Friday’s first half went about as well as No. 3 Maryland men’s lacrosse head coach John Tillman would have expected playing in “The Rivalry” against Johns Hopkins, but not nearly as well as he would have hoped.
The Terps struggled to separate, with a number of impressive saves from Johns Hopkins, holding Maryland to a one-goal lead at half. The Blue Jays started the second half stronger, too; Maryland needed a response.
Up stepped Braden Erksa. After Eric Spanos’ shot sailed wide, Erksa won the out-of-bounds chase to keep the offensive pressure. The junior advanced the ball quickly — the Blue Jays defense didn’t seem ready.