COLLEGE PARK, Md. — For the third time in the last four years the University of Maryland men’s lacrosse team finds itself back where the program belongs: in the final four.
On Thursday afternoon the Terps boarded the buses bound for Philadelphia, site of the NCAA Tournament's championship weekend.
The Terrapins are making their 29th appearance in the final four. That is tied with rival Johns Hopkins for most all-time. The Terps are looking for the program’s fifth national championship and their first since 2022.
After beating No. 2 Duke in the quarterfinals, 14-11, the seventh-seeded Terrapins (9-5) get sixth-seeded Virginia (12-5) in the semifinal, Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Maryland is once again the underdog. That's just the way they like it.
"I don’t think that’s a bad place for us, having that kind of underdog chip on your shoulder. Maryland teams always do well in that role. I think that is a good place for us to be," said head coach John Tillman.
"You don’t play to go to the final four. We play every year to win national championships. That is why you come to Maryland. That has been our focus all year," said faceoff specialist Luke Wierman. "We just knew if we just kept getting better, kept building on things, we would hopefully give ourself the opportunity to make it as far as possible."
"You dream of being in this moment. It is a big stage. As a kid you watch it and it’s like a dream come true being able to play in it," added midfielder Jack Koras.
The Cavaliers topped the Terps in College Park in March, 14-10.
The winner of Saturday’s game advances to face either No. 1 Notre Dame or No. 5 Denver for the national championship on Monday.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
