The Maryland lacrosse 2024 season was a bit of a rollercoaster from start to finish. They started strong out of the gate with a gritty double overtime win against Richmond on the road. It seems like Maryland always plays a close game early on in the season leading fans to be skeptical of the Terrapins. A solid 11-4 win over Loyola followed, but things got really intense when they traveled to Syracuse. This matchup against the Orange was as true thriller featuring an overtime victory, 13-12. Syracuse was no joke but fans seemingly continued to raise concerns about another overtime battle. Regardless at this point of the year, Maryland was building some solid momentum.
Then came another tough matchup this time at home with Princeton. They handled that game pretty comfortably, taking it 13-7, and everything seemed to be clicking. But the story shifted a bit when they ran into Notre Dame in South Bend. That game wasn’t pretty as Maryland took a tough 9-14 loss that really seemed to sting considering the teams aspirations. The team rebounded with another stressful overtime win against Brown 14-13, but followed it up with another tough loss, this time at home to Virginia, 10-14. That back-and-forth trend continued, including losses to Michigan and Johns Hopkins, while key wins came against teams like Penn State, Ohio State, and Rutgers.
By the end of the regular season, the Maryland lacrosse program showed they really struggled against elite teams and even lacked consistency at times, as shown in the 10 goal loss to Penn State in the Big Ten semifinals. They earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament and were able to get by Princeton, Duke, and Virginia to make it all the way to the big game! Sadly, Notre Dame showed why they will go down as one of the best teams of all time and throttled the Terrapins 5-15.
Maryland’s offensive production in 2024 was led by Braden Erksa, who paced the team with 41 points, thanks to 24 goals and 17 assists across all 17 games. Eric Spanos wasn’t far behind, tallying 25 goals and 14 assists, while Eric Malever added balance with 37 points. Daniel Maltz, despite missing two games, still racked up 34 points, tied with Jack Koras, who netted 23 goals. In goal, Logan McNaney anchored the defense, playing over 1,000 minutes and making 179 saves with a 10.43 GAA. Collectively, the team showcased depth but leaned heavily on key scorers to carry the offense.
Several key players from Maryland’s 2024 squad are set to return in 2025, bringing experience and hopefully growth from last year. Braden Erksa, the 2024 points leader, is back, and his ability to generate offense will be pivotal. Eric Spanos, who notched 39 points, also returns and adds a consistent scoring punch. Logan McNaney anchors the defense once again, which will truly be vital in keeping the Terrapin title hopes alive. These returning players form a solid core, and their impact will drive Maryland’s push for a deeper postseason run in 2025. The team is certainly going to need some young faces to step up as the team needs to keep building moving forward.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Maryland lacrosse has a challenging schedule filled with opportunities to prove themselves. The out-of-conference slate features some exciting matchups. They open at home against Richmond, looking to repeat last year’s thrilling win. They’ll travel to Loyola followed up with Syracuse at home which will definitely be a cold one in early February. Another repeat game against Princeton on the road might be a sleeper game but a neutral-site matchup against Notre Dame could be a season-defining moment. Delaware and Virginia follow after Notre Dame, so it will be interesting to see how the team handles its non-conference schedule.
In conference play, a home clash with Michigan and another against Penn State will provide key opportunities for wins on home turf. You really cannot stumble here as momentum is huge during conference play. Late-season games at Rutgers and Ohio State on the road will be critical for playoff seeding, while the season wraps up with a home game against Johns Hopkins, a classic rivalry showdown.
Maryland’s mix of tough road trips and pivotal home games makes this schedule a thrilling challenge for the 2025 team. They never make it easy on themselves as their out-of-conference schedule is grueling similar to last year. The benefit of this is that the team is going to face a lot of high level competition which should set them up for success down the line, which is exactly what we saw last year. Terrapin faithful certainly have a lot to look forward to, but the Maryland lacrosse program really needs a true star going forward. The team has lacked a face on offense for a couple of years now and you certainly need a Tewaaraton hopeful if you look to bring home some hardware at the end of the year.