Before the start of the season, Maryland women’s lacrosse coach Cathy Reese pointed to Brindi Griffin as a player who could step up as a “core attacker.”
While Griffin’s production had been relatively quiet through the first four games this year, she had a breakout performance as the Terps attacker behind Hofstra’s net Saturday.
The sophomore had a hat trick in the first half to give No. 4 Maryland an 11-4 halftime lead, en route to its 17-10 victory over the Pride.
“I don’t think she shot a lot the past couple games so this is good,” Reese said. “We needed to have this breakthrough day for her. … We’ll look to see more of that as we go forward in the season.”
After the Terps allowed the game’s first score, Griffin made a decisive move after the ball was inbounded. She took the ball from behind net to the front left side of goal and threw it into the lower half of the net to score and tie the game.
The moves from her next two goals also started from behind the net.
For her second goal, Griffin used a spin move to trick a defender and then moved in on the left crease, bouncing the ball into the cage. She similarly cradled past defenders for her final tally.
Griffin has assumed that quarterbacking attack role behind the net for Maryland (4-1), starting every game this season in place of Caroline Wannen, who, before graduating last spring, started every game in 2017 and led the Terps with 39 assists. Wannen was also third on the team in points, with 74.
“Brindi needs to be there,” Reese said. “We need her to be there.”
Griffin, however, didn’t relish in her accomplishment.
“Our whole attack did really well today,” Griffin said. “It was just working well coming from behind with me and [attacker Caroline] Steele. Their goalie played amazing, so I think all of us just trying to find the net around her, that was really working.”
