Early in the second half against North Carolina last Saturday, Terrapin women’s lacrosse midfielder Caitlyn McFadden found herself all alone in the heart of the Tar Heels’ defense.
Facing a four-goal deficit, McFadden’s shot could have changed the direction of the game.
But North Carolina goalkeeper Logan Ripley stood in the way once again, grabbing one of her 13 saves — tying a career-high — in her team’s upset of the Terps.
Against the Tar Heels, the Terps fell back into the offensive lull that has plagued them in the second half of this season. North Carolina capitalized on the struggles for an upset win that seemed inevitable after a string of close performances. Wednesday, the Terps showed similar struggles against an overmatched Princeton squad.
The Terps’ offense has scored 13 or fewer goals in each of their past five games after putting up 20 in three games earlier in the year. In that stretch, poor shooting has complicated matters for the No. 3 Terps.
While both No. 1 Northwestern and the No. 2 Tar Heels have shot 49 percent this season, the Terps have converted less than 34 percent of their shots in their previous two games combined.
Tomorrow’s date with Virginia Tech will present the best chance for the Terps’ (13-1, 3-1 ACC) offense to rebound. The Hokies (6-9, 0-4) have allowed more than 17 goals per game in ACC contests this season. If the Terps can’t convert against Virginia Tech, questions may persist about the team’s championship aspirations as it approaches the start of the postseason.
Coach Cathy Reese’s high-pace transition attack is a part of the equation. The offense, predicated on a constant assault on goal, produces a high volume of shots on goal — even if they’re not always the best looks. Every game this season, Reese’s team has outshot its opponent.
But still, the team’s shooting isn’t where it was earlier this season.
The Terps’ transition game, which ran so seamlessly earlier in the year, has fallen flat. In recent games, the Terps have squandered opportunities and momentum with rushed shots in transition. Many of the offense’s shots have ricocheted off the metal crossbar or sailed past the goal on either side.
“Our selection is there, but we just aren’t finishing on them,” Reese said. “It’s something we’re going to keep working on, but we need to make some changes.”
“We need to mentally need to check in,” attacker Karri Ellen Johnson said. “Sometimes we just shoot to shoot instead of shooting to score.”
Johnson is one of the few Terps converting her shot opportunities. Against Princeton, the sophomore scored on six of her nine shots, often with just a flick of her wrist near the net. Wednesday, the rest of the team shot a combined 26 percent.
The key, according to Johnson, is to locate the goalie, find the net and hit the target.
“It’s important to move the goalie,” Johnson said. “If you just throw a little fake in there, you can put it around her.”
The rest of the team’s struggles are apparent to Reese. In the two practices before the game against Princeton, Reese had her offense shoot for nearly two hours.
Saturday’s ACC tilt should offer less resistance than their game against the Tar Heels. Opponents have shot nearly 50 percent against the Hokies this season, an unenviable mark for any defense.
The Hokies are the final test for the Terps before they gear up for the ACC Tournament, in which they need to play their best lacrosse of the season in order to stay competitive, according to Reese.
“We just need to come out strong on Saturday,” Reese said. “This is our last preparation heading into ACCs, whatever our draw might be.”
ceckard@umdbk.com
