By Ryan Homler
The Maryland Women’s Lacrosse team once again defeated a top 10 opponent on Wednesday night, overpowering No.7 Princeton 18-12.
For the Terps, it was another dominating win over one of the best teams in the county. Maryland now sits at 14-0 on the season and has beaten seven ranked opponents as they continue to dominate in College Park.
“This is our home,” said head coach Cathy Reese when asked about how the Terps have rattled off 16 straight home wins. “You can really feed off of [the fans’] energy.”
Before most fans could even get settled into their seats, the Maryland offense was already picking up where it left off against Rutgers. Junior Megan Whittle was able to put one in the back of the net just 29 seconds into the game. Once the Terps grabbed the lead, there was no looking back.
Only seven minutes into the game, the No. 1 team in the nation already held a 5-0 advantage, with Whittle and freshman teammate Kali Hartshorn doing all the scoring. The two of them would finish the game with five goals a piece.
Hartshorn, who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for her six goal performance last week, made a strong case for a repeat with her performance tonight.
“It’s really my teammates,” said Hartshorn when asked about what has been working for her. “I just go out and play Maryland lacrosse.”
Sophomore Jen Giles added four goals for the Terps while senior Zoe Stukenberg, who had only scored two goals in her last three games, was able to find her groove and record a hat trick.
For an offense that has become accustomed to having a plethora of players scoring, the Terps relied heavily on their starters to impact the game, as only five players contributed goals as opposed to the nine who scored last game.
The Terps 18 goals against one of the top goalies in the nation in Princeton’s Ellie DeGarmo was no small feat, but the Terps’ attribute their success to their own goalie.
“We knew they had a very talented goalie,” said Megan Whittle. “But the thing is, we play against Megan Taylor everyday. So we are good at shooting because in my opinion she’s the best goalie.”
However, Megan Taylor did not have her best night in the net, but the sophomore did just enough to help earn a victory. Taylor, who has been dominant all season long, allowed 12 goals and only finished with a .478 save percentage.
Taylor was also aided by the play of her fellow defenders, who were able to shut down one of Princeton’s best weapons. The Terps defense limited senior Olivia Hompe, who led the team in scoring with 41 goals, to only one score on the night.
Princeton did find success at times, scoring consecutive goals at a few points throughout the contest, but they could not keep pace with Maryland’s scorching offense. The Tigers’ attack was headed by senior Kathryn Hallett, who recorded a hat trick, and senior Anna Doherty who added two goals.
Maryland will be back in action Saturday when they host Big Ten opponent Ohio State at 12 p.m. at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.
