The Maryland women’s lacrosse team started slow but relied on staunch defense in their season opener Saturday. Eventually the goals came pouring out.
The Terps took down William & Mary for the third straight year, this time by a score of 13-3. The Tribe tied the game at two with about 20 minutes remaining in the first half. They then went about 46 minutes without a goal, not scoring again until just under four minutes remained in the game.
Despite losing All-American defender Alice Mercer to graduation, the Terps’ defenders dominated, swarming to the ball and rarely allowing their opponents space. Redshirt freshman Meghan Doherty picked up three ground balls and caused two turnovers in her first-ever start.
“We gave up a couple of quick goals, but defensively we just needed to settle in and stick to our game plan,” Reese said. “When we did that, we held them.”
Behind the strong defense, sophomore goalie Megan Taylor made eight saves on William & Mary’s 11 shots on goal, saving about 73 percent of their shots.
Senior midfielder Zoe Stukenberg said she “could not be more impressed” with Taylor and added the defense as a whole made some mistakes but performed well, especially with the added wrinkle of a 90-second shot clock. Sophomore midfielder Jen Giles said the shot clock made communication imperative, and Stukenberg believes the Terps did a job doing so.
“I thought we did a good job of taking advantage of the shot clock and making them work for everything,” Stukenberg said. “It was awesome to see everyone play together and help each other out and have each others’ backs.”
On the offensive end, the Terps’ goals were spread out, as 10 players got on the score sheet but nobody scored more than two goals. Midfielder Jen Giles and attackers Kacie Longo and Caroline Wannen led the way with two goals apiece.
Attackers Megan Whittle, Lizzie Colson and Caroline Steele along with midfielders Stukenberg, Kali Hartshorn, Hannah Warther and Taylor Hensh chipped in with a goal apiece.
“As an offense, we want to be dangerous from all seven spots no matter who is on the field,” Reese said. “That’s what we were today.”
Several fresh faces made contributions for the Terps. Along with Doherty, Hartshorn earned her first start, scoring a goal and controlling three draws. Warther and Colson scored in their first game, and freshmen Brindi Griffin (attack) and Natalie Miller (defense) also made their debuts.
The newcomers’ efforts impressed Stukenberg, who said the Terps’ balanced scoring and defensive organization make them difficult to beat.
“It just shows that we have new people stepping up,” Stukenberg said. “Everyone is looking to put their best foot forward this season and go hard.”
