When the Terrapins women’s lacrosse team faces North Carolina, it’s rarely a low-scoring affair.
In last season’s national championship game, the Terps and Tar Heels combined to score 17 goals. When the two squads met earlier in 2015, they scored 24 total goals.
As the Terps prepared for the matchup against No. 5 North Carolina on Saturday, they weren’t expecting much would be different. Coach Cathy Reese said the Tar Heels, like the Terps, have a dangerous offense because “anyone on the field can score.”
North Carolina entered averaging 15.8 goals per game, but the Terps defense held the Tar Heels’ up-tempo offense to seven goals in an 8-7 win in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
“Our defense really played well,” Reese said. “It was quite a defensive battle. Carolina’s defense played really well and made it hard for us to find easy looks on goal.”
The Terps defense was especially solid in the first half, when it held North Carolina to just one goal. The Tar Heels took 11 shots in the opening 30 minutes, but goalkeeper Megan Taylor made six saves in the half to help the Terps take a 4-1 lead into the locker room.
While North Carolina won the draw-control battle 4-2 in the first half to earn a couple extra possessions, the Terps forced six turnovers.
“Our communication was there,” defender Alice Mercer said. “Everybody was on their toes and ready to help. Nobody was standing off-guard.”
For a span of just more than two minutes during the second half, though, the Tar Heels dominated the Terps defense.
With the Tar Heels down 5-2, North Carolina attacker Aly Messinger sparked a 3-0 run that started at the 23:13 mark in the second half. Just two minutes and seven seconds later, the Tar Heels tied the game at five when attacker Sydney Holman found the back of the net.
Still, the Terps buckled down again to allow just two goals in the final 20 minutes, setting up attacker Megan Whittle’s game-winner with three and a half minutes left.
The Tar Heels “are great one-v-one. We knew that,” Mercer said. “That was the big key, having each other’s back, and when they did miss the shot, backing up our goalie.”
Once Whittle gave the Terps a late lead, the Tar Heels didn’t get another chance to score, as Reese’s team was able to run the clock out.
Whittle credited the offense’s success to the defense’s ability to win the ball back.
“It was really great to see the defensive stops, too,” Whittle said, “to get the ball over on our side, which is really helpful as an attacker.”
While the Terps entered Saturday allowing just 7.5 goals per game, Reese said defense was the focal point against North Carolina.
She was pleased with how the unit responded.
“Typically, we see two of the most powerful offenses in the game,” Reese said. “Just really proud of how we came out defensively.”
