Syracuse lacrosse fans have waited a long time to hear these words, but the Orange are headed back to championship weekend! Gary Gait’s squad heads to Foxborough, Massachusetts, this weekend in search of their first national championship since 2009. But standing in the way in round one is an all too familiar foe: the Maryland Terrapins.
This might just be Syracuse’s worst-case scenario. SU has lost the last seven matchups to Maryland, dating back to that very 2009 season that has haunted them since. John Tillman’s team has been a thorn in the side of the ‘Cuse, including their most recent matchup back in February, a rainy 11-7 loss down in College Park. That contest drew a lot of concern for Syracuse fans about this being another lost cause of a season. But if you’re going to slay your demons and go all the way, might as well do it against a team you can’t beat?
But what does Syracuse have to do to take down Maryland? The biggest strength of John Tillman and UMD comes undoubtedly from the backlines. Maryland allows just 7.93 goals per game, which is second-best in the country. The Terps’ ability to stifle offenses has been their MO for the past decade, and what propelled them to the National Championship game last season against Notre Dame. If SU wants to win this game, it comes down to getting shots on net. In February’s tilt, the Orange tested All-American goaltender Logan McNaney just 19 times, which the netminder handled pretty easily.
Expect another low-scoring defensive battle at Gillette Stadium on Saturday at 2:30. Both Jimmy McCool and Logan McNaney have come into their own this season as two of the best goalies in the conference, and the defenses are some of the country’s best. It comes down to offense, and which unit can force more pressure. Time will only tell which program comes out victorious and advances to the championship game come Memorial Day.
