The Maryland men’s lacrosse team scored the game’s first six goals and eliminated the University of Denver from the NCAA Tournament with a 16-8 first-round decision at Byrd Stadium in College Park, Md., on Saturday.
No. 12-ranked Denver (12-5) ended the best season in the team’s history. No. 2 Maryland (11-4) advances to face No. 7 Princeton in the quarterfinals May 21 at Towson University.
Maryland’s Joe Walters, the ACC player of the year, and Maxwell Ritz led all scorers with six points apiece. Denver’s Adam Goodwin earned his first hat trick of the season and led the Pioneers with five points.
Maxwell Ritz and Xander Ritz scored two goals each in the first quarter, while Denver was held to just one shot, and Maryland had a 6-0 lead. Goodwin and Joe Murray scored in the first two minutes of the second period to bring Denver back. But another six-goal Maryland streak into the second half put the Terrapins comfortably ahead.
“We had a little nerves out there today, which is understandable,” Denver coach Jamie Munro said. “We just played a team that executed better than we did.”
Jeb Hollingsworth made seven saves and allowed nine goals for Denver, and Austin Konkel gave up seven goals and had five saves. Maryland’s Harry Alford allowed seven and made eight saves.
Maryland is now 3-0 all-time against Denver.
