Maryland is one game away from completing an unbeaten season and placing itself among the greatest teams in college lacrosse history.
The Terps' did not play a vintage game on Saturday night, featuring 19 turnovers but John Tillman's team did what it needed to win. Maryland got 19 saves from goalie Logan McNaney to hold off Princeton and advance to the NCAA final with a 13-8 win over the Tigers. Logan Wisnauskas scored four goals to lead Maryland, becoming just the sixth player in NCAA Division I men's history to reach the 200-goal mark.
Keegan Khan got the Terps’ start on the right foot, scoring his team’s first three goals in the game’s first 10 minutes. Kyle Long and Bubba Fairman followed with goals to make it 5-1 in favor of Maryland after a quarter.
Maryland and Princeton traded turnovers in the second quarter, but the Tigers ended the half of a two-goal thanks to a three-minute unreleasable penalty on John Geppert. Chris Brown cut the deficit to 7-4 with 1:42 left in the half.
Although the Tigers’ carried a portion of the penalty into the third quarter, it was Maryland that mounted a four-goal rally. Wisnauskas bounced in his 200th career goal, and Owen Murphy scored two goals in seven seconds to give the Terps an 11-4 lead midway through the third quarter. Alex Slusher and Alexander Vardaro scored back-to-back to cut the deficit to five goals entering the fourth quarter, giving Princeton hope of a comeback.
Wisnauskas stepped up when Maryland needed him in the fourth quarter, scoring goals No. 202 and 203 to pass Jared Bernhardt on the school's all-time goals list and keep the Terps' in front throughout. McNaney made big saves early in the fourth quarter to stymie the Princeton comeback bid.