NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament 2017: Maryland cruises past High Point, 21-6

High Point came into Sunday’s game averaging 15.94 goals per game and scoring 17 in each of its last 10. Maryland women’s lacrosse then held the Panthers to six goals, their lowest total since February, en route to a 21-6 win.

The first half couldn’t have gone any better for the Terps, who opened the game with a 7-0 run, and High Point didn’t score for the game’s first 16 minutes.

Megan Whittle led the Terps offense, scoring five goals on the day. Kacie Longo scored four goals, a career high for her, while Jen Giles and Zoe Stukenberg each notched a hat trick. Caroline Steele and Kali Hartshorn scored twice each, and even Kelsey Cummings and Hannah Warther scored their first and fourth goals of the year, respectively.

Defensively, Maryland stifled a High Point offense that scored at least 17 goals in each if its last 10 games. The Panthers only scored two first-half goals, and only got six shots on Megan Taylor in the half.

Megan Whittle entered the break with four goals, three of which came in the first 12 minutes of the game, while Giles also scored a hat trick in the half. Due to the score, Taylor only played in the first half. She finished with four saves on six attempts, a relatively quiet day for her.

The second half featured a running clock and a slew of reserves for the Terps. In goal, backup Emily Kift allowed three goals on four shots, and third-stringer Emma Moss allowed one goal on the lone shot she faced. Maryland got the majority of its reserves in the game, a Cathy Reese special when the Terps force a running clock.

Maryland dominated the shots department, outshooting High Point 36-18 in total and 27-11 on goal. Additionally, the Terps also won draw controls 19-10, while High Point out-fouled them 35-13.

Next up, Maryland plays Stony Brook, who defeated Northwestern in the second round, in College Park next weekend.

Three Things to Know

1. Maryland’s defense dominated High Point’s offense. High Point hadn’t played a ranked team until Towson on Friday, and it showed. Maryland made life difficult for the Panthers’ high scoring offense, something High Point wasn’t used to.
2. Nadine Hadnagy was brilliant. Hadnagy gave High Point’s leading scorer Samantha Brown fits all day, holding her to a shot on goal and an assist. The senior tends to get drowned out by the offensive firepower, but Hadnagy’s importance to the team was on display throughout the day.
3. Alex McKay didn’t play. Normally a mainstay on Maryland’s defense, McKay spent the day on the bench as Marissa Donaghue started in her place. The team didn’t announce the reasoning, but Maryland needs McKay as it goes deeper into the NCAA Tournament.