The Terps close out the regular season.
After a disappointing loss to then-No. 24 Penn State, No. 8 Maryland women’s lacrosse looks to end the regular season on a high note when it travels to take on No. 17 Princeton.
Wednesday’s game will start at 7 p.m. and stream on ESPN+.
Princeton Tigers (8-4, 4-1 Ivy League)
2023 record: 7-9, 4-3 Ivy League
In her first season leading the Tigers, head coach Jen Cook commands a dangerous team entering the postseason.
The Ivy League has been strong this year, with Yale, Penn and Harvard all ranked, but that hasn’t stopped Princeton from going 4-1 in league play and clinching a conference tournament spot with two games left.
As well, Princeton downed both Penn and Penn State this season, teams which got the better of the Terps.
Players to watch
McKenzie Blake, junior attacker, No. 34 — Blake is one of the 10 most potent scorers in the Ivy League with 43 goals this season, good for almost four per game.
A first-team all-conference selection last season, McKenzie also leads the Tigers in draw controls with 43.
Haven Dora, sophomore attacker, No. 7 — Dora has 24 assists on the year, with her mark of two per game ranking fourth in the Ivy League. Her 43 total points are just three shy of Blake’s team-leading 46.
Amelia Hughes, sophomore goalkeeper, No. 12 — Hughes leads the conference with over eight saves per game. As a freshman, she was named to the All-Ivy League second team.
Strength
Scoring. The Tigers have the No. 14 scoring offense in the country, netting over 15 goals per game. They’ve scored at least 20 goals in two of their last three contests.
Weakness
Possession. Princeton ranks outside the top 50 in the country in both time of possession and draw controls. Maryland will have a sizable advantage in the draw circle Wednesday but needs to be more intentional in possession than it was last week.
Three things to watch
1. Can Maryland improve its shot efficiency? The Terps have struggled to shoot the ball efficiently this season, ranking No. 99 in Division I in shooting percentage. In their loss to Penn State, the Terps shot a season-worst 30.5%.
2. Draws. Wednesday’s game may very well be decided by the mismatch in the draw circle. If Maryland can control most of the possession — as expected — it will be favored in a close contest.
3. Readying for the postseason. The Terps have lost three of their last five games, most recently blowing a chance to clinch a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. Ahead of the conference tournament, they need to refind their winning touch.