No. 9 Maryland’s men’s lacrosse entered its game against No. 2 Notre Dame as losers of two straight, looking to avoid its worst start to a season since 1993. 

The near must-win game went poorly before the game even started, as Eric Spanos did not suit up despite being listed as a starter. 

It would then go from bad to worse. Notre Dame dominated the final three quarters, including seven straight goals at one point, with the Fighting Irish beating Maryland 11-8.

The offensive production came despite Maryland holding Notre Dame’s leading scorer, Josh Yago, to zero points all game. The Fighting Irish’s depth shone through. Six different players scored, including five points from Luke Miller on three goals and two assists. 

Maryland outshot Notre Dame 40-35, but the Fighting Irish had a 23-15 shot on goal advantage.

Maryland’s offense struggled mightily, especially without Spanos. Turnovers continued to be a problem, especially in open-field and transition situations. The Terps had six in the first half alone.

“We thought Eric [Spanos] was going to be able to go today, game time decision couldn’t go,” Head coach John Tillman said. “Definitely something that was a little surprising.” 

Notre Dame capitalized on the turnovers, scoring ten goals in the second and third quarters combined. Maryland won the faceoff battle 14-9 but the turnovers gave the Fighting Irish plenty of opportunities to score.

The Terps had 12 in the game and Maryland felt the weight of those turnovers even more than the numbers showed. Unforced errors in transition and some untimely turnovers held back the Terps’ attack, allowing Notre Dame to suffocate.

“I think that speaks to Notre Dame a little bit,” Tillman said. “They kind of teach you, if you do things like that it’s probably not going to end up very well.”

The Maryland defense had struggled all season and the Terps’ backline looked like it had turned a corner in the first quarter.

Maryland’s defense locked down Notre Dame early in the game. It prevented the Fighting Irish from getting in front of the goal, which was something the Terps were unable to do against Princeton. The Terps allowed just one goal in the first quarter. 

That would not last long. The defense collapsed all around, allowing Notre Dame to take whatever chances they wanted. 

Pairing with the backline’s early game performance, Maryland goalie Brian Rueppel made five saves in the first quarter, including multiple diving stops. 

But just like the rest of the defense, Rueppel fell apart late in the game. A combination of shots being fired at him constantly and an inability to make saves led to a poor showing in the final three quarters. After making eight saves in the first half, Rueppel only had three in the second half.

“Brian [Rueppel] can only do so much,” Tillman said. “Give Brian his due. I thought he battled and did a good job.”

Despite another late push from the Terps offense, including three late goals from Leo Johnson,  Aidan Aitken and Braden Erska, it was not enough. Notre Dame would hold on comfortably, sending Maryland searching for answers.