2017 Men's Division I Lacrosse Championship: Maryland Defeats OSU 9-6

2017 Men’s Division I Lacrosse Championship: Maryland defeats OSU 9-6

May 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins Andrew Walsh (48) and defender Curtis Corley (42) react as they walk off the field after their national championship game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Lincoln Financial Field. The Tar Heels won 14-13 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Maryland Terrapins men’s lacrosse team followed the women’s lead, claiming the 2017 national championship Monday with a win over Ohio State.

In 2012, Maryland’s men’s lacrosse team had an opportunity to take home a championship in Foxborough. Unfortunately for John Tillman’s squad, which featured Mike Channenchuck and Niko Amato, they lost to their in-state rival Loyola, 9-3.

Maryland found redemption Monday, beating Ohio State to claim the national title. The win came only a month after the Terps lost 11-10 to the Buckeyes in an overtime thriller. Ohio State was ranked No. 7 at the time, so defeating then-No. 2 Maryland was a pretty big deal.

The Championship Journey to Gillette

Opening Round:

Ohio State 7 – 4 Loyola

Maryland 13 – 10 Bryant

Quarterfinals:

Ohio State 16 – 11 Duke

Maryland 18 – 9 Albany

Semifinals:

Ohio State 11 – 10 Towson

Maryland 9 – 8 Denver

The Terps have one of the scariest frontlines in Division I lacrosse, spearheaded by Matt Rambo, Colin Heacock and Dylan Maltz. Together, they’ve contributed to 96 goals and 61 assists. The lacrosse program at OSU, in contrast, is still very much under construction. This was the Buckeye’s first trip to the championship game.

Their star player, Tre Leclaire, had a disappointing final, however, and didn’t manage to score until the third quarter. Eric Fannell, Ohio State’s second highest scorer behind Leclaire, also struggled to break down Maryland’s defense.

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Box Score – 2017 Men’s Division I Lacrosse Championship

Goals:

3 – Tim Rotanz, Maryland

1 – Johnny Pearson/Tre Leclaire/4 others, Ohio State

Assists:

1 – Dylan Maltz/Matt Rambo/Jared Bernhardt, Maryland

1- Tre Leclaire, Ohio State

Ground Balls Won:

8 – Jon Garino, Maryland

7 – Jake Withers, Ohio State

Saves:

13 – Tom Carey, Ohio State

11 – Dan Morris, Maryland

Ohio State-Maryland is the newest rivalry to watch in men’s lacrosse, and could help the Big Ten rival the ACC. With the addition of Johns Hopkins in 2015 and Maryland’s title this year, the conference has a legitimate case to be the face of college lacrosse.