Maryland men’s lacrosse goalie Brian Ruppel had an impressive three-stop sequence in overtime during the Terps’ March 18 game against Virginia, helping Maryland win, 14-13, as part of a 6-2 start to the season.
The 6-foot, 170-pound freshman goalie went viral on Twitter and TikTok after those saves:
“I think at the moment, I wasn’t really processing it much, just kind of trying to see the ball and stop it,” Ruppel said on Glenn Clark Radio March 23. “And then when it all happened, I was trying to clear the ball, get it to our offense and hopefully get a goal to win the game.”
Ruppel, 19, settled in as the Terps’ starting goalie after senior Logan McNaney suffered a torn ACL during a 12-7 loss against Loyola on Feb. 11. He has started the past five games, winning four of those contests. Ruppel has made 62 saves and posted a .554 save percentage.
Ruppel comes from Catonsville High School, where he made 140 saves, recorded a .700 save percentage and picked up 33 ground balls as a senior in 2022. He also helped the Comets to an 18-1 record, reaching the Class 3A state semifinals.
“I thought it would be awesome to play [for Catonsville] and play for a public school like that and play with my friends,” Ruppel said. “I think it definitely put a big chip on my shoulder all the way throughout my career. I think it’s definitely shaped me for this opportunity and this moment. [I] couldn’t be happier with my time in Catonsville.”
Ruppel discussed how although he is moving into conference play as a starting goalie at a young age, he can handle the pressure because of the team’s leadership. He mentioned that the team has a solid veteran defense led by graduate student Brett Makar and that the Terps’ defense keeps the team in every game.
According to Ruppel, veteran goalies Teddy Dolan and McNaney have been teaching him the ropes and helping him daily, so when he got his shot due to McNaney’s injury, Ruppel took advantage of the opportunity.
“Our defense tells me every game they have my back. I tell them I have theirs, so I’m still very comfortable behind those guys and I hope that they feel comfortable with me,” Ruppel said. “I just try to do my job, and I know they’re going to do theirs. We kind of work hand in hand.”
Ruppel has been doing an excellent job so far this season. During his college debut against Princeton on Feb. 25, Ruppel played all 60 minutes in the cage and finished the game with 24 saves and stopped 73.7 percent of shots on net. Maryland won, 11-5.
Ruppel mentioned that although it is “cool” he is getting a lot of recognition for his phenomenal skills in the cage so far, it is essential to move on and always think about the following week’s game. He noted that excellent teams are trying to beat the Terps, who must be ready for the challenge and have their head in the game.
Maryland’s next game will be against Michigan at 1 p.m. on April 1 in College Park.
“There’s definitely smiles after [winning a] game, but you can’t get too high, you can’t get too low going through losses, going through wins,” Ruppel said. “Either way, you’ve got to have a clear mindset going into next week.”
For more from Ruppel, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics