But the result was the same.

Maryland lost in the tournament’s final game and failed to secure a Big Ten title. The Terps put together one of the nation’s most impressive campaigns this season overall, but struggled in both championship losses.

“This year, we were definitely more unified and more on the same page than last year,” coach John Tillman said. “We had a couple bad moments [this year] for sure, but for the most part we responded.”

Tillman admitted he felt Maryland was “a little ahead of schedule” early on. The Terps won their first seven games and beat top-five opponents in three straight regular season weeks for the first time in program history.

Maryland’s second-ranked scoring defense shut down dynamic offenses throughout the year. Goalkeeper Logan McNaney allowed just less than eight goals a game, the lowest mark of his Maryland career.

The graduate student slowed then-No. 1 Notre Dame in an early season title rematch and later dominated then-No. 2 Ohio State en route to breaking the Terps’ all-time save record.

He shined when his defense forced shots from the perimeter, which gave him time to anticipate. That wasn’t the case in the title games.

[Maryland men’s lacrosse loses second straight NCAA championship, 13-10, to Cornell]

The second team All-American gave up 13 goals to Cornell in the NCAA championship and allowed a season-high 14 to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten tournament finals. McNaney’s two worst save percentages of his final collegiate campaign came in the losses.

Maryland also never led in either contest.

The Terps scored just once in each first quarter and finished as the only top 10 team in Inside Lacrosse’s rankings outside the top 40 in goals a game, lacking a go-to scorer — a trend that continued from the last two seasons.

Senior attacker Braden Erksa entered with high expectations after his first two seasons at Maryland but was inconsistent with a conference-high in turnovers while scoring every game.

“We’re still trying to figure him out a little bit, [but] we love him to death,” Tillman said last month.

Erksa and then-senior attacker Eric Spanos both spent time behind the cage as the Terps consistently rotated players at that spot. Spanos scored a team-high 13 goals in the NCAA tournament and led the Terps in points in his first campaign as a full-time attacker.

[7 Maryland men’s lacrosse players earn All-American honors]

But Spanos shot just 20 percent in each of the title games and failed to convert on an opportunity near the crease that could’ve tied the national championship in the fourth quarter.

Maryland, who ranked top-10 in time of possession, shot under 30 percent in both title games after being forced into fast-paced offense. The Terps struggled with that style of play all season after many low-scoring conference games.

“One of the things we found in [the Big Ten] was stylistically people were definitely taking you deep in the shot clock,” Tillman said. “That forces you to make sure that you’re focused for 80 seconds.”

Maryland lost to then-unranked Michigan and Rutgers after falling behind quickly in both contests. The Terps’ faceoff unit, which finished outside the top-30 in win percentage at the X, failed to provide the same offensive boost as previous years.

Without Luke Wierman — Maryland’s all-time faceoff leader — the Terps’ faceoff specialists failed to record a point in the postseason.

Maryland has become the standard in college lacrosse since Tillman took over in 2011. But the Terps have endured three consecutive title-less seasons — none of which sting more than the latest.

“It sucks … because it’s not the outcome you want,” senior Eric Kolar said. “You just wish that there’s more you could have done.”

Then, Division I men’s lacrosse’s all-time leading goal scorer broke through.

Kirst scored five times in the second half, leading No. 1-seed Cornell past No. 2-seed Maryland, 13-10, in the NCAA championship at Gillette Stadium. The Terps fell to 2-7 in the title game under coach John Tillman, while the Big Red won their first championship since 1977.

“If you have a guy that can put you on his back … you have a decided advantage,” Tillman said. “CJ [Kirst’s] been that guy, just has all year.”

Maryland also fell in last year’s NCAA title game to Notre Dame. The Terps have reached four of the past five championship games, but have only one title in that span — a win over Cornell in 2022.

Kirst, a then-freshman who scored two goals in that game, made sure this time ended differently.

The first-team All-American’s biggest score came just after Maryland scored consecutive goals to trim the Big Red’s lead to one in the fourth quarter. He cut back at the X and left graduate student defender Jackson Canfield behind him, leading to a point-blank goal.

Kirst dominated in one-on-one play and created 16 shot attempts. Still, the Terps had chances in the final quarter, but costly turnovers late in the contest sealed their fate.

[Jim Smith plans to embrace change, focus on revenue as Maryland’s athletic director]

Maryland ended the game with 12 giveaways to Cornell’s 8. The Terps entered ranked second nationally in clearing percentage, but failed on three in the fourth quarter — the Big Red had two missed clears total.

Maryland junior defender Will Schaller failed to get the ball past midfield when he looped a pass too high for junior midfielder Eric Kolar. Cornell forced midfielders to handle the ball under pressure throughout.

“Part of it was we were gassed,” Tillman said. “Our inside guys didn’t move as well as we normally do, and [Cornell rides] you really well.”

The Terps went offsides a few minutes later. Sophomore attacker Ryan Goldstein took advantage with his fourth goal on the Big Red’s next possession, effectively sealing the loss for goalkeeper Logan McNaney in his last game for Maryland.

McNaney entered second nationally in goals against average, but allowed 13 scores, the second-most he’s given up this season. Cornell varied shot placements against the graduate student and limited him to a .458 save percentage.

McNaney has shined when the Terps force shots from the perimeter, like they did in the semifinals against Syracuse. But the Big Red’s attackers beat defenders near the crease through persistent movement on and off the ball.

[7 Maryland men’s lacrosse players earn All-American honors]

In the first half, Goldstein started near the sideline and beat Canfield to the cage. Senior midfielder Andrew Dalton scored when he cut and received a pass in front of the cage.

Even with the Terps’ defense making uncharacteristic mistakes, the teams were largely even in the opening half.

They matched each other in shots, faceoffs and ground balls in the first quarter. The Terps’ average possessions were long, but they struggled to capitalize like they did in the previous round.

Spanos, who had four goals against the Orange, failed to convert on an open look near the cage early. The senior broke through with a few goals from the outside in the second quarter. Three other Terps scored and Maryland faced a one-goal deficit at halftime.

Spanos had a chance to finally tie the game from near the crease with just over eight minutes left, but Cornell goalie Wyatt Knust made his most important save. The Terps’ turnovers, combined with Kirst’s score, kept the Big Red’s lead steady.

Maryland’s defense this season will go down as one of the program’s best, but it ultimately finished on a low note.

“It’s not something we’re going to forget,” Schaller said. “I can promise you that.”

Then Syracuse didn’t score for almost 27 minutes. Maryland capitalized with eight scores in the span.

The No. 2-seed Terps tallied half of the turnovers and over double the shots on goal of the Orange at halftime. They rode the dominant stretch to a 14-8 win over No. 6-seed Syracuse in the NCAA tournament semifinals at Gillette Stadium.

Maryland’s win clinched its second-straight national championship appearance and fourth in the last five seasons. The Terps face No. 1-seed Cornell on Monday, who defeated No. 5-seed Penn State on Saturday.

“If you break down that run, a lot of different hands in that scoring,” graduate student midfielder Bryce Ford said. “I think every single time we came back to the sideline, it was just, ‘Be patient, make sure we make the extra pass and get the best shot of the possession.’”

The Terps tripled the Orange’s shots on goal in the first quarter. Junior goalkeeper Jimmy McCool saved multiple open looks early, but Maryland countered with varied shot placements. 

Senior Eric Spanos looped around the cage and fought through contact, using a bouncing shot for the Terps’ opening score. The attacker finished with four goals, thriving one-on-one and in transition. 

[7 Maryland men’s lacrosse players earn All-American honors]

Spanos had help, with seven other players scoring. Ford said Maryland initially focused on shooting low, but pivoted to attacking the top right side of the cage.

Sophomore midfielder Elijiah Stobaugh followed Spanos’ score with a high shot from the outside before junior long-stick midfielder AJ Larkin drilled a shot in transition. The Orange had six first-half turnovers, including an ugly one from their star.  

A penalty left the Terps man-down for 30 seconds, but senior midfielder Geordy Holmes stole the ball from Joey Spallina on the perimeter. Junior Aidan Aitken, part of Maryland’s second-midfield unit, took advantage with a strike from the middle for his fifth goal of the season.

“We scored in a variety of ways, a lot of different guys, but that’s kind of been our identity all year,” coach John Tillman said. “We don’t really have to rely on one guy.”

The Terps’ defense had time to recuperate throughout. Maryland won four more faceoffs than Syracuse, who entered sixth nationally in that stat. 

Senior Shea Keethler bounced back from a winless performance at the X, winning 75 percent of faceoffs. The Orange’s John Mullen won under half of bouts at the X for the second-straight week, keeping pressure on Syracuse’s half-field offense. 

Schaller shuts down Spallina 

Will Schaller made only eight starts across his first two seasons, but earned a first team All-American nod this year after guarding opposing teams’ top attackers. One of his most impressive performances came against Spallina in February.

[In first meeting since 2012, Maryland men’s lacrosse tops Georgetown, 9-6, in second round]

Schaller held Spallina, Syracuse’s leader in points and a second team All-American, to just two points in the team’s first matchup. Schaller often pushed Spallina to the sides of the cage, where help defense waited. 

Saturday was a similar story. 

Spallina had three turnovers and scored his only point via an assist with under 10 seconds left. Schaller again kept him away from openings in the middle, forcing him to beat help defense on the outside to find space in front of the cage.

“That guy [Schaller] has worked so hard and he’s made so many juice plays for us this year,” Tillman said.

Graduate student goalkeeper Logan McNaney had 14 saves in another strong effort. The second team All-American had time to anticipate with the Orange’s shots coming primarily from the perimeter, similar to the team’s first clash.

McNaney never let Syracuse get within four goals in the second half. The Terps stifled top-15 attacks in consecutive weeks, but face their largest test yet next — Cornell boasts the nation’s top-scoring offense.

Schaller notched a career-best 22 caused turnovers and 28 ground balls this season while consistently guarding top attackers. The defender seamlessly filled the role former All-American Ajax Zappitello held in previous seasons.

“[Schaller] obviously has some great physical traits in terms of his lateral movement and his lower body strength,” coach John Tillman said. “But man, you look at what he does on the field, there’s a level of grit, toughness.”

In the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, Schaller held standout attackers Josh Yago and Aidan Carroll to two and three points, respectively. He recorded a career-high four ground balls and three caused turnovers in a regular-season matchup against then-No. 7 Penn State. Schaller also contributed to Maryland’s defense ranking second nationally in goals allowed per game.

[In first meeting since 2012, Maryland men’s lacrosse tops Georgetown, 9-6, in second round]

Goalkeeper Logan McNaney earned second team honors after conceding his lowest goals average against this season. The graduate student allowed double-digit goals only three times.

Junior short-stick defensive midfielder Eric Kolar also made the second team after a career-high 10 caused turnovers, while graduate long-stick defensive midfielder Jack McDonald earned a third team selection. McDonald has a team-high 46 ground balls and has frequently led breakaways.

Braden Erksa, Bryce Ford and Eric Spanos received honorable mentions.

[A look at Maryland men’s lacrosse’s path to a fifth NCAA championship]

Erksa’s campaign has been inconsistent. The junior attacker leads the Big Ten in turnovers, but has scored in every game — including four hat tricks.

Ford — the only honored player in his first season with the Terps — transferred from Fairfield last offseason. The graduate student midfielder has eight multi-score games this season and has led a strong offense.

Spanos leads Maryland in points after moving exclusively to attack this season, scoring a career-high six goals against Air Force in the first round of the NCAA tournament. His selection marks the second-straight year that he has earned an All-American honor.

The local Terps fans saw their team succeed in a way they have for much of this season — with dominant defense and a balanced attack.

Goalkeeper Logan McNaney saved 64 percent of shots on goal against the Hoyas, who averaged 17.8 goals per game over their past five matches. Six different players scored to support the graduate student as Maryland beat Georgetown, 9-6, on Sunday.

“We knew what was going to come with Georgetown, it was going to be a slower game, it was kind of going to be a rock fight,” graduate student long-stick midfielder Jack McDonald said. “We were prepared.”

McNaney saved 11 shots, the majority coming in the second half, when he allowed only two scores. The Terps’ attackers were unusually quiet for most of the game, but backed his performance in the fourth quarter.

Less than four minutes in, Braden Erksa started the run when he fought through being held and found an opening in front of the cage. The junior attacker added another goal from just outside the crease minutes later.

“There are flashes, like today, where he [Erksa] can just do things that you’re like, ‘Holy crap, like you just can’t coach that,’” coach John Tillman said. “He is so fast that if you don’t support the matchup, he can run by you.”

[A look at Maryland men’s lacrosse’s path to a fifth NCAA championship]

Fifth-year Daniel Kelly came open from the outside, where he normally thrives, to extend the Terps’ lead to three. The Hoyas never scored after that — similar to their early struggles.

Georgetown had seven turnovers in the first quarter, with Maryland forcing the ball to the perimeter and winning one-on-one matchups. The stifling defense led to fastbreak chances.

Senior defender Colin Burlace chopped the ball away in the middle of the field, leading to senior midfielder Geordy Holmes scoring his first-career goal. Kelly opened the scoring for the second straight week when he rushed the cage against an unset defense.

But Georgetown — who entered with three players inside the top 10 of the Big East in goals per game — found openings in the second quarter. The Hoyas charged earlier in the shot clock. 

Attacker Aidan Carroll, who ranks tenth nationally in goals a game and scored six times in the tournament’s opening round, led with two scores. Both came against Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Will Schaller, who primarily traveled with the graduate student and kept him in check.

[Shea Keethler used his ‘never-ending engine’ to overcome adversity, thrive at Maryland]

“They did a great job the entire game of plugging gaps, making sure that we weren’t getting our normal looks,” Carroll said. “They were being really decisive in making sure when they slid, that we weren’t comfortable where we were throwing the ball.”

The Terps won four of seven faceoffs in the second half, giving their defense chances to recuperate. Maryland won half of the clashes at the X overall, going primarily against freshman Ross Prince, who entered sixth nationally in faceoff percentage.

Senior Shea Keethler went winless at the X, off his best performance of the season against Air Force. But freshman Jonah Carrier bounced back from a poor game and won nine of 12 faceoffs.

“When he [Carrier] started winning faceoffs, I felt like the flow of the game changed,” Tillman said. “Early on, they were kicking our teeth in on ground balls.”

With a strong fourth quarter all around to support a steadfast defense, Maryland secured a second-straight Final Four appearance. The Terps and their elite defense next face Syracuse, who matched a season low with only seven goals in a February loss to Maryland.

The No. 2-seed Terps have already played — and beaten — five of the seven teams remaining in the NCAA tournament. But Maryland, off its best regular season in three years, faces Georgetown next in the quarterfinals — the teams’ first matchup since 2012.

Here’s a roundup about all of Maryland’s possible opponents as the NCAA tournament heads toward the quarterfinals this weekend.

Georgetown

The Hoyas enter off a win over No. 7-seed Duke and have scored 17.8 goals a game in their past five matches. Graduate student attacker Aidan Carroll leads a top-15 offense nationally in goals a game.

“They’re hitting on all cylinders,” coach John Tillman said. “They’re playing as well as anybody in the country.”

Carroll scored six times against the Blue Devils, largely through one-on-one attacking. The Terps could keep Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Will Schaller on Carroll, similar to last week when Schaller traveled with attacker Josh Yago. 

[Shea Keethler used his ‘never-ending engine’ to overcome adversity, thrive at Maryland]

Georgetown’s defense ranks No. 10 in the nation in goals allowed a game and has given up double-digit scores once in the past five games.

Maryland’s offense has been largely inconsistent, but comes off a 13-goal outburst against Air Force.

If the Terps can continue their recent offensive success and advance, they would face the winner of the Princeton and Syracuse matchup.

Princeton and Syracuse

Maryland’s defense led victories against both teams in February. The Terps are the only team to hold the Tigers to single-digit goals this season, while the Orange matched a season low with seven scores against Maryland.

Goalkeeper Logan McNaney saved at least 57 percent of shots on goal against the two teams and held Syracuse to just two scores in the second half. The graduate student ranks No. 2 nationally in goals against average.

“With Logan, it being his sixth year, he’s seen so many of these different situations,” graduate student midfielder Zack Goorno said. “He’s obviously so talented and he’s very experienced as a leader and also just his presence gives you a lot of confidence too.”

Princeton and Syracuse rank 10th and 11th, respectively, in goals scored a game. Both teams have five players who scored at least 20 goals for the season.

[Eric Spanos’ career day lifts Maryland to 13-5 win over Air Force in NCAA tourney first round]

The Tigers scored a season-high 22 goals in their first-round NCAA tournament win, while the Orange scored seven times in the fourth quarter to force overtime against Harvard. Junior goalkeeper Jimmy McCool posted one of his worst save percentages of the season against the Crimson, which contributed to the large deficit.

Princeton and Syracuse also rank near the top of their respective conferences in goals allowed a game. The Tigers’ defense has faltered against top opponents, though.

Maryland and Cornell, the tournament’s top seeds, are the only teams to beat Princeton. They combined for 48 goals across three games against the Tigers, with junior goalkeeper Ryan Croddick facing constant pressure.

Potential NCAA championship 

The Terps have beaten all but one team on the other side of the bracket. Maryland handled Richmond to open the season, defeated Penn State twice and narrowly escaped with a victory in a national-championship rematch against Notre Dame.

The Terps haven’t faced No. 1-seed Cornell since they beat the Big Red in the 2022 national title game. A rematch could plot the country’s top offense against Maryland’s stifling defense.

The faceoff specialist’s high school team uses the numbers 31 and 32 to honor two Upper Arlington lacrosse alumni who were diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Kyle Vesper, one of the people the team honors, attended some lacrosse games during Keethler’s sophomore year before Vesper died during the playoffs.

Keethler won an award dedicated to Vesper during his senior season because of his community commitment. He ran camps to give back, something Keethler said helped form his love for lacrosse as a kid.

“I haven’t had any of the kids be as emotional,” said Richard Vesper, Kyle’s father who gives the award. “He walked out that night with a bunch of awards and he grabbed me after the entire program and said, ‘This one meant the world to me.’”

Keethler was voted lacrosse team captain in his final two years at Upper Arlington, something rarely seen in the town. His first three seasons as part of Maryland men’s lacrosse weren’t easy, though.

Keethler played sparingly during the Terps’ championship run in 2022. The then-freshman was ready to take on a larger role in the next two seasons, but never got the chance. He was stuck behind All-American Luke Wierman and played just one game with more than two faceoffs.

Keethler never wavered. He now leads Maryland at the X and ranks top-25 nationally in faceoff percentage. His climb up the Terps’ depth chart mirrors the obstacles he overcame as a kid.

“He always was coming from a battling situation,” Keethler’s father, Bill, said. “That’s just all he knows.”

Taking initiative from a young age

The Ohio native was frequently teased about his reading in school. Marco Landolfi, Keethler’s lifelong friend, said their classmates picked on the pair when teachers sounded out words to them.

“You’re just learning in a different way, and you think a different way than them,” Keethler said. “Once I figured out, ‘Oh, this is how I think,’ then I was able to excel.”

Keethler and Landolfi both have a learning disability. In middle school, Keethler, who has dyslexia, was part of a Wilson’s Language Training program — a structured plan to help dyslexic students build reading skills. He wanted to take new classes the upcoming academic year, but couldn’t since his group didn’t complete all the requirements.

The middle schooler then asked his school’s administration to let him attend summer school to stay on track.

He had a new instructor over the summer, one he had to grow to become comfortable with again. The faceoff specialist pored over his lessons and tests, and soon earned his program certification.

“He has his moments where he breaks down, but he literally just puts his head down and just keeps working,” said Kim, Keethler’s mother. “He just works and he never gives up.”

Keethler was honored at middle school graduation as one of three students who earned an A each semester.

“People were like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were really successful in school. I thought you just played sports,’” Keethler said. “It was kind of a weird moment for my parents, too, to be like, ‘No, he really tries in school, too.’”

“A never-ending engine”

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and living in the Midwest, not a lacrosse hotbed, Keethler lagged in college recruiting.

Determined, he made a notebook with Division I coaches’ emails and reached out weekly. The former Midwest Player of the Year sought large schools that didn’t have a clear faceoff specialist.

Maryland — which he admired for its “be the best” mentality — didn’t reach out until a bit later than the rest of his graduating class, Maryland coach John Tillman said.

“[Upper Arlington] would play teams and some of those guys were good, but we were trying to see him against the very, very best,” Tillman said.

That summer, Keethler went to faceoff clinics in Cleveland and New Jersey on consecutive weekends. He knew a professional lacrosse player connected with the Terps’ faceoff coach was running sessions.

“With not really any practice after football season that kind of was my make or break,” Keethler said. “My dad kind of sat me down before and he goes, ‘If you do bad, it’s over. If you do well, probably have a chance.’”

Keethler impressed in the workouts. Tillman called him months later to offer a roster spot after Keethler won nearly every faceoff and scored goals against a strong opponent at the start of his senior season.

Tillman quickly set up a call with an academic advisor after first speaking with Keethler. The advisor gave Keethler information about accommodations and how he could transfer his Individualized Education Program to Maryland.

He committed to the Terps in March of his senior year of high school.

Keethler is set to graduate from Maryland with a finance degree and a near 4.0 GPA. He won the NCAA men’s lacrosse Elite90 last season for exceptional achievements of student athletes.

Landolfi called Keethler the hardest worker he’s ever met.

“Everyone’s got hard days. Shea had just as many — if not more — than everybody else with all the other stuff going on in his life,” Landolfi said. “But the kid’s just got a never-ending engine.”

But the senior took over in No. 2-seed Maryland’s 13-5 win over Air Force in Sunday’s NCAA tournament first round. Spanos scored a career-high six goals on 11 shots, and Maryland put together one of its most complete performances of the season.

The majority of his success came from around the crease, where the 220-pound attacker bulldozed defenders to create space. His teammates often cleared out when he received the ball near the X.

“We got our guys high up top, it just gave us some room to attack those one-on-one matchups,” Spanos said. “I was able to use my size to get to the front of the goal where I think every player wants to go… those guys being so high gave me a great advantage coming around.”

The All-Big Ten second team honoree scored twice in the first frame, one off a fake pass and another when he trucked a defender to come wide open in front of the cage. The Terps got off to a quick start, an encouraging sign after Ohio State dominated them from the opening whistle in the Big Ten tournament championship.

Fifth-year attacker Daniel Kelly, who has often scored early in games, drilled a high-and-far shot from the outside on the Terps’ opening possession. He finished with two goals to support Spanos’ career day.

[Maryland baseball clinches key sweep against Minnesota, wins 11-10]

Junior Braden Erksa, the third starting attacker, continued his inconsistent campaign with a game-high five turnovers. The former Big Ten Freshman of the Year shot only 20 percent, but tied a team-high with two assists.

Spanos got hot with a pair of goals at the start of the second half. The first came when he maneuvered to the middle of the field and bounced a shot. He followed that with a dash towards the cage and a shrug off a defender to create a point-blank look.

“Instead of coming off the inside, they come a lot of times off your guy behind the goal,” coach John Tillman said. “That was something we really had to practice the last few days.”

Maryland’s third-ranked scoring defense joined the offense in an improved performance after allowing a season-high 14 goals to the Buckeyes.

Defender Will Schaller guarded star playmaker Josh Yago throughout and held him to only two points. Attacker Caelan Driggs entered third nationally in goals per game, including eight consecutive hat tricks, but the Terps’ defense rarely let him receive the ball in space. Driggs shot only 28 percent after scoring five times in his last game.

“We held them to six shots on-goal in the first half. They got some shots, but I think some of those were contested and they were runners, and ones maybe that were a little outside,” Tillman said. “I thought a lot of those shots were kind of longer range.”

Goalkeeper Logan McNaney anticipated well with Maryland’s defense usually keeping the ball on the perimeter. The graduate student allowed only three goals in a game where he wasn’t under frequent pressure.

[Late collapse ends Maryland women’s lacrosse’s season, falls 11-10 to Penn in NCAA tourney]

The Terps, who entered in the bottom half of the Big Ten in faceoff percentage, won 14 of 22 on Sunday.

Senior Shea Keethler entered struggling and losing playing time. But the faceoff specialist won eight of his nine faceoffs against Air Force, a positive sign with Maryland facing Georgetown next, a team that thrives at the X.

Spanos recorded the most goals by a Maryland player in an NCAA tournament game since 2021, and tied for the third-most in program history. Spanos, Kelly and Erksa have each single-handedly taken over a game within the past month — if they can find success simultaneously, the Terps’ offense will be all the more dangerous.

The Terps will play the winner of the Air Force and Robert Morris match at 2:30 p.m. at SECU Stadium on May 11. They received their highest seed since 2022, when they won the national championship in an undefeated season.

Maryland went 10-2 in the regular season and lost to Ohio State on Saturday in the Big Ten tournament championship. It defeated four top-five opponents and beat six of the top-10 teams in Inside Lacrosse’s rankings, playing the second-toughest schedule nationally.

“Certainly not trying to toot our own horn, but you kind of step back after the season and you’re like, “Holy crap,’” coach John Tillman said. “Playing that schedule, the guys definitely accomplished a lot. Certainly some things we’d like to have back, but we kind of are where we are at this point.”

[Maryland men’s lacrosse faces critical questions after Big Ten tournament title loss]

Maryland failed to win the Big Ten regular season or conference tournament title for the third straight season. The Terps won their first seven games, including a victory over then-No. 1 Notre Dame, to avenge last season’s national championship loss.

Tillman’s team went 4-3 to close the season, including losses to then-unranked Michigan and Rutgers. Maryland may have had a chance at the No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament if it captured the Big Ten title.

It will be the team’s 47th and its nation-leading 22nd consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. The Terps have made the tournament in every full season under Tillman.

“Super proud of that, just in terms of the consistency,” Tillman said. “Even in recruiting, it’s like, ‘Hey, there’s a really good chance you’re going to the NCAA tournament.’”

If Maryland wins on May 11, it will face the winner of Georgetown’s game against No. 7 seed Duke.

But amid the impressive campaign, there have been issues. No. 3 Maryland hasn’t put together a complete performance lately, a troubling sign entering postseason play. 

The Terps’ offense ranks 43rd in goals per game and shot just 22.7 percent against Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament finals. 

Maryland’s stout defense has led most victories, but let up a season-high 14 goals to the Buckeyes. Even in a tournament semifinal win over Penn State, the Terps had their worst faceoff showing of the season.

“Now we’re just trying to figure out how can we get everybody’s best foot forward,” coach John Tillman said.

Inconsistent attack play

Maryland’s starting attackers — Braden Erksa, Daniel Kelly and Eric Spanos — are the team’s leading scorers, but have struggled to score simultaneously. 

Erksa’s season has been mired in inconsistency. He ranks second in the conference in turnovers per game, but has scored in every contest. After scoring a season-high four goals against Johns Hopkins to close the regular season, he followed it with only two shots on goal against Penn State.

That left Kelly to carry the Terps against the Nittany Lions. The fifth year scored a career-high five goals in the tournament’s semifinals. But Ohio State swarmed Kelly in the championship game, holding him to just one goal. 

[Maryland men’s lacrosse can’t keep up in 14-10 loss to Ohio State in Big Ten tourney finals]

Eric Spanos scored twice with aggressive one-on-one moves after being held scoreless in consecutive contests for the first time this season.The senior attempted the most shots of the season against the Buckeyes. 

The three attackers are All-Big Ten caliber players. But recently, the trio has been unable to put together a complete showing.

Faceoff woes

Questions surrounded the Terps’ faceoff unit after Luke Wierman, the Terps’ all-time leader in faceoffs, graduated this offseason. It’s become a concern entering May after Maryland shuffled its specialist role this season.

Keethler started the season strong at the X but failed to win any faceoffs against Penn State, which followed a 4-11 showing against Johns Hopkins. Sophomore Sean Creter hasn’t played since late March due to injury, leaving Jonah Carrier in an elevated role. The freshman won more than half of his bouts at the X against Ohio State in his third-straight game leading the team in faceoffs taken.

[No. 3 Maryland men’s lacrosse advances to Big Ten title, defeats No. 7 Penn State 10-8]

Maryland secured more than half of faceoffs to give its offense chances in the Ohio State game, after winning a season-low four against Penn State.

“[The Nittany Lions] were playing faster because they just kept getting the ball,” Tillman said. “You get the ball that much, boy, you just play with a lot more confidence.”

But the Buckeyes’ shooting percentage was still more than 45 percent — the highest mark against Maryland this season.

A disappointing defensive showing

Miscommunications, late rotations and poor one-on-one defense plagued the Terps in the championship contest. Goalkeeper Logan McNaney allowed the most goals and posted the worst save percentage of his campaign on Saturday. 

The graduate student was unable to bail out a defense that allowed a season-worst 24 of 31 shots to come on goal. The Buckeyes shot at varied angles and never let the former All-American settle in.

“Their first two goals were just quick dodges early in the offense, rolling back and just getting their hands free,” Tillman said. “We love Logan [McNaney] and wouldn’t trade him for anybody. But I felt like, man, they did a really good job of shooting.”

Despite Maryland’s overall success, its recent problems in all three phases are concerning ahead of the NCAA tournament. A poor performance in any aspect could end the Terps’ season.