How Maryland men’s lacrosse’s season slipped away: ‘Unprecedented’

The 2026 season was shaping up to be a memorable one for Maryland men’s lacrosse.

Coming off a campaign in which the Terps had competed for the national title for the fourth time in the past five years, they returned four starters, including reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Will Schaller, welcomed five transfers who made up the top transfer class, according to Inside Lacrosse, and added a freshman group headlined by two top-20 recruits.

But in a span of three months, that promise unraveled as Maryland dropped three of its first four games, fell to Penn State and archrival Johns Hopkins in Big Ten play, and was bounced from the conference tournament semifinal by the Nittany Lions.

The final nail in the coffin came Sunday night, when the Terps were left out of the 18-team NCAA Tournament field, marking their first postseason absence since 2002.

That streak of 22 consecutive playoff appearances (not including 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic ended that season in mid-March) had been the third-longest in the sport’s history behind Johns Hopkins (41 from 1972 to 2012) and Syracuse (24 from 1983 to 2006).

One day after saying coach John Tillman would address the media on Monday, Reagan Bednar, a team spokeswoman, said Monday afternoon that Tillman was not available. A follow-up question about whether Tillman would talk on Tuesday went unanswered.

Tillman did not return a phone call or text seeking comment.

Maryland’s omission marked a shocking fall from grace as the team had been tabbed No. 1 in the preseason by Inside Lacrosse. Since at least 2001, every school that opened the year in the top spot had qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

On Sunday night, the Terps (7-6) were vying with Duke (9-4), Yale (9-5) and Harvard (9-5) for two at-large spots. According to Patrick Stevens of USA Lacrosse Magazine, Maryland owned the best strength of schedule (fourth) of the foursome, but the worst RPI (15th).

During ESPN’s broadcast of the bracket, analyst and former Johns Hopkins goalkeeper Quint Kessenich praised Terps coach John Tillman for arranging one of the toughest schedules in the country.

“I feel for the Terps,” he said. “Preseason No. 1.” At that point, fellow analyst and former Syracuse midfielder Paul Carcaterra admitted he voted for Maryland as the No. 1 team in the preseason.

“I don’t think I can ever recall the preseason No. 1 doesn’t make the tournament,” Kessenich continued. “Harvard, an 8-0 start, [but] doesn’t make the tournament. Those are unprecedented, I think, in lacrosse.”

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