Midfielder Taylor Cummings leaps to retrieve a ball after the draw in the Terps’ 13-5 win over Penn in the second round of the 2014 NCAA tournament on May 11, 2014 at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.
The Terrapins women’s lacrosse team’s two narrowest victories this season came when its opponents were able to neutralize the Terps’ dominance in draw controls.
When the No. 1-seed Terps battles No. 5-seed Northwestern in the NCAA semifinals Friday night at Johnny Unitas Stadium, they will be facing one of the top centers in the sport. Wildcats attacker Alyssa Leonard ranks third in the country with eight draw controls per game.
“I’ve watched a lot of film on her,” said midfielder Taylor Cummings, who takes the draws for the Terps. “She is really good at what she does.”
If Leonard can find the same success she’s had all season then the Terps may find themselves in a similar position to their regular season matchup with Boston College on March 29. The Eagles used an 11-9 advantage in draw controls to nearly complete the upset, but the Terps scored four of the final five goals to secure a 10-9 victory.
Princeton found similar success by negating the Terps’ usual edge in draw controls. The Tigers limited the Terps to a slight 9-8 advantage. Still, midfielder Kelly McPartland was able to net a goal in the final minute to push the Terps to an 8-7 victory.
In both instances the Terps opponent earned nearly equal possessions and slowed the tempo of the game to limit the Terps offense that averages more than 14 goals per game. In doing so, the teams held the Terps to their two lowest scoring totals this season.
Against a Northwestern team that prefers a slower pace like Boston College and Princeton, the Terps recognize the importance of making the most of their possessions.
“We need to try to control the tempo of the game,” attacker Brooke Griffin said.
But in order to do that, the Terps will need possession, which starts at the draw. And Cummings has helped the Terps dominate in the circle in their first two games of the tournament.
The sophomore controlled a game-high 10 draws in the second round against Penn to help the Terps win 17 of the 20 draws. In the quarterfinals, Cummings won five herself and helped midfielder Beth Glaros pick up a game-high six draws, which powered the Terps to a 16-7 advantage in the circle.
“The draw is going to be really key because they are going to hold the ball,” Cummings said. “So if we can get the draw, and we can score on our possessions, then they aren’t going to be able to slow the ball on us.”
While the Ellicott City native hasn’t faced Leonard in the center circle this season, Cummings did notice some tendencies while watching film. Cummings often tries to use her 5-foot-7 stature to win balls to herself, but she plans to try to keep the ball away from Leonard tomorrow.
“She is someone who likes to get it to herself just like I do,” Cummings said. “But I think I can adapt and try to get it to places she doesn’t want it to go.”
In a game that presents two different styles of play, the Terps understand the importance of winning the battle on the draw.
The Terps haven’t played the Wildcats since the 2012 semifinals when Northwestern ousted the Terps, 9-7. And after losing last year in the finals, the Terps want to avoid that feeling this season by controlling the tempo with Cummings in the center during tomorrow’s semifinal contest.
“When you lose at this point, it’s heartbreaking,” coach Cathy Reese said.
