The Terps ended their regular season with a ranked win, ending a two-game losing streak.
On the heels of two straight defeats that ended its hopes of a Big Ten regular-season title, No. 8 Maryland women’s lacrosse longed for a win against No. 17 Princeton to find something positive to take into the postseason.
For the first 30 minutes of Wednesday’s regular-season finale, the Terps hurt themselves, unable to convert on timely opportunities while seeing the Tigers take advantage of theirs. But when the third quarter started, Maryland looked like the team which was ranked No. 1 nationally a few weeks ago. It scored six unanswered goals in the frame and held off a late comeback attempt by the Tigers to earn a 16-12 victory.
Both teams were shot out of a cannon to begin the game, running up and down the field at a ferocious pace and splitting six goals in the opening parts of the first period. Maryland slowed down the pace thereafter, with Shannon Smith and Eloise Clevenger scoring in quick succession.
But special teams then turned in favor of Princeton, an area that similarly plagued Maryland in its recent defeat to Penn State. Princeton scored on three of its four free positions in the opening half, while Maryland failed on its sole opportunity.
The Tigers evened the score at five with just 20 seconds left in the first quarter.
After taking their first lead of the game, 6-5, on a shot from the eight-meter arc, the Tigers once again took advantage of the Terps’ lack of discipline. Maryland, on a scoring drought of nearly 10 minutes, had a chance to tie the game with a player advantage. Instead, it missed two opportunities from eight meters out before Princeton came back and scored a player-down goal, courtesy of junior attacker McKenzie Blake.
After a timeout, Maryland was able to respond, with Chrissy Thomas scoring the last of three consecutive Maryland goals. But a late Princeton goal sent the teams into the break tied at eight.
In the third quarter, though, Maryland took control. It avoided self-inflicted wounds and saw its stars show their prowess. It started in the center circle, where Shaylan Ahearn won all but two draw controls.
Smith scored right off the opening draw to re-establish Maryland’s lead, 8-9, before Kori Edmondson put on a 24-second show. She first ripped a shot into the net from a free position and shortly after diced through Princeton’s defense for a slick goal, her third of the evening.
With the Tigers unable to get anywhere near Emily Sterling’s cage, the Terps were able to extend their lead. Hannah Leubecker scored two of her team-high four goals in the third quarter, and Thomas also sent one to the back of the net, giving Maryland a 14-8 advantage.
While the final quarter was uncomfortable for Maryland at times, in part due to six turnovers, insurance tallies from Clevenger and Thomas proved enough as the Terps capped the regular season on a high note.
Three things to know
1. A tale of two halves. Maryland allowed just four even-strength goals in the first half, but conceded three times from the eight-meter arc and once while a player up. However, it conceded zero free-position goals in the second half and scored three of its own.
2. Hat tricks all over. The Terps’ stars showed out. Leubecker, Clevenger, Edmonson and Thomas combined for 13 of the team’s 16 goals.
3. A troubling fourth quarter. While the Terps came out victorious, their fourth-quarter performance left much to be desired. Up seven with just over seven minutes left, they surrendered four goals in under three minutes, committing three turnovers in that span.