first-half hat trick and Malone and Kyle Lehman added four combined goals in the opening 30 minutes. The Terps entered the break staring down a staggering 11-3 deficit.
To open the second half, Malone, the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year, scored first to secure a hat trick. Maryland then responded with their best stretch of the game, rattling off four unanswered goals to cut the Penn State lead to five.
But that sequence ended up being just a blip on the radar. Penn State followed the Terps’ barrage with four unanswered of its own to put itself firmly in the driver’s seat.
From that point, the Nittany Lions coasted their way into the Big Ten Tournament championship game, avenging their regular season loss to the Terps in definitive fashion.
Three things to know
1. The defense was season-worst. Maryland has relied on its defense and goalie Logan McNaney to keep it in games all year. This game answered what the Terps would look like with a poor back end, as they gave up a season-high 19 goals.
2. Wierman was strong in the loss. Maryland has also relied on Wierman to earn it extra possessions all season long. On Thursday, he did exactly that despite the loss, going 19-for-28 on draws.
3. Seeding implications. In all likelihood, Maryland will fall out of the NCAA Tournament’s top 10 seeds and miss out on an additional home game.
Maryland
Maryland Weather: Rainy Thanksgiving then much colder
BALTIMORE — Thanksgiving is shaping up to be a wet one, followed by an Arctic blast as we head into the weekend. After some morning showers and thunderstorms, expect partly cloudy skies this afternoon and tonight. Breezy northwest winds at 20 to 25 mph will persist throughout the day.
High temperatures will reach near 60 degrees this afternoon before dipping into the 30s overnight. Holiday travelers today and tonight should encounter no major weather-related issues, as dry conditions and favorable driving weather are expected.
Wednesday: A Calm Before the Storm
Wednesday looks pleasant, with a mix of clouds and sunshine and high temperatures in the mid-50s. However, clouds will increase later in the day as a storm system approaches from the west. This system will bring a significant chance of rain for Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving Day: Wet and Cool
On Thursday, wet weather is expected throughout the day, with the heaviest rain likely during the morning and early afternoon. Showers will taper off by the evening, and high temperatures will struggle to reach 50 degrees. Rain will clear out Thursday night, giving way to partly cloudy skies into Friday morning.
Friday: Colder Air Arrives
A much colder air mass will follow the storm system. Highs on Friday will only reach the 40s, and gusty northwest winds will make it feel even chillier.
Weekend: Arctic Air Settles In
The weekend will bring the coldest air of the season so far. Highs on Saturday and Sunday will reach only the mid-to-upper 30s, while nighttime lows will dip well into the 20s. Gusty northwest winds will create a wind chill, with “feels like” temperatures in the teens and 20s, particularly during the mornings. By Sunday night, wind chills could drop even further.
Next Week: Arctic Chill Lingers
The Arctic air will remain in place early next week. Highs on Monday and Tuesday will top out around 40 degrees, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s. Most of the week will feature highs in the 40s as this slow-moving weather pattern persists. The region will likely remain dry through the first part of next week.
Winter Travelers: Pack Accordingly
If you’re traveling somewhere warm for the holiday, be sure to bring winter clothing for your return trip. The sharp contrast in temperatures will be noticeable when you get back this weekend or early next week.
Maryland
FBI agent acquitted in 2020 train shooting arrested in Maryland for alleged sexual assault against 2 women
An FBI agent who was acquitted of attempted murder after shooting a man on a train nearly four years ago was arrested in Maryland on Monday on charges stemming from allegations that he sexually assaulted two women.
Special Agent Eduardo Valdivia, 40, was arrested by the Montgomery County Department of Police, and the Special Victims Investigations Division is urging any additional victims to come forward. Police will hold a news conference on Tuesday to “encourage them to come forward,” the department said in a statement.
Valdivia has been suspended by the FBI pending the conclusion of the Montgomery County police investigation, a spokesperson for the FBI said in a statement.
“The FBI takes allegations of criminal violations and misconduct very seriously,” the statement said. “Because this is an ongoing investigation, the FBI cannot comment further.”
JURY FINDS FBI AGENT NOT GUILTY OF 2020 METRO SHOOTING IN MARYLAND
Valdivia was previously charged with attempted second-degree murder and other charges in connection with a 2020 off-duty shooting aboard a Metro Red Line train near Bethesda, Maryland, but was acquitted two years later.
He had allegedly engaged in a verbal exchange with a man who approached him asking for money. When Valdivia declined to give him any money, the man allegedly muttered expletives before turning away.
Then, Valdivia shot the man from a distance of roughly two to three feet after repeatedly telling the man to back up, county prosecutor Robert Hill said in court. The wounded man had part or all of his spleen, colon and pancreas removed during surgery following the shooting, Hill said.
The FBI agent was later charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, firearm use in a violent crime and reckless endangerment.
FBI AGENT CHARGED IN OFF-DUTY SHOOTING OF MAN ON SUBWAY
Valdivia turned himself in after he was indicted in 2021, but a jury found him not guilty of all charges last December.
Now, Valdivia faces new felony and misdemeanor charges, including two counts of second-degree rape, over alleged incidents in May and September of this year, according to court records.
Attorney Robert Bonsib, who represented Valdivia in the train shooting case, confirmed that the FBI agent was arrested Monday on sexual assault accusations.
“We don’t accept at first blush any of the allegations until all of the evidence is in,” Bonsib told The Associated Press.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Bonsib said his client was ordered held in custody after his initial court appearance on Monday. Valdivia is slated to return to court Tuesday for a bond hearing before a judge, Bonsib said.
Valdivia joined the FBI in 2011 before he was promoted to supervisory special agent at the FBI headquarters in 2019, according to Bonsib. Valdivia had been working at the FBI since his acquittal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Maryland
Live Blog: Arkansas vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks get one last chance to run short-handed and still have a legitimate chance to hold up before the schedule gets too tough to continue playing with such a small line-up because of injuries.
The biggest storyline tonight will be whether Trevon Brazile comes back from injury. It was reported last week that he wants to get minutes in before the Illinois game on Thanksgiving.
That may not be entirely up to him as Calipari might think its in the team’s best interest to keep him rested and safe from injury for a few more days to make sure he at least makes it to Kansas City fully upright. Speaking of the Illini, Illinois beat Maryland Eastern Shore by 37 last weekend.
The Hawks will leave Fayetteville to face the Hogs’ last opponent, Little Rock, on Wednesday in a quick sweep through the state.
Starting line-up
1ST HALF
Nothing unique about the starting line-up tonight. Light crowd as expected. Students have had to go home for Thanksgiving and while children are out of school in a lot of places, parents still have to work. Games like this might be a good opportunity to honor teachers by giving unused tickets to fill up the stands.
Boogie Fland gets things going right away with a short jumper. Then the Hogs get the ball inside to Ivisic for an easy lay-up and that’s going to be unlimited points tonight if Arkansas wants to do that because the size difference is just too much. Hogs up 4-0.
Johnell Davis knocks down a three from the corner and that’s something Arkansas has really needed. Davis hasn’t been his usual self. If he starts shooting like he did at FAU, the Hogs are going to win a lot of games. For the second game in a row, the Razorbacks are out to a 7-0 lead.
Arkansas finally goes to Thiero following a turnover and his move through the lane is just unfair. The size and speed is unmatched tonight. He’s such a strong player. The Hawks break the scoreless drought with a three, but Ivisic runs down the floor and knocks down back-to-back threes just to make sure Maryland Eastern Shore knows it’s going to be a long night. Hogs up 15-3 as the games comes to a break with 15 minutes left in the half.
And there’s an official Trevon Brazile sighting as he walks out onto the floor for the first time in a while. Ivisic currently leads all scorers with eight points as the Hogs run the lead out to 21-8 with just under 12 minutes left in the half.
Tremendous ball movement by Arkansas, pass after pass, leads to a miss, but the Hogs get the rebound that swings out to Davis in that same corner again and he barely moves the net knocking down another three. This could be the big confidence builder he needs heading into that Illinois game. If Davis breaks 20 tonight, expect that line to move by Thanksgiving Day.
2ND HALF
• There’s one caveat being ignored in revenue sharing discussion
• Saturday’s game has to finally be as personal for Pittman as it is for Drinkwitz
• SEC Shorts: 4th & 25 may have been replaced at Ole Miss; Georgia doesn’t want SEC title
• 4th&5: Good, bad, ugly of win over Louisiana Tech
• Razorbacks Set to Finish Phase One With Much Still to Prove
• Subscribe and follow us on YouTube
• Follow HogsSI on X and Facebook
-
Business1 week ago
Column: Molly White's message for journalists going freelance — be ready for the pitfalls
-
Science7 days ago
Trump nominates Dr. Oz to head Medicare and Medicaid and help take on 'illness industrial complex'
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: 'Warrior for Free Speech'
-
Technology1 week ago
Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI
-
Lifestyle1 week ago
Some in the U.S. farm industry are alarmed by Trump's embrace of RFK Jr. and tariffs
-
World1 week ago
Protesters in Slovakia rally against Robert Fico’s populist government
-
Health4 days ago
Holiday gatherings can lead to stress eating: Try these 5 tips to control it
-
News1 week ago
They disagree about a lot, but these singers figure out how to stay in harmony