In its first of three games this week, the No. 2-ranked Maryland women's lacrosse team took down No. 7-ranked James Madison, 18-5, on the road Sunday.
The Terrapins used a quick start to jump ahead of the Dukes and simply coasted to victory. Maryland led 34-21 in shots, landing 26 on target, and won 60 percent of draw controls to take a firm hold on this game. Jen Giles led the Terrapins with four goals, while Kali Hartshorn and Grace Griffin each had hat tricks. Substitutes Hannah Warther, Julia Hoffman and Kylie Davis added one goal each to help extend the lead down the stretch.
Maryland opened the game with three goals on its first three shots on target, before James Madison got on the board seven minutes and 22 seconds into the contest off of a free-position goal.
The Terrapins continued coasting through the first half and took a 9-3 lead into the locker room behind 17 shots, including 13 on target. Griffin earned her hat trick in the first half, while Giles and Erica Evans each scored two. Hartshorn also reached a new career high of three assists in the first half alone.
James Madison came out of the gate to start the second half with some pressure, controlling the first two draws and scoring first to make it a 9-4 game. Maryland, however, responded with a quick flash of three goals in less than three minutes to halt any momentum and continue coasting.
Maryland used support from younger players down the stretch, as Warther, Davis and Hoffman scored the final three goals to give Maryland the 18-5 victory. Rest is certainly necessary for Maryland, as the team faces two more matchups this week.
The Terrapins will travel home and take on another top-10 opponent in Princeton this Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Three things to know
1. No Steele, no problem. Catie May took Caroline Steele’s spot in the starting lineup, as she continues to suffer from a lingering knee injury, and the Terrapins did not miss a beat. While May ended up with just one assist, the team’s success despite missing one of the best attackers in the nation proves that Maryland is on top of its game already this season.
2. Turnovers are still a potential problem after flaring up in this one. Coming off of a game with just six turnovers against Penn State, Maryland was unable to double down on its improvement, as the Terrapins turned the ball over 12 times against James Madison.
3. Another top-10 opponent, and another win. Maryland now has a 5-0 record in 2019 against top-10 opponents, but still have major tests coming up. The Terrapins have matchups with Virginia, Princeton and Michigan this season, who rank at eighth, ninth and tenth respectively in the latest IWLCA poll. The Princeton Tigers will be the next test as they come to College Park on Wednesday with a 5-2 record, including going 3-1 against ranked opponents this season.