The Maryland Whipsnakes are two-time champions, but Sunday they had the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot in front of a home crowd for the first time in team history.

Maryland fed off the energy of the fans and the excitement of playing at home; the team finished the weekend undefeated and qualified for the playoffs.

“You could tell by the way our guys play that, you know, they appreciate it and they, they truly see this as their home,” coach Jim Stagnitta said.

The Premier Lacrosse League, which was founded in 2019, operates with a touring model, meaning teams play in a different city every weekend. But, before the 2024 season, the league awarded eight markets a franchise.

The Whipsnakes were the perfect choice to represent the lacrosse capital of the country with 10 former Maryland Terrapins on their roster and players from Loyola Maryland and Johns Hopkins.

For fans who seriously followed the sport, the Whipsnakes were Maryland’s team long before the PLL made it official because of their strong ties to the Terps, fan Alex Wright said. It was that connection between his alma mater, Maryland, and the Whipsnakes that made Wright a fan of the team, but it’s even more special to have the team officially represent the state.

“We’ve been really waiting to get professional lacrosse back to this area,” he said. “So we’ll support any team you put out there.”

The Terrapins connection was on full display Sunday, as men’s lacrosse coach John Tillman watched his former players excel on the field. Former Terps accounted for six of the Whipsnakes’ 16 points as they beat the Boston Cannons 16-14.

The PLL still operates with a touring format, playing in a different city each weekend, so the Whipsnakes didn’t get to experience their new home atmosphere until more than halfway through the season.

Because of the league’s model, until this year fans didn’t have a local team to root for. They could pick any team, which was true for Luke Black from Severn, who originally cheered for the Cannons until this season. He immediately switched allegiances to the Whipsnakes and bought a jersey in support of his new team.

Sunday’s game was delayed by more than an hour due to lightning, but fans still came back to Homewood Field to cheer on the Whipsnakes as they attempted to upset the second-best team in the league.

But the fans present were excited and most were cheering for the home team. As Maryland gained an early advantage, a growing horde of children marched around the stadium with giant stuffed snakes, cheering “let’s go, Whipsnakes, let’s go!”

During homecoming weekends, the host team plays a doubleheader to give local fans more opportunities to watch. Although there wasn’t a full house on Sunday, attendance has increased by 15.9% this season and Stagnitta said the crowd for Saturday’s game was incredible.

“I think it’s an honor, you know, to play in front of a crowd that understands the game the way people understand it here,” he said.

For Towson native and Terps alum Matt Dunn, playing double the games in Maryland also gives his friends and family more opportunities to watch, something that’s rare in the PLL format. Over the weekend, he saw the support from local fans as they embraced the team and bought merchandise.

“I definitely look forward to having that fan base grow around here,” Dunn said.