Maryland
No. 7-seed Maryland men’s lacrosse routed by No. 1-seed Notre Dame, 15-5, in national championship game
PHILADELPHIA — After an unlikely run to the national championship game, No. 7-seed Maryland men’s lacrosse was dominated by No. 1-seed Notre Dame, 15-5, on Monday.
For all of 2024, Notre Dame looked nearly flawless. Without a clear weakness, the Fighting Irish rolled into the championship game with a 15-1 record.
The Terps, who had rebounded from a terrible end to their regular season, made a run as the tournament’s seventh seed, hoping to get one more win and slay the seemingly unbeatable dragon.
But sometimes things play out just the way they should on paper, and Monday’s game was a prime example. Notre Dame overpowered the Terps on both ends of the field en route to their second straight national championship.
“I wish we would have won,” Maryland head coach John Tillman said, “… but we would have had to play incredibly clean and really, really high-level to win this game. I watched enough film and I know what they’ve done over the course of the year.”
Before any of the lacrosse that more than 30,000 fans came to see began, the game entered a two-hour weather delay for thunderstorms directly after the pregame festivities.
When the Terps retook the field for their second warm-up of the day, their energy looked unaffected by the waiting period. Luke Wierman won the first faceoff of the day after a violation by Notre Dame’s Will Lynch, and Ryan Siracusa instantly took advantage nailing a shot down low.
Daniel Kelly followed him up a couple minutes later, putting the Terps up 2-0. The Fighting Irish won 13 straight games for reason, though, and after Maryland’s brief early run, they demonstrated why.
The ball began to zip through Maryland’s defense, which was coming off maybe its best performance of the year against Virginia. It became apparent that Pat Kavanagh was not going to win his matchup against Ajax Zappitello, so he became a facilitator, particularly looking for his brother Chris.
Chris Kavanagh went on a three-goal run by himself, which included a spectacular spinning back-hand shot. Maryland’s defensive midfielders also looked overmatched by all three of the Fighting Irish’s offensive groups, who were blowing by them on sweep dodges.
“I think a lot of our game is just very instinctual,” Pat Kavanagh said, “that stuff you see out there on game day, crazy backhands, behind-the-backs, around the worlds, me, Chris [Kavanagh] and also Jake Taylor, we practice that stuff.”
Offensively, Maryland came to a screeching halt after their hot start, struggling to get shots on goal and failing to beat Tewaaraton finalist goalie Liam Entenmann when they did.
These two factors, combined with Logan McNaney failing to record a first-half save, resulted in seven unanswered goals for Notre Dame over the course of the first two quarters.
An extra-man-opportunity goal from Eric Malever stopped the bleeding before halftime, but Maryland still headed to the locker room down 10-4.
The Terps needed a blistering start to the second half to get back in the game, but it did not come. The offense remained completely stagnant, failing to score until Kelly found the back of the net with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Entenmann was an unmovable force in the cage, and finished the game with a .762 save percentage.
“He doesn’t have any weaknesses,” Kelly said of Entenmann. “Sometimes we thought we had a good look and then he’d close it down by the time you went to shoot.”
Meanwhile, Notre Dame poured it on by adding four goals in third quarter.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the game was all but over. Notre Dame added one more goal to set the final score at 15-5.
Maryland’s five goals was the second-lowest output in any national championship game ever, beaten only by its own three-goal performance against Loyola (Maryland) in 2012.
“If you’re going to lose a game, this is the one you want to lose,” Tillman said, “because you’ve maximized your time with our kids.”
After the conclusion of the game, Chris Kavanagh was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Kelly, Zappitello and Wierman made the all-tournament team for the Terps.
Three things to know
1. Wierman’s dominance didn’t matter. Wierman did as much as Tillman could ask for, winning 17 of 24 faceoffs, but the Terps were unable to do anything with the extra possessions.
2. The Terps’ defense was forced to rotate. Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany praised Maryland’s defensive unit after their semifinal loss to the Terps, saying the Cavaliers just couldn’t draw slides against them. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s offense forced rotations the entire first half when they went on their run.
“I thought a huge part of the game was us being able to get leverage on their short sticks and cause them to slide around a little bit,” Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan. “That makes picks harder, that makes everything harder.”
3. Offensive playmakers were absent. When the Terps struggled early in the year, much of the focus was on their lack of a true offensive star. These concerns were pushed aside when their offense thrived in the first three NCAA Tournament games, but the Terps inability to turn to a true star when they needed a goal became apparent against Notre Dame.
Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County Department of Police.
SILVER SPRING, MD. – A 15-year-old driver is in custody after allegedly striking an off-duty police officer’s vehicle and subsequently crashing into a residential home in Montgomery County.
What we know:
According to the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD), Fourth District officers responded to the 12800 block of Bushey Drive following reports of a vehicle colliding with a house.
Preliminary investigations reveal the incident began earlier when the teenage driver was allegedly involved in an initial collision with an off-duty police officer. Rather than stopping, the 15-year-old sped away from the scene, police say. The brief flight ended when the driver lost control and crashed directly into a nearby home.
Authorities confirmed that two other occupants who were inside the vehicle fled the scene on foot immediately after the house crash and remain at large.
The off-duty officer involved in the initial collision did not require transport to a hospital, according to police.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services remained on the scene for several hours working to safely extract the vehicle from the structure.
What we don’t know:
The incident remains under investigation.
The Source: Information from the Montgomery County Department of Police.
Maryland’s 2026 primary election is almost in the books, so it’s time to recognize the –ests among the results — best, worst and weirdest.
Hear me roar
Tie: Vanessa Atterbeary, Aisha Braveboy, Allison Pickard
If these Democrats win in November — almost a sure thing given the weakness of their opponents — women will be the executives of Howard, Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties. That’s a first.
If incumbents Julie Giordano in Wicomico and Jessica Fitzwater in Frederick also win in November, at least five of the nine county executives will be women. That’s another first.
The results also put Black women and men — Braveboy, Atterbeary, Will Jawando in Montgomery County and Julian Jones in Baltimore County — in four of the executive offices, one more first.
The results set up an interesting tier of possible candidates for governor in 2030, the highest office in the state that’s still male-only territory.
Runner-up: Pam Beidle. The retiring state senator funded a slate of candidates that almost swept the Anne Arundel primary.
Small fortune
David Trone
Ever hear the one about the best way to make a small fortune? Start with a big one and then run for office.
Trone, the liquor store magnate, loaned himself $25 million for his Democratic campaign to win back the 6th Congressional District seat. He lost to his successor, Rep. April McClain-Delaney.
That’s on top of $57 million he loaned to his campaign for the U.S Senate seat in 2024. He lost that one to U.S. Sen Angela Alsobrooks.
It’s proof of many things. Most notably, the liquor business is very profitable.
Runner-up: Quincy Bareebe. The business owner loaned her 5th Congressional District campaign $8 million.
Clout and about
Wes Moore
The governor’s campaign says 93% of the candidates he endorsed won, and this election solidifies his leadership of the Maryland Democratic Party.
In an email titled “Wes Moore is Maryland’s Kingmaker,” spokesman Carter Elliott said the governor pushed candidates over the top across the state. In some cases, he wrote, the winners were lagging in polls until Moore’s boost.
Among the 200 endorsements, the campaign highlighted Del. Adrian Boafo in the 5th Congressional District primary, McClain-Delaney in the 6th, and Atterbeary, Jawando and Jones in county executive races.
Others he mentioned include Sarah David’s win for the Baltimore County prosecutor’s office, Malcolm Ruff in a Baltimore state Senate race and Tara Jackson in the Democratic primary for Prince George’s state’s attorney
Runners up: Cryptocurrency and pro-Israel super PACS. They spent $8.8 million to elect Boafo.
Nonliving candidate
Nancy Jane Taylor
The Republican candidate for governor was one of nine in the primary that 2022 candidate Dan Cox won.
Taylor passed away May 23, but her family used her obituary for one final pitch, asking friends and loved ones to remember her by voting for her.
The Hagerstown woman and her running mate, daughter Rachel Hannah “Mohawk” Swift, earned 2,618 votes. That was good enough to beat one other candidate.
Runner-up: Ralph Jaffe. The Baltimore County perennial candidate died in February.
Best for everyone
Dalya Attar
Whatever the outcome of salacious charges involving alleged sex tapes and blackmail facing the state senator from Baltimore, voters shouldn’t be dragged into it.
Ruff defeated Attar in a contentious Democratic primary that included accusations of antisemitism.
Now she can focus on her defense.
Runner-up: Marc Knapp. Removed from the Anne Arundel Orphans Court for misconduct, voters rejected his bid to regain his seat.
Public financing
Will Jawando
Jawando won the Montgomery County executive Democratic primary, tantamount to taking the office, on a publicly financed campaign. It’s the biggest victory this year for a candidate using the system.
The state and five counties now offer this option.
Runner-up: Gavin Buckley. The former Annapolis mayor was one of two candidates in Anne Arundel’s new system, and the only one to win.
Stuntastic
Bobby LaPin
The social media phenom’s campaign was in some ways a stunt, although one good enough to make Senate President Bill Ferguson change his approach to the election and, maybe, his job.
Runner-up: Mark Conway. The Baltimore councilman used guerrilla tactics in his unsuccessful challenge to Rep. Kweisi Mfume, notably an April debate challenge at the congressman’s office.
See you in court
Gabriel Acevero
The Montgomery County delegate won likely reelection to the General Assembly, but he’s got to go to court first.
The delegate exchanged punches with local union leader Gino Renne at an early voting site in Gaithersburg. Both men say the other started it, and both said they would file assault charges.
Runner-up: Jared DeMarinis. The state elections director blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to seize Maryland voter rolls, but now faces a Republican lawsuit to block certification of primary results.
Political toast
Ed Hale
Party switching, delusions of grandeur and ethically gray AI ads do not a statesman make. The former banker should take his Republican primary loss to Cox in the governor’s race as an invitation to exit stage right.
Runner-up: Nancy King. The 76-year-old Senate majority leader from Montgomery County lost a surprise squeaker to Amar Mukunda, 33.
Runner-runner-up: Harry Dunn. A hero of Jan. 6 to be sure, but twice defeated in runs for Congress is a sign that maybe it’s time to move on.
Biggest loser
Independent voters
Many winners in the Democratic primaries now go on to almost certain election in November.
Maryland has closed primaries, so all taxpayers fund elections that only party members decide. In races where one party has an unbreakable majority, primaries serve as the general election.
So when turnout sinks to an anemic 20% as it did in this primary, a teensy portion of the electorate is calling the shots. If you’re an unaffiliated voter, you’re silenced.
If it sounds like taxation without representation, it’s not. It just sounds like it.
Runner-up: Republicans. Maryland’s perennial runner-up is on a path to finish second, again.
Did I miss something? Absolutely.
Now it’s your turn. Look forward to your comments below.
A Maryland man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for making online threats toward Black and Muslim communities and politicians.
Raymond Pumphrey, 47, from Brooklyn, Maryland, pleaded guilty to making threats transmitted by interstate communication with the cybercrime, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced.
Social media sites used for hateful comments
Pumphrey made threatening posts on the social media platform YouTube and other social media sites, according to the guilty plea. He commented primarily on news stories.
According to court records, he used the social media platforms for hateful rhetoric, particularly attacking Black and Muslim communities. He threatened to participate in the killing of Black multiple large cities across the country.
Pumphrey also threatened to kill multiple politicians and members of their families.
CAIR Maryland responds to sentencing
The Maryland Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR Maryland) applauded the court’s sentencing. The organization condemned the threats, saying that “threats of violence targeting minority communities would not be tolerated.”
“We welcome today’s sentence as another important step toward accountability for those who use online platforms to target Black, Muslim, and other vulnerable communities,” CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry stated. “Hate-filled threats are not protected expressions of opinion. They are criminal acts that inflict real fear, undermine public safety, and can inspire acts of violence.
Chaudry continued, “We thank federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies for pursuing this case and demonstrating that those who target minority communities with threats of violence will face serious consequences. At a time when hate incidents continue to impact communities across our nation, it is essential that authorities respond swiftly and decisively.”
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