The defending national champion Maryland women’s lacrosse team announced its 2018 schedule on Thursday, and several top-tier programs stand between the Terps and a second consecutive undefeated season.
After opening at home against William & Mary on Feb. 11, the Terps travel to North Carolina on Feb. 17 and to Florida a week later. The Tar Heels were ranked No. 1 when the Terps defeated them, 10-7, last year and the Gators held the No. 3 ranking before they were crushed by the Terps, 18-8.
Both of those contests were in College Park, but this season they will be road tests for the Terps.
Over the summer, Florida announced the addition of former Maryland defender Nadine Hadnagy, last year’s IWLCA National Defender of the Year, to its coaching staff. Less than one year removed from her playing days in College Park, Hadnagy will return as an opponent.
The Terps also have bouts against perennially ranked Syracuse, Penn, Virginia and Princeton to accompany their Big Ten slate.
Their final conference matchups come April 19 against Penn State, the team the Terps defeated in the NCAA tournament semifinal last season, and Northwestern on April 26, which Maryland beat in the Big Ten championship game in May.
Should the Terps make the postseason, the Big Ten tournament begins May 3, the first round of the NCAA tournament is May 11 and the Final Four is set for May 25 and 27 in Stony Brook, New York.
