No. 12 Maryland men’s lacrosse (4-4, 1-1 Big Ten) is coming off its overall best performance of the season.

It looks to carry the momentum against what could be the Terps’ toughest opponent left on its schedule.

Maryland will take on No. 9 Ohio State in what is a crucial matchup to sort out the Big Ten standings. The Terps and Buckeyes are tied for second in the Big Ten, along with Johns Hopkins and Rutgers.

With just three more conference games on Maryland’s schedule and the lack of room for error in terms of making the postseason, a win against a top-ten-ranked opponent would go a long way for NCAA tournament resume boosting.

The Terps have been dominant against the Buckeyes in the past. They’ve won the last seven regular-season outings and eight of the last 10 total matchups.

It is also a return home for Maryland, who have played its last two games on the road.

“Pysched to get back home,” head coach John Tillman said. “We love playing here. We love our fans.”

Ohio State

Ohio State (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) has been one of the best teams in the country so far this season, climbing as high as No. 6 in the rankings this season. Despite the Buckeyes’ phenomenal start, they were dismantled by Penn State last week, losing 13-6.

Even with the 13 goals allowed in its last game, Ohio State is led by its dominant defense. The Buckeyes have allowed just seven goals a game, including just four goals against Denver and five goals against Rutgers. Before the Penn State game, the Buckeyes’ defense had not allowed double-digit goals in a game all year.

Goalkeeper Caleb Fyock has the second-highest save percentage in the conference at .553, and with the elite-level defense in front of him, the junior has only needed to face 14.1 shots per game. He had his best game of the season against Denver, making 10 saves for a .714 save percentage.

While the defense has been arguably the best in the country, the offense has struggled at times this season. The Buckeyes average just 11 goals per game, which is the second-worst mark in the Big Ten.

The low goal tally is in part due to their play style, which focuses on defense and slowing the game down, but the lack of goal production could prove problematic if the defense falters, as it did against Penn State.

Leading the attack is junior Garrett Haas, who has scored a goal in every game this season. Haas has 35 total points, which is second in the Big Ten. He leads the team in goals and assists, with 20 and 15, respectively.

After Haas, the drop-off on offense is big. Only graduate student Alex Marinier has over 20 points on the year.

Ohio State will need to pick up its offensive production heavily against Maryland, with the Terps’ defense allowing just eight goals in their last game against Michigan.

Can Maryland’s offense produce?

Maryland has struggled to score at times this year, but its offense has been better in recent games. The Terps have scored 13 or more goals in three of the last four games, winning all three.

The key for Maryland’s offense is Eric Spanos and Leo Johnson, who each dominated last week against Michigan. Spanos scored a career-high eight goals against Michigan, while Johnson took on a playmaker role in stride, facilitating the offense alongside Spanos.

With Ohio State’s defense being elite, it will be crucial for the Terps attacking duo to replicate its success.