No. 12 Maryland men’s lacrosse trounces Michigan, 14-8

In just his second game back from injury, Eric Spanos stole the show during No. 12 Maryland men’s lacrosse’s Big Ten clash against Michigan.

With the Terps up by just two goals after the first quarter, the All-Big Ten first-teamer imposed his will on the Wolverines. Spanos netted four of his career-high eight goals in the second frame.

While Michigan clawed within a goal in the second half, Spanos struck once again minutes later. After receiving a pass on the wing, he faced up his defender and shuffled laterally to gain a sliver of separation. That’s all he needed. Spanos unleashed a rocket to the near post for his seventh goal of the game.

It was that kind of day for the senior attacker. Behind Spanos’ career game, Maryland coasted to a 14-8 road victory for its first Big Ten win of the season. His eight-goal performance was the program’s third-most in a game and highest since 2021.

Whether it was beating his defender from behind the cage or his off-ball movement, Michigan was left shellshocked on Saturday. The 6-foot-5 attacker was simply a matchup nightmare for the Wolverines, and Maryland kept feeding him the ball.

Spanos’ return came at a pivotal time for the Terps.

Maryland’s offense has been heavily reliant on Leo Johnson this season. At points, the senior attacker has been the team’s only scoring option.

After netting a season-low six goals in their last game, the Terps needed a strong start against Michigan. Johnson once again delivered.

Nine minutes into the game, Maryland’s leading goalscorer found himself wide open after a pair of defenders left him alone. Johnson capitalized, nestling a shot inside the near post.

One possession later, Michigan didn’t make the same mistake. Johnson drew a double-team, which left Jack Schultz unmarked. The Yale transfer quickly realized and flipped the ball across his body to Schultz, who unleashed a missile into the top corner.

Johnson wasn’t done just yet. After Elijah Stobaugh’s well-worked screen, Johnson fired an incredible pass across the field to Chris Lyons standing on the doorstep. Lyons easily buried it past Michigan goalie Hunter Taylor in the final moments of the first quarter.

Johnson’s three-point first-quarter fueled the Terps to an early 4-2 lead. That cued Spanos’ onslaught. But the duo’s performances — they contributed to Maryland’s first 11 goals — weren’t enough to gain separation.

Defensive lapses and the Wolverines’ third-quarter faceoff dominance allowed them to chip away at Maryland’s four-goal halftime lead. Without Will Schaller for a second consecutive game, the Terps’ defense faltered.

In particular, Brian Ruppel struggled mightily. After four consecutive games with double-digit saves, the senior netminder was shaky on Saturday. Ruppel notched a season-low six stops for a .429 save percentage.

It wasn’t just his inability to stop shots, though. Ruppel made a pair of silly mistakes that directly led to goals. During the first quarter, the ball slipped out of his stick on a clear attempt and fell at the feet of Michigan’s top goalscorer Nick Roode. Later, a dropped save allowed the Wolverines to convert on a simple rebound shot.

But Michigan had its own share of sloppy giveaways.

The Wolverines failed four clears in the first half, including three in the second quarter. Those mistakes gave Maryland’s ruthless offense extra looks at the cage. Spanos’ third goal came on an empty-netter with Taylor unable to get the ball out of the defensive zone.

Once Michigan climbed back in the third quarter, Johnson and Spanos combined for consecutive scores to give the Terps some insurance. The Wolverines failed to score in the final 16 minutes, sealing Maryland’s dominant victory.

Three things to know

1. Offense returns to form. After its worst offensive output of the season, Maryland overpowered Michigan on Saturday. Spanos and Johnson were the catalysts early on, but the Terps also got some production from its supporting cast in the second half. Braden Erksa and Lyons added three goals of their own.

2. Efficient shooting. Maryland has struggled to convert its quality looks at points this season. But that wasn’t the case against Michigan. Fourteen of the Terps’ 25 shots on goal found the back of the net en route to the team’s highest scoring output since their first game.
3. Faceoffs prove vital. Henry Dodge and Jonah Carrier won all four bouts at X in the fourth quarter as Maryland scored the final five goals of the game. The Terps’ 62.5% faceoff win rate on Saturday allowed them to wear Michigan’s defense down.

from Testudo Times https://ift.tt/DxYFfL7