Goalkeeper Alex Fitzpatrick prepares to block a shot as an opponent loses track of the ball during the Terps’ 10-7 win over Syracuse at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on March 7, 2014.
Cathy Reese needed a new goalkepeer after Abbey Clipp graduated. So the Terrapins women’s lacrosse coach reached out to an accomplished netminder from the Patriot League.
Goalkeeper Alex Fitzpatrick posted an 8.52 goals-against average and earned an invitation to the North-South All-Star Game during her senior season with Lehigh. But she wasn’t ready to give up the sport.
Knowing the Patriot League doesn’t offer additional years of eligibility, Reese recruited Fitzpatrick to join the defending national champion Terps.
Reese didn’t guarantee Fitzpatrick a starting spot, but the Yorktown, New York, native earned the position early in the season. This weekend, she will make her first appearance in an NCAA tournament with the No. 1-seed Terps.
“After talking to Cathy and [assistant coach Lauri Kenis] when I came down here on a visit, just the atmosphere and the culture that they bring to the team is something that you can’t find anywhere else,” Fitzpatrick said. “Since I had one year left, might as well take a chance and really experience it.”
Before the beginning of the season, Fitzpatrick competed against goalkeepers Emily Kift and Emma Moss for the opportunity to open the year in the cage.
She started the Terps’ 15-5 season-opening win over William & Mary, recording four saves while allowing three goals before Kift took over for the second half.
By the team’s second game, a snowy duel with No. 2 North Carolina on Feb. 22, Fitzpatrick gained more trust from her coaches and defenders. She played the full game in net and recorded three saves against the former ACC rival.
“Having that open line of communication with our defenders is really helpful,” defender Shanna Brady said. “Not only being teammates but really great friends too has, I think, made that role a little bit easier for her just to come in and feel like she is a huge part of this team.”
Though the teams Fitzpatrick faced at Lehigh rarely cracked the top 25, many of her most successful games this season came against top-tier challengers.
She didn’t back down when the Terps captured victories against top-five teams. Fitzpatrick posted eight saves against Syracuse, seven against Florida and six against Northwestern.
In total, the graduate student has made 96 saves this year, including a season-high 10 in the Terps’ 17-2 victory at Towson. Her .475 save percentage ranks first in the Big Ten and 15th in the country among goalkeepers with more than three appearances.
“We knew that she was a good goalie, but again, playing on a different team, it’s a totally different dynamic,” Reese said. “They’ve really learned a lot, as the season’s gone, about each other, you know, our defense and our goalie. … That’s going to be crucial to us and to our success as we move through the postseason.”
Fitzpatrick said the chance to compete in the playoffs was a critical factor in her decision to join the Terps last offseason. At Lehigh, she never had the chance to play past the Patriot League tournament. Now, Fitzpatrick and the Terps are looking to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
“To compete in May is something that I’ve always dreamed about since I was in high school,” Fitzpatrick said.
Sunday afternoon, the Terps will begin their quest for a national title repeat when they host the winner of the first-round contest between Jacksonville and Massachusetts.
Even though Fitzpatrick wasn’t a part of last year’s championship victory, Reese said she’ll play a key part in the Terps’ success this offseason.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Fitzpatrick said. “They just said to enjoy the ride. … That’s the most important part.”
