The Terps look to advance to the Final Four.
The road to the Final Four runs through the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park, as No. 4 seeded Maryland faces a red-hot Florida squad.
Maryland emerged victorious in its two matchups last weekend, getting revenge on James Madison, 17-7, in the second round. The Dukes bounced the Terps from last year’s tournament. Now, Maryland looks to avenge a 13-12 loss to the Gators from earlier this season.
Florida is stacked with talent, rostering five All-American players who lead an offense that scores 18 goals per game. The Gators also sport the longest win streak in the nation with 19.
The game will start at noon on Thursday and will air on ESPNU.
What happened last time
After winning in nail-biting fashion in Gainesville in 2023, Maryland looked like it would also pull away from Florida in College Park in 2024, padding a five-goal lead with 12 minutes left in the third quarter.
But the Terps stumbled down the stretch, as Florida’s offense outscored Maryland, 10-4, from that point on, including the eventual overtime game-winner by midfielder Emily Heller to cap the Gators’ 13-12 win.
The Clevenger sisters, Eloise and Maisy, combined for five goals in the affair, but a four-goal performance from Florida’s Paisley Eagan and a hat trick from Madison Waters led a late push to upset the then-No. 5 ranked Terps. The win was Florida’s first of the season.
What’s happened since
After a shaky end to the regular season, Maryland handled its business in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Terps hardly broke a sweat against MAC champion Robert Morris in a 17-1 win, which set up a rematch against James Madison.
Two days later, Maryland came out on fire, scoring 12 goals in the first half alone and putting the game out of reach. Attacker Eloise Clevenger, primarily a distributor, had five goals in the contest. Meanwhile, Maryland’s defense forced one of the best offenses in the country into one of its worst outings of the season.
After two losses to begin the season, the Gators used their win against the Terps to jumpstart their current winning streak, including winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship over James Madison, 21-11. However, they were unseeded heading into the NCAA Tournament due to their 33rd ranked strength of schedule.
In the first two rounds, it was matched up against historic powerhouse North Carolina and regional host Virginia. But the Gators got their revenge on a nine-goal loss to the Tar Heels earlier this year, led by hat-tricks from Heller and Josie Hahn.
Against No. 5-seed Virginia, it appeared as though it would be a battle to the end, as Florida held an 8-7 lead heading into the final quarter. However, the Gators didn’t give the Cavaliers any chance in the fourth, burying the next five goals en route to a 13-8 upset.
Three things to watch
1. Can the Terps’ defense handle Florida’s offense? Florida’s offense is first in the nation in goals per game (18.1), shooting percentage (55%) and offensive efficiency (41.1%). On the contrary, Florida has not faced a defense ranked in the top 20 since it played Maryland in February.
2. Is Maryland finding a rhythm on offense? The Terps have struggled all year to find their footing on offense, but have shined when it mattered. Maryland outscored its first two NCAA Tournament opponents, 34-8.
3. Winner advances to the Final Four. Florida is seeking its second-ever Final Four appearance and its first appearance in 12 years. Meanwhile, the Terps are vying for their 29th Final Four appearance and 13th under head coach Cathy Reese. The last time Maryland lost an NCAA quarterfinal matchup was back in 2008, when they fell to Duke, 9-7.