Maryland, Johns Hopkins to meet for 109th time
It’s not much of a road trip for Johns Hopkins, Maryland and Loyola, as they travel 30 minutes to Annapolis for the NCAA lacrosse quarterfinals on Saturday. But it’s a necessary pit stop en route to the sport’s ultimate destination — the Final Four in Boston on Memorial Day weekend.
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Saturday is a dream scenario for local lacrosse fans as unseeded Maryland (10-5) takes on No. 2 Johns Hopkins (12-3) at noon, followed by No. 1 Loyola (15-1) against Denver (9-6). The games match teams that have history against each other — one long, one short, but both significant.
| Up Next |
| Maryland vs. Johns Hopkins |
| When » Saturday, noon |
| Where » Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis |
| TV » ESPN2 |
| Loyola vs. Denver |
| When » Saturday, 2:30 p.m. |
| Where » Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis |
| TV » ESPN2 |
This is the 109th meeting of Maryland and Johns Hopkins. The series is often referred to as the greatest rivalry in college lacrosse. Hopkins leads 68-39-1 and is 9-3 against Maryland in the tournament. Last month Maryland handed Hopkins a 9-6 defeat in Baltimore, holding the Blue Jays scoreless for the final 29:17 while getting four second-half goals from junior Owen Blye.
This will be only the fifth meeting between Loyola and Denver, but two have come in the last five weeks, as the Greyhounds and Pioneers have become fast rivals in the ECAC. Loyola won this year’s pair of game, both in Denver — 12-9 in the regular season and 14-13 in the ECAC semifinals.
In the tournament, Greyhounds long stick midfielder Scott Ratliff scooped a groundball off a faceoff and scored the game-winner 8 seconds into overtime, ruining an inspired comeback by the Pioneers, who scored the last seven goals in regulation. All of the losses this season for Denver have come by a single goal, including four in overtime.
The only local team still alive and not playing in Annapolis is No.?5 Virginia (12-3), which faces No. 4 Notre Dame (12-2) Sunday in Philadelphia. It is an intriguing matchup of the offense of the Cavaliers, led by Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Steele Stanwick, and the defense of the Fighting Irish, anchored by goalie John Kemp (Georgetown Prep).
In the other quarterfinal, No. 3 Duke (14-4) faces unseeded Colgate (14-3), with the winner getting either Maryland or Hopkins in the NCAA semifinals May 26 in Foxborough, Mass.
A Maryland-Hopkins quarterfinal in Annapolis has been anticipated since the brackets were revealed on May 6. Last week in the opening round, it became a reality. While Hopkins advanced with a routine 19-9 victory over unseeded Stony Brook, Maryland blew a lead, but then rallied to win at No. 7 Lehigh 10-9 on a goal with four seconds left by senior Joe Cummings (19 goals, 14 assists).
Hopkins has won nine national titles but has struggled recently in the postseason, failing to advance to the Final Four the last three years, the longest such streak since tournament play began in 1971. Maryland ended a four-year Final Four drought last May under first-year coach John Tillman but failed to capture its first national championship since 1975, falling to Virginia 9-7 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
