After losing Alex Fitzpatrick this offseason when the graduate transfer exhausted her eligibility, the Terrapins women’s lacrosse team was set to have a competition for the starting goalkeeping job.
But during the Terps’ game against North Carolina on Saturday, goalkeeper Megan Taylor turned in a strong showing.
Coach Cathy Reese said Taylor, a freshman, would play in the first half heading into the rematch of last year’s national championship game, while junior Emily Kift was expected to receive time between the pipes in the second half.
Instead, Kift never saw the field in the Terps’ 8-7 victory in Chapel Hill.
Taylor, who made her first career start against Georgetown, didn’t have an easy task. North Carolina scored 63 times through its first four contests, the ninth-best mark in the country.
None of that intimidated Taylor, though. She held North Carolina to a single goal in the first half and didn’t leave the field in the second.
“We were going to start her in the first half and put Emily in in the second half, but she just did a great job,” Reese said. “To hold Carolina to one goal is outstanding.”
While Taylor shut down the Tar Heels offense in the first period, the Terps took a quick lead. In its lowest-scoring half of the season, the team scored four times en route to a three-goal advantage at the half.
North Carolina is known for having a fast-paced offense, and coach Jenny Levy’s squad did not slow down despite falling behind early. Yet when the Tar Heels found breakaway opportunities, Taylor was not intimidated.
“I knew she had it in her,” attacker Megan Whittle said. “Really good energy, and we needed that. We had a lot of good defensive stops, got the turnovers, but Megan Taylor, she really stepped up.”
Although Taylor was dominant in the first half, the Tar Heels came from behind to tie the game in the second. Six of North Carolina’s 12 shots after halftime went in the net.
The Tar Heels didn’t receive an offensive possession in the final minutes of regulation. But if they had attempted a shot, defender Alice Mercer said the Terps were confident Taylor would save it.
“I thought it was great for her; she’s always so positive,” Mercer said. “It was really, really good for her. She played big.”
Taylor was only in the game for about 23 minutes against Georgetown, but the Terps dominated possession and kept the ball away from the Hoyas offense. Taylor was hardly tested.
She knew that wouldn’t be the case against the Tar Heels.
“UNC has great shooters, and most likely they’re going to score,” Taylor said Feb. 20. “You just have to come back and say you’re only as good as your next save and focus on that one.”
Reese has maintained that she doesn’t plan to name a starting goalie any time soon. But in the moments after the win, the coach praised Taylor’s performance.
“She’s showing us what she can do,” Reese said. “To come in as a freshman and play against a team like Carolina and do what she did today, I think, is pretty remarkable.”
