As they welcomed 10 freshmen in the fall, the seniors on the Maryland women’s lacrosse team made one thing clear: They don’t like to lose.
And defeat isn’t something they’ve experienced often in their four years as Terps.
As the group prepared to host then-No. 8 Ohio State on Senior Day, they tried to move past one of the three times the senior class has lost since joining coach Cathy Reese’s program. In the semifinals of the Terps’ first Big Ten Tournament last season, a late rally put the Buckeyes ahead to hand the Terps their lone defeat in the 2015 campaign.
Entering Saturday’s matchup with Ohio State, the Terps seniors had never lost a game at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex. After overcoming an early two-goal deficit, Maryland emerged with a 15-5 win to improve the senior class’s home record to 41-0.
“It’s so special,” midfielder Taylor Cummings said. “I’ve had the best four years here. We have a really special group.”
While the Terps haven’t lost a game this season, their home winning streak appeared to be in jeopardy on several occasions.
Earlier in the month, the Terps trailed Johns Hopkins for almost half the game and endured their only halftime deficit of the season. Late offensive production, though, resulted in a 10-8 win.
Against Cornell four days before rallying against the Blue Jays, Maryland failed to score first for the first time all season. Still, aggressive defense fueled a 17-9 victory.
Reese’s squad faced a similar situation on Saturday. For about the first 14 minutes, the Terps failed to record a point and had difficulty stopping the Buckeyes offense.
“We generated so many shots but our shooting wasn’t great,” Reese said. “[The Buckeyes] play a good, packed-in defense and collapse quickly.”
Ohio State, meanwhile, tacked on a pair of goals less than four minutes into the contest.
Buckeyes attacker Molly Wood started the scoring with a bounce shot between goalkeeper Megan Taylor’s legs, and midfielder Christine Easton’s free-position shot extended the lead to two goals.
Attacker Megan Whittle sprinted down the field soon after and appeared to be in a good position to help the Terps spark a comeback, but as she drove to the cage, referees called a charge.
“We were generating a lot of shots, but we weren’t putting them in the cage,” Cummings said. “In the later part of the first half, we were able to remain calm, be composed and stick it in the back of the net.”
Despite the slow start, the Terps took a 7-4 advantage into halftime and went on a 7-0 run to open the second half to deny Ohio State’s upset bid.
“It goes to show our home pride here in Maryland,” defender Alice Mercer said. “The environment is great. Today, we had great vibes, and it just goes to show how we play when we come out here.”
The Terps finish their home slate Wednesday night against Virginia. A win would cap the seniors’ unblemished run on the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex turf.
But the class that has appeared in three straight national championships knows the season won’t end after a final performance in College Park.
“We still have so much to do and play,” Cummings said. “It’s not done yet.”
