COLLEGE PARK, Maryland – Rutgers men's lacrosse traveled south for a Saturday night conference showdown, falling to No. 4/5 Maryland, 11-6. Colin Kurdyla led RU with two goals and Cardin Stoller had 14 saves. Maryland improved to 8-3 and 3-1 in the league. RU fell to 7-5 overall and 1-3 in league play.

RU had a goal apiece from Ross Scott, Shane Knobloch, Dante Kulas and Ryan Splaine. RU had a 36-30 advantage in shots. Faceoffs won were 11-10 in favor of Maryland.

Early on, it was a defense focused game, with Maryland scoring the only goal in the first 14 minutes. Rutgers played well early, having an early 9-3 advantage in saves and forcing Maryland into six early turnovers. The Scarlet Knights finally cracked the scoresheet in the final minute of the frame on a highlight reel play. Cardin Stoller made a save, started the transition with an outlet to Brandon Hund, and then long-stick midfielder Ryan Splaine launched a dart into the goal from long range to even the game at 1-1.

In the second quarter, Dante Kulas put RU ahead for the first time at 2-1. Maryland came back to retake the lead at 3-2 before Kulas fed Colin Kurdyla, and the true freshman stung one home to even the game at 3-3. Kurdyla's second goal evened the score at 4-4, but the Terps had the last two tallies of the first half to take a 6-4 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was scoreless for the opening 11 minutes before Maryland finally broke through to take a three-goal lead. Ross Scott answered right back to make the score 7-5 Maryland. Rutgers looked to have another goal from Kurdyla late in the third, but the call on the field kept play alive, and after three quarters the Terps lead remained at two.

Early in the fourth quarter, Shane Knobloch stepped up to score and got RU back within one at 7-6. Maryland then added two goals in three seconds, scoring and then adding another off the resulting faceoff to extend their lead back to three at 9-6 with 11 minutes to play. The Terps were able to put the Scarlet Knights away from there, outscoring RU 4-1 in the final quarter to seal the win.

Postgame Notes

• Freshman Colin Kurdyla had his fifth multi-goal game of the season, and second time in the past three games.
• Freshman Duke Richman, playing in his second game of the season and first since March 5, had his second assist of his collegiate career.

Up Next

Rutgers returns home for its final regular season game next Friday, hosting Penn State at 6 p.m. The game will be Senior Day, with a pregame Senior Day Ceremony, and Alumni Appreciation Day.

Big Ten Standings Update

There are four games remaining to play in Big Ten men's lacrosse, with Johns Hopkins and Ohio State closing out this week's slate on Sunday night. Johns Hopkins (3-0) and Maryland (3-1) have clinched a better finish than RU, eliminating them from receiving a bye through the Big Ten Quarterfinals. Penn State stands in third place at 2-2, with Ohio State at 1-2 and Rutgers and Michigan at 1-3.

To ensure a top-4 seed and a home game in the Big Ten Quarterfinals, in the simplest scenario, a Rutgers win over Penn State and two Ohio State losses would give RU the home game. Rutgers must win next week to earn a home game in the Quarterfinals. The Scarlet Knights can finish as high as tied for third in the league, and in the above scenario, would be the No. 3 seed.