Mike Preston: It’s title or bust — again — for coach John Tillman and No. 1 Maryland men’s lacrosse | COMMENTARY

After No. 1 Maryland beat No. 4 Rutgers by eight objectives Sunday night time, there have been the plain questions: Who might beat the Terps and the way do they lose within the nationwide championship sport?

The identical questions have been requested for many years, however possibly with extra emphasis within the final 11 years since John Tillman grew to become the Terps’ coach.

For the reason that NCAA Division I Match started in 1971, Maryland has completed because the runner-up 12 instances. Since Tillman took over in 2011, the Terps have completed second 5 instances and received the championship in 2017.

So, the questions are truthful.

Tillman is likely one of the high coaches on this fashionable period of the game, however his groups have struggled within the huge one. In some instances, his Terps simply bumped into superior groups like Loyola Maryland in 2012 and Denver in 2015.

There have been different instances when Maryland bought upset. They fell to North Carolina, 14-13, within the 2016 title sport after which Virginia, 17-16, in a thriller final season, a sport during which the Terps entered unbeaten.

In Maryland’s case, there’s at all times one thing, however this may be the perfect Terps staff but beneath Tillman.

Unbeaten Maryland (10-0) isn’t simply beating everyone; they’re embarrassing the opposition. Maryland has big benefits in objectives (183-96), assists (107-47), pictures (457-330) and floor balls (363-277).

A 12 months in the past, Tillman thought his staff was at an obstacle by being allowed to solely play Large Ten Convention opponents due to coronavirus considerations. However this 12 months the Terps have overwhelmed nonconference groups akin to Princeton, Syracuse and Notre Dame, and so they’ve crushed each Loyola Maryland and defending nationwide champion Virginia by double digits.

Sunday, the Terps did one thing that few groups can do towards the Scarlet Knights: They principally ran them into exhaustion.

Who’s subsequent?

“They’re so deep and proficient, they don’t have any flaws,” Rutgers coach Brian Brecht mentioned of the Terps. “Their faceoff sport is excellent, their transition between the strains is nice, their poles are good, their protection is nice, their assault could be very unselfish and machine-like.

“They make you pay once you slide, they make you pay once you don’t slide, they make you pay once you maintain the ball too lengthy, they make you pay when you assist out. We bought uncovered.”

Maryland has undressed a number of groups. Initially of the season, lacrosse followers had been questioning if Virginia might presumably three-peat. Nobody is speaking in regards to the Cavaliers anymore.

It’s Maryland.

And the Terps are so deep and interchangeable. They’ve bought attackmen who can double as midfielders and midfielders who play assault.

For the sake of readability, the beginning assault consists of Logan Wisnauskas (27 objectives, 24 assists), Keegan Khan (16 objectives, 6 assists) and Eric Malever (14 objectives, 9 assists).

A 12 months in the past, the Terps had attackman Jared Bernhardt as their high offensive risk, and at instances he took over video games. Wisnauskas can disappear throughout video games however then blow up the opposition with two or three objectives inside minutes.

The chemistry works properly for Maryland.

“I feel having a man like Jared, there’s a man that may be a fairly particular participant in so many various methods,” mentioned Tillman. “He allowed us, when push got here to shove and even watching the second Rutgers sport final 12 months up there, I felt like at instances — we had been down 4-1 in that sport, we had been type of struggling — and Jared type of hit a pair performs, simply one-on-one matchups and scored. As I’m watching that sport, I used to be like, ‘That’s not going to occur this 12 months.’

“So, we’re going to should make it possible for it’s going to be unfold out. Nevertheless it’s type of what we wished. And I feel these guys are so selfless that it doesn’t actually matter. Recreation to sport, quarter to quarter, someone might get sizzling, and so they’re comfortable for one another.”

The help complete tells an necessary story. Of their 183 objectives this season, 107 have been assisted. That implies that the Terps are spreading the ball round, but it surely additionally exhibits they’ve a number of weapons and depth.

The primary midfield consists of Jonathan Donville, (22 objectives, 6 assists), Anthony DeMaio (11 objectives, 10 assists) and the speedy Kyle lengthy (10 objectives, 11 assists). However Maryland can deliver Owen Murphy, Jack Brennan and Jack Koros off the bench and never miss a beat.

“The extra we transfer off-ball and the extra we transfer it, the more durable it’s for groups simply to type of line up and defend us as a result of we’re continually shifting individuals out and in. Nevertheless it does take that belief and self-discipline,” mentioned Tillman.

To not be outdone, the Terps additionally play excellent protection. Alex Smith and Roman Puglise lead the brief stick midfielders, and Maryland additionally has two takeaway defenders in Ajax Zappitello and Brett Makar. Most groups solely have one.

The factor that makes this group so particular is that Maryland can double staff onerous and slide so shortly that it creates good angles for goalie Logan McNaney, who has a .533 save share this season.

Brecht is true. If you have a look at the Terps, they’ve a lot expertise and the power to suit it switch instantly which supplies them unimaginable depth.

The Terps play No. 9 Ohio State Saturday, then Johns Hopkins earlier than taking part in within the Large Ten Convention championship. Subsequent up would be the Division I Match, and lots of people have already put the Terps within the title sport.

And that brings us again to the identical questions that we at all times appear to ask about Maryland.

Who might beat Maryland and the way do the Terps lose the nationwide championship in 2022?

NO. 9 OHIO STATE@NO. 1 MARYLAND

Saturday, 4 p.m.

TV: Large Ten Community