Goalkeeper Megan Taylor left the Maryland women’s lacrosse team’s locker room before practice at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on Monday wearing a Washington Capitals jersey signed by several players.
Taylor has displayed her support for the NHL team – and netminder Braden Holtby in particular – since the squad began its playoff run on April 13. And she’ll turn to Holtby, who equaled a career-best 47 saves in a Game 2 defeat, for inspiration in the crease Thursday at No. 5 Penn State.
But entering the showdown with a Nittany Lions attack led by Madison Carter, one of the nation’s top scorers, No. 1 Maryland’s defense emphasized the need for a team effort.
“They’re pretty well-balanced on offense,” coach Cathy Reese said. “They’ve got a couple of really strong attackers and midfielders. For us, it’s really focusing on us playing together as a unit defensively because you can’t just focus in on one person.”
Reese cited Carter and attacker Steph Lazo as Penn State’s most dangerous offensive players. Carter ranks seventh in the nation with 52 goals, while Lazo’s 72 points is tied for eighth in the country. Midfielder Katie O’Donnell has chipped in 42 scores.
To achieve unity on defense and slow the Nittany Lions, the Terps (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will rely on strong communication, defender Nadine Hadnagy said. That means they “won’t leave each other out to dry” against Penn State’s prolific attackers.
Taylor said she acts as her defenders’ eyes in some instances and lets her teammates know when to crash on the ball. The added pressure can force the players into difficult shots, allowing her to make straightforward saves.
“Penn State has seven great attackers so we’re going to have to talk a lot,” Hadnagy said. “We trust each other enough that we can stop them one-on-one.”
But Carter’s abilities aren’t limited to the attacking zone – she’s also excelled at faceoffs. Carter leads the Nittany Lions (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) with more than six draw controls per game, an average that ranks No. 8 in the country.
Though the Terps have been successful in the circle this season, Reese wasn’t thrilled with their effort against Ohio State.
Despite winning the game, 18-9, the Terps were beaten by the Buckeyes on draws, 15-14. So improving loose ball pick-ups would be crucial moving forward, Reese said.
“The numbers were kind of close, but it didn’t feel that way when we were in the moment,” Reese said. “It’s everybody being involved and once it hits off their sticks and goes down, we need to be all over it.”
Maryland’s matchup with Penn State will be just its second road game against a ranked opponent this season. However, the Terps aren’t overthinking the magnitude of the game.
“I don’t think it changes much,” Taylor said. “Every team is going out there and playing their best lacrosse against us. We just need to go out and play our best Maryland lacrosse and have fun.”
