Maryland women’s lacrosse attacker Megan Whittle is used to defenders playing physically against her, so drawing a yellow card foul Saturday against Ohio State was nothing new. However, a second card five seconds later signified the Buckeyes’ intensity.
Whittle then battled through four defenders to score from the ensuing free position shot, one of her four goals that helped the Terps hold off the tough Buckeyes en route to an 18-9 victory on Maryland’s Senior Day.
The Buckeyes committed 30 fouls and received four yellow cards, but their physical approach didn’t deter the Terps.
“All in all it was a good effort,” coach Cathy Reese said. “We got to see a lot of different things from a lot of different people.”
Despite building a seven-goal cushion after the first half, the No. 1 Terps had difficulties to start the second frame, going scoreless for the first 10 minutes and 41 seconds.
Ohio State (6-10, 0-5 Big Ten), meanwhile, added a goal while Maryland goalkeeper Megan Taylor made two saves from close range to prevent the Buckeyes from getting any closer in that stretch.
Ohio State’s confidence grew as its coaches and players got louder on the sideline with every defensive stop. Goalkeeper Jill Rizzo was instrumental in limiting the Terps, making three saves in the first ten minutes of the frame. She finished with 13.
“We had two great transition fast-break opportunities and hit the goalie,” Reese said. “They were just such great looks and had they fallen it’s a different energy level.”
However, after an extended possession, the Terps (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) broke through. Attacker Caroline Wannen faked Rizzo and put the ball into an open net to spark a quick 3-0 run, propelling the Terps away from the Buckeyes.
The Terps had a wealth of players tally. Wannen notched a team-high five points, and midfielder Kali Hartshorn added four goals to push her combined total to 15 in the past three games. Ten total players scored.
Reese said the production showed how the Terps want their offense to operate — “well balanced” — despite acknowledging it wasn’t the team’s best shooting performance.
“We hit a lot of pipes, a lot of missed goals,” Wannen said. “We just kept battling through it and getting a lot of good looks even though they weren’t going in. We were just being patient and waiting for those right shots to go in.”
Senior Day celebrations meant the Terps strayed from their usual starting lineup, giving attackers Theo Kwas and Bairre Reilly their first career starts. Kwas assisted Reilly’s late goal to mark their final regular-season home appearance at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.
Goalkeeper Emily Kift earned her second start of the season, making three saves while splitting time with Taylor, who stopped seven shots.
Prevailing in the physical battle, midfielder Zoe Stukenberg said, was a fitting victory for a successful senior class.
“It was special for the whole team,” Stukenberg said. “[The seniors] deserved a really great day and it was really awesome that our underclassmen were able to give that to us.”
