Big Ten Tournament semifinals preview: No. 3-seed Maryland men’s lacrosse vs. No. 2-seed Penn State

Penn State’s long-range efforts coupled with Maryland winning four of the ensuing five faceoffs allowed it to slowly claw back into the game. The offensive production came from the Terps’ midfield unit. AJ Larkin netted a brace, while Chris Lyons and Zach Whittier each scored once.

After trailing by five goals at one point, Maryland’s deficit stood at one with seven minutes remaining. The Terps didn’t get the chance to fire the game-tying look, though. Penn State corralled the faceoff and immediately snapped their 35-minute scoring drought.

The Nittany Lions added a pair of insurance goals to effectively seal the game, handing Maryland its largest defeat of the regular season. The Terps’ lone loss in the faceoff battle didn’t help either.

While 20 of Maryland’s 28 shots were on goal, Penn State goalie Preston Hawkins was up for the challenge. The freshman recorded a career-high 14 saves, including five stops in the fourth quarter. Brian Ruppel came up with 11 saves to limit the damage.

What’s happened since

The Terps have been playing their best lacrosse of the season since that game. Maryland’s defense has allowed just 7.2 goals per contest, fueling it to win four of their next five games.

Spanos’ return has also jolted the attack. Behind his eight-goal outing, the Terps dismantled Michigan to begin their three-game winning streak. Spanos added a pair of five-point performances against Rutgers.

But Maryland’s loss to then-No. 12 Johns Hopkins eliminated its chances of earning a Big Ten Tournament first-round bye.

Penn State produced dominant victories over Ohio State and Rutgers — it scored a combined 29 goals across those games. With the Nittany Lions’ top attacker Hunter Aquino back from injury, the offense was unstoppable in their last contest — a 16-8 win over the Scarlet Knights.

That high overshadowed one-goal losses to Johns Hopkins and Michigan. The Nittany Lions blew a five-goal lead against the Blue Jays and tied their season-low with eight goals in a demoralizing home loss to the Wolverines.

Three things to watch

1. What defense does Maryland play? Tillman switched to a zone defense midway through the first meeting, and found success. Penn State was held scoreless for 35 minutes across the second, third and fourth quarters. While the Terps’ man-to-man defense has been stout in recent weeks, it will be interesting to see if Tillman leans on that defensive system on Thursday.

2. Short rest. Maryland is one of just five Division I programs that didn’t schedule a midweek game this season. The Terps’ coaching staff has opted to maximize its practice time instead of simulating the short rest that comes with postseason play. Heavy legs could affect the Terps on Thursday.

3. Offensive firepower. Maryland has been forced to grind out multiple wins this season, relying on its defense to keep games low-scoring. While that’s worked against most of the Big Ten teams, Penn State holds the conference’s most potent attack — it scores nearly two more goals per game than the Terps. Maryland will need to click offensively to keep up with the Nittany Lions’ dangerous attack.