When Maryland women’s lacrosse coach Cathy Reese looks back to her playing days with the Terps, she recalls rivalries with schools like Virginia, North Carolina and Princeton.

But since joining the Big Ten in 2014, a new rivalry has developed.

Maryland has battled Penn State closely for regular season conference titles. Last year, the programs met in the final four of the NCAA tournament. While the Terps defeated the Nittany Lions, 20-10, in the semifinal, players and coaches said it was a tough test.

On Thursday, No. 3 Maryland faces Penn State for the first time since that matchup.

“That was a huge game, they’re such a great team,” midfielder Jen Giles said. “We were very pumped up and excited to play them. I feel like there’s already history with that team, just for the years I’ve been here. It’s always been such a competitive game, so I’m just excited to play them again.”

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Though the final four game ended as a blowout, every other matchup between the teams has been decided by three points or fewer since Maryland joined the Big Ten.

Penn State (9-5, 3-1 Big Ten) showed its ability by upsetting then-No. 6 Virginia, 22-13, on April 6 in Charlottesville. The squad is 5-2 on the road this season.

“Obviously it worked out in our favor last season, but that doesn’t mean it will this year, so we’ve just got to come in with the same determination and attitude,” Giles said.

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The Nittany Lions also boast a talented attack trio in senior Katie O’Donnell, sophomore Maria Auth and junior Madison Carter.

O’Donnell notched nine goals in two games against Maryland last season and leads her team this year with 45 goals.

“Penn State is a final four team, they’re another top team in the country,” Reese said. “They’ve had a really successful year this year and their offense is working well together, everyone contributing to make them dangerous and a tough team to stop.”

It might not be a historic tilt like Maryland-Virginia or Maryland-North Carolina, but the Terps feel the recent tradition with Penn State could provide an added boost as they chase their fourth straight conference title.

“We’ve had a couple games like that this year with Princeton and Virginia, just the tradition over all these years,” defender Lizzie Colson said. “If our team can put the pieces together like we have been and keep communicating and doing the small things, I think it will be a really good game.”