Just years ago this Memorial Day, Maryland was going for its first national championship in 40 years, and Denver stood it its way. The Pioneers took the 2015 NCAA title, becoming the first team from the West to take home the elusive crown. 

That loss left Maryland still searching for a third championship in school history. Last season, the Terps had another shot at glory, but fell in an overtime classic to a North Carolina team that seemed destined to win it all.

Here we are, at Championship Weekend, and again its Maryland looking to end its championship woes. And again, it's a stacked Denver team standing in its way. It's not the final game, but the magitude is as high as it can be for a national semifinal.

Matt Rambo has been on a tear and leads the Terps into Foxborough to meet Trevor Baptiste, who is putting up historic faceoff numbers, and the Pioneers. Judging by the other have of the bracket, the winner of this game should feel like it has a good shot at winning the national title.

Denver

Maryland

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Baptiste leads Denver to another final four.

Denver coach Bill Tierney has his Pioneers in their eighth straight NCAA tournament and fourth final four in the past five years. This program is now used to being on this stage, and it won’t be scared of an equally decorated Maryland team on Saturday.

The major story for Denver, as it has been the entire season, is the play of faceoff man Trevor Baptiste. Baptiste was great last season, but he’s taken his play to another level in 2017, specifically in the NCAA tournament. Just let this stat linger for a second: In the NCAA tournament, Baptiste has won 44 of 49 faceoffs, including a 21-for-22 performance in the NCAA quarterfinal win over Notre Dame. He’s not only the best faceoff man in the country — he’s one of the best in the history of college lacrosse. He had a shot at breaking Mark Goers’ faceoff winning percentage record of .773 at points this season.

Baptiste will be mentioned later in this preview, but he’ll be a huge factor in determining whether Denver will reach the pinnacle of lacrosse for the second time in three years.

It’s been 42 years and the pressure won’t go away for the Terps.

On the other side of this storied matchup is Maryland, which is still looking for its fist NCAA championship since 1975. If you look at the stats above, it will show just how close the Terps have gotten, and just how few times they have pushed through to win it all.

Last season, Maryland had a glorious chance to capture the title, but it ran into an unseeded North Carolina team that seemed destined to win it all. It took overtime, but the Tar Heels made it another year without a championship.

Now, John Tillman and his squad is back to the final four for the sixth time in seven years — a stretch that includes four championship game appearances. It must be mentioned that Denver won its lone championship with a 10-5 win over Maryland. Both teams are different than two years ago, but the matchup has already seen its fair share of high-profile games.

Led by star Matt Rambo, Maryland answered critics by dismantling a surging Albany team in the quarterfinals. 

Strengths

It’s simple —more possessions equals more chances for Denver.

It’s not Denver’s only strength, but Trevor Baptiste must top the list. He’s on a historic stretch that has helped this Denver offense become one of the most efficient and powerful in the game. He’s shown the ability to completely take over games, like when he came out of halftime against Air Force to go coast-to-coast for two goals in the first four minutes of the second half. That fueled Denver’s blowout win.

With the Pioneers’ slow, methodical offense, Baptiste’s dominance means his team controls time of possession. If Maryland can’t cut into Baptiste’s totals, Denver can have a tight grip on this game.

“They do such a good job of being patient on offense,” Tillman said. “You’re weary of, if they’re winning a lot of faceoffs, every time down is a 90-second, a two-minute possession, the quarters disappear quickly and the guys get run down. The are very patient and methodical when they get into their sets and they're very good at waiting for the shot that they want. We have to be really buttoned up and disciplined defensively.”

But once Baptiste gets the ball, he’s got plenty of options that he can trust. Remember 2016 Tewaaraton finalist Connor Cannizzaro? He’s flown under the radar in part because of his teammate, but he’s second on the team with 65 points on 41 goals and 24 assists. Also of note, he played for the Terps during his freshman year before transferring to Denver. Freshman Ethan Walker leads the way with 70 points.

Denver boasts eight different players with points in the double digits, showing off some impressive depth. And the Pioneers are efficient, as well, with a shot percentage of 34.7, good for fifth in the country.

Rambo leads a deep Maryland attack.

Much like Denver, Maryland’s offense, although deeper than most in the nation, seems to tick by one player. That’s Matt Rambo, who has turned his game to another level in the postseason. Maryland’s all-time leading scorer, he’s reached a career-high eight points in both of his NCAA tournament games. He scored twice and added six assists in the win over Byrant and was all over the field with four goals and four assists in the dominant win over Albany.

“If you want to name the top 5 players you’ve ever seen, he reminds me of all of them,” Tierney said of Rambo. “The guy can dodge, he can shoot, he can feed, he can ride, he’s a great kid. He’s a special, special player. … There’s nothing this guy can’t do and the idea is not to stop him, but keep his numbers at a minimum.”

Rambo has helped boost the level of the Maryland offense with his hot streak, helping midfielder Tim Rotanz drop five goals on Bryant and Connor Kelly do the same to Albany. There aren’t many offenses that could have one of a handful of players (if you add Colin Heacock, Dylan Maltz, Jared Bernhardt) go off for five goals in an NCAA tournament. Even though Rambo leads the way, Maryland has one of the most balanced attacks in the country. And just like the Pioneers, the Terps make the most of their possessions, leading the country with a 35.9 shot percentage.

Let's not forget the defense, which has allowed just 7.8 goals per game since a loss to Ohio State on April 22. Much of that efficiency comes on the stick of goalie Dan Morris, who sits 13th in the country with a 54.5 save percentage.

“Dan Morris has played great in the goal,” Tierney said. “He’s not only stopping shots, but he’s making it easier to get in transition and get up and out. … We’re trying to prepare for it all.”

Weaknesses

Is the Pioneers' defense solid enough to compete against Maryland?

Although Tierney will argue it has improved mightily toward the end of the season, Denver’s defense struggled through injuries for much of the season. Although its goals per game total looks impressive on the surface, the Pioneers allowed 10.5 goals per game to teams that made the NCAA tournament field.

It’s hard to blame Tierney and defensive coordinator John Orsen, who have had to deal with injuries to starters like sophomores Dylan Johnson and Dylan Gaines, who both went down during the Ohio State game. Since then, defensemen like Jake Nolan and Matt Jones have stepped up to steady the Denver defense. 

However, with All-American Christian Burgdorf at close defense, it’s tough to look past this team. Burgdorf, Nolan and Gaines will make up the unit against Maryland, and Tierney likes his chances.

“As much as it hurt in the middle of the year to have those guys out, we really feel we’re experimental and solid and have a bunch of guys that can play,” he said. “… “At this time of the year, if you’re not playing defense, you’re not in the final four. We feel very good about the young guys that are playing.”

Can Maryland get over the championship hump?

Before we dive into the aspects of the game that Denver could exploit, it’s worth mentioning Maryland’s challenges to win a championship. As much as Tillman and his team can turn the switch to the next season after falling short, the storyline is there and each loss adds more pressure to Maryland to finally break through.

“We feel like you get experience from being there, but each year is different just because your team is different,” Tillman said. “Your strengths, your weaknesses, your parts and all that. … We certainly have put ourselves in position to get to Monday and haven’t quite finished. There were some teams in the way that were a big reason for that. More than anything else, staying true to what has worked for us this year.”

Inside the lines, Maryland has struggled to find consistency in the faceoff game. The combination of Austin Henningsen, Jon Garino and Will Bonaparte has won less than 50 percent of its faceoffs this season, good for 34th in the country. It certainly puts more pressure of the Maryland offense to produce, which it has for most of the season. 

Whether it’s Garino, Henningsen or Bonparte taking on Baptiste on Saturday, it will be an uphill battle.

X-Factor

Can the Pioneers slow down Maryland in transition?

Denver’s defense has certainly been aided by the fact that Baptiste’s dominance has helped maintain possession, and Cannizzaro and company haven’t given the ball away.

Denver sits 13th in the country in turnovers with just 11.68 per game. That number will need to be level or lower against Maryland, a team that is extremely efficient in transition. Albany turned the ball over 13 times against Maryland, and the Terps made the Great Danes for it. Maryland turned an Albany turnover into a goal seven times on Sunday. It’s one of the Terps’ greatest weapons, especially with Rambo as strong as he’s playing in the past few games.

“We’re going to certainly push it as much as we can,” Tillman said. “… We’re trying to get up and down. You look at some of the poles, I think our second and third goals on Sunday were scored by close defensemen. We’re going to try to push the ball. Obviously, Denver has really long possessions. It can tire you out and it limits the number of opportunities you have, so we will try to do what we can to get the ball to the deck and if there all ground balls to pick it up and push it for sure.”

How is Maryland going to slow down Trevor Baptiste?

It’s the obvious storyline heading into Saturday’s matchup, but it’s also the most important aspect of the game from Maryland’s standpoint. Trevor Baptiste has the ability to keep the ball out of the sticks of a powerful Terps offense, negating Rambo and the momentum that he’s carrying into this weekend.

On paper, Baptiste against Garino, Henningsen or Bonaparte is a mismatch. However, you don’t have to look far for evidence that Maryland can match up with any faceoff man. The Terps held the second-best faceoff man in the country in TD Ierlan to 14-for-30.

Albany won the first five faceoffs, and then it was all Maryland. Credit coach Chris Mattes and Jon Garino, who entered the game in the second quarter and won 12 of 14 faceoffs against Ierlan. It’s that effort, couple with Maryland’s wings, that has Tierney thinking Maryland will be competitive come Saturday.

“What Austin [Henningsen] and John Garino have is Chris Mattes as their coach and he’s the best in the business as far as college faceoff coaches go,” Tierney said. “We know we’ve got our hands full. … What we’ve been seeing lately is great wing play as well. Maryland has shown some fantastic long sticks and it’s going to be a challenge. We may see Garino as much as we see Henningsen and it’s two versus one kind of deal.”

Conversely, Tillman said he knows that whoever he throws out at Baptiste, they are going to need help. That might come from LSM Matt Neufeldt, who leads the team with 60 groundballs off the wing this season.

“You just try to do a great job of being quick,” he said. “With our wings, we’ll try to get those guys involved if we can, but all the while you’re going to try to win your faceoffs but be disciplined enough to not foul and give up breaks and transition, which [Baptiste has] done a great job of. Not only getting the ball, but at times scoring goals. That’s something that we have to be careful of as we try to get the ball.”

Best-Kept Secret

Denver's underclassmen are filling up the stat sheet.

Entering this season, Tierney knew he had a young roster, but it was ready to compete. It would have been tough to forecast just how effective his underclassmen have been on the offensive side of the field.

Freshman Ethan Walker leads the team with 70 points on 38 goals and 32 assists. Sophomore Austin French is third with 28 goals and 18 assists. Sophomore Colton Jackson is fourth with 22 goals and five assists. It was necessary for Denver’s underclassmen to contribute, but it has exceeded expectations and helped the Pioneers offense fire on all cylinders.

As is the case with all inexperienced players, concerns arise as to whether they can handle the crucial moments during a final four run. Tierney said he’s not worried about his underclassmen heading into this weekend.

“Our guys, despite the hiccup last year, most of guys have been there and our young guys, Austin French and Ethan Walker, they haven’t been there,” Tierney said. “The idea for the older guys is to let the younger guys know what it’s all about and try to get them through the jitters of playing on Memorial Day weekend.”

Maryland boasts an All-American defense.

For all the attention that the Rambo and the Maryland offense gets for its efforts in the NCAA tournament, the Terps defense has been just as strong. Let’s use the Albany game as an example. Maryland held the leading scorer in the nation, Connor Fields, to three goals and an assist — much lower than his 6.50 points per game average.

It wouldn’t be fair to single out one player for Maryland’s success on defense this season. Let’s start with its two first team All-Americans on defense: short stick defenseman Isiah Davis-Allen and close defenseman Tim Muller. Davis-Allen made it above Towson’s duo of Jack Adams and Zach Goodrich on the All-American first team, which is an achievement in itself. He has 37 ground balls this season. Muller, the senior who has moved from LSM and back, has 31 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers, which is good for second on the team.

“Tim was kind of unheralded as a [high school] senior.,” Tillman told USLaxMagazine.com’s Gary Lambrecht this week. “When he came here, we saw a lot of good things in him and a quiet confidence. When we lost Matt Dunn [on defense] last year, Tim really stepped up and became our no. 1 [cover] guy. Now, I’m talking to MLL guys who love his game.”

Davis-Allen and Muller, in conjunction with names like Bryce Young, will be looked to lead a Maryland defense charged with making sure Denver’s long possessions end without a goal.

Ground Balls

4.88

Points per game for Maryland star Matt Rambo, good for ninth in the country. He has 16 points in his past two games — wins over Bryant and Albany.

8

Percent of Maryland’s final four trips have ended in a national title. It’s been 42 years since the Terps have won a national title, and they’ve made nine championship games since then.

20:24 

Length of time Denver held Notre Dame shotless in its 16-4 victory last weekend. 

80

Ground balls and caused turnovers combined for Maryland LSM Matt Neufeldt, who will be charged with assisting Henningsen and Garino against Baptiste.

89.7

Percent of faceoffs won by Denver’s Trevor Baptiste in the NCAA tournament. He won 23 of 27 faceoffs against Air Force and 21 of 22 to help beat Notre Dame. Historic.

Coaches’ Corner

Denver coach Bill Tierney on how teams approach Trevor Baptiste:

“He has seen it all. He has seen guys tackle him, grab him, grab his stick, hooking on his arms. He’s seen it all. I’m sure he’ll see something a little bit new this week, but the idea is for him, as a young man, as a person, as a competition, he’s at another level. … We’ve lost faceoffs to a number of guys, but the idea is to learn from the ones you lose and hope that you can correct it.”

Maryland coach John Tillman on Matt Rambo’s improvements over the course of the season:

“You watch the first goal of the game on Sunday, he goes to his right hand and gets top side. His passing, his riding, he’s picked up some enormous ground balls for us this year. His work ethic and dedication to become a complete player has been huge. Having Colin down there has been really helpful, because those guys work so well together. Coach Ruppert has done a really good job of putting Matt in spots where he can be really dangerous.”

Making The Case

Denver

Denver has been here before and it will be ready when the moment comes. The Pioneers have won a national championship and did it against the same team they’ll face on Sunday. They may be the No. 5 seed, but the Pioneers are very capable of beating Maryland.

It all starts with Baptiste. If he continues his dominance at the faceoff x, he’ll have the Terps scrambling to find possessions throughout the game. The best way to contain a high-powered offense is to make sure it doesn’t get the ball. In Maryland’s last loss, it struggled with Ohio State’s Jake Withers, who won 18 of 25 faceoffs. If Baptiste can win somewhere near his average in faceoffs, Denver will have the upperhand.

Once that happens, Cannizzaro will have the ability to carry the Pioneers on the offensive end. Denver can catch fire if it’s given the opportunity, much like it was in the win over Notre Dame last weekend.

Win 75 percent or more on faceoffs and convert on offense, and the Pioneers might be headed to another title game.

Maryland

With the exception being at the faceoff x, Maryland might be the most complete team in the country. The Terps seem to find their offensive gear when needed, and they certainly have enough talent on defense to shut down opponents.

Having said that, Denver is a different beast, with a faceoff man capable of changing the game. Where the Terps needed to exploit the Pioneers is on the offensive end, where Rambo, Colin Heacock, Tim Rotanz and Connor Kelly will need to be on point. If they can maintain the efficiency we saw in the win over Albany, it will be a long game for Denver’s defense, no matter how improved it is.

In order for that to happen, Maryland needs to get to Baptiste. Neufeldt and Garino/Henningsen will have to take advantage of any loose balls as a result of the faceoff. The more 50-50 balls that Maryland can pick up, the more chances it will have to impose its offense.

Carve into Baptiste’s totals and win the ground ball battle and Maryland should be successful.