4 hat tricks help Maryland women’s lacrosse blow out Michigan, 20-7

It was a big day for the freshmen as Maryland women’s lacrosse cruised to a 20-7 victory over Michigan. Maryland’s 13-2 halftime lead meant the game was played with a running clock in the second half.

Kali Hartshorn and Jen Giles both scored their hat tricks in the first half, continuing their strong play. Hartshorn, a freshman, has made a seamless transition into a Maryland lineup mostly full of upperclassmen. Replacing Taylor Cummings in the starting lineup was a daunting task, but Hartshorn has been tremendous doing so.

Brindi Griffin is another freshman who is coming into her own as a player. Today marked the second straight game with a hat trick for the top-five recruit who continues to make the case to be the first reserve off the bench.

Megan Whittle scored the quietest of the four hat tricks, bringing her season total to 34 goals. She still stands as the Terps’ most explosive offensive player, leading the team on both points and goals this season.

Both Taylor Hensh and Caroline Steele scored a pair of goals, while Hannah Warther and Kacie Longo each notched a goal in the game as well. Finally, freshman Nikki Sliwak scored her first career goal after coming into the season a top 20 recruit.

Additionally, Maryland got all three goalkeepers action for the first time this season. Megan Taylor was strong as usual, making six saves on eight attempts in the first half. Emily Kift and Emma Moss split time in the second, combining for four saves on nine attempts.

Three Things to Know

1. So much scoring depth. Maryland showed off their bench today, but their its is displayed all over the roster. Kali Hartshorn scored a hat trick after not collecting a point last game, while Zoe Stukenberg didn't score a goal coming off a five goal performance. It shows that this team can win in a variety of ways with so many players able to score.
2. Maryland’s one weakness was draw controls. The only part of the game where Maryland struggled was draw controls, as Michigan won that battle 18-11. It didn’t affect on this game, but this is an area Maryland needs to continue to work on to get to where it wants to go.
3. On the road again. Maryland heads off on a two-game road trip this week, starting with a game against No. 17 Virginia. Four of Maryland’s last six games come on the road to end the season before staying home for the Big Ten tournament.