#1 Terps Roll Over UMass 18-3 and Earn a Berth in the Final Four

For the second time in two years, the Terps hosted a quarterfinal NCAA Tournament game [and] as the top overall seed and for the second time in two years, they obliterated their opponent. In 2015, the Terps crushed Northwestern 17-5 and Sunday Maryland was even more dominant in their 18-3 win.

For the second time in two years, the Terps hosted a quarterfinal NCAA Tournament game and the top overall seed and for the second time in two years, they obliterated their opponent. In 2015, the Terps crushed Northwestern 17-5 and Sunday Maryland was even more dominant in their 18-3 win.

For the second time in two years, both the Maryland men’s and women’s lacrosse teams will be making the relatively short trip up I-95 to the Philadelphia area to compete on the sport’s biggest stage, the NCAA Final Four. This marks the third straight trip to the Final Four for head coach John Tillman’s squad while women’s coach Cathy Reese leads the Terps to their eighth consecutive trip to championship weekend.

As for Sunday’s walkover win, a more appropriate name for the UMass team, despite their gaudy 20-1 record entering the game, might have been the FiveMinutewomen because the Terps needed less than that amount of time to race out to a 3-0 lead. Eighteen minutes in, on Zoe Stukenberg’s goal, Maryland’s lead had ballooned to 8-0. The score was the first of five goals in what would be a career game for the junior captain from Ellicott City.

In a mark of the dangerous balance the Terrapins possess, five different players scored those eight goals and one was not Taylor Cummings although the two time Tewaaraton winner did register an assist on a perfect fast break to Megan Whittle and finished the day with two goals, two assists, three caused turnovers and six draw controls.

Whittle, meanwhile, would finish the game with four goals pushing her total to 69 on the season and outstripping the 67 she registered as a freshman. Speaking of freshmen, Caroline Steele, who scored Maryland’s first goal just a minute into the game on one of three assists dished out on the day by Caroline Wannen, also found the net three more times. Her four scores increased her season total to 35.

As a gentle rain continued to fall, Cummings notched her second assist of the half and Steele’s fourth goal and with 2:43 to play. The Terps lead had ballooned to 10 treating the sparse 674 fans in attendance to a running clock.

The Terps held a 13-1 lead at the break and the second half played at a more pedestrian pace. After UMass opened the scoring, Maryland ran off four straight scores to extend the lead to 17-2. Each team would find the goal once more before the final horn sounded mercifully ending the day for the visitors from Massachusetts.

As they did in last year’s semifinal, Maryland will face the Syracuse Orange in one semifinal game Friday. Maryland is familiar with the opponents on the other side of the draw as well. That semifinal will pit North Carolina against Syracuse. Earlier this season, the Terps defeated the Orange 14-9 in Syracuse, the Tar Heels 8-7 in Chapel Hill on February 27, and Penn State 10-9 in State College where they clinched the Big Ten Championship.

Maryland Lacrosse
There Are 2 Responses to this Post
  1. Hugh G Rection

    Great write-up. Note that the other side of the bracket has the two teams who gave UMD WLax a close game this year. Do not think the Cuse game nor the NC game will be close as our side seems to have ratcheted up the intensity tremendously in the post season.

    Reply ·   11/12/2019

    • Todd

      Thanks, Hugh. I hope you and Mrs. Rection are doing well.

      Reply ·   11/12/2019

Write a Comment!










Message


YoungTerps Tweets

Terp Talk Tweets


Bruce Posner Tweets


Sponsors

Viener Consulting

Saiontz and Kirk

Dr Jeffrey Gaber and Associates
Never Miss a Terp Beat!

Enter your email address: