No. 2 Terps Drop 13-12 Decision to No. 12 Princeton

Saturday, February 21

College Park, MD

12 PM

Maryland

1-2, 0-0

Princeton

1-1, 0-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Princeton	4	3	4	2	13
Maryland	4	2	3	3	12

2/21/2026 12:00:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery

Eric Spanos logged four goals in Maryland’s third game of the season.

COLLEGE PARK, MD — No. 2 Maryland fell to No. 12 Princeton 13-12 on Saturday afternoon at SECU Stadium. Eric Spanos netted four goals while Leo Johnson scored twice, but the Tigers had five multi-goal scorers as the Terps fell to 1-2.

Offense looked to be the early theme during a first quarter that featured eight total goals. Four different Terps got on the board as Maryland put five shots on net in the opening 15 minutes. Zach Whittier scored his first goal of the season before Spanos, Leo Johnson and Spencer Ford all found the back of the net in a 4-4 first quarter.

Zach Whittier gets the Terps on the board!#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/zwXez6kv2f
— Maryland Men's Lacrosse (@TerpsMLax) February 21, 2026

Maryland's defense settled in, holding the Tigers (1-1) scoreless for 15 minutes and 10 seconds across the end of the opening quarter and the start of the second. Princeton took a 5-4 lead midway through the period, but Elijah Stobaugh's sixth goal of the season quickly evened the game back up. Braden Erksa scored with nine seconds left in the half, but the Tigers led 7-6 midway through the contest.

Leo Johnson takes it himself!#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/8R0POl2XNy
— Maryland Men's Lacrosse (@TerpsMLax) February 21, 2026

Two remarkable, low-angle goals from Johnson and Matt Higgins highlighted Maryland's three-goal third quarter that saw the Terps hang with the leading Tigers. Spanos scored again in the frame, but Princeton took an 11-9 lead into the fourth. Spanos sealed his 11th-career hat trick with two goals in the final quarter, but the Tigers held on for their first win over Maryland in their last meetings.

Matt Higgins gets his career first to bring the Terps back within one!#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/7lxBVAVky3
— Maryland Men's Lacrosse (@TerpsMLax) February 21, 2026

Will Schaller was tasked with guarding Nate Kabiri, Princeton's leading scorer, and the Terp defenseman held him to a lone assist in Saturday's clash. Jonah Carrier and Henry Dodge combined for Maryland's 18 face-off wins while six different Terps grabbed multiple ground balls. Carrier led all players with six in the loss.

How it Happened:
1st Quarter:

Princeton opened the scoring with a goal in the first minute of play.
Whittier's first goal of the season tied the game less than two minutes in.
Spanos and Johnson scored back-to-back goals as Maryland claimed a 3-2 lead.
Ford's third goal of the season put the Terps up 4-2 six minutes in.
Princeton used back-to-back goals to tie the game midway through the period.
The game was tied at 4-4 after 15 minutes of action.

2nd Quarter:

Brian Ruppel made a huge save midway through the period.
Princeton took a 5-4 lead with 6:58 to play, snapping a 15-minute Tigers scoring drought.
Stobaugh's sixth of the year tied the game with 5:17 to go.
The Tigers used a pair of quick goals to claim a 7-5 lead.
Erksa's third of the season cut the deficit to 7-6 at the half.

3rd Quarter:

Princeton opened the scoring five minutes into the half.
The Tigers scored the first two goals of the quarter to claim a 9-6 lead.
Johnson's ninth goal of the year got Maryland's scoring started in the third.
Wiggins sniped his first of the year to bring Maryland within a goal.
Princeton reached double digits with 4:53 to play.
Spanos' second of the day gave the Terps their ninth goal of the day.
The Tigers scored with two seconds left to take a 11-9 lead into the fourth.

4th Quarter:

Princeton scored the first two goals of the frame to capture a 13-9 advantage.
Spanos clinched his hat trick to put the Terps in double figures.
Ruppel made a save with 3:42 to play.
Spanos scored his fourth with 3:16 left.
Chris Lyons made it a one-goal game with 1:27 to go.
Priceton held on for the 13-12 win.

Multi-Point Terps:

Spanos (four goals) logged his 11th-career hat trick, his 27th-career multi-goal game, and his 36th-career multi-point game.
Johnson (two goals, one assist) recorded his 31st multi-goal game and his 44th-career multi-point game.
Lyons (one goal, two assists) tallied multiple points for the 33rd time in his career.
Whittier (one goal, two assists) logged his 15th-career multi-point game.

Numbers to Know:

4: Spanos scored a game-high four goals.
15: The Terps kept Princeton from scoring for 15:10 minutes in the first and second quarters.
18: Maryland won 18 faceoffs to Princeton's 11.
38: Maryland outshot Princeton 38-30.

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