Men's Lacrosse
#8Maryland (8-4) (3-2B1G / #2 Seed)vs. #9Penn State(10-3) (3-2B1G / #3 Seed)
B1G Semifinals
May 2, 2024
Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium
8:30 PM
BTN
COLLEGE PARK, MD-The second-seeded Terps begin postseason play with a Big Ten Semifinal matchup against third-seeded Penn State in Columbus, OH at 8:30 pm on Thursday, May 2. This marks the first meeting between the two teams in the Big TenTournament since 2017, where the Terps won 8-6.
The winner of the game will meet the winner of the semifinal between No. 1 Johns Hopkins and No. 4 Michigan in thechampionship game on May 4 at 8 p.m. at the Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium. The Blue Jays and Wolverines play in thefirst semifinal at 6 p.m. on May 2.
No. 8 Maryland is 8-4 on the season heading into its first postseason game. Maryland has wins over Richmond, Loyola,Syracuse, Princeton, Brown, Penn State, Ohio State and Rutgers. The Terps' losses were to Notre Dame, Virginia, Michigan and Johns Hopkins.
The 9th-ranked Nittany Lions are 10-3 overall and are coming off a 14-8 win in the Big Ten Quarterfinals over Rutgers.Penn State has won three straight games heading into Columbus.
series history - Penn State
- Maryland is 41-1 all-time against Penn State since the two programs first met in 1924. Since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2015, the Terps lead the series 10-1.
- The two teams met earlier this season in State College in an instant classic. The Terps were down by as many as five goals and trailed 8-4 at halftime. Down 10-7 heading into the third quarter, the Terps rattled off six straight goals and came away with a 13-11 victory. Jack Koras led the way with four goals and Luke Wierman went 16-of-27 at the faceoff dot.
- The last time the two teams met in the Big Ten Tournament came in 2017 under similar circ*mstances as this meeting. The teams faced off in Columbus, OH in the Big Ten Semifinals. The top-seeded Terps came away with a hard-fought 8-6 win as Dan Morris matched his career high at the time with 16 saves and Connor Kelly scored four goals.
- Penn State won its only game of the series, 13-10, on March 31, 2019, in College Park. The Terps won the first 36 games of the series from 1924 until 2019.
Daniel Maltz scored two fourth-quarter goals within eight seconds of each other to help the Terps complete the comeback over the Nittany Lions on March 31.
Wierman In the record books
- With his 12th of 17 face-off wins against Richmond on Feb. 3, Luke Wiermanbecame Maryland's all-time program leader in face-off wins. He broke Andy Claxton's record of 648 that had stood for over three decades. Against Johns Hopkins on April 20, Wierman added ninemore faceoff wins and now has 790all-time.
- Wierman is also climbing up the career groundballs list. With seven groundballs against Michigan, heofficially becamethe second Terp all-time with 400+ groundballs in his career. Thanks to fivegroundballs vs. Johns Hopkins, he nowstandsat 426for his career and only trails Andy Claxton and his 451 all-time.
- Wierman set yet another program record against Princeton on Feb. 24, 2024 as he won a remarkable 20 of 23 faceoffs for 87%, marking the highest faceoff win percentage in program history for those who won a minimum of 20 faceoffs.
Luke Wierman set Maryland's all-time single-game faceoff percentage recordagainst Princeton on Feb. 24 when he won 20 of 23 for 87%.
McNaney Returns, continues to climb rankings
- When Logan McNaney started in cage at Richmond on Saturday, Feb. 3, it marked his first game action in just under a year. After suffering a season-ending ACL injury against Loyola last season, McNaney missed the remainder of the 2023 season. Against the Spiders, McNaney played all 65:05 minutes and made 13 saves, including two in overtime.
- Behind a nine-save performance at Penn State, McNaney officiallybecame just the fourth Terp ever to eclipse 500 career saves.
- Against Rutgers, he made a season-high 15saves and allowed just sixgoals. He made another 10 saves at Johns Hopkins, bringing him to 537career saves.
Against Rutgers on April 13, Logan McNaneynot only made a season-high 15 saves, he also tied his career best with seven groundballs.
Maltz Reaches100 Career goals, Moving up the career points list
- Daniel Maltzscored the game's first goal between the Terps and Fighting Irish and officially cemented himself as the 18th Terp in program history to score at least 100 points.
- Additionally, starting with C. Rennie Smith, who totaled 128 career points from 1955-58, a total of 61 Maryland men's lacrosse student-athletes have reached the 100-point milestone for their careers. Maltzis the latest Terp on the 100-career-points list afterhis four points vs. Notre Dame on March 3, 2023.
- Maltz currently sits 29thall-time with 146career points and 13th all-time with 110career goals. Against Michigan on March 23, Maltz led the Terps with four points on three goals and an assist.
- Maltz also notched an extra-man goal against the Wolverines, putting him in a three-way tie for fifth all-time in EMO goals with 16 in his career. Joe Walters stands No. 1 in that category with 20 extra-man goals to his name.
Maltz reached the 100-goal mark on March 3 against the Irish.
Zappitello on the caused turnover charts
- Ajax Zappitello is climbing the career caused turnovers list. With 66CT's, he's now in sole possession of No. 11.
- Zappitellois one of just 16 Terps to eclipse 50 caused turnovers.
- He caused at least one turnover in each of the first 10games this season, and has multiple in eightgames.
- Zappitello, who was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last week, has caused 18 turnovers this season, the fourth most in the Big Ten. He became the fifth Terp to be named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a Terphas taken home the award forfour straight years now.
Zappitello caused a season-high three turnovers at No. 7 Syracuse on Feb. 17 while guarding Joey Spallina.
Overtime is terp time
- In three of the first six gamesthis season, the Terps have found themselves in overtime---coming out victorious in all three.
- Owen Murphy got the job done in Maryland's season opener at Richmond, connecting from deep in 2OT. SSDM George Stamos was the unlikely hero at Syracuse, notching the game-winner off a successful Maryland clear. Daniel Maltz notched the winner against Brown, coming off a feed from Braden Erksa.
- Maryland went 2-1 in overtime games last season, with overtime wins at No.1 Virginia and at No. 19 Ohio State.
- The Terps are 15-8 in overtime games under John Tillman and have won five straight dating back to last season.
Three different Terps have score game-winner in overtime this season (Owen Murphy, George Stamos and Daniel Maltz)
10: The magic number
- Since John Tillman took over the program in 2011, Maryland has won 158of the 180games in which it has scored 10 or more goals for a .878winning percentage.
- Additionally, Maryland is 124-12 since Tillman took over the program in 2011 when it allows nine goals or less for a .912 winning percentage, including a 51-game winning streak when holding foes to less than 10 goals from 2017 to April 20, 2024.
Maryland huddles after an 11-6 win over Rutgers on April 13.
History of success
- Maryland hasan all-time record of 890-287-4 (.755), dating back to the first varsity team in 1924 (a team was not fielded in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II). Maryland has finished with a .500 or better record in all 98seasons. Theprogram reached the 800-win milestone with a 12-6 victory on April 12, 2017, at Albany.
- The Terps boast four NCAA Championships, 28 Final Four appearances and 522 All-Americans.
- With a 14-9 win at No. 5 Johns Hopkins on May 4, 2023 in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinal, the Terps extended theirstreak of double-digit win seasons to 20, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I men's lacrosse. The streak also coincides with the Terps making 20 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, also the longest such streak in the country in NCAA Division I men's lacrosse.
- Since joining the Big Ten in 2015, Maryland is 41-9(.820) in conference play.
The Terps won the 2022 National Championship with a perfect 18-0 record.
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Players Mentioned
-
#10 Braden Erksa
- A
- 6' 0"
- Sophom*ore
-
#22 Jack Koras
- M
- 6' 0"
- Senior
-
#37 Daniel Maltz
- A
- 6' 2"
- Senior
-
#30 Logan McNaney
- G
- 5' 10"
- Graduate Student
-
#55 Owen Murphy
- A/M
- 6' 0"
- Senior
-
#54 George Stamos
- M
- 6' 0"
- Sophom*ore
-
#52 Luke Wierman
- FO
- 6' 2"
- Graduate Student
-
#1 Ajax Zappitello
- D
- 6' 1"
- Senior
Players Mentioned
-
#10 Braden Erksa
- 6' 0"
- Sophom*ore
- A
-
#22 Jack Koras
- 6' 0"
- Senior
- M
-
#37 Daniel Maltz
- 6' 2"
- Senior
- A
-
#30 Logan McNaney
- 5' 10"
- Graduate Student
- G
-
#55 Owen Murphy
- 6' 0"
- Senior
- A/M
-
#54 George Stamos
- 6' 0"
- Sophom*ore
- M
-
#52 Luke Wierman
- 6' 2"
- Graduate Student
- FO
-
#1 Ajax Zappitello
- 6' 1"
- Senior
- D
