No. 1-seed Maryland men’s lacrosse advances to Final Four with dominant 18-9 win over Virginia

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The 2022 rendition of Maryland males’s lacrosse has grow to be infamous for beginning quick. However, in probably the most consequential recreation of the season thus far, the Terps got here out in a extra methodical method.

Virginia’s Griffin Schutz scored the sport’s first aim fewer than 4 minutes in, and it took till the 7:39 mark of the primary quarter earlier than Maryland broke by means of. After the longest scoreless begin to a recreation the Terps have had all 12 months, fifth-year attacker Anthony DeMaio ended the drought with two targets in lower than two minutes to thrust his workforce forward of the Cavaliers.

Then, graduate midfielder Jonathan Donville scored, previous DeMaio’s third aim of the primary quarter with 1:33 on the clock. DeMaio, who’s the one participant on Maryland’s roster that was on the 2017 nationwide championship workforce, has scored a hat trick in all 4 of the Terps’ postseason video games in 2022.

After leaping out to a lead halfway by means of the primary quarter, top-seeded Maryland males’s lacrosse by no means regarded again and defeated Virginia, 18-9.

Nearly a 12 months after Maryland watched Virginia rush the sphere in celebration in an exciting 2021 nationwide championship recreation, it was the Terps who despatched the Cavaliers packing, avenging final 12 months’s defeat to go to their second consecutive Ultimate 4 and twenty eighth in program historical past.

Simply as was the case within the first quarter, Virginia scored the second quarter’s first aim, which was adopted by consecutive Maryland targets. Senior midfielder Jeff Conner discovered the again of the online — his first of two second-quarter targets — however Maryland junior attacker Daniel Maltz and Donville adopted swimsuit to increase Maryland’s result in 4.

After Conner’s second aim, junior midfielder Jack Brennan whipped a cross to a well-positioned Eric Malever, and the sophomore attacker completed the play with the Terps’ seventh aim of the afternoon.

Senior midfielder Kyle Lengthy and sophomore attacker Owen Murphy scored two targets in a span of simply six seconds, with Murphy’s aim coming courtesy of an help by junior faceoff specialist Luke Wierman.

Wierman gained 10-of-15 faceoffs within the first half, together with an astounding 8-of-9 within the second quarter.

Junior attacker Payton Cormier scored the final aim of the primary half for Virginia, however it was solely sufficient to chop Maryland’s result in 9-4 on the break.

Regardless of Maryland’s stable first half, a well-known face was lacking from the targets column of the scoresheet. Fifth-year attacker Logan Wisnauskas, this system’s all-time main scorer, had two assists however went goalless within the recreation’s first two quarters. Nevertheless, his time got here within the third quarter.

Wisnauskas fired in two targets within the first 4:30 of the third quarter and located his third later within the interval. Sunday’s efficiency was the thirty ninth hat trick of his profession, passing Jared Bernhardt for probably the most all-time by a Terp. He’s simply three targets shy of Bernhardt’s Maryland profession targets file as properly.

Graduate midfielder Roman Puglise scored within the third quarter as properly, along with two extra targets by Murphy. Puglise and Maltz’s targets have been their respective tenth’s of the season, bringing Maryland’s workforce complete to 11 gamers with double-digit targets.

Virginia added two extra targets earlier than the third quarter ended, however Maryland led by seven on the finish of the third, a snug cushion to coast to victory.

Graduate attacker Keegan Khan managed to attain after weaving by means of a site visitors of Virginia defenders, beating Virginia freshman goalie Matthew Nunes. Owen Murphy then added his fourth aim of the sport, bringing the rating to 17-8 in favor of Maryland.

Sophomore attacker Daniel Kelly put the exclamation level on Maryland’s win, fielding an extended cross from sophomore defenseman Ajax Zappitello and ending for the Terps’ 18th aim of the day.

That mark of 18 targets is another than the 17 that the Terps allowed within the 2021 nationwide championship recreation to Virginia, falling quick in heartbreaking trend within the remaining moments of the sport.

This time, nevertheless, it was Maryland that emerged victorious, establishing a matchup with Princeton within the nationwide semifinals on Saturday, Might 28. The Terps beat the Tigers, 15-10, on Feb. 26.

Three issues to know

1. Subsequent cease: East Hartford. Maryland is on its option to its twenty eighth Ultimate 4 and its ninth beneath head coach John Tillman in simply 12 years on the helm of this system (together with 2020, when there was no NCAA event). For the second straight season, Maryland heads to Championship Weekend with an opportunity to grow to be school lacrosse’s first undefeated champion since Virginia did so in 2006. The nationwide semifinals and championship recreation can be hosted on the similar website as final 12 months — Rentschler Area at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut. The Terps can have their eyes on the last word prize, however as a way to play for a nationwide title, they’ll have to undergo a powerful Princeton squad that performed them robust in late February.

2. Virginia’s stars have been silenced. The headliners of the Cavaliers’ offense struggled to have any success on Sunday. Sophomore attacker Connor Shellenberger, nicknamed “Mr. Might” due to his elite play within the postseason, had solely 5 pictures and no factors whereas being guarded by Maryland sophomore defenseman Ajax Zappitello. Moreover, graduate attacker Matt Moore — Virginia’s all-time main scorer — went one-of-eight taking pictures and didn’t rating till the 5:42 mark of the third quarter. He was usually defended by senior defenseman Brett Makar, who confirmed why he was a First Crew All-American choice along with his play in opposition to the Cavaliers. Junior goalie Logan McNaney additionally made twelve saves.

3. Spherical three belongs to the Terps. Maryland had been eradicated by Virginia in every of the final two NCAA tournaments, and the Cavaliers’ 17-16 win over the Terps within the 2021 nationwide championship caught with this season’s returning gamers as motivation all 12 months lengthy. Now, Maryland lastly can rejoice because it advances to the Ultimate 4, whereas Virginia should regroup and transfer on to 2023. The job will not be completed for the Terps, however this 12 months’s quarterfinal win is certain to really feel that a lot sweeter due to who their opponent was.