No. 1 Maryland men’s lacrosse vs. Delaware preview

When looking at the No. 1 Maryland men’s lacrosse schedule to open the season, the end of February appeared a Cerberean, three-headed monster standing in front of the gates of glory. Then-No. 2 Syracuse, then-No. 5 Princeton and then-No. 1 Notre Dame in consecutive weeks looked a death knell for practically any lacrosse team.

Not many outside of the Maryland program expected the Terps to slay their beastly schedule. But with surgical precision, Maryland delivered strike after strike, each more impressive than the last.

The Orange — crushed, 11-7. The Tigers — swiped aside, 13-9. The Fighting Irish — outfought, 11-10.

Now, the Terps have conquered college lacrosse’s underworld. Maryland sits atop the throne, No. 1 in the country, with the turtle feared once again. And while the Terps have certainly reached a summit, Maryland head coach John Tillman has rallied his troops for another conquest.

“We’ve cautioned them: if you don’t come focused and play hard, and we don’t execute, you’re vulnerable,” Tillman said. “All of the games we’ve played, we’ve had to kind of battle. Nothing’s been easy. Nothing’s going to be easy … we have to come ready.”

Maryland now hosts Delaware Saturday in its first regular season matchup from atop the standings in nearly three years. The game will begin at 12:30 p.m. and stream on Big Ten Plus.

Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (3-1, 0-0 Coastal Athletic Association)

2024 record: 9-5, 6-1 CAA

When Delaware head coach Ben DeLuca took the reins for the Blue Hens in 2018, it was a bit of a homecoming for his family — DeLuca’s wife, Laurie Tortorelli, was a women’s lacrosse All-American at Delaware. It was also a big step for DeLuca personally. Having been assistant and associate coach at Cornell, Duke and Harvard, Delaware finally offered DeLuca an extended run at a head coaching job.

Under DeLuca’s tenure, Delaware has strung together six consecutive winning seasons, including consecutive CAA championships in 2022 and 2023. The Blue Hens made the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in 2022 for the first time since 2007 and just the fourth time in program history. Last year, Delaware was blown out, 15-6, in the CAA championship by Towson, but a 3-1 start — including a road win at then-No. 18 Utah — suggests the Fightin’ Blue Hens are ready to honor their name.

Players to know

Kevin Ellington, graduate goalkeeper, No. 15 — A 2024 All-American honorable mention, Ellington was the only goalkeeper in the country to finish in the top 10 for goals against average (9.6), save percentage (59%), and saves per game (13.4). The Bel Air, Maryland, native had played just two career games before accomplishing those feats last year. This time around, with a Tewaaraton Watch List label slapped on him, Ellington is no surprise package.

Bennett Parmer, freshman attacker, No. 1 — Taking over the No. 1 jersey that belonged to JP Ward — who now plays in the Premier Lacrosse League after posting a 59-point season in 2024 — Parmer has looked right at home as Delaware’s offensive focal point. The freshman has six goals and three assists and won CAA Offensive Player of the Week after scoring four goals in his first collegiate game.

John McCurry, sophomore midfielder, No. 0 — McCurry scored 27 goals en route to a CAA All-Rookie team nod last year. So far this season, McCurry has 10 goals through four games, including three multi-goal efforts.

Strength

Faceoffs. Through four weeks of lacrosse, Delaware is the best team from the X in Division I. The Blue Hens have won an astounding 67% of their faceoffs this season, and senior OJ Morris leads the country with a 76.8% win rate. Delaware’s quality could prove an even tougher challenge for the Terps than that of Notre Dame last week, when Sean Creter and Shea Keethler combined for a dismal 25% win rate. Regardless, Tillman knows his team needs to clean that phase up.

“We can’t come away from a game like that [against Notre Dame] at the faceoff X, with that big of a disparity,” Tillman said. “That’s been a point of emphasis, we’ve got to do better there.”

Weakness

Attacking firepower. The Blue Hens have the goalkeeping and defensive capability to grind the Terps to a halt, but major question marks remain in the attack. Delaware lost five of its seven points leaders this offseason — those five players combined for over 63% of Delaware’s point totals last year. Just six Delaware players enter their game against Maryland with double-digit career points. That lack of depth showed in their game against then-No. 16 Penn, when Delaware scored just two goals.

Three things to know

1. Renewal of a rivalry. Despite the proximity of the two major state schools, Maryland and Delaware have not played a men’s lacrosse game in 23 years. The Terps hold the historical advantage over their local rivals, winning eight of nine all-time matchups.

2. Brotherly love set to be tested. Junior Eric Kolar has given the Maryland midfield rotation some extra grit this season, but he will be especially ready to give 110% effort Saturday. His older brother, Jason Kolar, is a senior at Delaware. Jason has five goals and two assists so far this season — look for Eric to take up the mantle of keeping him scoreless.

3. SECU set for a sunny day? After beginning their home campaign with two comparatively miserable weather days, it looks like clear skies and warmer weather ahead for the Terps — at the time of writing, at least. With the forecast and the fortunes of the team looking up, Tillman’s group hopes to see a terrific audience.

“I don’t think our guys would trade playing in SECU for anything. There’s a sense of confidence, comfortability, [because] our fans always support us,” Tillman said. “I’m hopeful the fans turn out. I know we definitely feel their energy, and it does help.”