Maryland women’s lacrosse cruises to an 18-7 win over Hofstra

After a slow start, Maryland women’s lacrosse warmed up midway through the first half in an 18-7 win at Hofstra. The No. 1 Terps improve to 4-0 this season.

Through 15 minutes, Maryland was only up 4-3 as the they looked slightly disorganized and slow. However, they quickly found their groove, scoring eight straight goals to end the half. Most of the damage came with under three minutes left, when the Terps scored four goals in 1:42 to extend the lead to nine, putting the game away before the Pride could make adjustments.

In the second half, Maryland played a lot more conservative, but still outscored Hofstra 6-4. By the last quarter of the game, Cathy Reese decided to empty her bench, preserving her starters for another day.

Zoe Stukenberg led Maryland with five goals, tying Megan Whittle for the team lead with 11 this season. Whittle and Taylor Hensh each had a hat trick, and Caroline Wannen and Jen Giles scored a pair of goals each. Finally, Theo Kwas and Brindi Griffin scored their first goals of the season, Griffin’s first career score as well.

Once again, Megan Taylor was impressive. She only allowed six goals on 16 attempts, making more timely saves. Backup goalkeeper Emily Kift replaced Taylor with under seven minutes left, allowing a goal on the lone shot she faced.

Maryland dominated Hofstra in the stat sheet. They outshot the pride 41-23 on total shots and 29-17 on shots on goal. The Terps won five more draw controls, committed seven less fouls, and gave up 2 fewer turnovers than the Pride.

Maryland returns next Wednesday, March 8, to face Boston College in College Park.

Three Things to Know

1. Everything was working today. For the final 45 minutes, Maryland was clicking on all cylinders, with an explosive offense and a suffocating defense. They held Hofstra to their lowest point total of the season and the Terps scored their most points this year.
2. Zoe Stukenberg showed her importance. The senior, who was named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list earlier this week, proved her value for the Terps. Her five goals ties Whittle for the most in a game this year, and has picked up where she left off after scoring 49 goals last season.
3. Welcome to Maryland, Brindi Griffin. Griffin, the fourth-ranked freshman in the country and second on Maryland, got her first collegiate point today with a goal. While she hasn’t played much yet, she is a big part of the future of Maryland women’s lacrosse. This won’t be the last time you hear her name.