Hannah Leubecker scored the game-winner.
In a top-10 showdown Saturday, neither No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse nor No. 5 Syracuse could find the offensive breakthrough.
But in overtime, Maryland found it when Hannah Leubecker netted the game-winner to give the Terps a 9-8 road victory.
Leubecker and Kori Edmonson both recorded hat tricks on the afternoon.
The Terps got out to a hot start behind a strong defensive effort, which transitioned into the game’s opening goal.
“We’ve been working hard on our defensive mindset” head coach Cathy Reese said. “We helped when we needed to help and slid when we needed to slide.”
However, a scoring drought of nearly five minutes ensued, providing a much different script than last year’s matchup in which 31 goals were scored.
Syracuse would break the drought to tie the game.
Despite the rocky offensive start, Maryland bounced back with three consecutive goals to end the frame.
In the second quarter, Syracuse took advantage of Maryland’s stagnant offense, taking the lead via three straight scores.
Maryland’s scoring drought continued as it struggled to find holes in the Orange’s defense.
The Terps’ drought went on for 21 minutes but was broken by Edmonson, who scored twice to tie the game.
After Syracuse went back ahead, Leubecker evened the game again.
The Orange had plenty of chances to pull away in front of their home crowd, but Emily Sterling was a rock in net, keeping Maryland in the game. She made nine saves.
“It was a huge team effort and we would not have had that opportunity if the defense had not come up [big],” said Leubecker.
In what was a game defined by offensive struggles, with the teams combining for just 17 goals on 52 shots, Sterling’s excellence and Clevinger’s five assists propelled the Terps to an impressive victory.
“We gotta ride that momentum,” Leubecker added.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s defense was dynamic. Syracuse had scored 33 goals combined in its first two games, but the Terps stymied the Orange Saturday.
2. Sterling was sensational. Emily Sterling was sensational in net for the Terps, recording nine saves, including two key stops in overtime.
3. A high-quality victory for the Terps. For Maryland, it showed its talent with an impressive top-10 win on the road despite struggling offensively.