Since the start of the season, Terrapins women’s lacrosse coach Cathy Reese has been waiting for attacker Caroline Wannen to have a breakout game. Wannen spent her first two seasons with the Terps in a reserve role, scoring a total of two goals and tallying four assists.
But with the No. 1 Terps returning just five starters from last season’s team, Wannen has been tasked with stepping in and contributing consistently.
And in Saturday’s 14-4 victory over No. 2 Florida at Donald R. Dizney Lacrosse Stadium, Wannen had the performance Reese was patiently waiting for. She tallied four goals and three assists, contributing to half of the team’s production.
“This was a big game for her,” Reese said. “To be able to step up when some of the other people are drawing the attention.”
From the outset, the Gators attempted to take away two of the Terps’ biggest offensive threats, routinely double- and triple-teaming attacker Megan Whittle and midfielder Taylor Cummings. Wannen was able to take advantage.
Even before she scored for the first time on the afternoon, Wannen contributed to the Terps’ attack.
Her backdoor pass to midfielder Caroline Steele resulted in the Terps’ first goal of the day. Less than a minute later, she assisted Whittle’s goal, which gave the Terps an early two-goal advantage.
“My teammates have great cuts all the time,” Wannen said. “I can’t always hit them, but when I do, it feels great for them to score. That was a great way to get the game started on those assists.”
Wannen’s first score came after the Gators appeared to gain momentum. Midfielder Lindsey Ronbeck scored consecutive goals to tie the game at two with about 10 minutes remaining in the first half before Wannen drove to the goal.
She went on to score three more times in the final 13 minutes of regulation, putting in two goals during an 8-0 Terps run.
“This is her first year starting, and her confidence keeps coming,” defender Nadine Hadnagy said. “Games like this is only going to make it even better for her. I’m excited to see how far she comes this season.”
Wannen also appeared to be an integral part of the offense’s game plan behind the net. Each time the offense reset, Wannen appeared to be involved.
“I was open because [my teammates] saw me coming around the crease, which isn’t always easy to see and hit right away,” Wannen said. “My teammates did a great job of keeping their heads up and keeping the ball moving to get it to those open people.”
Reese said Wannen “is an excellent shooter,” and the coaching staff has been encouraging her to go to goal more often. And after recording two goals and six assists through the first five games this season, Wannen thrived against the Gators in a previously unfamiliar role.
