The No. 1 Maryland Terrapins proved that they are the best, completing a perfect season 18-0 season, winning the 2022 National Championship with a 9-7 victory over No. 7 Cornell.
Maryland has set an NCAA record for the most wins in a season and has become the first undefeated team with since Virginia in 2006.
This is Maryland’s fourth NCAA title previously winning in 1973, 1975, and 2017 and the 13th overall appearance in the men’s lacrosse national championship.
“Just to see the smiles on everyone’s faces, it’s a moment that no one can take back from you, that is what makes me go everyday”
-Midfielder Anthony DeMaio
The Terps had a slow offensive start to the game as Cornell dominated the beginning half of the first quarter. Cornell scored the first goal of the game with 7:28 left in the quarter.
Maryland tied up the game as Jack Brennan put one in the net with 5:47 left in the first quarter.
Fifth-year Anthony Demaio came out on fire, recording a hat trick in the span of 2:09 putting the Terps at 4-1 at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, graduate student Owen Prybylski scored his first goal of the season to give the Terps a 5-1 lead.
Cornell clapped back with a goal at 11:49 followed by DeMaio’s fourth goal of the game and a goal from fifth-year Logan Wisnauskas, making putting the Terps up 7-2 at the half.
Wisnauskas opened up the scoring in the second half at two minutes. A minute later, Jonathan Donville scored the last goal for the Terps against his previous school for the last goal of the game.
Between the second and third quarters, Maryland held Cornell scoreless for 22:15 before Cornell put one in with 4:34 left in the third.
In the fourth quarter, Cornell tightened the gap to 2, scoring four goals in the last quarter, concluding the game with a score of 9-7 Maryland.
Cornell held Maryland to its lowest-scoring game of the season, however, the Terps’ unselfishness showed as they only put up 9 goals against the Big Red.
“Growing up and seeing all the other teams do what they did and then going out there and doing it ourselves is pretty special to me”
-Goalie Logan McManey
The Terps were scoreless for the remaining 27 minutes of regulation, but the strong defense held the Big Red and made Maryland victorious. Wisnauskas continued his legacy as a Terp in his final game putting up four points on two goals and two assists. He became the first Terp to ever record 100 points in a single season.
Junior goalie Logan McManey made 17 saves for the Terps and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
DeMaio, Luke Wierman, Wisnauskas, and Ajax Zappitello were named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
The Maryland Terrapins “finished the job” and proved once again why they are the number one team in the nation.
