No. 2 Maryland women’s lacrosse uses balanced scoring to crush UMBC, 18-1

With 23 minutes remaining in Maryland women’s lacrosse’s Wednesday matchup at UMBC, attacker Julia Hoffman made her first mark as a Terp. The freshman caught a pass inside from midfielder Catie May and finished left-handed under heavy pressure for her first-career goal.

Hoffman wasn’t one-and-done, though. The highly touted recruit added two more second-half goals to complete a hat trick and start off her Maryland career in style.

Her first snipe was one of seven goals from freshmen in a convincing performance from the Terps at UMBC Stadium.

And after Maryland stormed out to a 9-1 halftime lead, they rotated underclassmen into the game throughout the second half en route to a dominating 18-1 victory that saw nine different Terps score.

“We saw really positive things from everyone that played,” coach Cathy Reese said. “Everyone contributed tonight, and that was awesome.”

The eight-goal lead grew in the second half, and the Terps put on an offensive clinic. While the first half lead was a product of strong play from the usual starters, the second was dominated by underclassmen. Most starters only saw the field for 40 minutes.

Despite having only one day of practice following a hard-fought win against North Carolina Sunday, the Terps produced a lights-out offensive performance. In the first half alone, six Terps scored as Maryland showed its ability to move the ball. Midfielder Erica Evans completed a hat-trick, her first as a Terp.

“It was exciting to get that done,” Evans said. “It was a great team win as well.”

On the other end, goalkeeper Megan Taylor continued her excellent form in goal, finishing the contest with an 83 percent save percentage.

Maryland dominated nearly every facet of the game, winning 16 draw controls to UMBC’s five, forcing 18 Retriever turnovers and recording a 30-6 advantage in shots on goal.

“We caused a lot of turnovers to make it hard for UMBC to get on the offensive end,” Reese said.

Despite the convincing scoreline, Maryland was far from flawless to start. While Reese emphasized playing “Maryland lacrosse” prior to the game, the Terps were sloppy for the opening 15 minutes. They started four for their first nine shooting and committed two turnovers off simple passes.

Additionally, usual standout Jen Giles shot below her season mark of 55 percent. The attacker went one of her first four, getting on the board for the first time with only one minute remaining in the half.

However, the result was never in doubt. In a four-minute span, Maryland scored three goals off three shots to open up a seven-goal lead. It never looked back.

The onslaught continued in the second half. Evans scored after dodging two defenders two minutes into the period. Giles added another two minutes later.

With a large lead, Reese had the luxury of being able to get multiple reserves onto the field for the Terps.

“We were just getting people some time and some confidence,” Reese said.

Midfielder Hannah Glaros also benefited from the rotation. With ten minutes remaining in the opening period, the freshman received a pass in a tight spot from Evans, alluded two defenders, and squeezed a shot past goalie Carly Tolino. Her goal was Maryland’s first of the season from a freshman. She added one more in the second half.

She wasn’t the only freshman to get involved. With an eight-goal lead at half time, Reese called on Maddie McSally to goaltend in the second half. It was her first appearance for the Terps.

Hoffman’s hat trick was the clear standout of the freshmen performances, though, notching her three goals on an efficient four shots.

“It was awesome,” Hoffman said. “My teammates had a lot of great assists today, instead of one v. one dodging.”

Midfielder Darby Welsh also got on the scoresheet for Maryland for the first time this season, capping off a strong second half for the younger Terps. During one second-half stretch, Maryland had five consecutive goals from freshmen.

Maryland dominated from start to finish, notching a season-high 18 goals while conceding just once, as the series of virtuoso performances from seniors and freshman alike completed the Terps’ convincing win at UMBC Stadium.

“The piece I love the most is that it was not about the win here,” Reese said. “Everyone brought a great sense of energy when they stepped on the field.”