By Brandon Sklar
With the Maryland women’s lacrosse team finishing out their strong regular season with a victory at Princeton, it looks forward to the challenge that is coming its way starting Saturday with Rutgers at home in the beginning of the Big Ten tournament.
Maryland had a strong and challenging regular season schedule but fared well against some of the country’s best. The shining stat of the season has to be their 9-0 record away from home with major wins coming against then number 5 Syracuse, as well as beating then number 10 Denver, topping it off with a win at then number 2 Michigan, and having a rival victory against Johns Hopkins.
The Terps were tested all year, eventually finishing the regular season with a 12-4 record. Now it is tournament time and a time that Maryland is all familiar with. The schedule was brutal for the Terps but that is what helps make championship teams.
“We played probably the toughest schedule in the nation. These guys are tested every day home or away.” said head coach Cathy Reese.
The team is gritty but also talented having eight players earn All-Big Ten honors which was the most of any team in the Big Ten. Three of those players made the first team, Midfielder Shaylan Ahearn, defender Meghan Ball, and attacker Eloise Clevenger. Goalie Emily Sterling, defender Kennedy Major, midfielder Kori Edmondson, and attackers Libby May and Hannah Leubecker were all on the second team.
If the Terps want to win a championship they need to rely on the strong defense which has ranked in the top 15 nationally all season. However, the Terps’ defense will be tested on Saturday by Rutgers star Cassidy Spilis who is one of the most dangerous scorers in the Big Ten. The Terps could use another great performance from goalie Emily Sterling who is a Tewaaraton Award nominee and is one of the top goalies in the Big Ten. The Terps know what they have to do in order to go on a run this postseason.
“We need to make sure we’re putting together all the tools we’ve worked on and kinda accumulated throughout the season and be able to execute as we go,” Reese said. It will be a good battle on both sides with the game being set for 4 pm in College Park as the Lady Terps look to start another postseason run.
