The Terps outscored the Scarlet Knights by five goals in the second half.
No. 2-seed Maryland women’s lacrosse and No. 7-seed Rutgers met exactly one week prior in a low-scoring defensive affair. Wednesday’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup was the exact opposite, though.
With time winding down in the third quarter, the Terps held a slight 10-8 lead after scoring a minute prior, and looked prone to a second consecutive early exit in the tournament.
But a Kori Edmondson score late in the third and six fourth-quarter goals eased any potential concerns. While the Scarlet Knights didn’t go down easy, the Terps secured a 17-11 win in College Park.
“We struggled against [Rutgers’ goalie] last week, and we talked about that and watched it,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “I think we struggled as the game started but as the game went on. For us to put up 17 goals against them, I thought was an awesome job by our offense.”
Maryland will return to action on Friday in the tournament semifinals against either No. 3-seed Michigan or No. 6-seed USC.
Fresh off their best outing in four games, the Terps were sloppy early in Wednesday’s contest. Maryland committed a costly foul on its first defensive stand, and then immediately misplaced a pass on the ensuing possession. Rutgers made it pay, taking a 2-0 lead just over three minutes in.
But the Terps’ offense settled down and freshman Devin Livingston took charge. After producing a brace in Maryland’s last game, Livingston picked up where she left off. The All-Big Ten freshman teamer generated two early goals.
“I love that Devin isn’t afraid to take chances,” Reese said. “But I do think she’s learning with each opportunity that she gets a run on the field.”
Edmondson’s quickness became evident from that point on. The junior surged through the middle of the Scarlet Knights’ defense, embracing contact before firing a shot into the bottom corner. The goal was her second of the game and the Terps’ fourth unanswered.
However, Rutgers survived the offensive onslaught.
When these two programs met just a week prior, Scarlet Knights’ attacker Lily Dixon was held without a point for just the second time all season. The Maryland native has been the team’s top facilitator with 33 assists, and she found herself on the scoresheet early in the second quarter to halt Maryland’s momentum.
Rutgers seized control right back, scoring three straight goals to take a 5-4 lead.
Rutgers attacker Kayleigh Coughlin entered the game with just five goals on the year, including one against the Terps. But she notched two scores in the first half to fuel Rutgers’ offense.
Two quick scores from LaPointe in just over two minutes propelled Maryland to a one-goal lead heading into halftime, though.
“I think in the first quarter when she had [six] saves, we were just shooting at her or just shooting low at her,” Edmondson said. “I think we made that adjustment to start shooting for net. The game plan was to come in and just shoot for net, shoot low, find the net. That’s all I needed to do to get that ball in the net.”
While the Terps’ offense generated quality chances, Scarlet Knights goalie Lexie Coldiron kept her team within striking distance all game long. The nation’s saves leader produced another stellar performance, dispatching 13 shots on frame.
But her efforts were outdone by a flurry of free-position tallies. The Terps scored their final three free-position chances in their last meeting against then-No. 8 Johns Hopkins after failing to convert on their initial four opportunities. Maryland was efficient in that regard Wednesday, scoring on five of its eight free-position looks.
The Terps’ defense was phenomenal in the second half, holding Rutgers to just nine shots. However, when JJ Suriano was called upon, the sophomore failed to protect the cage. She finished with a 35.3% save percentage.
Maryland took a 13-8 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Rutgers notched goals on its ensuing two possessions to keep the game competitive.
Scores from Edmondson, Jordyn Lipkin and Chrissy Thomas pushed the Terps across the finish line, though.
Three things to know
1. Hailey Russo dominated in the circle. For the first time this season, Reese made a change to her starting faceoff personnel. Russo replaced Kayla Gilmore, who usually leads Maryland’s draw control unit. It didn’t matter, though, as Russo gathered 21 of the 32 faceoffs.
“[Russo] was ready for the challenge,” Reese said. “We called her name and said, ‘We need you to do your thing.’ She’s come in a lot of games this season and done really well. I think you saw her hustle on a lot of the draws.”
2. Livingston shines in Big Ten Tournament debut. Inside Lacrosse’s No. 9-ranked recruit in the class of 2024 entered with just one hat trick on the season. On Wednesday, Livingston notched three first-half goals.
3. Potential opponents. With the Terps’ win over Rutgers, they will face the nightcap winner of Michigan and USC on Friday. Maryland defeated both squads earlier this season by multiple goals.