#2Â Maryland (13-3, 3-2Â B1G)Â vs. #6 Syracuse (13-5, 2-2 ACC)
NCAA Tournament Semifinals
May 24, 2025
Gillette Stadium
2:30 PM
ESPN2
Watch COLLEGE PARK, MDÂ --Â No. 2-seed Maryland (13-3) plays its 30th NCAA Tournament semifinal game in school history when it battles No. 6-seed Syracuse at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, on Saturday, May 24. The game is set for an 2:30 p.m. face-off and will air on ESPN2.
This year marks the 100th season of Maryland men's lacrosse. The program has produced 525 All-Americans, 30 Final Fours, and four NCAA National Championships. The Terps have remarkably also finished .500 or better in every season.
Where we've been...
- This season, Maryland has wins over No. 18 Richmond, Loyola, No. 2 Syracuse, No. 5 Princeton, No. 1 Notre Dame, Delaware, No. 18 Virginia, No. 7 Penn State, No. 2 Ohio State, Johns Hopkins, No. 7 Penn State again in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, and Air Force and Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Terrapins' losses came at home to Michigan in 3OT, 11-10, at Rutgers, 8-6, and vs. Ohio State, 14-10, in the Big Ten Tournament finals at Michigan.
- With the Terps' 13-8 win over Penn State on March 29, Maryland joined Johns Hopkins and Syracuse as the only three schools with 900 all-time victories. The Terrapins .754 winning percentage is the best of any NCAA Division I school and far outpaces the Blue Jays (.727) and the Orange (.710).
Scouting The Orange
- The Orange are 13-5 this season after upsetting No. 3 seed Princeton, 19-18, in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in Hempstead, NY, on May 17. Syracuse earned an at-large bid after winning the ACC Tournament and have won its last four games with a 13.8 scoring average. The Orange are 3-1 in neutral site games in 2025.
- Offensively, the Orange are led by Tewaaraton Award finalist Joey Spallina. The junior attackman has 89 points on 35 goals and a team-leading 54 assists after tallying four goals and four assists in the quarterfinal win over Princeton. Redshirt-senior attackman Owen Hilt is the team leader in goals with 45, while also adding 27 assists for 72 points.
- In the midfield, first team IL All-American Sam English is a do-everything midfielder with 23 goals, 12 assistsm 62 groundballs and 11 caused turnovers. English was selected by the California Redwoods with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 PLL Draft. Second team IL All-American Michael Leo is third on the team in scoring with 42 points on 30 goals and 12 assists.
- Defensively, junior defender Billy Dwan III has 29 groundballs and 16 caused turnovers to go along with four points on three goals and one assist. Junior Jimmy McCool, the 2025 ACC Goalie of the Year, has started all 18 games in cage and has a 10.28 goals against average and a .540 save percentage.
- Sophomore John Mullen has taken 87.4% of Syracuse's face-offs this season and boasts a .639 win percentage and has a team-best 175 groundballs. Mullen is also a threat with the ball, totaling seven points on four goals and three assists in 2025.
- Gary Gait is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Orange men's lacrosse team and is 37-28 (.569). Prior to tak- ing over the helm of the men's program in 2022, Gait was the head coach of the Syracuse women's lacrosse team and owned a 214-75 (.740) record in 14 seasons. Gait was an assistant coach with the Maryland women's lacrosse team from 1994-2002, helping the Terps win seven NCAA championships.
Series history
- This will mark the 22nd meeting between two of the most storied programs in NCAA history with the Terps holding the 15-6 advantage. The series dates back to 1927.
- This will be the ninth game between Maryland and Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament with the series tied at 4-4.
- The Terps and Orange have played each regular season since 2022 with the Terps winning all four of those meetings.
- Earlier this season No. 6 Maryland topped No. 2 Syracuse in a back-and-forth game, 11-7, that saw six lead changes and five ties. In a defensive battle, the Terps broke away from the Orange with four straight goals by Eric Spanos, Daniel Kelly and Eliot Dubick to lead 8-5 late in the third quarter. Spanos had two goals in the quarter and finished the game with two scores to go along with two assists.
- The last meeting in the NCAA Tournament came in the 2016 quarterfinals in Providence, RI. The top-seeded Terps defeated No. 8 Syracuse, 13-7, behind a four-goal performance from Matt Rambo. The junior attackman tied a career high in goals and points with six as he added two assists on the day. Senior goalie Kyle Bernlohr was superb from the opening whistle, finishing with 15 saves.
- The last time Maryland and Syracuse met in the NCAA semifinals was 1997. The unseeded Terrapins played run-and-gun lacrosse with the high-powered Orange and thrilled the 30,580 at the then-Byrd Stadium with an 18-17 upset victory. Matt Hahn scored the game-winner off of a feed from Andrew Whipple with 2:27 left in the fourth quarter. The then-Orangemen had one last chance, but Brian Reese stipped Casey Powell with 36 seconds remaining to seal the Terrapin win. Hahn and Brian Zeller led the scoring for the Terps with three goals apiece, while Whipple was the top point scorer with five on a goal and four assists. Brian Haggerty was a key for the Terps, winning 20-of-33 face-offs with 14 groundballs.
- The first-ever meeting between Maryland and Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament was in the first round in 1979. The Orangemen opened up a 10-7 lead with 7:54 left in the third quarter when Bob Boneillo picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. When Boneillo returned to the field he sparked the Terrapin comeback. Maryland trailed 10-8 heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored Syracuse 8-3 over the final 15 minutes to advance to the semifinals. Boneillo led the way with six points on two goals and four assists, while John Lamon was close behind with five points on two goals and three assists. Barry Mitchell had a team-high four goals to go along with one assist for the Terps. Maryland goalie Bryant Waters had 13 saves, while Syracuse's Jamie Molloy had 21 in defeat.
NCAA Tournament Notes
- This marks Maryland's 47th appearance in program history and an NCAA-best 22nd straight appearance.
- Maryland's first-ever NCAA appearance came in 1971 when the Terps lost to top-seeded Cornell and former Terp Richie Moran in the championship game.
- Throughout the team's previous 47 appearances, the program is 75-42 (.641) all-time in the tournament with an NCAA-best 30 Final Four trips.
- Since 2011 under Coach Tillman, the Terps have made every tournament, gone 33-11 (.750), and earned 10 Championship Weekend appearances with two NCAA Championships. In addition, Tillman owns the most NCAA Tournament victories of any active coach with 33.
- Maryland has now made 30 NCAA Final Four appearances in program history, including 11 in 15 seasons under head coach John Tillman. Tillman is 8-2 in the semifinals.
- Did you know ... In Maryland's 11 semifinal appearances under John Tillman the Terrapins have played in the second semifinal game 11 times?
- NCAA Championships (4): 1973, 1975, 2017, 2022
- Finals (16): 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2024
- Final Four (30): 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
- Tournament Appearances (47): 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
As The No. 2 Seed
- This season marks just the fourth time since the tournament began in 1971 that Maryland is the No. 2 seed. The Terps are 6-3 all-time as the second seed after defeating Georgetown, 9-6, in the quarterfinals.
- The last time the Terps were the No. 2 seed was 2006. The Terps breezed through Denver, 16-8, in College Park in the first round behind six-point efforts by Max Ritz (5g-1a) and Joe Walters (1g-5a). Maryland then toppled No. 7-seed Princeton, 11-6, at Towson's Unitas Stadium in the quarterfinals. Walters led the Terps again with four points (2g-2a), while the close defense of Steve Whittenberg (4GB-6CT), Joe Cinosky (3GB-3CT), and Ray Megill (4GB-1CT) held the Tigers' offense in check. Maryland's run ended with an 8-5 loss to UMass in the semifinals in Philadelphia.
- The prior time Maryland was the second seed in the tournament was in 1996. After a bye in the first round, the Terps lost to No. 7-seeded Johns Hopkins in the quarterfinals.
- The first time as the 2nd-seed was 1979. Maryland reached the championship game with wins over No. 7-seed Syracuse, 16-13, in the quarterfinals and No. 3-seed Navy, 15-10. But the Terps lost to top-seeded Johns Hopkins, 15-9, in College Park in the finals.
Trio of Terps Picked In PLL Draft
- Maryland men's lacrosse standouts Logan McNaney, Jack McDonald, and Bryce Ford were selected in the 2025 Premier Lacrosse League Draft.
- McNaney was taken 11th overall by the Denver Outlaws, becoming the first goalie selected in the draft. McDonald followed at 16th overall in the second round, going to the Carolina Chaos. Ford rounded out the night, picked 32nd overall by the Utah Archers.
- With these selections, Maryland now boasts 76 professional outdoor lacrosse draftees and has had at least one top-12 pick in each of the last three drafts.
Consecutive 10-Win Seasons
Terps Represented in Big Ten Awards
- Will Schaller was named the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, headlining a group of several Maryland men's lacrosse players who earned postseason honors from the conference on Wednesday, April 23.
- Schaller was also named First Team All-Big Ten, joined by graduate goalie Logan McNaney and senior attackman Eric Spanos. Graduate long stick midfielder Jack McDonald was named to the Second Team, while three freshmen, attackman Jack Schultz, faceoff specialist Jonah Carrier, and defender Peter Laake, earned spots on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
- Schaller has anchored a Maryland defense that leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing just 7.54 goals per game. A three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Schaller has collected 23 ground balls and caused 19 turnovers. This marks Maryland's fifth consecutive Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honor and the seventh in program history.
- McNaney has been a steady presence in the cage, posting double-digit saves in 10 of 12 games this season and breaking Maryland's all-time career saves record against Ohio State, eclipsing a 41-year-old mark. He leads the Big Ten in goals-against average (7.56) and ranks second in save percentage (.603). McNaney was also named a Top-25 Tewaaraton Award finalist.
- Spanos has powered Maryland's offense with multiple goals in eight games this season. He leads the team in points (31) and ranks second in goals (21), placing top five in the Big Ten in both categories. He has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week four times and is also a Tewaaraton Top-25 finalist.
- McDonald has been a consistent defensive force, recording a team-high 35 ground balls and causing 10 turnovers. He has also scored once this season and earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors twice.
- Additionally, senior face-off specialist Shea Keethler was named Maryland's 2025 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
100th Season of maryland men's lacrosse
- The Terps boast an all-time record of 905-294-4 (.754), dating back to the first varsity team in 1924 (a team was not fielded in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II). Maryland has finished with a .500 or better record in all previous 99 seasons. The program reached the 800-win milestone with a 12-6 victory on April 12, 2017, at Albany and became just the third school with 900 wins on March 29, 2025, with a 13-8 win over Penn State.
- Maryland finished the decade of the 2010s 134-42 for a .761 winning percentage, making it the winningest decade in Terrapin lacrosse history. Nine of those seasons came under the direction of head coach John Tillman, who has posted a 122-38 record and a .763 winning percentage at the helm for Maryland.
- During the decade of the 2000s, Maryland went 111-49 for a .694 win percentage. In the decade of the 1990s, Maryland posted a 95-47 record. The .669 winning percentage matched Maryland's win percentage of the 1980s when the Terps went 83-41 and also compiled a .669 win percentage.
- Midway through the 2020s, the Terrapins are 72-17 (.809), which is on pace for the second-best winning percentage for a decade behind only the 1950s when the Terps were 84-15-1 (.845). The only other decade with a winning percentage of .800+ was the 1970s, with a mark of 85-21 (.802).
Grant Catalino scored the game-winning goal in OT to send the Terps back to the Final Four with a 6-5 victory over No. 1-seeded Syracuse in Gillette Stadium in the 2011 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
900 Victories
McNaney: Maryland's All-Time Saves Leader
Lockdown Defense
- The Terps have been excellent defensively in the 2025 campaign, holding its opponents to 10 goals or less in 14 of 16 games (and 15 of 16 in regulation).
- Maryland held its first eight opponents in 2025 to 10 goals or less. The last time the Terrapin defense had seven straight games allowing 10 or fewer goals was the final seven games of the 2017 season, when the Terps captured the NCAA Championship.
- Maryland's scoring defense of 7.81 is the second-best mark in the nation, first in the Big Ten, and first among teams still alive in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Terps held Delaware to just three goals. The last time the Terps held an opponent to three or fewer goals was on March 14, 2015, when they defeated Villanova 11-2.
- Maryland has held 14 of its 16 opponents to fewer goals then the opponents' season scoring average. Only Michigan (13 goals / 10.64 gpg) and Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament (14 goals / 12.69 gpg) have scored more than their season average against the Terps.
Scoring Average Differences
| Opponent |
Goals/Game |
vs. UMD |
Difference |
| Richmond |
13.67 |
7 |
-6.67 |
| Loyola |
9.29 |
7 |
-2.29 |
| Syracuse |
13.89 |
7 |
-6.89 |
| Princeton |
13.50 |
9 |
-4.50 |
| Notre Dame |
13.64 |
10 |
-3.64 |
| Delaware |
12.15 |
3 |
-9.15 |
| Virginia |
11.00 |
6 |
-5.00 |
| Michigan |
10.64 |
13 |
+2.36 |
| Penn State |
12.50 |
8 |
-4.50 |
| Rutgers |
9.00 |
8 |
-1.00 |
| Ohio State |
12.29 |
8 |
-4.29 |
| Johns Hopkins |
10.07 |
8 |
-2.07 |
| Penn State |
12.50 |
8 |
-4.50 |
| Ohio State |
12.29 |
13 |
+1.71 |
| Air Force |
12.18 |
5 |
-7.18 |
| Georgetown |
12.88 |
6 |
-6.88 |
A Trio Of Teros On The All-Time Points List
