Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. No. 7 Princeton preview

Coming off a blowout against Rutgers Saturday, Maryland women’s lacrosse faces a significant upgrade in opponents with No. 7 Princeton. The Tigers are 9-1 this season, with their only loss coming against No. 6 Penn State. Since their first loss, the Tigers are 4-0 and have outscored their opponents 70-28.

First draw for this game will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.

No. 7 Princeton Tigers (9-1)

Head coach Chris Sailer. Head coach of Princeton since the 1987 season, Sailor is one of the most decorated coaches in the country. She’s led the Tigers to three national championships and 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, while also winning coach of the year. Her 380 career wins is top five among active women’s lacrosse coaches.

Players to Watch

Olivia Hompe, 5’9, Midfield, No. 22. Hompe is the Tigers’ most prolific offensive player, leading the team this year with 56 points and 41 goals. She leads the country with 4.1 goals per game and is fourth with 5.6 points per game. The senior has scored 164 goals in her time at Princeton and 17 in her last three games.

Ellie DeGarmo, 5’6, Goalkeeper, No. 51. Princeton’s net-minder has been tremendous this season. She is first in the country with a .595 save percentage and 10th in the nation with an 8.56 goals-against average. In her last four games, she has a save percentage of .665 and has only allowed 28 goals.

Tess D’Orsi, 5’4, Midfield, No. 8. The freshman is off to a great start to her college career. She is second to Hompe in team points with 35 and goals with 28. Additionally, she has a shot percentage of .583 and shot-on-goal percentage of .813.

Strengths

Almost everything. As the No. 7 team in the country, Princeton is both an offensive and defensive juggernaut. It is in the top 10 in the country in at least five categories, including first in save percentage with .603. The Tigers’ 15.3 goals per game is eighth in the country, their 8.38 goals allowed per game is seventh and their .536 free-position percentage is third. Translation: the Princeton Tigers are a really good lacrosse team.

Weakness

Draw controls. If there is one area where the Tigers can struggle, it is in the draw circle. Princeton is only 68th in the nation with 11.7 draws per game, and the team’s leaders in this category have only totaled 16 in 10 games. Maryland needs to be on point with draw controls to take advantage.

Three Things to Watch

1. Battle of the best. Statistically, DeGarmo and Megan Taylor are the two best goalkeepers in the country with the top two save percentages, while Hompe and Megan Whittle each have 41 goals this year. There will be a lot of star power on the field, making for a great lacrosse matchup
2. Another top-10 matchup. This will be Maryland’s fifth matchup against a team ranked in the top 10 at some point this season. In the previous four games, Maryland is 4-0 with a combined score of 59-32. Just like the other four, this could be a preview of a late NCAA Tournament matchup.
3. Time of possession. When two teams as good as these play each other, time of possession is always a crucial stat. Whichever team has a better chance to wear the other down defensively will have a big advantage. In the end, this could come down to who wins the draw controls battle.