The Maryland women’s lacrosse players hung their heads as they walked off the field at Talen Energy Stadium nine months ago. The Terps had just lost their first game of the 2016 season at the hands of North Carolina in the national championship.
The No. 2 Terps (2-0) will play the No. 1 Tar Heels (3-0) for the first time since that heartbreaking defeat at Maryland Stadium on Saturday.
Coach Cathy Reese admitted the championship loss still resonates with the players, but repeated what she has said all season: “The past is the past, and this is a new season.” The Terps won’t dwell on what happened in May.
The Tar Heels are an experienced team, with seven juniors or seniors earning a preseason All-American honors.
Though Maryland only has three new starters from the last time they took on the Tar Heels, they have several fresh faces, including the nation’s top freshman class.
“Our preparation is going to be extra important,” senior midfielder Zoe Stukenberg said. “We’re just going to have to go out and be poised and confident even though we may be a little younger and a little more inexperienced.”
Senior defender Nadine Hadnagy said the Terps’ lack of experience has not plagued them so far, as the new players have “really been adapting well” to college lacrosse. Instead of focusing on the opposition, Hadnagy said the freshmen are focused on the team’s game plan.
So, while the championship loss may still resonate with the players who experienced it, Stukenberg said the newcomers don’t need to hear about it.
“We haven’t mentioned last year’s game to our awesome freshman class,” Stukenberg said. “They are an unbelievably hardworking group of people, and they’re super motivated. They don’t need us to rub anything in their face to get them fired up for this game.”
Reese said playing the top team in the country adds enough motivation.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story and its headline incorrectly stated Maryland is looking for revenge against North Carolina. The story and headline have been updated.
