Big Ten lacrosse is the best it has been in quite some time. The conference has been fairly competitive over the past few years, but something about 2025 feels different. It seems like just about any team within the conference landscape can go on a run at any moment. We’ve seen this in years past, with Michigan pulling off upset victories in the Big Ten lacrosse tournament.
Big Ten conference play is going to be a bloodbath this year. With conference play kicking off right around the corner, I want to take a look at where these teams currently stand, breaking them up into five statistical categories to better represent their performances. In the coming weeks, this list will likely become useless as teams start going head-to-head. However, I find some enjoyment in analyzing Big Ten lacrosse before the teams tear each other apart in conference play.
Records
This category is closer than some may realize. Maryland sits on top with a flawless 7-0 record, followed by Ohio State and Penn State, who each have one loss—on top of the Buckeyes’ eight wins and Penn State’s six. Hopkins hit a bump in the road but still holds a respectable 6-2 record. Michigan and Rutgers have been somewhat lackluster, with the Wolverines sitting at 4-4 and the Scarlet Knights at 4-5. It’s good to see most of these teams handling their business out of conference, but the edge here definitely goes to Maryland, which has yet to have a blemish on its resume.
Winner: Maryland
Offense
Big Ten lacrosse offenses are never going to be as high-flying as the ACC. However, in 2025, multiple teams have come to play. Penn State is averaging a whopping 14.6 goals per game, followed by the Buckeyes at 13.3. Interestingly, Maryland and Hopkins sit almost neck and neck for goals per game at 11.6 and 11.4. How these points are generated is also fascinating—Penn State leads the pack with 9.3 assists per game, followed by Michigan at 7.9 and Ohio State at 7.8. It’s ironic to see Maryland, the only undefeated team, sitting fifth in this category, averaging 6.4 assists per game compared to their 11.6 goals. This is where the Terrapins’ shot selection shines, leading the pack with a 34% shooting percentage. Penn State and Hopkins are close behind, hovering around 32.7%. Based on the numbers, the edge goes to Penn State, leading in goals per game, assists per game, and coming in second in shooting percentage.
Winner: Penn State
Defense
It seems like the entire Big Ten lacrosse conference took the saying “defense wins championships” personally this year. For overall goals-against average, Maryland is shaping up to be one of the best defensive teams of all time, holding opponents to just 6.98 goals per game. This defense has done a lot of the heavy lifting for the Terrapins this season, and you don’t need statistics to recognize that. Ohio State comes in second with an even eight goals against per game, followed by Rutgers at 8.44. Hopkins sitting at dead last, allowing 10 goals per game, is quite concerning.
A lot of this comes down to goalkeeping, and Maryland is far and away the best in the country. Logan McNaney is by far the best goalie in Big Ten lacrosse, sitting at a 67% save percentage and averaging 14 saves per game. Maryland has shown that they aren’t just one of the best defenses in the Big Ten—they are arguably the best in the country.
Winner: Maryland
Faceoffs
Faceoffs are crucial for maintaining possession. There’s not much to analyze here other than overall faceoff win percentage, in which Rutgers surprisingly leads the pack at 60.9%. Right on their tail are the Nittany Lions at 60.3%, followed by Hopkins at 57%. The remaining teams hover near 50%, which is fine, but teams looking to make a run need a specialist winning at least 55% of draws. While Rutgers holds the best percentage, their struggles in other areas place them at the bottom of the Big Ten. With Penn State actually competing for a national championship, the edge has to go to the Nittany Lions.
Winner: Penn State
Turnovers
The turnover battle is interesting for a number of reasons. Maryland is currently turning the ball over the least, averaging 13.7 per game. Penn State follows closely, averaging 14.7. However, defensive pressure balances out this number, as caused turnovers can generate extra possessions. Maryland is averaging 5.9 caused turnovers per game, compared to Penn State’s 10.1. This is the deciding factor—while Penn State turns the ball over slightly more than Maryland, their ability to force four more turnovers per game swings the advantage in their favor.
Winner: Penn State
Conclusion
As stated earlier, this analysis of Big Ten lacrosse is essentially meaningless once the games are played. However, it is interesting to see Penn State taking three of the categories compared to Maryland’s two. Does this mean anything? Probably not. My biggest takeaway after putting this together is that Penn State is a lot closer to Maryland than I originally thought. But at the end of the day, the games have to be played, and with how the Big Ten lacrosse landscape is shaping up, anyone can beat anyone on any given day.
