Moments after the Maryland women’s lacrosse team conceded a goal midway through the first half against Hofstra, midfielder Zoe Stukenberg charged in for the ensuing draw and snatched the ball out of the air. Her control sprung the Terps on offense and ultimately led to a goal from attacker Megan Whittle.
Whittle’s goal was the first of nine straight for the No. 1 Terps, who used that run to pull away from Hofstra for a 18-7 road win. However, Stukenberg’s draw control marked an improvement on the team’s early performance.
Prior to their offensive run, the Terps struggled on the draw as the Pride won four of the first six. But Stukenberg’s control kicked off a stretch of better production in the circle — the Terps won five of the next eight — to coincide with the scoring burst.
“Draw controls can spark an offense,” Stukenberg said. “They can give a lot of confidence and fuel to your offense, and we need to do a better job of that on all aspects on the field.”
The Terps finished with a 16-11 advantage on draw controls, a sign of progress after then-No. 1 North Carolina secured 11 more than the Terps on Feb. 25, the lone time this season Maryland has lost the battle in the circle. The dip against North Carolina meant coach Cathy Reese’s squad had to rely on defensive stops.
“We just need to find a way to get the ball,” Stukenberg said. “We haven’t really had as much success as we’re hoping in that area yet. I’m proud that we’ve found ways to win games without it. I think we will kind of get in our groove, hopefully soon.”
To start the season, the Terps have adjusted to new personnel in the circle. Former star midfielder Taylor Cummings took draws for four years before graduating last spring. The Terps controlled almost 100 more than their opponents in 2016.
This season, they hold a two-draw advantage through four games.
Freshman midfielder Kali Hartshorn has assumed the duties from Cummings, and while she’s not the only player involved on draws, she’s become a focal point. She secured two at Hofstra while tacking on an assist.
“The draw is one of the most important aspects of the game,” Whittle said. “It’s something we focus on a lot at practice and throughout the rest of the season it’s something we’re always going to harp on.”
Reese said draws are “all about hustle,” and doesn’t want to depend on one player to come up with the ball. So, the team will continue to rotate players around the center circle to develop a strong rhythm.
“We got our stick on a lot of them [Saturday,] and we didn’t come up all of them, but we were getting there, and that’s the first step of it,” Reese said. “That’s what we want to see, and hopefully we’ll even be able to be better at it on Wednesday when we play [Boston College.]”
