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Maryland
No. 2 Maryland men’s lacrosse vs. Loyola (Md.) preview
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No. 2 Maryland males’s lacrosse took care of enterprise in its season-opening win over No. 20 Richmond. The Terps entered the 12 months with some uncertainty after shedding six of their 10 starters from 2022 however rapidly put these considerations to mattress.
Senior attackman Daniel Maltz led the sport with 5 factors, tallying two objectives and three assists, whereas junior attackman Owen Murphy scored a game-high 4 objectives. Freshman attackman Braden Erksa additionally had a powerful efficiency in his collegiate debut, scoring two objectives and doling out one help.
This weekend presents a brand new problem for the Terps, who will face an in-state rival in Loyola (Md.). The 2 groups are very conversant in one another, assembly 4 occasions within the final 11 years. The Terps received three of the 4 matchups, however misplaced a very powerful one again in 2012, which gave Loyola its lone nationwide championship.
Saturday’s sport will likely be performed in Baltimore and streamed on ESPN+ at 1 p.m.
Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds (0-0)
2022 file: 8-8 (6-2 Patriot League)
Head coach Charley Toomey enters his 18th season on the helm of Loyola’s lacrosse program. Since 2012, Toomey has led the Greyhounds to a mean of 12.2 wins per season and enters the 2023 season with a 168-85 profession file, sitting simply behind his former faculty coach, Dave Cottle, for essentially the most wins in program historical past.
Loyola struggled within the 2022 season, lacking the NCAA Match for the primary time since 2015. The Greyhounds started final season because the eighth-ranked crew within the nation however dropped their first 4 video games. Loyola may have a possibility to surge again into the nationwide rankings, although, with No. 2 Maryland on deck.
Gamers to observe
Adam Poitras, senior midfielder, No. 51 – Poitras began in 34 of his 38 earlier video games as a Greyhound and is a mannequin of consistency. He ranked prime 5 in whole factors in every of his three seasons at Loyola, ending third in 2022 after scoring a career-high 29 objectives. Poitras scored two objectives towards Maryland final 12 months and can play a key position in Loyola’s gameplan.
Payton Rezanka, graduate short-stick defensive midfielder, No. 34 – Rezanka was one in all two Greyhounds on the All-Patriot League first crew and the one one returning. In 15 video games, he tallied three objectives, one assists, 31 floor balls and a team-high 27 brought about turnovers. Whereas not a lot of an offensive risk, Rezanka will make life troublesome for Maryland’s attackers.
Evan James, senior midfielder, No. 8 – James completed proper behind Poitras in factors final season with 37, totaling 26 objectives and 11 assists. James took a slight step again from his sophomore season — through which he recorded 32 objectives and 12 assists — however his play in 2022 nonetheless netted him an All-Patriot League second crew choice. With Poitras, Rezanka and Poitras all returning, the Greyhounds ought to have an excellent midfield.
Power
Expertise. The most important power Loyola holds heading into the 2023 season is its immense quantity of expertise. The Greyhounds return six of their 10 starters from final 12 months, all of that are upperclassmen. Whereas it had a disappointing 2022 marketing campaign, Loyola’s core nonetheless stays intact.
Weak spot
Goalkeeping. One of many largest query marks the Greyhounds face is who will begin in purpose. Sam Shafer spent the final three years as Loyola’s goalkeeper and accomplished his fifth and last season in 2022. Junior Luke Staudt is the front-runner for the opening, however he doesn’t have a lot expertise after taking part in in simply seven video games — beginning in a single — by way of his first two seasons.
Three issues to observe
1. Can Maryland’s protection stay dominant? The Terps performed one in all their finest defensive video games in years final weekend towards Richmond. Maryland held the Spiders to 4 objectives — the fewest it’s allowed since 2018 — on a really inefficient 42 shoots. The Terps’ sturdy defensive play is headed by graduate defenseman Brett Makar, junior defenseman Ajax Zappitello and senior goalie Logan McNaney all coming back from final 12 months’s squad, however head coach John Tillman was not impressed within the crew’s first sport of the season.
“A giant story for the sport is simply, , ensuring that we play nicely versus the invert, the choose sport. I didn’t really feel like we performed the choose sport notably nicely final week. I didn’t suppose we have been nice off-ball final week,” Tillman stated. “Logan bailed us out a ton. Clearly, we’ve bought to be higher this week.”
2. Which crew has the benefit? That is Maryland’s second sport of the season and Loyola’s first, creating an attention-grabbing benefit for every crew. Maryland had the chance to work out a few of its preseason kinks towards Richmond, whereas Loyola bought to observe movie on the Terps’ first sport.
“We actually don’t know precisely who’s taking part in for them. So, there’s quite a lot of us type of working by way of hypotheticals,” Tillman stated. “It does type of make me surprise, ‘Are we higher off shifting again and beginning per week later,’ however there may be some worth too. For lots of these guys that is sport two and never sport one, and, , you hope that possibly that have serves us nicely.”
3. Can Loyola bounce again? The Greyhounds have been a staple amongst faculty lacrosse’s elite applications underneath Toomey however underachieved final 12 months. Loyola completed the season with an 8-8 file and received simply two of eight nonconference video games. Regardless of this, the Greyhounds nonetheless have a plethora of returning expertise and must be again within the nationwide championship race, and there’s no higher method to show that than beating the reigning nationwide champions.
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Maryland
Getting to know Michigan State football’s Week 2 opponent: Maryland
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Game two is coming up for Michigan State football as the Spartans hit the road for an early season Big Ten matchup against Maryland. The Terps have had MSU’s number in recent years, but the Spartans’ new-look team is ready to change that narrative this weekend.
Jonathan Smith and his staff have a lot to work on this week after a lackluster 16-10 win over Florida Atlantic, but we’ve become more than used to slow starts for MSU in their first game so it’s not time to panic just yet.
While the team wraps up their preparations for Maryland, let’s take a quick look at the Terps and see what we can learn about them before the big game on Saturday.
Maryland is off and running in their 2024 campaign and had an absolutely dominant week one performance. The Terps took on UConn at home and came away with an impressive 50-7 win. Sure UConn is an awful football program, but we saw how poorly Michigan State just did against a similar opponent.
Not only was the final score lopsided, but ever major statistical category was as well. Maryland doubled UConn in first downs and rushing yards, threw for nearly 400 passing yards and even won the turnover battle 3-0. The Terps also only had five penalties for 45 yards which is significantly better than MSU’s 12 for 140 yards against FAU.
Sure all of this took place against UConn, but it appears that Maryland is in a very good spot heading into this big week two matchup.
One thing that I thought would be a positive for Michigan State in this game is that Maryland is breaking in a new quarterback as well. The Terps’ quarterback, Billy Edwards Jr., went off against UConn and completed 20-of-27 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. He also is a capable runner and added 39 yards on the ground, so Michigan State will have its hands full on Saturday slowing him down.
The Terps don’t have one standout running back in the backfield, so that does benefit MSU. They do however have two solid backs in Roman Hemby and Nolan Ray who both ran for over 60 yards and one score each.
The one player however that Michigan State needs to pay the most attention to is wide receiver Tai Felton. He had one of the best Week 1 performances in the country as he recorded seven receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Thankfully MSU’s defense and secondary looked much improved against FAU, so hopefully that carries over into this weekend’s matchup.
The opportunity in front of MSU on Saturday is massive. The Spartans are big underdogs in this matchup which they probably deserve, but a win would do wonders not just for the overall perception of the team but for their confidence moving forward.
I’ve got a strange feeling that we’re going to be very happy around 7 p.m. ET Saturday night.
Maryland
Maryland makes filing taxes online free for some
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More than 700,000 Marylanders should be able to file their state and federal income tax returns online for free next year, saving residents hours of work and hundreds of dollars on tax software and prep services.
Maryland joined dozens of states Wednesday in a voluntary federal program called Direct File after a test run received positive reviews and showed possible cost savings. Filing paper returns by mail will still be an option.
“It’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns,” Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said at a news conference in Annapolis.
The first-term Democrat called the program a game changer for Maryland taxpayers that will modernize her agency. It targets low-to-moderate earners with relatively simple tax returns, and is expected to expand over time.
Lierman’s office will partner with the nonprofit Code for America to integrate the Maryland tax filing system into Direct File. Eligibility requirements will be announced in January, the comptroller’s office said.
Gov. Wes Moore, State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and nonprofit partners joined Lierman for the announcement.
Funds from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 helped build and test the system. The IRS and Treasury Department then invited states to participate.
The IRS has been considering a free e-filing option for low-income American taxpayers for decades, according to the Congressional Research Service. When tax prep companies pushed back, the federal government agreed not to compete with them if they provided free help and e-filing to low-earning taxpayers.
However, many qualified taxpayers were pushed toward paid services, according to an investigation by nonprofit news outlet ProPublica.
The IRS piloted Direct File in 12 states this year. Filers used a laptop, tablet, cellphone or other device to submit income returns and request certain tax credits offered to low-earning individuals and families.
In a survey, nine out of 10 Direct File users ranked their experience as “Excellent” or “Above Average.”
U.S. Rep Steny Hoyer, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 5th District, called paying taxes the “price of our democracy.”
“We ought to make it as easy as possible for people to comply with a legal obligation that they have to support their country, their state and their communities,” he said. “And this system of Direct File does that.”
Robin McKinney, CEO and co-founder of CASH Campaign of Maryland, said easy, free online filing makes the government work more efficiently for citizens and should deliver refunds and credits to taxpayers faster.
McKinney’s nonprofit promotes economic advancement for low- to moderate-income Marylanders and provides free tax help, among other services.
Economic Security Project, a nonprofit that advocates for guaranteed income and economic equity for working families, found that adopting Direct File could mean $355 million in costs and time saved for Maryland’s low- to moderate-earners.
Maryland recently has expanded tax credits for working families, but about $152 million goes unclaimed each year, according to the Security Project’s analysis.
They also estimated that about $148 million could be saved in filing fees and $56 million could be saved in time spent filing taxes.
That money could have gone into Marylanders’ pockets, CASH Campaign’s McKinney said, and it could have gone back into the state’s economy.
Maryland
Maryland joins IRS Direct File program, offering free tax filing for up to 700,000 taxpayers – Maryland Matters
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Some Maryland taxpayers will be able to use a free electronic filing tool for their federal taxes rather than having to pay a tax preparer or buy tax-filing software next year, when Maryland will offer the IRS’s new Direct File service.
The service was tested in 12 states this year, where 140,803 people filed with Direct File, saving an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) estimated Wednesday that as many as 700,000 Maryland taxpayers could be eligible for the program when it debuts in the state next year.
“While we value our relationship with tax preparers and CPAs (certified public accountants), it’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns,” Lierman said at a news conference announcing the program.
The IRS and the U.S. Treasury still have to finalize eligibility rules for the program this fall, but Lierman said it will be a “game changer” for those families who do qualify, which could be as much as 20% of individual taxpayers in the state.
“Taxes are a part of the glue that keeps our state and our nation together, functioning, producing, protecting and thriving,” Lierman said. “Yet in America, we make it uniquely challenging to pay those taxes and file a return — until now.”
According to the Treasury, taxpayers spend “approximately 13 hours and $270 preparing their taxes each year.” Many Americans use tax filing services or software, such as TurboTax and H&R Block, to ensure that their taxes are filed correctly, despite most of the information being readily available state and federal tax collection agencies.
It’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns.
– Comptroller Brooke Lierman
Direct File launched this year in 12 states for people to file their 2023 federal returns — Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the program is aimed at helping middle-income tax filers with “relatively simple” filings.
“What I can tell you is our goal for us is to build a system that’s going to work for working class and middle class Americans. So you get a W-2, and you’re somebody who’s a teacher, you’re a fireman, you’re a doctor who’s earning most of your money from a W-2, we want to make sure we’re building a system that potentially works for you,” said Adeyemo, who was in Annapolis for the announcement.
“The thing we’re not going to do is build a system that works for big corporations or wealthy individuals. Next year we’re going to expand the system so that more Americans are able to participate in it,” Adeyemo said.
The Biden administration invited all 50 states and the District of Columbia to join the program next year, when people will be filing their 2024 taxes. The Treasury said that Maryland joins Oregon, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Connecticut, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Maine in taking up Direct File.
“I know to some, this announcement may seem inconsequential — and I know how exciting tax announcements are,” Gov. Wes Moore (D) joked at the announcement. “But the details matter. They matter to the families who are impacted by this work. They’re going to matter to the families, who … dread tax season because it feels complicated. Who dread tax season because it seems expensive, or oftentimes have to deal with the consequences of getting something wrong.”
The Direct File program came out of the Inflation Reduction Act signed in 2022, which also secured additional funding to help the IRS modernize and provide better services to Americans.
But Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who chairs a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, said Direct File program and other services under the Inflation Reduction Act could be “under threat.” While his subcommittee wants to fully fund the IRS and keep Direct File going, House leaders want to cut funding for both.
He also said that the industry is lobbying against the free tax filing system.
“There are people who didn’t want us to do this, including a lot of the middlemen” who currently profit from tax preparation, Van Hollen said. “They’re lobbying against this kind of thing.”
In addition to Van Hollen, Moore, Lierman and Adeyemo, Wednesday’s event drew a number of Maryland Democratic heavyweights: U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer John Sarbanes and State Treasurer Dereck Davis.
Hoyer put it simply: “Nobody likes taxes.”
“We don’t really get excited about paying our taxes. But we know that it is the price of our democracy,” Hoyer said. “We ought to make it as easy as possible for people to comply with a legal obligation that they have to support their country, their state and their communities.”
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