Maryland women’s lacrosse defender Neve O’Ferrall tried to catch Denver in transition as she hurled a pass toward attacker Maisy Clevenger.
The ball clanked off the sophomore’s stick and bounced to midfielder Kori Edmondson. The junior weaved around three defenders before scoring the first of three third-quarter goals, giving the Terps a 9-7 lead less than six minutes into the quarter on Saturday against Denver.
Edmondson’s transition goal was emblematic of the team’s second-half adjustments. After getting shut out in the second quarter, Maryland rallied for its second consecutive game with a seven-goal third quarter en route to the win.
“A halftime break is a good chance for us to kind of make adjustments as we need to,” coach Cathy Reese said. “I feel like sometimes we can get frustrated … but the challenge is, if you are frustrated because things aren’t going great, what changes are you going to make?”
Edmondson struggled before the halftime break. Maryland recorded five second-quarter turnovers — three of which were from Edmondson.
[Maryland women’s lacrosse’s halftime adjustment led to draw control dominance over Denver]
She looked more like a 2025 Tewaaraton Award Watch List selection in the third quarter.
“I was just so focused on myself and the mistakes that I made, and I was dwelling on them,” Edmondson said.
Shortly after Edmondson’s first goal, she notched a second.
Edmondson looked for a passing option outside the 12-meter arc. She quickly dodged between two defenders with 10 seconds on the shot clock, leaving a wide-open lane inside the eight-meter arc. The goal was Maryland’s fifth within the quarter’s opening seven minutes, matching its goal total from the first two quarters.
“I think her stick work was sharper. She attacked the cage harder, and got some really good looks on goal,” Reese said. “We follow her — when she’s going super hard, everyone around her goes super hard.”
While Maryland was aided by extreme improvement in the draw circle from senior attacker Hailey Russo, it also benefited from fewer turnovers.
Edmondson did not commit a second-half turnover, and the rest of the team limited its giveaways. The Terps finished the half with five turnovers — the same amount as their second quarter alone.
[No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse uses explosive third quarter to surge past Denver, 14-10]
The biggest difference was Maryland’s ability to maintain possessions in transition. The Terps struggled to hold the ball in the second quarter, failing to win a draw and committing multiple turnovers.
But Maryland’s transition play and passing improved in the final quarters. It secured the ball through the midfield and made quick passes in the attacking zone.
The reduced turnovers helped Maryland halt Denver’s 3-0 lead in the fourth quarter. Maryland responded with two goals in the final six minutes, with — the final from Edmondson.
“When we’re not turning the ball over we’re confident,” graduate student attacker Chrissy Thomas said. “So just being sharp and knowing what we want to do every single play in every possession makes a huge difference in those turnovers.”
