The Terps were in control but couldn’t hold on.
No. 5 Maryland women’s lacrosse suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling in overtime to No. 16 Florida, 13-12.
After taking a 12-11 lead with just under seven minutes remaining, Maryland aimed to shut the Gators down. Defensive pressure was high in the fourth quarter, and Florida couldn’t break through Maryland’s defense.
But with only 20.9 seconds left on the clock, the Gators scored, sending the game to an extra period. It was there that Emily Heller found the back of the net to end the contest.
“We had a lot of opportunities and we just didn’t finish them,” Maryland head coach Cathy Reese said.
Saturday’s game got out to a fiery start, with both teams scoring within the first three minutes. By the end of the first quarter, a combined seven goals had been scored, with Maryland leading 5-2.
In the second quarter, Maryland widened its lead to 7-2, causing turnovers to take control of the game. Terps goalie Emily Sterling contributed seven saves before halftime, and Eloise Clevenger led the attack with two goals and three assists in the first half. The Terps also prevailed on every draw in the second quarter.
The Gators began closing the gap in the third quarter, though, cutting Maryland’s lead to 10-9. Fouls on Maryland’s Sophie Halus and Kennedy Major allowed Gators two free-position goals.
“I think Florida kind of just really did a good job of picking us apart a little bit,” said Sterling. “And I think our defense kind of stopped playing our game for a little bit.”
Clevenger finished off a hat trick in the fourth quarter and added another assist, but the teams went back and forth before Heller sealed a comeback win for the Gators.
“The second half was significantly different,” said Reese. “Florida just capitalized on our mistakes and they did a nice job of that today. … We took our foot off the gas.”
Three things to know
1. Maryland struggled late. Maryland managed just five goals in the third and fourth quarters combined, leading to its demise.
2. Gators’ first win. The Gators had a rough start to their season, entering Saturday winless. But they put a victory on the board in dramatic fashion, upsetting the No. 5 Terps.
3. Yellow cards. The Terps were given three yellow cards. These cards, along with eight fouls, cost the Terps dearly.