The Terps look to start the season strong at home.
For the third consecutive season, No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse begins its season against No. 20 Richmond.
The Terps have yet to lose a game against Richmond, winning all four matchups to date, but the Spiders have not made things easy. Three of the four contests have been one-goal affairs, with two going to double overtime — including last year’s matchup, which was won dramatically by Owen Murphy.
Head coach John Tillman, anticipating his team’s reactions against one of the less reputable names on Maryland’s schedule, has attempted to ward off any potential complacency.
“We’re going to have our hands full,” Tillman said. “Our guys need to realize that. I’m pretty confident they understand that, but we need to be playing our best on Saturday.”
The Terps officially commence the 2025 season — and their 100th year of existence — at SECU Stadium at noon Saturday. The game will be available on Big Ten Plus.
No. 20 Richmond Spiders (0-0)
2024 record: 10-6, 4-1 Atlantic 10
Head coach Dan Chemotti has guided the Spiders to impressive heights since their lacrosse program’s inception in 2014. In each of those 11 years — a pandemic-shortened 2020 season notwithstanding — the Spiders have appeared in their conference tournament championship.
Despite losing in their most recent conference championship game, Richmond’s 2024 season was a relative success. The Spiders finished with a 10-6 record that somewhat undersells their quality; all six losses came against opponents that finished the season ranked in the top 15. Matchups akin to this coming game have proved difficult for Richmond. The Spiders have dropped their last 14 games against ranked opponents, losing by an average of five goals. Their last such victory came over Virginia in April 2022.
Players to watch
Zack Vigue, senior goalkeeper, No. 47 — The Spiders’ netminder has carved out an excellent career for himself, having been named an Inside Lacrosse All-American honorable mention alongside five other goalkeepers, including Maryland’s Logan McNaney. Last year, Vigue posted a career-high 55.6% save percentage and finished third in the country in goals against average.
Jared Chenoy, senior faceoff, No. 23 — Chenoy struggled against Maryland last season, winning just 12 of 29 faceoffs. However, that performance turned out to be the exception to his season, as Chenoy finished 2024 with a 52% win rate from the X. His veteran experience and year-over-year growth could pose a problem for Maryland’s new faceoff group.
Aidan O’Neil, junior attacker, No. 5 — O’Neil scored two fourth-quarter goals for Richmond, drawing the Spiders level with the Terps both times and helping to force overtime. Now, having recorded 31 goals and 20 assists in his sophomore season, O’Neil is the top returning player for Richmond’s offense.
Strength
Scoring defense. The Spiders ranked third in Division I in scoring defense last season, allowing just 150 goals in 16 games — an average of 9.4 goals against per game. The quality in the back extends beyond Vigue, with Mount St. Mary’s graduate transfer Mitchell Dunham adding extra experience to a defense that only graduated one starter.
Weakness
Offensive turnover. Luke Grayum, Dalton Young and Lance Madonna combined for 161 points in 2024, just under half of Richmond’s overall production. All three of those players have since left the program — Grayum now plays for Duke, Dalton Young plays for the Premier Lacrosse Leagues’s Denver Outlaws and Madonna graduated. Transfer Jack Dougherty scored 19 goals for Stony Brook last year, but the Spiders will need to offset the significant losses largely with their existing roster.
Three things to know
1. Opening-day success is the standard. The Terps have not lost their first game of the season since 1993, nearly a decade before any current Terps were born.
2. Braden Erksa eats against the Spiders. Erksa has enjoyed playing against Richmond, coming away from each of the last two meetings with three points. After recording two goals and an assist as a freshman in 2023, Erksa scored a hat trick against the Spiders last year.
3. Who will take Maryland’s faceoffs? Following Luke Wierman’s departure, the primary faceoff spot is up for grabs. Tillman was relatively noncommittal during Maryland’s media day, suggesting that all four of Shea Keethler, Mitchell Lloyd, Sean Creter and Jonah Carrier could see in-game reps. However, Keethler’s comparative experience — 35 career faceoffs, the most of any Terp — likely gives the senior an edge.