Have Mercy! Stamos, Maryland Down Syracuse in OT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The “Game of the Year” sweepstakes has an early entry, and it’ll be hard to top. In Maryland’s overtime win against Syracuse on Saturday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, both teams scored potential game-winners, but only one of them counted.

Attacking Nick Redd from goal-line extended, Michael Leo got a lane to the cage and leaped through the crease. As his body went horizontal, Leo snuck his shot down into the close corner, and the Syracuse faithful erupted. But seconds later, the goal was waived off for a goal-mouth violation. After a long review, the call was upheld.

Not long after play restarted, Maryland’s Colin Sharkey cleared the ball and defender George Stamos ripped the game-winner, high-to-low, past Will Mark for a 13-12 win. Black Terrapin jerseys stormed the field, and Syracuse players fell to the turf in despair.

Of all people, George Stamos provides the game-winner for @TerpsMLax.

A gritty win in a crazy environment. pic.twitter.com/NJgCGXCYeT

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) February 18, 2024

“I did not anticipate taking that shot,” Stamos said, laughing. “It was not drawn up for that. I didn’t think he was gonna pass it; to be honest, I just kind of held my stick there as an outlet, Shark kind of drew two guys and he threw it, I caught it stepped in, looked for a sec to make sure no one was trying to play me closer, so I just wound up shooting it.”

The discourse was immediate. The new goal-mouth rule doesn’t allow for pushes to be called on review, even if they find evidence of it. Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said there have been “several times” this season during which officials have admitted to seeing a push but can’t call it as such on a replay review.

He added that, in his opinion, there’s plenty of room to “clean up” the rule.

CUSE’S GAME-WINNER RULED NO GOAL. 🚫 

Controversy in overtime. pic.twitter.com/iAhnG9PoMy

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) February 18, 2024

Yet none of that will change the result of one of the best games of the young lacrosse season. No. 4 Maryland’s win over No. 5 Syracuse was action-packed and physical. Ultimately, the Terrapins moved to 3-0 behind elite performances from Logan McNaney (14 saves, 53.8%), Ajax Zappitello, Braden Erksa (4G, 1A) and Jack Koras (3G, 1A).

“The shame of it is, I think both teams deserved to win,” Maryland head coach John Tillman said. “I’ve been on that side, and it’s one play and we’re going home and we’re feeling really bad. And it’s inches, literally, and we realize that.”

Both teams put forth a valiant effort. In the first quarter, Maryland went on a hot streak, scoring on four straight possessions in the span of three minutes. It looked like nothing could slow the Terps until Mark flipped a switch. Mark saved just one shot in the first quarter but totaled eight saves at a 50-percent clip the rest of the game.

The Terrapins’ top playmakers, Erksa and Koras, got the scoring started with a doorstep dunk and then a man-up score on the ensuing possession. Then, they scored three-straight goals to end the first quarter with a three-goal lead and all the momentum on their side. On the other end, McNaney was electric, saving four shots in the first period.

“He’s not the biggest guy, but man, we just have so much confidence in him,” Tillman said. “He’s just a guy you feel good about going into games … There was a long period of time where I felt like Syracuse grabbed the momentum, and we were trying to hang on, and he made some big saves to keep us in the game.”

That shift featured a 20-minute scoreless streak for Maryland, as Mark got hot and the Syracuse defense slid with more success. There were only two goals in the second quarter, and both were scored by Leo on the right wing. The first was a dodge from X when a single step gave him a sidearm angle, and the second was a stationary man-up bouncer from the same side.

The second half was an offensive battle, completely shifting the narrative. Again, Erksa finished a pinpoint feed from Eric Malever at X to get the scoring started, and it kept coming. Syracuse won the third quarter 4-2, courtesy of two high-IQ plays from Joey Spallina, who was held scoreless in the first half by Zappitello for the first time this season.

From the five-minute mark in the third through the 10:47 mark in the fourth, both teams went back-and-forth, never letting the other squad pile on. But a 3-1 Maryland run gave the Terps a late edge. That’s when Christian Mulé decided it was a good time for his first goal of the game.

Owen Hiltz rolled back on the right wing and threaded the needle to Mulé cutting inside, and he finished high over McNaney to tie it at 12 with 1:05 remaining. Then overtime happened, and “Lacrosse Twitter” exploded.

Maryland is undefeated entering a game against Princeton next week. Still, the buzz seemed to surround Syracuse. Are the Orange back in the upper echelon of men’s lacrosse? That was what everyone wanted to know heading into the game, and it still doesn’t feel like there’s a clear answer.

Here’s Gait’s take: “We’re at least competitive in it. We’re getting closer, I think, and we have plenty of opportunities ahead of us to show that we are.”