Cathy Reese

The Terrapins women’s lacrosse team didn’t do anything special for last night’s NCAA tournament selection show. The Terps gathered together to watch, but there was no subsequent celebration upon the announcement they had earned the No. 1 seed.

After all, there was little doubt they would be the tournament’s top seed. They finished the regular season as the lone undefeated team in the nation and then rolled through Virginia and North Carolina in the ACC tournament to clinch their fifth consecutive conference championship.

“It’s not surprising,” coach Cathy Reese said. “When you look at the criteria and how we matched up, it seemed like a good fit.”

Last season, the Terps secured the No. 3 seed and then toppled UMass and Loyola to earn a semifinal berth against Northwestern.

Reese’s squad dropped a 9-7 thriller, marking the programs’ third consecutive meeting on Memorial Day Weekend. In 2011, the Wildcats edged the Terps, 8-7, in the finals, but the year before, the Terps won the championship game, 13-11.

But before the Terps, who have been to the semifinals in each of the past four years, can even think about this year’s festivities in Villanova, Pa., they will have to get past the winner of a Friday matchup between Stony Brook and Towson.

The Terps defeated both the Seawolves and Tigers on the road this season, and both present different challenges. Stony Brook boasts the nation’s top-ranked defense, which was on display March 17 when it held the Terps to just eight scores.

It was the Terps’ lowest scoring output of the year, but they held the Seawolves to three goals.

Midfielder Katie Schwarzmann spearheaded the Terps’ defensive effort and prevented Stony Brook midfielder Demmianne Cook, who leads the nation with 4.75 goals per game, from taking a shot.

The Terps were tested in their lone matchup with Towson this season. The Tigers posted a late 3-0 run, but it was ultimately too little, too late, as the Terps won, 11-8.

“We are just focused on Maryland,” Reese said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, [we] just are just looking to play another game of lacrosse for 60 minutes.”

If the Terps, who have home field advantage until the semifinals, defeat their second-round opponent, they will need one more victory in College Park before heading to the sport’s final weekend.

The Terps divided this season into three sections: the regular season, the ACC tournament and the NCAA tournament. They hope the success they accumulated during the first two segments carries over to the final chapter.

“Right now, our focus is on Maryland,” Reese said. “We’ve gotten this far, and it’s up to us. We just need to get better.”

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