Maryland graduate attackman Eric Spanos had a split-second decision to make at the end of the Terps’ 8-7 overtime win against Ohio State on April 4, but his ability to trust his teammate made the choice easy.
Spanos saw the Buckeyes’ defense closing in on him in overtime, and he knew exactly where to send the ball.
“I noticed like two or three guys run out to me, and I saw my buddy Riley just standing there, and I was like, kind of a no-brainer,” Spanos said on Glenn Clark Radio April 9. “I trust him fully. I trust all of the guys on my team fully to catch that ball and finish it.”
Spanos is referring to senior defenseman Riley Reese, who finished the play with a game-winning goal — his first career goal — sparking a celebration that Spanos said he will remember forever. He said it was especially meaningful because Reese has had to recover from multiple knee injuries.
“Everyone was just going crazy. I’ll remember that game and that moment for the rest of my life,” Spanos said. “Just seeing everyone get out of their seats, everyone rushing the field, it was pretty awesome. Just for it to be Riley, it was even cooler just knowing what he’s been through.”
The win marked Maryland’s second overtime victory of the season. The Terps also beat Virginia, 13-12, in triple overtime on March 14. Spanos sees that experience as valuable as postseason games draw closer.
“I definitely think it’s very important that we’ve had some experiences like this,” he said. “As much as you want to win games by six to eight goals every time you play, it’s just not super realistic.”
Maryland has faced several highly-ranked teams so far this season such as Syracuse, Princeton and Notre Dame. Spanos said that tested the team and ultimately strengthened the confidence of the players. The Terps (6-4) still have one more regular-season game against Johns Hopkins on April 18. After that, the Big Ten tournament is next.
“We knew it was going to be very hard, but we never lost faith in our team. We never lost faith in our group,” Spanos said.
Spanos said that the team is focused on growing together, trusting that preparation would lead to wins.
“We were able to just put our nose down and just keep working and practice to be our best,” he said.
Spanos has also found personal success this season, including scoring eight points in one game against Michigan on March 28. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound attackman out of Pottstown, Pa., has totaled 19 goals and five assists so far. He has 98 goals and 42 assists in 58 career games with the Terps.
“A lot of my teammates also in the game put me in great spots to succeed,” he said of the Michigan game. “They were finding me off ball, finding me in a good spot, setting good picks for me.”
Despite personal success, Spanos said he stays focused on the team.
“If it’s my turn, it’s my turn. If it’s someone else’s, it’s someone else’s. I’ll be happy regardless of who it is,” he said.
In his final season at Maryland, Spanos is trying to stay present in the moment. He is appreciative of the five-year experience he has had in the program. As his team continues its season, Spanos thinks they can step it up.
“We definitely think we can do more, and we know we can do more,” he said.
For more from Spanos, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics