It is May. The humidity in the Mid-Atlantic is starting to turn the air into a thick soup, and if you are standing on the sidelines of a NCAA tournament game, you can practically smell the tension. It’s a specific kind of electricity. When you see the gold helmets of the Irish lining up against the classic Terrapins red, you aren't just watching a game. You are watching a collision of philosophies.
The Notre Dame Maryland lacrosse rivalry has become the definitive measuring stick for modern college lacrosse. For decades, the narrative was simple: Maryland was the "Blue Blood" of the hotbed, the keepers of the gate in College Park. Notre Dame? They were the Midwestern upstarts, the "football school" trying to prove that sticks and strings belonged in South Bend just as much as shoulder pads and helmets.
But things changed. Fast.
If you’ve followed the last few seasons, specifically the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, you know the script has flipped. Notre Dame isn't just "good for a non-hotbed school" anymore. They are the standard. Kevin Corrigan, the longest-tenured coach in the sport, finally broke the seal, and he did it by going through the heart of the Maryland machine.
The 2024 National Championship Was A Statement, Not A Fluke
Let’s talk about Memorial Day 2024. If you were a Maryland fan, it was a nightmare. If you were an Irish fan, it was a masterpiece. The final score was 15-5. In a national championship game, that kind of margin is almost unheard of. It wasn't just that Notre Dame won; it was how they dismantled a Maryland team that usually prides itself on being the most disciplined unit on the field.
Maryland’s head coach John Tillman is a master of the "suffocation" style of play. He wants to slow you down, force you into 50-second possessions, and make you take a bad shot. But the Kavanagh brothers—Pat and Chris—basically decided that the Maryland defensive scheme was more of a suggestion than a rule.
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The Irish played with a pace that felt like a fast break in basketball. Honestly, it was a bit jarring to see Maryland look that out of sorts. Usually, the Terps are the ones dictating the terms. In Philadelphia that day, they were just trying to keep their heads above water.
Why the Kavanagh Era Changed Everything
We have to get specific about why the Notre Dame Maryland lacrosse dynamic shifted. It’s the Kavanagh brothers. Period.
Pat Kavanagh, who graduated as one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport, brought a level of "street ball" intensity to a program that used to be known for being a bit too rigid. He’d ride a defenseman into the turf, pick up a ground ball with one hand, and find his brother Chris on the crease before the goalie even realized the ball was live.
Maryland has always produced incredible individual talents—think Jared Bernhardt or Logan Wisnauskas—but the Irish found a way to pair that elite individual skill with a team-wide chip on their shoulder.
The Maryland Identity: Why They Are Never Actually "Down"
It is easy to look at a 15-5 loss and think the Terps are fading. Don't fall for it. Maryland is like the New England Patriots of lacrosse (the Brady era, not the current mess). They have a "next man up" culture that is genuinely annoying if you root for anyone else.
The Terrapins’ strength has always been their ability to recruit the "MIAA" kids—the players from the powerhouse high schools in Baltimore like Calvert Hall, Boys' Latin, and St. Paul's. These kids grow up playing in a pressure cooker. By the time they get to College Park, a NCAA quarterfinal game feels like just another Tuesday.
Maryland’s 2024 run to the finals was actually a bit of a surprise to some analysts. They weren't the dominant force they were in 2022 when they went undefeated. They had some ugly losses in the regular season. But Tillman does this thing where he tweaks the defense in April, and by May, they are a brick wall. They beat a very good Virginia team to get to the final, proving that the "Maryland Way" still works. It just didn't work against the Irish buzzsaw.
The Defensive Chess Match
When you break down Notre Dame Maryland lacrosse matchups, you have to look at the goalie battle.
- Liam Entenmann (Notre Dame): He was the heart of the Irish defense. He wasn't just making saves; he was directed traffic. Seeing a goalie win the USILA Player of the Year is rare.
- Logan McNaney (Maryland): The 2022 NCAA Tournament MVP. He’s the steady hand. He doesn't get rattled, which is vital when you’re facing a Notre Dame offense that shoots from everywhere.
The contrast is fascinating. Entenmann is explosive and vocal. McNaney is positional and calm. It’s a microcosm of the two programs.
Is This the New "Greatest Rivalry" in the Sport?
For a long time, the answer to the rivalry question was always Johns Hopkins vs. Maryland. The "Crab Cake" rivalry. And while that history is untouchable, the Notre Dame Maryland lacrosse games have become the ones that actually decide who lifts the trophy at the end of May.
Since 2010, Maryland has been to the Final Four almost every single year. It’s an absurd level of consistency. Notre Dame has been the one team that consistently matches their physicality.
There is a mutual respect there, but there is also a clear clash of cultures. Maryland is the establishment. They are the geographic center of the lacrosse universe. Notre Dame is the global brand, the school with the NBC deal and the golden domes. When they meet, it feels like a battle for the "soul" of where the sport is going. Is it staying in the Baltimore/DC corridor, or is it truly a national game now?
The evidence suggests the latter.
The Recruitment War
Maryland used to have a virtual monopoly on the best talent in the Atlantic region. Now? Kevin Corrigan is walking into those same living rooms in Towson and Bethesda and winning.
He’s selling something different. He’s selling the "Irish Lacrosse" brand, which feels a bit more modern and perhaps a bit more aggressive. Maryland sells the "Pro-Terps" pipeline and the tradition of the red, white, and black.
The fact that Notre Dame is now pulling kids from Long Island, Ontario, and even the traditional Maryland suburbs has leveled the playing field. You can't just rely on geography anymore.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Programs
One of the biggest misconceptions about Notre Dame Maryland lacrosse is that Notre Dame is just an "offensive" team and Maryland is just a "defensive" team.
That’s lazy analysis.
In reality, Notre Dame’s defense in 2024 was arguably the best in the country. They played a physical, almost violent style of man-to-man defense that didn't allow teams to breathe. Conversely, Maryland’s offense, when it’s clicking, is a beautiful display of ball movement and spacing.
- Misconception 1: Notre Dame wins because of the Kavanaghs.
- Reality: They win because their "SSDMs" (Short-Stick Defensive Midfielders) are elite athletes who could probably play D1 football.
- Misconception 2: Maryland is "boring" to watch.
- Reality: Maryland plays "high-IQ" lacrosse. If you appreciate the nuances of off-ball movement and clearing transitions, they are a clinic.
Looking Ahead: The 2025 and 2026 Outlook
What happens now? Pat Kavanagh is gone. Liam Entenmann has graduated. The "Golden Era" of Notre Dame roster depth is facing its first real test of attrition.
Maryland, meanwhile, is doing what they always do: reloading. They’ve hit the transfer portal hard, a tool that John Tillman uses better than almost anyone in the country. They are bringing in veteran talent to fill the gaps left by their own departing seniors.
We are entering a phase where the Notre Dame Maryland lacrosse rivalry might become even more tactical. Without the "superstar" anchors like Pat Kavanagh, expect the Irish to lean even harder into their system. Expect Maryland to try and reclaim their spot as the kings of the mountain by exploiting the inevitable "post-championship hangover" that hits most programs.
The scary thing for the rest of the ACC and the Big Ten? Both of these programs are now operating at a level where "rebuilding" isn't in the vocabulary. It’s just "reloading."
The Schedule Matters
Watch for their regular-season matchups. Often, these two meet in the early spring. Those games are usually chess matches where coaches are hiding their best "looks" for May. If you see Maryland drop a game to the Irish in March, don't write them off. They are the kings of the "May Adjustment."
However, if Notre Dame continues to dominate the middle of the field—the faceoff "X" and the ground ball battles—the trophy might stay in South Bend for a while longer. The addition of players like Will Lynch at the faceoff dot has given the Irish a possession advantage that Maryland historically used to own.
Actionable Steps for the Lacrosse Fan
If you want to truly understand the depth of this rivalry and improve your own knowledge (or betting edge) on the sport, here is what you need to do:
- Watch the 2024 National Championship Replay: Focus entirely on the Notre Dame "ride." Watch how their attackmen harass the Maryland defense when they try to clear the ball. It is the single biggest reason the game turned into a blowout.
- Track the Transfer Portal: Specifically look at who Maryland picks up from mid-major programs. Tillman has a knack for finding "hidden gems" from schools like Vermont or Richmond who become All-Americans in College Park.
- Follow the "MIAA" High School Scores: If you want to know who will be starring in the Notre Dame Maryland lacrosse games in 2027, look at the rosters of St. Mary's Annapolis and McDonogh today. Both schools recruit heavily from this pool.
- Attend a Game at Arlotta (Notre Dame) or SECU (Maryland): The atmospheres are completely different. Arlotta is intimate and intense; SECU Stadium feels like a professional arena. Experiencing both gives you a sense of why these programs carry themselves the way they do.
The rivalry isn't just about points on a scoreboard. It’s about the evolution of a sport that is moving away from its regional roots and into a new, hyper-competitive national era. Whether you wear the green or the red, you have to admit: college lacrosse is simply better when these two are at each other's throats.