Background Both schools call the rivalry the greatest and most historic in men's lacrosse.
Sports Illustrated ranked it among the best all-time
college rivalries, and before the teams' 100th meeting, called it "the equivalent of
Michigan–Ohio State in football." A 2003
Harris Interactive poll found that
Marylanders considered it the state's fourth biggest rivalry after the
Cowboys–Redskins,
Ravens–Redskins, and
Duke–Maryland. The Hopkins–Maryland all-time record differs based upon whether games played before Maryland had a varsity team are counted. Johns Hopkins recognizes those games and records the series as 71–43–1 in its own favor. Maryland, however, recognizes only games played since the formation of their varsity team in 1924, which puts the all-time record at 64–43–1, also in favor of Hopkins. The rivalry, which is the oldest in the sport, is fueled by history, competitiveness, and cultural implication. Both schools are located in the state of
Maryland, a historical hotbed for lacrosse, and have traditionally been two of the sport's powerhouses. Many of the opposing players have had past associations in
grade school,
high school, or youth club sports. Hopkins' former coach and former player
Dave Pietramala said, "Everybody knew each other; we had all played together at some point or another. It was a fierce, intense game and there was no love lost on the field." Since that season, the teams have met annually with the exception of a two-year hiatus due to World War II. Johns Hopkins won three straight national titles from 1926 to 1928, where each season culminated with a victory over Maryland. In 1928, Maryland had a perfect 9–0 record until Johns Hopkins defeated the Terps in the season finale, 6–3. At season's end, a
single-elimination tournament was held to determine which team would represent the United States in
a trial lacrosse competition during the
Summer Olympics. Maryland defeated
Navy and
Rutgers to advance to the final game, where they were again bested by Johns Hopkins. The following season, the Terrapins embarked upon a three-year run in which they lost only four games, and they defeated the Blue Jays each season including a shutout, 6–0, in 1930. In 1932, however, Hopkins defeated Maryland twice during the regular season and once more in a postseason game to decide participation in the
Olympics. The Hopkins dean ordered the students to return the statue, which they did after painting a blue 'H' on its back.
Maryland dominance In the 1950s, the two teams won a combined six
national championships, with Maryland dominating the first part of the decade and Johns Hopkins the latter. Between 1951 and 1956, Maryland posted a 5–0–1 record against Hopkins, with three games won by at least six points. The Terps won consecutive national titles in 1955 and 1956, while posting a combined record of 21–0. In 1957, the Blue Jays snapped the Terrapins' 31-game winning streak with an upset win, 15–10. Two years later, both teams shared the national title with
Army. Between 1955 and 1959, Maryland compiled a 48–3 record, with all three losses at the hands of Johns Hopkins. In 1972, Maryland beat Johns Hopkins in the regular season, 13–12, to earn the
number-one seed. The two teams met again in the semifinals, where Hopkins eliminated Maryland, 9–6, and advanced to the finals before losing to
Virginia by one goal. The following two years, Hopkins and Maryland met in the finals. When the teams met in
the championship game, however, the Blue Jays employed a possession game to offset Maryland's offensive firepower, and the first shot on goal did not take place until 8:38. At halftime, Johns Hopkins had taken a 5–2 lead. Time expired with the score tied, 9–9, which forced the game into
overtime. Urso scored for the Terrapins to take a 10–9 lead and Maryland goalie Bill O'Donnell made several impressive saves to secure the win. and entered halftime with a 10–4 advantage. In the second half, Maryland outscored them 8–7, but the effort fell short. In 1975, Maryland defeated Hopkins, 19–11, before winning
the national title, and won again the following year, 21–13, on their way to finish as
national championship runners-up after an overtime loss to
Cornell in the final. In 1977, the Blue Jays edged the Terrapins, 21–20, in the regular season and began a run in the series. Hopkins eliminated Maryland in the tournament semifinals in both
1977 and
1978, before beating them in the
1979 championship game at home in
College Park, Maryland. During the 1970s, Maryland participated in six NCAA title games, including four in a row from 1973 to 1976. During that span, the Terps won two national titles and lost four.
Hopkins dominance During the 1980s, Johns Hopkins dominated the series, winning 12 of 13 games, including nine by an average margin of 5.6 points. The Blue Jays won the following two seasons, with both games decided in overtime. Hopkins extended their streak to four wins in 2005, before Maryland's new head coach
Dave Cottle took away his first victory in 2006. The two met for the event again in 2010, with Maryland coming out on top, 10–9, due in part to a perfect four-for-four
extra-man offense. The rivalry became a conference matchup in the 2014–15 academic year when both schools joined the new men's lacrosse league formed by Maryland's new all-sports home, the
Big Ten Conference, with Johns Hopkins as an associate member. The first Big Ten game between the two was an upset for Johns Hopkins 15–12 with a rematch in NCAA semi-finals May 22, 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia which went to Maryland 12–11. Starting in 2015, the regular season winner of the game has been awarded "The Rivalry Trophy". It is a crab-shaped trophy, crafted by Sandtown Millworks, made using reclaimed wood from Baltimore. It weighs 25 pounds and measures 32 inches wide and 22 inches tall. The 2020 game scheduled for April 25, 2020 at Baltimore, Maryland was canceled by the NCAA due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Maryland was 5–1 after their last game against Albany on March 7, 2020, while Hopkins was 2–4 after their OT win again Mt. St. Mary's on March 10, 2020. In April 2020, athletic director
Jennifer S. Baker announced Hopkins and head coach Dave Pietramala mutually agreed to part ways as the university looked to "move the program in a different direction," after Pietramala had coached the Jays for 20 years and set a career record of 207–93."
Rival accomplishments The following summarizes the accomplishments of the two programs.
Results ==Women's lacrosse==