In the final seconds of Saturday’s game, No. 7 Maryland men’s lacrosse senior attacker Leo Johnson had scored the Terps last two goals. He inched toward the net with a chance to tie the game and clinch a full share of the Big Ten title.
The shot bounced… Then hit the post. It rimmed out.
No. 13 Johns Hopkins gained possession. Seconds later, the Blue Jays’ players stormed the field in celebration. In the biggest rivalry in college lacrosse, the Terps lost a 9-8 heartbreaker at Homewood Field.
The win gives Johns Hopkins the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, while Maryland falls to No. 3.
The Terps had previously clinched a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, but with the loss, Johns Hopkins, Penn State and Ohio State will split the title with Maryland.
As this season has been relatively disappointing, Saturday was a chance for the Terps to sustain momentum heading into the postseason.
It would’ve also stamped the Terps’ bid to host their first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. The committee announced Maryland as the No. 9 overall seed earlier on Saturday. Now Maryland will have work to do heading into the Big Ten tournament.
Maryland’s offense looked extremely out of sorts throughout the first half, especially in the second quarter. The Terps had a quick burst of two goals midway through the first quarter; outside of that stretch, the attack was unproductive.
Maryland’s biggest offensive issue was ball security when being pressured by Johns Hopkins’ defense. The Terps turned it over eight times in the first half and struggled to beat defenders one-on-one.
Turnovers had been the biggest problem for Maryland earlier in the season during its 1-3 start. During its stretch of wins, the problem seemed to be solved, but it reared its head against the Blue Jays with disastrous consequences.
The Terps scored zero goals in the second quarter, making it just the second time all season they have gone a full quarter without scoring.
The Terps offense was finally able to produce consistent attacking chances in the second half. Face-offs proved to be crucial, with both Henry Dodge and Jonah Carrier winning 60% of their attempts.
When Maryland’s offense was able to produce chances to score, Johns Hopkins goalkeeper Oran Gelinas was up to the task.
Johns Hopkins relied on its goalkeeper throughout the game, with Gelanis covering up nearly all the mistakes the defense made throughout the game. Maryland was able to muster up 22 shots on goal, but Gelanis saved 14.
During crunch time, Maryland needed goals. The Terps couldn’t get the ball past Gelanis enough when they needed to. Spencer Ford had multiple huge chances and it took two phenomenal saves to keep the ball out of the net.
Leo Johnson proved to be the lone Maryland attacker who could beat Gelanis late in the game. The Terps charged late in the game, led by Johnson’s two goals.
Gelinas’s counterpart performed great as well. Despite the Terps struggles on attack throughout the game, led by Brian Ruppel, the Terps’ defense did not have the same problems.
Ruppel was strong in the net, keeping Johns Hopkins from building on its lead enough to bring the game out of reach early. Of the 21 shots he faced, Ruppel saved 12, good for a 57.1% save percentage.
Ruppel had been steadily improving over the course of the season, culminating in another solid performance in the biggest game of the season against the Blue Jays.
Maryland will need to rebound from its three-game winning streak being snapped, but the Terps have little room for error while trying to build back the momentum.
The Terps would also have to play an extra Big Ten tournament game en route to an eventual championship game appearance.
Losing to Johns Hopkins gives Maryland a much more difficult path to a deep postseason run, and it will be important for the Terps to have a strong showing in the Big Ten tournament to secure a bid in the NCAA tournament.
