Maryland women’s lacrosse’s opening quarter against Saint Joseph’s looked eerily similar to its previous game against Georgetown. A strong defensive effort was once again weighed down by a sluggish offensive performance.
The Terps turned the ball over 36 times in their first two games and started Saturday’s game with four turnovers.
But Maryland turned the ball over just twice the rest of the game, powering the Terps to their highest offensive output of the early season. They shot a stellar 80 percent in the final three quarters en route to a commanding 18-7 win.
“The first quarter … we were a little bit antsy,” coach Cathy Reese said. “I think we were starting to force it a little bit, and so once we calmed down, and I think it took a little bit longer in our possessions, or we hit the fast break … we were a lot sharper.”
Maryland’s offense was slow-paced in its prior games, which allowed its opposing defenses to get set. The Terps were subsequently forced to make poor passes late in the shot clock, leading to turnovers.
But in the final three quarters of Saturday’s contest, the Terps often made quick work of their offensive possessions.
[No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse dominates Saint Joseph’s, 18-7]
The Terps scored 13 goals in the second and third quarters. Maryland scored several goals by setting its offense up early in the shot clock, which forced multiple defensive breakdowns from the Hawks.
The best example came shortly after the 12 minute mark of the third quarter. After the Terps controlled the draw, midfielder Kori Edmondson received a pass and quickly dodged to her right. The junior scored seven seconds into the shot clock and gave Maryland an assertive 11-2 lead.
“We were kind of making fun of ourselves on film a little bit from the last game, we were like running in right next to each other,” Reese said on Maryland’s cutting. “We made it a little more difficult for the defense to play us today, where we could kind of keep our distance from each other … and that opened up a lot of cutters in our fast break.”
If Maryland’s cuts did not generate an uncovered player, its offense often drew contact or a shooting space violation within the eight-meter arc, giving them a free position chance. Six different players drew a free position attempt, resulting in five goals.
[Maryland women’s lacrosse’s new offensive unit struggled in season opener]
Emma Abbazia had two free position attempts. The freshman midfielder drew multiple Saint Joseph’s infractions by cutting hard into the attacking third. She failed to convert on the first free position shot, but scored on her second.
The Terps’ well-balanced offense finished with nine different goal scorers and three players scoring at least three goals. If they can limit the turnovers, the versatile attack could bode well against stronger opponents.
“What’s awesome about it is it’s not the same four people every single time,” attacker Maisy Clevenger said. “Everybody brings different things, and I just think we all collectively work together as a whole.”
