During the Terrapin women’s lacrosse national championship game against Northwestern on May 30, officials whistled the two teams for a combined 45 fouls in the first half alone.
The referees also disallowed two Terp goals, the first on a free position infraction by attacker Sarah Mollison and the second on an inadvertent whistle before midfielder Katie Schwarzmann’s goal.
But the officials also whistled off another goal with seemingly greater implications. With six minutes remaining in the game, Northwestern midfielder Danielle Spencer drove near the Terps’ cage and appeared to score a goal to tie the game. But officials ruled a charge and gave the Terps possession.
Seconds later, Terps’ midfielder Caitlyn McFadden scored the game-sealing goal and the team held on to win its first National Championship since 2001.
Although nearly two weeks have passed since the call, the waved-off goal has become part of Northwestern’s larger questioning of the Final Four’s officiating crew. Northwestern recently filed a letter of inquiry to the NCAA that a Chicago Tribune article describes as alleging “official Pat Dillon unduly influenced the tournament’s officiating because of Dillon’s relationship with her partner, Maryland’s head athletic trainer.”
During the weekend, Dillon only officiated the North Carolina-Northwestern national semifinal matchup May 28, not the national championship game. But Northwestern officials saw Dillon conversing with the three national championship game officials before the game and during halftime, according to the Tribune.
Dillon has a longtime relationship with Sandy Worth, the Terps’ head athletic trainer who has been involved with the program since 1973.
Terps’ coach Cathy Reese could not be reached for comment regarding the situation.
ceckard@umdbk.com
