BALTIMORE, MD — Maryland is returning to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game for the third year in a row and sixth time in history after beating host Johns Hopkins, 14-9, on Thursday at Homewood Field. Third-seeded and seventh-ranked Terrapins (10-4) will take on No. 4-seeded and No. 15-ranked Michigan (8-6) in the title game on Saturday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. That game will air on Big Ten Network.
In the 119th meeting between long-time rivals, Owen Murphy recorded his 11th career hat trick while Jack Brennan, Braden Erksa, Ryan Siracusa and Zach Whittier all scored two goals.
Whittier set his career-high with four points on two goals and two assists. For Siracusa, it was the first multi-goal game of his career.
Jack Brennan again!
Terps lead 14-9 with less than five minutes remaining!#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/8pklluYG1N
— Maryland Lacrosse (@TerpsMLax) May 4, 2023
RELATED: Michigan knocks off top seed Penn State, advance to Big Ten Championship Game
Eight different Terps scored goals in the game with Daniel Kelly, Jack Koras and Eric Spanos also netting tallies. Overall, 10 players had points. Kyle Long handed out two assists.
After Hopkins opened the game scoring the first three goals, Maryland scored six of the seven goals in the remainder of the first half to lead 6-4 at halftime.
Luke Wierman became the second Terp to ever win 600 face-offs in his career as he won 13 face-offs against Hopkins. He now has 609 to stand second all-time to Maryland in face-off wins with only Andy Claxton winning more with 648 from 1989-92. He also scooped up five groundballs in the game adding to his 321 career total.
On defense, Brian Ruppel made 11 saves. Will Schaller, who had his first-career point on an assist, had three groundballs and finished Jacob Angelus to one assist. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Brett Makar had three groundballs and fellow starting close defender Colin Burlace had four GBs. Nick Redd caused two turnovers. After the Blue Jays’ three early goals, Maryland allowed just six goals over the final 54:41.
TERPS IN TRANSITION
First career assist for Will Schaller! Murph with a hat trick!
8 saves for Ruppel. Terps lead 11-7#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/GE4PufMtat
— Maryland Lacrosse (@TerpsMLax) May 4, 2023
The Terps are now 11-3 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament, the best record of any program since the conference formed in 2015. Maryland has won four Big Ten Tournament titles (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022), going for a fifth this Saturday. This was the fifth time Maryland and Hopkins met in the Big Ten Tournament with Maryland winning three of the five games, with the three wins coming in the last three years.
The second-seeded and fifth-ranked Blue Jays are now 11-5 heading into the NCAA tournament. Garrett Degnon each had three goals for Hopkins while Matt Collison had three points on a goal and two helpers.