By Jack Bowman 

Maryland women’s lacrosse watched its season come to a heartbreaking halt last Sunday at the hands of a last-minute comeback from James Madison. 

“[It was] a game that came down to the wire, really could have gone either way,” head coach Cathy Reese said following the loss. “Hurts to lose.”

James Madison, which trailed for the vast majority of the game, scored five unanswered goals in the final quarter, taking the lead. Maryland held an opportunity at the end to find an equalizer, but couldn’t find that goal.

James Madison’s five comeback goals all came within a period of five-and-a-half minutes. Two were scored by Isabella Peterson, her 88th and 89th of the season and sixth and seventh of the game, while Maddie Epke, Taylor Marchetti and Caitlin McElwee each also scored. 

Coach Reese acknowledged Peterson’s stellar performance in the postgame press conference.

“She’s a great player and obviously she shot lights out today,” Reese said. 

Despite the heartbreaking fashion in which the season came to an end, there are still plenty of positives and lessons for the Terps to take both from the season as a whole and its finale.

“We were proud of the progress…our team has made this year,” Senior Hannah Leubecker said definitively after the game. 

That progress reveals in the team’s results throughout the season. 

The Terps started out 3-3, a disappointing start for a traditionally dominant program. Following that tepid start, though, they took off on a nine-game winning-streak, ultimately wrapping up the regular season with a 12-5 record. 

With plenty of talent returning next season, and Reese maintaining her position as head coach of the program, the Terps will have plenty to build on going into the future.