The Terps managed just seven saves.
For the second time in three games, No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse head coach Cathy Reese turned to Julia Ward midway through the second quarter. The Terps trailed 6-4 at No. 11 Virginia and had just given up four goals in the last eight minutes.
The freshman didn’t fare much better than starter JJ Suriano, though.
Immediately after entering the game, Ward faced her first challenge. A foul from Neve O’Ferrall handed the Cavaliers a free-position look, and Ward wasn’t up for the test. She allowed Virginia midfielder Kate Galica to score with ease and extend its lead to three.
Without much success in goal, the Terps fell to Virginia, 13-9, Wednesday at Notre Dame Prep, marking their fourth loss to a ranked opponent this season.
In her 10 minutes of action, Ward conceded three goals and mustered only one save. Reese quickly subbed Suriano back into the game. Between Ward and Suriano, Maryland registered just seven saves.
While the Terps’ netminders struggled, the offense wasn’t very successful either.
Maryland took some time to get its footing in its previous contest at No. 18 USC. Those same difficulties were evident throughout most of the game. The Terps embarked on a near 12-minute scoring drought early on, turning the ball over four times in the first quarter.
When Maryland found some success in the attacking half early on, it came from Kori Edmondson. After one of her worst performances of the season, Edmondson matched her scoring total just three minutes into the game with a goal. She also set up Maryland’s only other goal in the first quarter.
Alongside Edmondson, Lauren LaPointe produced for the Terps in the opening half. Fresh off her second hat trick of the season, the sophomore accounted for half of Maryland’s first-half scoring output.
However, the duo couldn’t keep up with Virginia’s balanced attack.
Attacker Jenna DiNardo — the Cavaliers’ top scorer — led the charge once again. DiNardo raced past her defender with a stutter step and sidearmed the ball into the bottom corner, handing Virginia a 4-3 lead, one it wouldn’t let up. She was responsible for three of Virginia’s first five goals in the first half, totaling four goals in the contest.
After scoring just two goals in a two-game stretch earlier this season, Virginia attacker Addi Foster has turned her production up recently, notching hat tricks in five of the last six games entering Wednesday’s contest. The sophomore picked up where she left off, tallying another three-goal performance on just four shots.
The Cavaliers’ faceoff specialist, Galica, made an impact on the offensive end, too. While she was held scoreless for the first 27 minutes of the game, a free-position look was all she needed to flip a switch; she was the third Virginia player to record a hat trick.
Behind the Cavaliers’ offensive onslaught, they took a 7-4 lead into halftime.
While Virginia’s offense was clicking, goalie Mel Josephson couldn’t be beaten. She held Maryland to its lowest offensive output in five games, turning away nine shots and allowing nine goals for one of her best save percentages (50%) of the season.
Despite digging themselves into a five-goal deficit late in the third quarter, the Terps wouldn’t go away. Jordyn Lipkin scored two quick goals in 41 seconds and gave Maryland some momentum heading into the final quarter.
But the Cavaliers shut the door on a comeback immediately after the break. On its first two possessions of the fourth quarter, Virginia scored goals, extending the lead back to five.
Despite looking outmatched on both the offensive and defensive end of the field, the Terps faceoff unit once again controlled the circle. Entering Wednesday’s contest, Maryland ranked 19th in the country with a 57.9% draw control percentage. The Terps matched that success against the 13th-best unit in the nation, winning 16 of the 27 faceoffs.
Maryland couldn’t do much with the extra possessions, though.
Three things to know
1. Winning streak snapped. The Terps rode a two-game winning streak and 15 straight victories over Virginia into Wednesday’s game. But for the first time since 2008, Maryland came out on the losing end to the Cavaliers.
2. Edmondson held in check. After recording three straight four-goal performances, Edmondson once again failed to generate her usual production. The Terps’ leading scorer registered another one-goal game.
3. Road trip conclusion. Maryland played its last four games away from College Park, going 2-2 in the process. The Terps return home for the first time in nearly two weeks, facing Ohio State in another pivotal Big Ten game Sunday.