It was a challenging first 20 minutes for No. 5 Maryland women’s lacrosse in Thursday’s road clash against Penn State.
That changed once head coach Cathy Reese called an early timeout.
The Terps took over the game scoring six straight points leaving Penn State unable to cling onto its advantage, allowing Maryland to secure a 19-11 win in its conference opener.
A pair of Terps (5-1, 1-0 Big Ten) walked into Thursday’s matchup with awarded momentum.
On Tuesday, junior Kori Edmondson was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Week for the second week in a row; she racked up a combined seven goals and three assists in Maryland’s previous games against JMU and Denver.
Sophomore JJ Suriano was also awarded Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after making 13 saves and limiting JMU to five goals in Saturday’s win.
Both Edmondson and Suriano continued their successful play on Thursday.
The former logged three goals and two assists, while the latter posted an impressive 50% save clip.
The Terps got out to a rapid start winning the opening draw, and even played with a numerical advantage for a minute after Nittany Lion (2-6, 0-1 Big Ten) Erika Ho was given a green card. Just seconds later, Jordyn Lipkin put Maryland in front by scoring the game’s opening goal.
But a few minutes later Penn State started a three-goal run — indicating that Maryland’s four-game winning streak could be in jeopardy.
The Terps answered with a pair of goals, but Penn State’s Brooke Hoss put an attempt past Seriano’s stick as the quarter was winding down. That score put the Nittany Lions ahead by one heading into the second quarter.
Penn State went on another three-goal run over the first five minutes of the second period, increasing its lead to 7-3. The concerning deficit prompted Reese to call a timeout.
It’s unknown what the Maryland head coach may have said, or tactically changed, but it turned into one of Reese’s patented “pep-talks.” The suspected outcome completely flipped following the stoppage and Maryland dominated the rest of the way.
Freshman Shelby Sullivan sparked a 6-0 run when she scored the fourth goal of the game with an assist from Maisy Clevenger. Maryland’s offense efficiently worked together to close the gap, ultimately taking the lead just two minutes before halftime.
The Terps never relinquished that advantage.
Maryland took a two-goal lead into halftime and coasted after the break. A plethora of Terps contributed to another six-goal stretch in the third frame.
Maryland’s defense shut down Penn State in that same quarter allowing just three shots on goal and none of them hit the back of the net.
The final quarter of the game consisted of three goals from each side. The even fourth left no room for Penn State to close the eight-goal gap, as the Terps took home the win in their highest-scoring performance of the season.
Maryland returns to its Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Terps face their second Big Ten team of the campaign in No. 12 Michigan.
