Maryland women’s lacrosse attacker Kali Hartshorn has gained attention for her talent in the draw control circle, where she’s led the team with 183 pickups over the past two seasons. But she’s also excelled in open play, helping the Terps break out of scoring droughts.

That’s been particularly apparent in Maryland’s past two wins over No. 10 Virginia and Rutgers. She converted in those contests to end two scoreless stretches of at least 15 minutes.

“When we go through those droughts … it’s really cool when Kali comes up with the big draw controls,” attacker Brindi Griffin said. “It gets the momentum back on our side, and then having her able to go down and score on the attack is even better.”

The Terps started slow on Wednesday against the Cavaliers, and went scoreless for about 15 minutes as Virginia cut its deficit to 9-8. Then, Hartshorn drove in from the right side before unleashing a shot from just inside the eight meter line to give the squad a cushion.

Maryland’s bench reacted in wild celebration after staying relatively quiet throughout the scoreless stretch. Hartshorn’s finish sparked a 6-0 Maryland run to finish the contest with a 15-8 win.

She delivered a similar moment on Friday against Rutgers.

After Maryland scored two quick goals to start the second half, the Terps went through another extended drought. Following a timeout, however, Hartshorn scored to give her team a commanding 12-5 advantage en route to a 14-6 victory.

“She’s such a tough competitor,” coach Cathy Reese said. “She’s always analyzing and thinking of what can she do, where can she go, how can she place herself in the best position to help her team.”

Hartshorn was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season, leading Maryland in draw controls (112) and ranking second in goals (58). But she had a much quieter start to her sophomore season, tallying just four goals in the first five games.

Her seven goals and 10 draw controls over the past two games seem to indicate she’s regaining her form down the stretch.

Reese attributed the uptick to her improvement in one-on-one situations, where she’s dodged more effectively, and to her ability to pick apart zone defenses with her positioning.

“You’ll see her be totally emotionally in control and trying to do her best in everything that she does,” Reese said. “She’s somebody that’s going to compete for the whole 60 minutes.”