Patrick Stevens' Top 20: Lucky 7s for Maryland

Most teams have either just started their conference schedules or are about to delve into them. Plenty of programs have reason to feel good about their work to this point and have positioned themselves well for the second half of the season.

Yet in terms of who’s having objectively the best season to date, it’s hard to argue with Maryland.

The Terrapins have won at Princeton, beaten Notre Dame on a neutral field and handled Syracuse at home. They’re 7-0 for the eighth time in the last 46 years. Half of those have come during coach John Tillman’s 15-year run in College Park.

Here is how Maryland fared in every season it started 7-0 or better.

LUCKY SEVENS?

1973: 10-0, NCAA champion
1976: 10-1, NCAA runner-up
1977: 8-2, NCAA semifinalist
1978: 9-2, NCAA semifinalist
1987: 12-1, NCAA semifinalist
1998: 14-2, NCAA runner-up
2001: 13-3, NCAA quarterfinalist
2004: 13-3, NCAA quarterfinalist
2014: 13-4, NCAA semifinalist
2021: 15-1, NCAA runner-up
2022: 18-0, NCAA champion

The three previous 7-0 starts under Tillman all led to Memorial Day Weekend — a semifinal loss to Notre Dame in 2014, a perfect run up until falling in a one-goal thriller to Virginia in the 2021 national title game and then the Terps’ unblemished season the following year.

Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but after the last seven Saturdays, Maryland is well on track for a late-May visit to Foxborough this year.

Patrick Stevens’ Top 20 is a submission to the overall USA Lacrosse Top 20.

PATRICK STEVENS' TOP 20

1. Maryland (7-0)

The Terrapins are giving up just seven goals a game after doubling up Virginia 12-6 in Charlottesville. Opponents are shooting just 19.0 percent against Maryland, a remarkably stingy showing by a defense that has played exceptionally well during non-conference play. (Last week: 1)

2. Penn State (6-1)

What a seven-day stretch coming up for the Nittany Lions, who play host to Ohio State on Sunday before traveling to Maryland on March 29. Penn State will be well-rested since it hasn’t played since last Wednesday’s 22-8 drubbing of Robert Morris. (LW: 3)

3. Cornell (5-1)

CJ Kirst scored five goals and surpassed Mike French’s school record for career goals in the Big Red’s 15-10 defeat of Princeton. Outside of an overtime loss to Penn State, the season couldn’t be playing out much better for Cornell, which visits struggling Yale on Saturday. (LW: 5)

4. North Carolina (6-1)

Ripped Jacksonville 20-7 on Sunday for its second double-digit rout in as many outings since losing to Princeton. The Tar Heels head west to the Triad on Friday to face High Point. (LW: 4)

5. Ohio State (8-1)

The Buckeyes have now upended three of last year’s Final Four teams after defeating Denver 15-11 for their first victory on the road against the Pioneers since 2009. Nick Myers’ resurgent team takes an eight-game winning streak into Big Ten play. (LW: 6)