The Terps look to improve upson an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearance.
No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse is experiencing its first lull in head coach Cathy Reese’s 18-year tenure.
The Terps historically boost one of the nation’s best programs, leading the NCAA with 14 national championships. Reese has guided Maryland to five titles and 12 NCAA semifinal berths.
But the past two seasons have been nothing short of disappointing. The Terps have combined for 13 losses and recorded consecutive early exits from the tournament. To put that in perspective, Maryland tallied just 15 losses from 2009-2019.
Despite picking up five regular season losses, it earned the No. 4 seed in last year’s tournament. The Terps had home-field advantage until the semifinals and a shot to avenge an early-season loss. Instead, Maryland got throttled by Florida in the quarterfinals, falling 15-9 and digging themselves into a nine-goal first-quarter deficit.
This season will provide the Terps with a chance to hit the reset button and get back to their winning ways. Maryland is ranked No. 7 by Inside Lacrosse in the Division I preseason poll.
Key losses
The Terps will have to do so without 13 players from last season’s roster, though, including nine of their 12 starters.
And that begins with attacker Hannah Leubecker, who scored the seventh-most career goals in program history with 216. The three-time Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association All-American was a force to be reckoned with on the field. Last year, she posted a team-high 54 goals and finished second with 62 points.
Her running mate, attacker Eloise Clevenger, is another key departure for Maryland’s offense. Clevenger finished her career fourth all-time in program history with 131 assists, including 52 last season — the 12th-most in the country. She earned consecutive All-American third-team honors from the IWLCA.
Attacker Libby May is the last departing offensive piece from the Terps’ starting lineup. She ranks 10th all-time in program history with 195 goals, despite producing just 28 last year — the lowest since her freshman season. May secured her third straight All-Big Ten second-team spot in 2024.
But the strength of last year’s team was on the defensive end, as the Terps allowed the eight-fewest goals in the nation. Goalie Emily Sterling was a big reason why. The two-time Big Ten Goaltender of the Year and 2022 IWLCA National Goalkeeper of the Year was a brick wall in the net. Sterling finished last season with the fifth-best save percentage in the country (51.6) and fourth all-time in program history with 670 saves.
Meghan Ball, a lockdown defender, sat in front of Sterling. She earned a spot on the IWLCA All-American first team in her lone season at Maryland. Ball totaled a team-high 40 caused turnovers, the 11th-most in the nation.
Midfielder Shaylan Ahearn was the Terps’ faceoff specialist throughout her time. She picked up 111 draw control wins last year, moving her to second all-time in program history. Ahearn was a two-time All-American and received four All-Big Ten honors.
Top returners
Despite losing 65.2% of its goal production from last season, Maryland heads into the 2025 campaign with enormous expectations.
Midfielder Kori Edmondson will be tasked with leading the charge. The top-ranked recruit in the class of 2022, according to Inside Lacrosse, has been a force since arriving on campus. Edmondson has earned All-Big Ten second-team honors in her first two seasons. She scored 38 goals in 2024, the second-most on the team.
But the remainder of the Terps’ returners from their starting lineup come on the defensive end: redshirt junior Kennedy Major and junior Neve O’Ferrall.
Major has lived up to the hype as the No. 1-ranked defender in the class of 2021. She gathered 20 ground balls and caused 14 turnovers, helping her earn a spot on the All-Big Ten second team last season. O’Ferrall started all 20 games last season, recording 17 ground balls and forcing seven turnovers.
Maryland also has plenty of returners capable of taking the next step and filling into the starting lineup.
Sophomore Maisy Clevenger, graduate student Chrissy Thomas and senior Hailey Russo are expected to spearhead the attack. The trio combined for 34 goals on 86 shots, while racking up 42 assists last season.
Redshirt junior Maddy Sterling and senior Jordyn Lipkin will likely sit alongside Edmonson in the midfield. Senior Sophie Halus will probably move into the starting lineup with Major and O’Ferrall, while the starter in goal is still up in the air.
Newcomers
The Terps certainly restocked over the offseason, bringing in 13 new players.
Goalie Caroline Smith and defender Caroline Ross both previously played at Butler. Smith started in 15 of the team’s 16 games last season, finishing with 10.3 saves per game, the best mark in the Big East and ninth-best in the nation. Ross also started in 15 games, picking up 12 ground balls. Both transfers are expected to make impacts immediately.
Maryland brought in another strong freshman class. That begins with a pair of top-10 recruits: midfielders Kayla Gilmore and Devin Livingston. No. 28-ranked midfielder Emma Abbazia and No. 30-ranked defender Lydia Ward round out the Terps’ five-star recruits.
Midfielder Megan Kenny is Maryland’s lone four-star recruit, according to Inside Lacrosse. In total, the Terps’ freshman class contains one goalie, two defenders, five midfielders and three attackers, all of whom could find a role in the rotation as the season progresses.
Looking ahead
The Terps’ schedule provides little time for this relatively new team to gel. They open the season on Feb. 15 at home against No. 6 Syracuse — a member of last year’s NCAA Tournament semifinals. Maryland will be tested from the get-go.
The schedule doesn’t get much easier from there, with seven of its next 15 opponents ranked in the Week 1 top-25 poll. Big Ten play contributes to that, as five teams are ranked and another two were in the preseason poll.
The Terps will also have chances to avenge all but two of its losses from last season. But if Maryland wants to do so, it will need to handle business better at home after going 5-6 in 2024.
Consecutive matchups in the middle of March against No. 4 Michigan and No. 2 Northwestern — last year’s runner-up — will be a measuring stick for the Terps. Just one week later, Maryland faces off against No. 12 Penn.
The Terps will once again have their eyes on the national championship. However, a lot will rest on Maryland’s upperclassmen to lead the way.