No. 3 Maryland women’s lacrosse has been struggling with its free positions in the last home game.

On Sunday against James Madison, graduate attacker Kristen Shanahan went a perfect 3-for-3 on free positions and scored six times in the game, tying her career high.

The free position success helped the Terps en route to a 13-6 win over the Dukes. 

“She’s an excellent eight-meter shooter, and she can score when she’s on the eight meter, and so obviously she’s gonna have the green light every time,” said head coach Cathy Reese

Shanahan ran into the eight-meter with three defenders on her; they crowded her, and one got a stick in her face, earning Shanahan a free position shot, which she subsequently scored.

Maryland had the first goal of the second quarter, scored off another free position shot by Shanahan.

Shanahan once again scored on a free position, her third one of the game, with four and a half minutes left in the third quarter.

“I was put on the line three times, and I got to finish my eight meters,” Shanahan said.

The game started rocky for the Dukes in more ways than one. For the draw control, the Dukes’ draw control specialist had a stick malfunction and ran off the field. The ball was awarded to the Terps’ Maddy Sterling.

The first goal of the game came from the Terps’ top scorer, junior attacker Lauren LaPointe. After a few minutes of working the James Madison defense, she found a gap and slipped the ball past the Dukes’ goalkeeper Abigail Beattie.

Freshman midfielder Leah Miller got the first goal of her collegiate career off an assist from graduate attacker Jordyn Lipkin.

Maryland dominated on draw controls, corralling 17 of the 21. The Terps also dominated the offensive stats with 70% of the shots and 80% of the assists across both teams by the third quarter.

“Those possessions are huge for us,” Reese said.

Kori Edmondson didn’t score much this game, but when she did, it was smooth. Near the beginning of the fourth quarter, she got her second goal of the game off a clean roll dodge into open space in front of the goal.

Late in the first quarter, James Madison’s top scorer Jordan Peterson netted a goal, bouncing the ball past JJ Suriano.

The Dukes kept up the energy, scoring again just a minute later, Payton Root from Brianna Mennella.

With James Madison just one away from tying things, Maryland wasn’t going to let them close in, scoring twice in a row before the first quarter ended.

James Madison remained scoreless in the second quarter until two minutes remained, when Aly Yee-Jenkins scored.

Kennedy Major didn’t take the field, and much of the defensive efforts were left to JJ Suriano, who had a solid save percentage of 66.7%. 

“I think our whole defensive unit, whether you’re a starter or second string, third string, everyone on our defensive end gels so well together,” Suriano said, “I’m not gonna make saves without my defense in front of me.”

Goalie Caitlin Boden made an appearance in the final minute against her former team, stopping a shot from James Madison in the last ten seconds.

“I love that Boden went in the end and made the save at the end,” Reese said.

With 10 seconds to go before the first half ended, Shanahan secured a hat trick and a five-point lead for the Terps.

After a goal from Jordan Peterson in the second half, the Dukes’ scoring came to a halt for the rest of the third quarter.

James Madison tried to set a different tone in the fourth quarter, with Menella scoring the first goal 20 seconds in, but Edmondson and Shanahan didn’t let that happen, scoring back-to-back goals. 

By the end of the game, Maisy Clevenger had earned her first goal of the season after an injury, and Jordyn Lipkin assisted both of the players who got their first goals.