Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals preview: No. 3-seed Maryland men’s lacrosse vs. No. 6-seed Rutgers

While No. 3-seed Maryland men’s lacrosse’s defense was steady during conference play — it held four of five Big Ten foes to single-digit goals — its offense let it down on numerous occasions. Saturday was no different.

The Terps limited No. 1-seed Johns Hopkins to just nine goals, including one third-quarter score. Maryland’s sturdy defensive play should’ve been enough to fuel it to victory, but the offense didn’t provide enough firepower.

Misfired passes and drops, all part of the Terps’ early-season struggles, resurfaced in the high-stakes matchup. Leo Johnson and Eric Spanos tried to will Maryland back from its three-goal deficit, but their efforts were thwarted after Chris Lyons’ game-tying shot doinked off the post.

That defeat put the Terps on the bubble of an at-large selection. They need to win three games in eight days during the Big Ten Tournament to feel safe about their postseason chances. In a season filled with national championship expectations, an NCAA Tournament appearance is now far from guaranteed.

Maryland must turn its attention to No. 6-seed Rutgers. The Terps open their conference tournament journey on Saturday at SECU Stadium. That game begins at 6 p.m. and will stream on Big Ten Plus.

What happened last time

After needing overtime to pull off its previous ranked wins, Maryland lacked a complete victory on its resume. The Terps answered the bell, delivering a signature 12-2 win over Rutgers to clinch their share of the Big Ten title.

But the start was far from promising.

The Scarlet Knights scored just 90 seconds into the game — one of Greyson Vorgang’s team-high two goals. The tide quickly changed on Maryland’s first man-up opportunity, as Spanos linked up with Spencer Ford. The Terps never looked back.

Seven different first-half goalscorers fueled Maryland to take an 8-1 halftime lead. Most of the damage came in the second quarter. The Terps netted six goals during the period, their most in a frame since the season opener.

Vorgang’s final goal in the third quarter snapped Maryland’s run of nine unanswered scores and Rutgers’ near 36-minute scoring drought. But the Scarlet Knights’ supporting cast failed to make an impact, leaving Vorgang as the team’s only productive attacker.

Colin Kurdyla, the Big Ten’s most prolific weapon with 28 goals and 27 assists, was a nonfactor while matched up against Peter Laake. The sophomore defender limited Kurdyla to just two shots and his first pointless performance of the season.