#1 Maryland (0-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. Loyola (0-0, 0-0 Patriot League)
February 7, 2026
Jones-Hill House (NOTE NEW LOCATION)
2:30 PM (NOTE NEW TIME)
B1G+
Watch COLLEGE PARK, Md. — No. 1 Maryland (0–0) opens the 2026 season at home against Loyola at Jones Hill House at 2:30 p.m., marking a new venue and start time.
The 2026 campaign represents the 101st season of Maryland men's lacrosse. The program has produced 532 All-Americans, appeared in 30 Final Fours, and captured four NCAA national championships. Remarkably, the Terps have finished .500 or better in every season.
Important Information
With Saturday's men's lacrosse game moved inside to Jones-Hill House due to the weather, there will be limited attendance, and no further tickets are for sale. Family and friends of student-athletes from both teams will be able to attend and will receive tickets via their student-athlete and the request system. Additionally, those who have already purchased tickets will be permitted to attend.
Fans who can attend should enter via the Fieldhouse Drive entrance at Jones-Hill House, closest to the Union Lane Garage at 2 p.m., on Saturday. They will enter on the ground floor and take the stairs or elevator to the lobby level overlooking the field. There is no seating, as it is a standing room only. Note that portable chairs will not be permitted. An ADA area will be available as needed.
Please note that there are limited restrooms on the concourse of JHH, and concessions will not be available. Fans will be permitted to bring one sealed bottle of water into the venue. No glass or metal water bottles will be allowed in the venue.
Fans with additional questions can reach out to terpsgameday@umd.edu.
Terps playing in Jones-Hill House
- The Terps have played only one game at Jones Hill House, a March 12, 2022 matchup against Albany. The then–No. 1–ranked Terrapins defeated Albany 24–6 on Senior Day.
- That game marked the first Maryland athletic event in the Cole Field House venue since the final men's basketball game there on March 3, 2002.
Where we've been ...
- The reigning national runner-up Terrapins are coming off an NCAA-best 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and their 30th Final Four overall, the most of any program. Maryland advanced to the NCAA Championship game for the ninth time in the last 14 tournaments and the 18th time in program history. The Terps finished 14–4 and recorded double-digit wins for the 22nd straight season, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I men's lacrosse.
Maryland-Loyola History:
Last season, Maryland defeated Loyola in an 8–7 overtime thriller in Baltimore.
Matthew Keegan scored the game-winning goal in overtime, while
Eric Spanos contributed three goals and
Braden Erksa added one in the win.
Series history
- The Terps and the Greyhounds have a longstanding history as in-state rivals, dating back to their first meeting in 1940. Maryland leads the all-time series 23–3, including one matchup in the 2012 national title game.
- This will be the fifth consecutive meeting between the two programs. The Terps have won three of the previous four matchups, outscoring Loyola 39–19 in those victories.
- Last season, Maryland defeated Loyola in an 8–7 overtime thriller in Baltimore. Matthew Keegan scored the game-winning goal in overtime, while Eric Spanos contributed three goals and Braden Erksa added one in the win.
About the coaches
- John Tillman is in his 19th season as a head coach and his 16th with the Terps, owning a 215–75 career record for a .741 winning percentage—the highest among all active Division I coaches. Highlighted by an undefeated 2022 campaign, Tillman is 195–56 (.777) as Maryland's head coach.
- Charley Toomey, currently in his 21st season at Loyola, is the 20th head coach in program history. He owns a 187–112 career record and has led the Greyhounds to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances as head coach, including two Final Four appearances and one national championship — the first in program history.
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John Tillman is in his 19th season as a head coach and his 16th with the Terps.
Terps' 101st Season Of Lacrosse
- The Terps boast an all-time record of 906-295-4 (.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 73-18 (.802), 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).
Midway through the 2020s, the Terrapins are 73-18 (.802), 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).
Key Returners
- The Terps welcome back a trio of attackmen/midfielders who started the majority of games in 2025. Graduate student Eric Spanos has appeared in 51 career games, totaling 116 points (79 goals, 37 assists). Senior Braden Erksa has recorded 137 points in 51 games (83 goals, 54 assists), while graduate student Zach Whittier has added 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) over 48 games.
- Spanos was selected to wear the highly coveted No. 1 jersey this season, marking the first time since Jared Bernhardt (2019–21) that an offensive player has donned the jersey.
- Defensively, Maryland returns a trio of key contributors from its 2025 run: close defenseman Will Schaller, long-stick midfielder AJ Larkin, and short-stick defensive midfielder Eric Kolar. The group has combined for 128 games played.
- In goal, senior Brian Ruppel returns and is expected to anchor the Terps' defense after backing up 2022 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and career saves record holder Logan McNaney. Ruppel has appeared in 17 career games, starting 13 during the 2023 season following McNaney's season-ending injury. During that stretch, he recorded 138 saves while allowing 11.25 goals per game.
Meet the transfers
- The Terps welcome five transfers ahead of the 2026 season: Michael Alexander (Yale), Henry Dodge (Vermont), Trey Fleece (UMBC), Leo Johnson (Yale), and Chris Lyons (Yale). The group was ranked as the No. 1 transfer class in the nation by Inside Lacrosse.
- Alexander, a defender, played five seasons at Yale and earned three NEILA All-New England First Team selections along with All-Ivy League honors. He appeared in 55 games with 52 starts, recording 56 ground balls and 30 caused turnovers.
- Dodge, the 2025 America East Faceoff Specialist of the Year and a 2025 America East All-Conference First Team selection, played three seasons at Vermont. He appeared in 29 games and posted a .632 career faceoff winning percentage, totaling 179 ground balls. His 71 percent win rate in 2025 ranked among the best in Division I.
- Fleece, a short-stick defensive midfielder, played three seasons at UMBC, appearing in 35 games. He recorded 87 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers and was named Second Team All-America East in 2025.
- Johnson, an attacker, spent four seasons at Yale, playing three seasons and appearing in 45 games. He totaled 101 goals, 71 assists, and 69 ground balls. Johnson was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List in 2025 and earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors.
- Lyons, also an attacker, spent four seasons at Yale, playing three seasons and appearing in 41 games. He recorded 128 goals, 35 assists, and 50 ground balls. Lyons was named an All-American and an All-Ivy League selection in 2023 and was on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List in 2025.
Season openers
- Maryland has won 32 consecutive season-opening games dating back to the 1994 season. The Terps are 96-3-1 all-time in season openers dating back to the program's first varsity season in 1924.
- In the 2025 season opener against Richmond, the Terps scored the first seven goals of the game while holding the Spiders scoreless for 31:03. It marked the first time they posted a first-half shutout since March. 23, 2015, against Robert Morris. The Terps led 9-0 at the break and went on to win 12-7.
Home Cooking
- Maryland has won 33 of its last 38 (.868) home games and was 4-1 at SECU Stadium in 2025.
- The Terps are 90-20 (.818) overall in home games under John Tillman since 2011.
