Coming off a national championship game loss for the second straight season, No. 1 Maryland men’s lacrosse will look to get over the hump in a season with sky-high expectations. 

The Terps will start off their season against Loyola in what should be one of the easier games on their gauntlet of a schedule. 

Maryland has had success against Loyola in the past, boasting a 23-3 record all-time against the Greyhounds, with head coach John Tillman being 4-2 over his 16 years in College Park. 

Despite the historical domination, the Terps had a scare with the Greyhounds last season, trailing by three goals in the fourth quarter before ultimately winning in overtime.

Saturday’s game will be played in the Jones-Hill House because of weather conditions at 2:30 p.m. It is only the second time the program has ever played in the venue, beating Albany 24-6 in its other appearance.

The indoor environment can have its own challenges, with Tillman saying that “it’s a little harder to hear,” but that “It won’t change a ton.” 

Loyola looks to bounce back after a tough 2025

The Greyhounds have had great success as a program under head coach Charley Toomey, including a national championship victory over the Terps in 2012.

However, Loyola struggled last year going 3-11 (3-5 Patriot League). The Greyhounds started their season with a nine game losing streak and will look to get off to a much better start in the matchup with Maryland.

Leading the way on offense is senior Matthew Minicus. He led the team with 52 points along with 25 goals and 27 assists. Despite scoring and assisting against the Terps, the two-point performance was his third-lowest of last season.

Anchoring the defense for the Greyhounds is senior goalkeeper Max Watkinson. After a junior season in which he gave up 11.59 goals per game, Watkinson will look to have an improved final season. That said,  Watkinson had 189 saves in 14 starts — good for the sixth-best in the country last season.

Will Maryland Start the Season Strong?

After having its season opener against Richmond postponed, the Terps have been itching to start their season for a week longer than expected.

Despite Loyola struggling in recent memory, the Terps will need to play well if they want to not repeat the close call from last season. They will start this year’s campaign with a ton of expectations.  

The Terps will also need to adjust to the new environment of the Jones-Hill house, as well as mesh as a team in their first game together.