In their two-game road trip, the Spartans secured a win against Wisconsin thanks to an early flurry of goals in the first 15 minutes. Then, the Spartans battled Michigan to a 0-0 draw that saw the Spartans take home the Big Bear Trophy once again.

“To start out the way we did against Wisconsin with three goals was huge, and we managed the end of the game there. … On the road at Michigan, it was a tough environment. I thought we started out great, we didn’t reward ourselves with a goal,” head coach Damon Rensing said. “Michigan played that second half with their kinda season on the line, and they gave us their best effort.”

The visiting Terrapins currently sit at the bottom of the Big Ten table, having yet to win a game in Big Ten conference play. The Terrapins are currently on a four-game losing streak in the  conference, but Maryland has won its last two games, both of which were non-conference games.

“They have some very good individual players, they're an athletic bunch,” Rensing said. “Sasho does a great job. He's one of the best coaches in the country … we’re going to get a very desperate Maryland team coming in. They’ve got everything to play for (and) they’ve got to try and make the top eight. There’s a lot on the line this Sunday for both programs.” 

Maryland’s key players lie in senior forward Stefan Copetti, who has found some prolific form recently with three goals in his last two games, and freshman forward Kimani Stewart-Bates, who has three goals and four assists so far in his first collegiate season.

Following Maryland, the men’s team will head to Evanston, Illinois, for a top-of-the-table clash against Northwestern. Northwestern currently sits at the top of the Big Ten, as the two teams will face off on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. ET for a match that will have huge implications on the table.