PHILADELPHIA — Maryland’s bid for a second men’s lacrosse national championship in three years fizzled out quickly Monday afternoon, when the seventh-seeded Terrapins were unable to withstand an early onslaught from top-seeded Notre Dame during a 15-5 loss in the NCAA tournament final at Lincoln Financial Field.
Making their 17th appearance in the championship game and their eighth since Coach John Tillman took over in 2011, the Terps scored the first two goals before the defending national champion Fighting Irish reeled off 10 of the next 11. Maryland, which matched its fewest goals this season, went scoreless for 19:51 and committed 11 turnovers during an unsightly first half in front of an announced crowd of 31,479.
“Were we the best lacrosse team? We weren’t, but I tell you what: We maxed out what we could,” Tillman said. “I’m not going to sleep real well, but I’ll sleep better knowing what the staff, the kids, everybody put into it because there really wasn’t much we left on the table. It doesn’t take away the sting, but you sleep better at night knowing we gave everything we could. We did. Notre Dame was clearly the best team. They proved it today.”
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The Terps (11-6) fell in resounding fashion as they failed to contain Notre Dame’s prolific attack duo of Pat and Chris Kavanagh. The brothers combined for seven points during the 10-1 surge that yielded a 10-3 lead for the Fighting Irish with 2:14 to play in the second quarter.
Chris Kavanagh, a junior who was named the most outstanding player of the tournament, punished the Terps with five goals overall. Pat Kavanagh, a graduate student, added six assists as Notre Dame (16-1) claimed its second national championship. The Fighting Irish’s lone loss came to Georgetown, 11-10, in overtime Feb. 25 in South Bend, Ind.
Senior attackman Daniel Kelly had two goals for Maryland, but he was one of three Terps responsible for multiple turnovers as the four-time NCAA champions committed 16.
“We put everything we could into this year, and for all that we should keep our heads high,” long-stick midfielder Jack McDonald said. “Notre Dame played a great game, but it should not take away from what this group was able to accomplish this year.”
Goalie Logan McNaney was off his game in the early going, making zero saves in the first half. The most outstanding player of the 2022 NCAA tournament anchored a defense that helped Maryland to an 18-0 record that season, but the graduate student did not collect his first save in this championship game until 13:29 remained in the third quarter.
McNaney’s counterpart, Liam Entenmann, was a rock for Notre Dame. The graduate goalie finished with 16 saves, including a handful on shots inches from the crease.
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Severe weather pushed back the start of the game, scheduled for noon, for several hours. The players had completed warmups and were standing for the national anthem when the announcement came over the public-address system of thunderstorms in the area, with the threat of lightning and damaging wind. Fans were asked to take shelter in the concourse as the system moved through and brought torrential downpours at times. Many patrons had not returned to their seats by the time the players emerged from their locker rooms as rain continued to fall steadily.
When Maryland’s Luke Wierman won the opening faceoff against Notre Dame’s Will Lynch, the rain had dissipated, and the Terps struck first when graduate attackman Ryan Siracusa collected a feed from senior attackman Eric Malever and beat Entenmann low to the stick side 34 seconds in. Maryland went up 2-0 on Kelly’s first goal but ended the quarter trailing 5-3 in part because of six turnovers. The onslaught continued for most of the second quarter, and the Terps couldn’t find an answer after trailing 10-4 at halftime.
A highly anticipated matchup at the faceoff X between two of the most skilled players at their position wound up having little impact on the outcome. Wierman won 17 of 24, but the Fighting Irish frequently gained possession not long after.
“Hats off to Notre Dame, but I can’t speak highly enough about the group we have in that locker room,” Kelly said. “We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, but we stuck together, and we never lost hope. This is a group that believes in one another, and I wouldn’t trade anybody in that locker room for anybody else.”
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