Maryland men’s lacrosse routs Villanova, 17-7

While most University of Maryland students were home for spring break, the No. 6 men’s lacrosse team remained in College Park on Saturday to take on Villanova, dominating the Wildcats 17-7.

The Terps got goals from all over the roster, as nine different players contributed to their 17-goal total for the day. Bubba Fairman led the attack with four goals for Maryland, while Jared Bernhardt had three and Logan Wisnauskas, Louis Dubick and Anthony DeMaio had two each.

Although Maryland thoroughly handled Villanova from the jump, it didn’t show all over the stat sheet. The Wildcats narrowly out-shot the Terps 38-35, while the shots-on-goal margin was 23-21. In a bit of a surprise, Villanova handled the Maryland faceoff unit, winning 16 of 27 draws over the course of the game. MLL draftee Austin Henningsen went just 3-of-8 on the day, while his counterpart Justin Shockey finished at a lowly 5-of-13 at the X. Senior Wesley Janeck also got reps, winning 3-of-6.

The difference was made between the goalposts. Danny Dolan thoroughly outplayed Will Vitton, as the Terps senior saved 13 of the 18 shots he faced while Vitton stopped just 4 of 21. Sophomore Drew Morris entered for the Terps late, finishing 3-for-5 on saves.

Maryland came out firing early, exercising patience on offense and working to find good looks. And their patience was rewarded, scoring goals on each of their first three possessions to start the game. The Terps also did a good job sharing the ball, as five different players contributed to their six first-quarter goals.

Dolan was a brick wall for much of the first period, holding the Wildcats to just one goal while making a couple point-blank saves. The senior finished the quarter with six saves, helping Maryland take a 6-1 lead into the second frame.

The second quarter was more of the same from the Terps, as they dominated Villanova in all phases of the game. Bernhardt, Dubick, Fairman, Anthony DeMaio and Wesley Janeck each had a goal during the period, bringing Maryland’s total to 11, its highest first-half total of the season. The Terp defense continued suffocating any and all Villanova attempts at goal, while Dolan added three more saves to give him nine heading into the break. Such strong play from both sides of the field gave Maryland a commanding 11-2 lead into halftime.

Maryland kept up the pressure into the second half, again scoring five more goals to just three for Villanova, giving the Terps a 16-5 lead heading into the fourth. Fairman added two more in the period to reach a season-high four goals, while Bernhardt added another to get himself a hat trick.

The Terps will be at home again next weekend as North Carolina comes to town, setting up for what should be one of the premier matchups in college lacrosse this season.

Three things to know

1. A very complete performance for Maryland against a good team. Given how easily Maryland was able to control the action today, you would’ve thought they were playing against a much less talented team. But Villanova is no slouch, beating top-ranked Yale earlier this season and hanging around in the top 20 for parts of this season. The Terps didn’t see the best of Villanova today, but still should feel good about dominating a pretty solid team.
2. Kyle Long continued to deliver. As mentioned in this week’s preview, the freshman midfielder has been playing great lacrosse for the Terps in the last few games. He finished Saturday with a goal and an assist, giving him a point in five straight games and earning him more and more favor with John Tillman.
3. Danny Dolan was a difference-maker. While having your offense put up 17 goals certainly helps, Dolan’s performance shouldn’t be overlooked. The senior was dominant again in the cage for the Terps, tallying 13 saves and even earning himself an early exit to give some playing time to the team’s younger goalies. Dolan read where almost every Wildcat shot was going, and helped keep Villanova at bay while the Maryland attack built up a large lead the Terps wouldn’t even come close to surrendering.