Maryland men’s lacrosse enters 2026 as the consensus preseason No. 1 team in the country and is expected to be in the running for another national championship.
Maryland was originally scheduled to open the season at Richmond on Jan. 31, but it was postponed due to weather. The new opener will be against Loyola in College Park on Saturday, Feb. 7 at noon.
The Terps enter 2026 with a veteran roster after making a run to the national title game last May. They’re balancing experienced players with emerging talent going into this season.
Head coach John Tillman said the group’s maturity and effort have stood out to him during preseason work.
“One thing we’ve always tried to do around here is play to the strengths of the guys, not force them into a box and kind of put them in spots where they feel the most confident and then we try to maximize their potential,” Tillman said on Glenn Clark Radio Jan. 27.
One of the biggest transitions the team is facing this year comes in net with the departure of longtime starting goalie Logan McNaney. Despite the loss, Tillman expressed his confidence in senior goalie Brian Ruppel, who has been preparing for this opportunity for years.
Ruppel, however, is hardly inexperienced. He started the last 13 games of the season in 2023 following a knee injury to McNaney, finishing with 138 saves and eight wins. Ruppel had a huge game in 2023 against No. 1 Virginia with 14 saves, including three in seven seconds, during an overtime win.
“That’s one area where we definitely have a lot of confidence,” Tillman said. “We just know what Brian’s capable of, having him here and knowing his character, work ethic, the way he’s wired, how hard he works. … You have this rare opportunity where there’s a new guy coming in, but he really does have games under his belt.”
Ruppel’s takeover of the net is a part of a large trend with the team’s roster, as several other players are now stepping into leadership positions. Tillman talked about the importance of player development and growth within the team and how that’s essential to the program’s success.
“Your new guys show up and you get to see them kind of young and wide-eyed, then two or three years later, you see their maturity and you see them grow and all of a sudden, they become the leaders,” Tillman said. “And it’s just awesome to see that progression.”
Elsewhere, the Terps will lean on graduate attackman Eric Spanos, senior long-stick midfielder AJ Larkin, senior midfielder Eric Kolar and senior defenseman Will Schaller. Spanos will be wearing Maryland’s No. 1 jersey this season, a tradition for players who embody the program’s values on and off the field.
Spanos is entering the season as one of the most accomplished players on the team’s roster. He became the 64th player in program history to reach 100 career points and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors as well as USILA Honorable Mention All-American recognition in 2025. He is a consistent scorer with 33 multi-point games and an 18-game point-scoring streak.
Spanos’ experience and consistency has solidified his role as a leader for the team.
“Eric just kind of seemed to be the logical choice, five-year guy … but since the day he got here he’s worked [hard] as a team-first guy, always pushing himself to be better, great teammate, great leader,” Tillman said.
As for the faceoff X, Vermont transfer Henry Dodge has already made an impression. Tillman spoke of Dodge’s competitiveness and willingness to help make the team better.
Dodge had a dominant season at Vermont in 2025. He was named America East Faceoff Specialist of the Year after winning 71 percent of faceoffs, the best mark in Division I. He picked up an average of 8.5 ground balls per game, making him one of the best in his position in the nation. Dodge also earned first-team All-America East honors and has had numerous games with 15 or more faceoff wins, making him a great fit for Maryland’s roster.
“What I’ve been probably even more impressed with is his ability to help the other guys in the [faceoff] unit,” Tillman said. “… Some guys just get focused on what their job is, and Henry’s been really good at trying to maximize his potential but trying to bring out the best in everybody else.”
Overall, the team is going into the 2026 season with experienced leaders and new contributors. Despite each year bringing new challenges, the standard remains the same for this team — to perform at the highest level and pursue a championship.
“Just go out there, play good lacrosse, share the ball, make good decisions. And I think those are the hardest teams to play against,” Tillman said.
For more from Tillman, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics