Maryland completes undefeated season with NCAA men's lacrosse title
Maryland attack Anthony DeMaio (16) celebrates his goal against Cornell during the first half of the NCAA college men's lacrosse championship game, Monday, May 30, 2022, in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Credit: AP/Bryan Woolston
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Anthony DeMaio scored four first-half goals for his fifth hat trick in his last six games, Logan McNaney made 17 saves to be named the NCAA Tournament's most outstanding player and top-seeded Maryland completed a perfect season by holding off Cornell, 9-7, on Monday to win the men’s lacrosse title.
Maryland (18-0) set an NCAA record for most wins in a season without a loss, becoming the first undefeated men's lacrosse team since Virginia in 2006. The Terps are 33-1 in the last two seasons, with the lone loss coming in the 2021 championship against Virginia.
“All I wanted to do was see these kids not crying this year,” Maryland coach John Tillman said. “Last year to see the tears, I feel so bad for guys like Nick Grill or Jared Bernhardt and the all the seniors last year that didn't get this chance. Our guys were focused all year long and I give them a lot of credit.”
Maryland ended the first quarter on a 4-0 run, with three straight goals from DeMaio in a span of 2:09. The Terps led 7-2 at halftime.
Maryland scored two goals in 42 seconds to open the second half for a 9-2 lead, but the Terps went scoreless for the last 27 minutes as Cornell battled back.
The Big Red scored four unanswered goals to get within 9-6 with 7:27 left in the fourth. John Piatelli, the nation’s scoring leader, scored with 35.3 seconds remaining to set a Cornell record with 66 goals.
Maryland won the ensuing faceoff before running out the clock to win its fourth title in program history.
Seventh-seeded Cornell (14-5) was searching for its first title since 1977 — in front of an announced crowd of 22,184.
Ivy League freshman of the year CJ Kirst opened the scoring midway through the first quarter and he also scored early in the second for his 55th of the season.
Logan Wisnauskas had two goals and two assists to become the first Maryland player to record 100 points in a single season, breaking Bernhardt's record of 99 last season.
