Maryland women’s lacrosse entered the 2025 season with several key questions — one was how the Terps would get production without attackers Libby May, Eloise Clevenger and Hannah Leubecker.
Saturday’s opener against No. 6 Syracuse did not provide a positive early answer.
The Terps’ new-look attack had plenty of opportunities early. Despite having new draw specialists to begin the season, freshman midfielder Kayla Gilmore won Maryland possession on its first four draws.
But the inexperienced offensive unit struggled to capitalize, with four turnovers in its first five possessions.
“We didn’t play the way we practiced,” coach Cathy Reese said. “We were preparing to play against Syracuse’s zone … and we were just a little hesitant.”
The Orange’s defense swarmed the Terps’ offense early and often, attacking near the 12-meter line rather than sitting back at the eight-meter arc. If Maryland broke some of the original pressure, Syracuse double-teamed the player in possession to force the Terps close to the side and induce errant passes.
[No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse falls handily in season-opener to No. 6 Syracuse, 15-9]
The four early turnovers proved costly for Maryland. They all resulted in a Syracuse goal less than a minute later to give the Orange a 5-1 lead, forcing Reese to call an early timeout.
The Terps’ offense settled down after the timeout but struggled to put shots past junior goalkeeper Daniella Guyette.
“I thought we looked lazy and scared. We outshot them. … the goalie had a ton of saves, and we gave a lot of them to her,” Reese said. “Our shooting choices could have been a little bit better, where we could have placed the ball a little bit. It was like we were surprised we got a shot.”
Maryland outshot Syracuse 28-26, but the Terps used a lot of jump and wide-angle shots to penetrate the Orange’s zone backer defense. Guyette finished the game with 11 saves and a .550 save percentage.
[Maryland women’s lacrosse enters new era in 2025]
One of the few bright spots for Maryland’s offense was midfielder Kori Edmondson. The junior consistently drew contact around the eight-meter arc, allowing her to score three of her four goals on free position attempts. Edmondson’s four goals tied her career-high.
While Edmondson was expected to play a big role in Maryland’s offense, its surrounding depth did not give her much support. The Terps only had three other goal-scorers, and they combined for just five goals.
The Terps have a quick turnaround against Georgetown on Tuesday, giving them just a few days to correct their mistakes.
“We do have a lot of new girls on the team … so as long as we’re just not dwelling on this and letting them know you’re gonna make mistakes,” Edmondson said. “So many of us want this game back, but you just have to move on from it.”
